The DISD board of trustees reviewed health education recommendations from the district’s School Health Advisory Council, or SHAC, on May 12. SHAC members are appointed by school districts to help reflect community values in health education, according to the Texas Health and Human Services website. Members are required to come from different areas of the community within the district.
Those on the SHAC have worked over the past several months to review potential instruction resources, according to a DISD presentation. DISD Executive Director Michael Ruiz said work began in February after the state recently updated health instruction standards, which will be in place this upcoming school year.
“These new standards require new curriculum materials,” Ruiz said.
For sex education, materials from publisher McGraw Hill and A21.org were recommended as main resources by the SHAC, the presentation stated. Material from publisher Goodheart-Willcox was recommended as a main source for all other health instruction.
In addition, after-school programming for high school students in partnership with the North Texas Alliance to Reduce Pregnancy in Teens was recommended.
Chief Academic Officer Shannon Trejo said parents and principals are required to provide consent for student participation, and previews of the curriculum will be provided to them ahead of enrollment.
Jeana Foxman, co-chair of the SHAC, said in the meeting that the council identified a need for DISD to offer “the best possible reproductive and sexual health resources.”
“The dialogue around the health education resources included respectful discourse as well as thoughtful questions and insightful comments,” Foxman said. “The process was thorough and completed with fidelity.”
Trejo said board members will consider approving new curriculum in a late May meeting.
