AN ACT Relating to health education plans; adding new sections to Title 28A RCW; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that a comprehensive health education program is a crucial part of helping students learn to meet the complex challenges and decisions that they will face as they grow up. The legislature finds that health education is needed at all grade levels and that it is important for health education at the elementary level to provide the foundation for understanding the curriculum offered in the upper grades. The legislature finds that the elements of a comprehensive health education program need to be coordinated and that coordination at the local level will help provide health education programs that meet the needs of local communities.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. Every student enrolled in kindergarten through twelfth grade in a public school in this state shall receive health education appropriate to the applicable grade level under a health education plan established by the local school district under section 3 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. Every school district shall develop a written health education plan for implementation beginning with the 1992-93 school year. The development of plans may be coordinated by educational service districts. The plan shall be designed to provide an appropriate health education program for every student in the school district. The plan shall provide for health education in each grade in grades kindergarten through eight, and at appropriate times in grades nine through twelve. The plan shall provide for:

(1) The coordination of the development, implementation, and evaluation of the comprehensive health education program including, but not limited to:

(a) The primary prevention program for child abuse and neglect under RCW 28A.03.514;

(b) Instruction in physiology and hygiene, with special reference to the effects of alcoholic stimulants and narcotics on the human system, under RCW 28A.05.010;

(c) Instruction in the minimum requisites for good health, including the beneficial effect of physical exercise and methods to prevent exposure to and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, under RCW 28A.05.010, and including instruction in nutrition which includes information about the necessary diet for adequate growth and disease prevention;

(d) AIDS prevention education under RCW 28A.05.055;

(e) Instruction in health, physical education, and home and family life as part of instruction in work skills under RCW 28A.58.754;

(f) The substance abuse awareness program under RCW 28A.120.030 through 28A.120.050; and

(g) Parenting education including, but not limited to, information about the decision-making process regarding becoming a parent and about human development and reproduction.

(2) A definition of health education including, but not limited to, the elements in subsection (1) of this section.

(3) The development of health curriculum that is sequential and appropriate for each grade level and review of the curriculum in conjunction with the instructional materials committee under RCW 28A.58.103. Model curriculum guidelines for health education programs developed by the office of the superintendent of public instruction under RCW 28A.03.425 shall be considered.

(4) The planned instructional time for health education programs at each grade level.

(5) Methods of involving health professionals, school staff including classroom teachers, parents, students, and members of the community, including the business community, in the planning and provision of a comprehensive health education program.

(6) Methods for assuring that teachers providing health education instruction have the necessary training.

(7) Methods for assessing the effectiveness of the health education program, including the goal-setting provisions of RCW 28A.58.094 and the self-study provisions of RCW 28A.58.085.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall collect information about health education programs, curriculum, and materials through the state clearinghouse for educational information and disseminate such information, upon request, to school districts and other interested parties.

(2) The superintendent of public instruction shall share information and work cooperatively with other state agencies, including the department of community development and the department of health, to support health education programs offered by the common schools of the state.

(3) The superintendent of public instruction shall provide for coordination both within the agency and among school districts and educational service districts to better assist in the development and provision of comprehensive health education programs.

(4) The superintendent of public instruction shall develop plans for in-service training for teachers regarding comprehensive health education programs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Sections 2 through 4 of this act are each added to Title 28A RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The sum of one million dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction to provide for the coordination of comprehensive health education programs and to allocate to the educational service districts to help local school districts develop comprehensive health education plans with not more than ten percent to be used for administrative services within the office of the superintendent of public instruction.