3: Comprehensive School Health Education

The purpose of Comprehensive School Health Education is to motivate students to maintain and improve their health, prevent disease, and avoid or reduce health-related risk behavior. It teaches students to become health literate, which in return will improve the quality of their overall well-being. A major issue with most education departments is the lack of health educators, or qualified health educators. Health education often is not taught in every grade, and more than likely is taught by teachers who have not been professionally trained in health education. Even though it is still a battle to implement a more appropriate health class within a curriculum, health education has come a long way. Thanks to an improved curriculum, the focus has moved from health facts to functional health information that leads to the practice of healthy behaviors. This change took place in 1995 when curriculum added National Health Education Standards, which included performance indicators as sub-headings. The standards were designed to create universal health literacy; including preparation of students to be critical thinkers and problem solvers; responsible citizens; self-directed learners; and effective communication. Each standard has its own performance indicator that defines what students should know and be able to do at grades 4, 8, and 11. To implement a successful curriculum there should be several factors that include: leadership, stable environment, and appropriate health education activities. Included in a successful Comprehensive School Health Education is that of multiple assessment strategies. Assessments should be graded by rubrics that are consistent with that of the national standards.
No knowledge is more crucial than knowledge about health. Without it, no other life goal can be successfully achieved. This quote by Ernest L. Boyer is the opening line for the chapter. I think these two sentences are the best way to describe the importance of health education in the school system. Unfortunately many districts and individuals do not seem to understand this concept. This stats proves that: 80% of health education teachers had been teaching for five of more years, less than 5% majored in health education(Boyer). This is very disturbing to me. Health education is crucial in the development of students. Having that many educators not qualified to teach the subject is not good for the profession or society. Health education is slowly getting better, but I feel that if there was a true health education coordinator in every district, then it would only increase the improvement of the curriculum that is discussed. Some districts do have them, but not nearly enough districts do. I would like to compare districts health programs in the state of Maine that have certified health coordinators, to those districts that do not. I feel it would be an interesting comparison.