• UTAH COUNTY ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

     

    Policies and Procedures on

    BOARD OF TRUSTEES – Health Education Policy

     

    Policy IL

     

    It is the primary responsibility of parents to provide sex education for their children.  It is the responsibility of the Utah County Academy of Sciences (UCAS) to provide supportive instruction that will complement the efforts in the home.  The UCAS Board of Trustees authorizes the UCAS Administration to conduct health, family life, and character instruction within the framework of guidelines established by the Utah State Board of Education.

     

    The Administration delegates to the health instructor the responsibility for the review and selection of appropriate materials.  The Administration will ensure use of appropriate, approved and supportive educational instruction.

    1. Sex education is best described as that part of character education that develops a reverence and respect for birth and life, respect for the human body, respect for parenthood, and a respect for moral standards.  It includes instruction to develop understanding of the physical, mental, emotional, social, economic, and psychological phases of human relations as they are affected by male and female relationships. It includes more than the anatomical and reproductive information, and it emphasizes the development of positive attitudes, and provides guidance related to association between the sexes.
    2. Programs and materials relating to sex education shall be based on the abstinence only curriculum approved by the Utah State Board of Education..
    3. All instructional materials shall be medically accurate, verified or supported by a body of research conducted in compliance with scientific methods and published in journals that have received peer review.
    4. Sex education shall be conducted within the framework of already existing courses such as Health, Biology, Psychology, Family and Consumer Science, and Physiology.
    5. Responsibilities of UCAS:
      1. The Administrative team and the Health instructor shall make up members of a Health Curriculum Materials Review (HCMR) committee. The HCMR committee will review commercial materials, teacher prepared materials and professional programs considered for school use.  Media, instructional materials and technology applications approved for use will be published and distributed to the schools.
      2. Proposed courses of study, instructional units, and teaching materials relating specifically to sex education shall be screened by the HCMR committee.  Approved materials are available for public viewing by request.
      3. The UCAS administration will manage a logging and tracking system of parental and community complaints and comments resulting from student participation in human sexuality instruction.
      4. Violators of UCAS Board of Trustees policy IK  are to be reported to the Utah State Board Commission.
      5. Provide training for health educators..
    6. Responsibilities of UCAS Health Educators:
      1. Parent approval shall be obtained by sex education teachers in writing, using the USOE consent form. Materials that will be used in school presentations will be made available to parents upon request prior to the presentations taking place.  Selected programs must come from the published, approved list.
      2. Use instructional materials that are medically accurate and aligned with the State Core Health Curriculum.

    Teachers may respond to students’ questions to provide accurate data or correct inaccurate or misleading information.




    Approved 11/01/2016

    Updated 10/2018