In July 2014, the Parkway School District Health and Physical Education Committee convened to review and revise the District’s Sexual Health Curriculum Framework. Over the next year, the Parkway District gathered information from students, parents, teachers and the community in order to evaluate gaps in their health classes and determine what additional topics should be covered to ensure Parkway students are prepared to make healthy decisions throughout their lives.
The following additions to the framework have been proposed:
- Good touch/bad touch (1st – 2nd Grade)
- Gender Roles (3rd Grade), Identity and Expression (6th – 7th Grade)
- LGBTQ People and Health-related Issues (e.g., bullying, harassment, sexual health risks) (8th & 10th Grade)
- Sexual Predators and Online Safety (as required by Missouri HB 501)
- Sexual Consent & Laws (8th & 10th Grade)
- Appropriate Sexual Health Resources
The Teen Pregnancy & Prevention Partnerships advocates that students receive medically-accurate, age-appropriate information on sexual health. Teaching comprehensive medically accurate sexual health education has been shown to decrease teen pregnancy rates, delay initiation of sexual activity, and increase the use of contraception. By updating their curriculum to cover these topics, Parkway is taking steps to protect the health and safety of all students.
The Parkway School Board will vote on changes to the sexual health curriculum in March 2016. We encourage Parkway parents to learn more about the sexual health curriculum by visiting the Parkway District’s webpage and contact the School Board with feedback.
For local news coverage, click here.
For TPPP’s fact sheet on sexual health education in the Parkway District, click here.