Selected topics in 2023 Mass. Health Education Framework

Excerpts from the document

(Italics added in the quotes below.)

August 21, 2023

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PreK-Grade 2

Self-management and Goal Setting:

Mental and Emotional Health

2. Define stress and demonstrate strategies for managing stress (e.g., positive self-talk, belly breathing, talking with a trusted adult, listening to calming music, play, physical activity). [p 18]

Physical Health and Hygiene

3. Use medically accurate names for body parts, including genitals when communicating about their body and physical health. [p 19]

Social Awareness, Relationship, and Communication Skills:

Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Sexual Health

1. Discuss gender-role stereotypes and their potential impacts on people of all genders.

2. Demonstrate empathy and ways to treat all people with dignity and respect. [p 20]

Healthy Relationships

7. Demonstrate awareness of, and ways to show respect for, all types of families (e.g., families with heterosexual parents, families with same-gender parents, single parent families, intergenerational families, adoptive families, foster families). [p 20]

Grades 3-5

Self-management and Goal Setting:

Mental and Emotional Health

1. Identify different feelings and emotions (e.g., anger, fear, grief, sadness, anxiety, stress, hopelessness, gratitude, love, excitement, contentedness, hope, pride, happiness) that people may experience and how people might express those emotions (including cultural differences in expression). [p 24]

2. Identify characteristics of and practices to support mental and emotional well-being within various cultures and diverse perspectives. [p 24]

5. Identify personal stressors and demonstrate effective stress management techniques. [p 24]

Physical Health and Hygiene

1. Describe the physical, social, and emotional changes that occur during puberty and adolescence [in Grades 3-5], how the timing of puberty and adolescent development varies considerably, and the role of puberty in overall development. [p 24]

Social Awareness, Relationship, and Communication Skills:

Healthy Relationships

5. Describe ways that stereotypes, perceived stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, inequality and injustice can impact relationships, and demonstrate strategies to address these factors. [p 25]

Mental and Emotional Health

4. Demonstrate how to discuss mental health and mental illness in culturally responsive ways and ways that reduce stigma. [p 26]

Self-awareness and Analyzing Influences:

Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Sexual Health 

1. Describe the differences between biological sex and gender identity, and explain how one’s outward behavior or appearance does not define one’s gender identity or sexual orientation.

2. Describe a range of ways people may express their gender and that some people’s gender identity (how they think about themselves) matches others’ expectations about what their bodies look like on the outside and others do not.

3. Explain how gender identity and sexual orientation can vary in each individual. [p 27]

Mental and Emotional Health

1. Describe personal cultural identities and assets that support mental and emotional health.

5. Identify aspects of personal identity and describe their importance and value. [p 27]

Information and Resource Seeking:

Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Sexual Health

3. Use valid, reliable, and medically accurate resources (e.g., school nurse, doctor, digital resources, health teacher, community organizations) to find descriptions of the human reproductive systems, human sexual development, and the effects of hormones (e.g., romantic and sexual feelings, mood swings).

4. Define sexual intercourse, the range of ways pregnancy can occur, and valid and reliable resources for information or support related to these topics. [p 28]

Self-Advocacy and Health Promotion:

Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Sexual Health

1. Demonstrate ways to treat people of all gender identities, gender expressions and sexual orientations, including other students, their family members, and members of the school community, with dignity, respect, and empathy.

2. Propose and support classroom policies and behaviors that promote dignity and respect for people of all gender identities, gender expressions, and sexual orientations. [p 28]

Public, Community, and Environmental Health

2. Discuss that people may experience health disparities and health inequities…

3. Analyze issues of health inequities and injustices locally, national, and internationally.

4. Describe ways that the community can impact the health of people within that community. 5. Describe the ways that rules and laws can affect community health and health disparities. [p 29]

Grades 6-8

Decision-making and Problem-Solving:

Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Sexual Health

1. Apply an effective decision-making process in situations related to sexual health.

2. Analyze ways to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including methods that can be taken before becoming sexually active, and identify valid and reliable sources of information and resources to support sexual health choices.

3. Describe possible short- and long-term consequences (positive and negative) of engaging in sexual activity and identify ways to avoid negative or potentially harmful consequences.

4. Articulate the benefits of postponing sexual activity and setting personal limits, including to avoid early or unintended pregnancy and to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections, based on personal beliefs and values.

5. Analyze personal beliefs (including level of readiness) and values related to sexual activity and sexual health.

6. Explain the importance of, and ways to identify, setting personal limits to avoid unintended outcomes from risky or unwanted sexual behavior and to make sexual health decisions.

7. Describe strategies that can be used to make decisions that adhere to personal values, beliefs, and limits. [p 30]

Healthy Relationships

1. Analyze the similarities and differences between friendships, romantic relationships, and sexual relationships and discuss various ways to show affection within different relationships (e.g., holding hands, hugging, kind words, acts of kindness, kissing, sexual behaviors).

2. Compare and contrast the continuum of relationship behaviors (including identifying healthier and less healthy behaviors, and the potential impacts of power differences such as age, gender, status or position within relationships) and how these impact health and well-being.…

5. Define consent and describe factors, including drugs and alcohol, that may influence one’s capacity to request consent, and to give and receive sexual consent.

