Identifying the Inclusion of National Sexuality Education Standards Utilizing a Systematic Analysis of Teen Dating Violence Prevention Curriculum.

BACKGROUND: Violent behaviors have devastating impacts on youth and adolescents. National standards offer a framework for age and developmentally appropriate health education expectations. This study provides findings from a systematic review and analysis of teen dating violence (TDV) prevention curricula using National Sexuality Education Standards (NSES) and National Health Education Standards (NHES). METHODS: Evidence-based and/or practice informed interventions for TDV prevention were compiled and analyzed. We used a standardized review instrument to analyze each curriculum (N = 11); each curriculum was reviewed independently and results met inter-rater agreement requirements. Data were analyzed to determine NSES and NHES inclusion. RESULTS: This study provides findings from the TDV prevention curriculum analysis using the NSES. Five NSES topic areas were addressed in the TDV prevention curriculum and included personal safety, healthy relationships, identity, sexually transmitted diseases and human immunodeficieny virus, and pregnancy and reproduction. Personal safety was the most included topic and ranged from 37% to 77%. Healthy relationships were the second most included NSES and ranged from 11% to 53%. Inclusions of NHES skills, as they are embedded within the NSES, are identified. CONCLUSIONS: Curricula decision-makers gain insight by conducting reviews before recommendations are made or the adoption process is complete. The NSES and NHES support expectations for TDV prevention and can guide curricula adoption for a school or district. School professionals should work together to ensure TDV prevention curricula complements sexuality education units. While TDV curricula may cover critical topics, a singular focus on one content area cannot replace comprehensive sexuality education.

Advantages of coordinated school health portfolios: documenting and showcasing achievements.

BACKGROUND: Thirteen school district teams from Michigan and Indiana participated in the Michiana Coordinated School Health Leadership Institute with the intent of Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP) implementation. The purpose of this study was to determine if portfolios served as an effective approach for documenting teams' accomplishments and health programming efforts. METHODS: Data were gathered through a combined survey/interview process and portfolio analysis. The survey was developed by the Institute's core team of experts and designed to assess the Institute's goals and objectives. Interviews elicited greater detail pertaining to survey questions. Content analysis yielded a detailed and descriptive summary of each team's portfolio. RESULTS: Portfolios proved useful for providing rich descriptions and artifacts documenting each team's process and progress toward achieving CSHP. They were not limited to the 12 required Michiana categories and contained additional items related to other aspects of health programming. Portfolios also served as a record-keeping and CSHP marketing tool. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the advantages of portfolios for documenting the process of CSHP development and implementation and teams' health programming efforts. The portfolios provided evidence of team achievements related to Institute goals and objectives-those that included greater documentation were indicative of fuller implementation. Teams with portfolios that used both categorical and scrapbook formats provided richer portrayals of successes to a broader variety of audiences.