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Sexual Health Education
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Senate Bill 5395 passed by the Legislature and Washington voters in 2020, went into effect on December 3, 2020. It requires all public schools to provide comprehensive sexual health education (CSHE) to all students by the 2022–23 school year.
Instruction must be consistent with Health Education K-12 Learning Standards, which provide a framework for comprehensive instruction and the provisions of the law.
The Healthy Youth Act for Comprehensive Sexual Education states that any parent or legal guardian who wishes to have their child excused from any planned instruction in sexual health education may do so. The family opt out form is at the right.
In addition, any parent or legal guardian may review the sexual health education curriculum offered in their child's school via written request with:
- the school district board of directors or its designee
- the principal of the school one's child attends
- the principal's designee
Parent(s) or legal guardian(s) will receive an email once their request to review curriculum has been processed and their enrollment in the parents Canvas course is active. Link to request curriculum review is at the right.
Grades K-12 Sexual Health Overview
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Grades K-3
Schools must provide social-emotional learning (SEL) to students in grades K-3, consistent with SEL Standards and Benchmarks. SEL provides skills to do things like cope with feelings, set goals, and get along with others. No sexuality content or curriculum will be required, although districts may choose to offer additional instruction in alignment with K-12 Learning Standards for Health Education.
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Grades 4-5
Schools must provide comprehensive sexual health education no later than 5th grade. Instruction must be consistent with Health Education K-12 Learning Standards. Grade-level outcomes are provided as examples only and do not represent a required course of instruction.
Required topics of instruction are described in RCW 28A.300.475(link is external). Instruction should include a focus on helping students understand and respect personal boundaries, develop healthy friendships, and gain a basic understanding of human growth and development. Currently required HIV/STD prevention instruction will continue to be required.
Instruction must be provided at least “once” (a unit of instruction in at least one grade), including the following topics of instruction:
- HIV/STD prevention (required annually starting no later than grade 5).
- Human growth and development.
- Affirmative consent (understanding and respecting personal boundaries).
- Bystander intervention (how to safely intervene when witnessing bullying, harassment, or sexual violence).
- Healthy relationships (with friends and family).
- How to avoid exploitative relationships.
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Grades 6-8
Schools must provide comprehensive sexual health education at least twice in grades 6-8. Best practice suggests providing instruction over time, building on earlier instruction. Instruction must be consistent with Health Education K-12 Learning Standards. Grade-level outcomes are provided as examples only and do not represent a required course of instruction.
Required topics of instruction are described in RCW 28A.300.475(link is external), with a focus on helping students understand and respect personal boundaries, develop healthy friendships and dating relationships, gain a deeper understanding of human growth and development, develop skills to support choosing healthy behaviors, and reduce health risks, including abstinence and other STD/pregnancy prevention approaches, and understanding the influence of family and society on healthy sexual relationships. Students must receive age-appropriate instruction on affirmative consent and bystander training. Schools must continue providing HIV/STD prevention education, which must start no later than 5th grade and be provided annually through 12th grade.
Instruction must be provided at least “twice” (a unit of instruction in two or more grades). Ideally, this would be a unit of instruction in at least two different grades, and there are many possible strategies for providing all required content. Learning standards will help districts determine how to scaffold instruction to meet changing developmental needs across grades, which should include the following topics of instruction at least once in this grade band:
- HIV/STD prevention (required annually).
- Human growth and development.
- Choosing healthy behaviors and reducing health risks (including abstinence, condom use, and contraceptives).
- Affirmative consent (understanding and respecting personal boundaries, including sexual boundaries).
- Bystander intervention (how to safely intervene when witnessing bullying, harassment, or sexual violence).
- Healthy relationships (with friends, family, and dating relationships).
- Understand the influence of family, peers, community, and media on healthy sexual relationships.
- How to avoid exploitative relationships and the consequences of sexual offenses involving minors.
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Grades 9-12
Schools must provide comprehensive sexual health education at least twice in grades 9-12. Ideally, this would be a unit of instruction in at least two different grades, and there are many possible strategies for providing all required content. Best practice suggests providing instruction over time, building on earlier instruction. Instruction must be consistent with Health Education K-12 Learning Standards. Grade-level outcomes are provided as examples only and do not represent a required course of instruction.
Required topics of instruction are described in RCW 28A.300.475(link is external), with a focus on helping students understand and respect personal boundaries, develop healthy friendships and dating relationships, gain a deeper understanding of human growth and development, develop skills to support choosing healthy behaviors and reduce health risks, including abstinence and other STD/pregnancy prevention methods, how to access valid health care and prevention resources and understanding the influence of family and society on healthy sexual relationships. Students must receive age-appropriate instruction on affirmative consent and bystander training. Schools must continue providing HIV/STD prevention education, which must start no later than 5th grade and be provided annually through 12th grade.
Instruction must be provided at least “twice” (a unit of instruction in two or more grades). Ideally, this would be a unit of instruction in at least two different grades, and there are many possible strategies for providing all required content. Learning standards will help districts determine how to scaffold instruction to meet changing developmental needs across grades, which should include the following topics of instruction at least once in this grade band:
- HIV/STD prevention (required annually).
- Affirmative consent (understanding and respecting personal boundaries, including sexual boundaries).
- Human growth and development refresher.
- Choosing healthy behaviors and reducing health risks (including abstinence, condom use, and contraceptives).
- How to identify and access valid health care and prevention resources.
- Bystander intervention (how to safely intervene when witnessing bullying, harassment, or sexual violence).
- Healthy Relationships (with friends, family, and dating relationships).
- Understand the influence of family, peers, community, and media on healthy sexual relationships.
- How to avoid exploitative relationships and the consequences of sexual offenses involving minors.