6. Demonstrate the ability to apply a decision-making process to decisions related to consent in a variety of situations (e.g., friendships, familial, with an intimate partner, in a sexual relationship) and to communicate and respond to consent or non-consent.

7. Demonstrate the ability to apply a decision-making model to arrive at a decision that promotes health and safety related to various types of relationships (including sexual relationships). [p 30]

Personal Safety

4. Describe laws (e.g., age of consent laws, child pornography laws, parental notification laws) that relate to young people’s sexual health and the rights of adolescents to maintain their own health, and how these might impact decisions related to sexual health.

5. Define human trafficking and sex trafficking, describe strategies used to exploit, groom, and recruit youth, and demonstrate strategies for avoiding situations that may lead to human trafficking and sex trafficking.

6. Explain the potential consequences of requesting, sending, or digitally posting sexually explicit pictures or messages …

8. Describe the characteristics of various forms of abuse (i.e., physical abuse, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, financial abuse, sexual abuse) … [p 31]

Self-management and Goal Setting:

Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Sexual Health

1. Assess personal health practices and develop short- and long-term goals that support healthy sexual behaviors (e.g., abstinence, delay, use of contraception, use of barriers, giving and obtaining consent).

2. Determine strategies that will reduce the risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and early pregnancy.

3. Examine reasons and considerations (e.g., cultural and societal norms, personal values and beliefs) for determining emotional readiness for sexual behaviors.

4. Describe how sexual health values and priorities may change over time, with varying responsibilities and maturity. [p 32]

Mental and Emotional Health

1. Explain the role of individual and collective responsibility for maintaining and enhancing mental and emotional well-being and describe environmental and contextual factors that affect mental and emotional health and well-being.

2. Describe and demonstrate strategies to effectively manage changing emotions during adolescence. [p 32]

Social Awareness, Relationship, and Communication Skills:

Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Sexual Health

1. Explain how assigned sex, gender identity, and gender expression are distinct concepts and how they interact with each other.

2. Explain the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity.

3. Explain three dimensions of sexual orientation (i.e., identity, attraction, and behavior) and how they are all a part of an individual’s sexual orientation that may or may not align with each other.

4. Explain that attractions can be romantic, emotional, and/or sexual to an individual of the same gender and/or a different gender(s) and that attractions can change over time.

5. Demonstrate the ability to create or maintain positive relationships with people of all gender identities, gender expressions, and sexual orientations. [p 33]

Healthy Relationships

5. Identify tactics used to coerce or pressure someone to have sex and demonstrate techniques and assertive responses to counter these tactics.

7. Describe potential impacts of power and privilege (e.g., associated with age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, immigration status, ability, position of authority) within a variety of relationships.

8. Analyze ways that prejudice, discrimination, and injustice can impact relationship health and describe ways to address these issues to support health of self and others. [p 34]

Mental and Emotional Health

1. Discuss how adverse childhood experiences and toxic stress as well as resilience and positive childhood experiences can impact mental and emotional health and demonstrate ways to communicate effectively about these factors and ways to support people who have experienced or are experiencing trauma.

4. Analyze how people from diverse groups can learn from each other and how this can enhance emotional well-being. [p 34]

Self-awareness and Analyzing Influences:

Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Sexual Health

1. Explain how perceptions and social norms influence thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors toward sexual orientation, sexual health and sexual activity.

2. Analyze external influences (e.g., peers, media, technology, family, society, community, culture) that have an impact on an individual’s attitudes, beliefs, and expectations about gender identity, gender roles, and sexual orientation.

3. Analyze internal and external influences (e.g., personal values and beliefs, peers, media, technology, family, society, community, culture) that have an impact on an individual’s sexual behaviors. [p 36]

Information and resource seeking:

Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Sexual Health

2. Access credible sources of information about human sexual and reproductive health (including pregnancy and pregnancy options).

3. Access credible sources of information about gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and healthy sexuality development.

4. Identify parents, guardians, or other supportive, trusted adults to whom students can ask questions about gender, gender-role stereotypes, gender identity, and sexual orientation and demonstrate strategies for engaging in these conversations. [p 37]

Self-Advocacy and Health Promotion:

Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Sexual Health

1. Demonstrate ways to show courtesy and respect for others when aspects of their sexuality (e.g., sexual activity [including abstinence], sexual orientation) or gender (e.g., gender expression, gender identity) are different from one’s own.

2. Encourage others to refrain from teasing or bullying others based on their sexuality (e.g., sexual activity [including abstinence], sexual orientation) or gender (e.g., gender expression, gender identity). [p 37]

3. Identify behaviors, policies and practices in the school community that promote or hinder dignity and respect for all individuals, including those of different sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expression. [p 38]

Mental and Emotional Health

1. Analyze how stereotyping, bias, prejudice, and discrimination can impact mental and emotional health.

4. Demonstrate strategies for reducing stigma related to mental health.

5. Utilize positive peer and societal norms when formulating a health-promoting position related to eliminating discrimination, injustice, and challenge negative norms.

6. Evaluate strategies for opposing, reducing, or eliminating stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination and injustice. [p 38]

Grades 9-12

Decision-making and Problem-solving:

Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Sexual Health

1. Demonstrate the ability to apply an effective decision-making process in situations related to sexual activity and sexual health.

2. Discuss reasons for why it is wrong to trick, threaten, or coerce another person into sexual activity.

3. Analyze factors that contribute to behaviors that increase the risk of pregnancy, HIV, and other STIs.

4. Explain the importance of STI (including HIV) testing and counseling if sexually active on short and long-term health, identify where to get tested, and why it is important to proactively discuss STI status with a sexual partner.

5. Evaluate readiness, options, and their respective consequences regarding sexual activity in consensual relationships including abstinence, postponing sexual intercourse, engaging in safe sex practices (e.g., using condoms and other barriers, using birth control). [p 39]

Healthy Relationships

1. Analyze the role of individual versus shared responsibility in building and maintaining healthy relationships.

2. Describe the cycle of violence in relationships and discuss strategies for getting help and leaving an unhealthy, violent, or exploitative relationship.

3. Discuss different forms of abuse in relationships including emotional abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence and dating violence, sex trafficking and exploitation, and available supports and resources for getting help if in an abusive or exploitative relationship.

5. Explain age of consent laws and why it is an individual’s responsibility to obtain consent, verify that all sexual contact is consensual, recognize that consent must be asked for and verbally given, that it cannot be given if under the influence, and that it can be taken away at any point (i.e., someone can say yes and change their mind, or say yes to certain things but not others).

8. Examine the complexity of, and discuss considerations related to, the decision to leave an unhealthy relationship, developing a safety plan to recognize and get out of any future unsafe or unhealthy relationships, and determine situations when adult and/or professional support is needed. [p 39]

Self-management and Goal Setting:

Mental and Emotional Health

1. Apply strategies to appropriately respond using different levels of emotions in routine interactions.

4. Assess health practices and overall health status across multiple dimensions of wellness (e.g., physical, emotional, financial, cultural, sexual, intellectual, occupational, spiritual, environmental, social). [p 40]

Personal Safety

1. Explain human and sex trafficking and exploitation and identify recruitment tactics used to exploit vulnerabilities and recruit youth.

4. Evaluate personal responsibility in and the consequences related to pressuring someone for sexually explicit pictures, sending sexually explicit pictures or messages by email or cell phone, or posting sexually explicit pictures on social media sites (e.g., chat groups, email, texting, websites, phone and tablet applications). [p 41]

Social Awareness, Relationship, and Communication Skills:

Healthy Relationships

1. Explain why it is harmful to disrespect others who have differing views and beliefs and demonstrate positive ways to express understanding of differing perspectives.

3. Summarize benefits (e.g., mutual respect, deeper connections, inclusion) of respecting individual differences in aspects of sexuality (e.g., sexual activity, sexual abstinence, sexual orientation) and gender (e.g., gender expression, gender identity), growth and development, and physical appearance. [p 42]

Mental and Emotional Health

1. Describe both positive (e.g., developmental assets, protective factors, resilience, supportive adult relationships) and negative factors (e.g., trauma, adversity, adverse childhood experiences) that can impact mental and emotional health and well-being.

2. Discuss the benefits of trauma-informed approaches to relationships.

8. Demonstrate a variety of culturally responsive strategies for collaborating with peers, adults, and others in the community.

9. Demonstrate strategies for implementing aspects of cultural humility, embracing differences, accepting others, and acknowledging others’ perspectives.

10. Demonstrate the ability to communicate about mental health in culturally responsive ways that reduce stigma. [p 43]

Self-awareness and Analyzing Influences:

Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Sexual Health

1. Analyze a variety of internal and external influences (e.g., peers, media, family, society, community, culture) on a person’s attitudes, beliefs, and expectations about sexual behavior and identity.

2. Determine the role of personal views about gender, sexual identity, and sexual health on choices and behaviors.

3. Discuss the role of personal and collective beliefs and values in creating a culture free of bullying, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexual assault, incest, rape, domestic violence, and dating violence. [p 44]

Public, Community and Environmental Health

3. Identify contributing causes (e.g., public policy, industrial growth, racism, power, inequity/inequality) that can influence public, community, or environmental health and analyze alternative strategies to address these causes for improved health outcomes.

5. Identify and evaluate global influences (e.g., pollution, climate change, warfare, global policies) on personal and community health. [p 45]

Information and Resource Seeking:

Healthy Relationships

2. Demonstrate how to access valid information and resources to help or support someone else (e.g., who is being bullied or harassed or is a survivor of sexual abuse, incest, rape, sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence). [p 45]

Self-Advocacy and Health Promotion:

Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Sexual Health

1. Discuss how to foster empathy, inclusiveness, and respect around issues related to sexuality (such as sexual activity, sexual abstinence, sexual orientation), gender expression, and gender identity.

2. Identify and support school and community policies and programs that promote safety, dignity, and respect for all sexual orientations and people of all gender identities and gender expressions. [p 46]