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Advocacy - Letter Writing Campaign - Health Education
11/23/09 |
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Dear :
It has come to my attention that The Education Committee has made changes to the high school graduation requirements that were recommended by the Connecticut State Board of Education (Raised S.B. 944). The change that most concerns me is dropping the requirement for half a credit of health.
The Connecticut State Board of Education and Education Commissioner McQuillan prepared “The Connecticut Plan: Academic and Personal Success for Every Middle and High School Student” after input from experts in the field of education. Through a process of public commentary at hearings around the state it was found that the public widely supported one full credit for physical education and half credit for health education within the 25 credit requirement for high school graduation. Since the one credit of physical education was already part of the high school graduation requirements, the Connecticut State Board of Education added a half credit requirement for health education in the plan they adopted in October 2008.
It is interesting that several proposed acts that came before the CT Legislature this past session are directly related to topics that fit in a comprehensive health education curriculum: parenting, dating violence and shaken baby syndrome. These other legislative proposals could be fulfilled too by including a half credit of health to the high school graduation requirements. Other reasons for including health are:
1. The State Board of Education approved document, Guidelines for a Coordinated Approach to School Health, recommends a minimum of 80 hours per year of health at the high school level.
2. The 2007 Connecticut School Health Survey data that shows that a significant percentage of 12th grade students are engaging in high risk behaviors such as drinking, sex, suicide, and acts of violence and needs to be addressed.
3. The Connecticut State Department of Education’s Healthy and Balanced Living Curriculum Framework states, “There is substantial evidence that poor health affects educational outcomes, behaviors and attitudes, and that the attainment of educational goals is dependent on good health.”
4. Three Connecticut State Statutes (sections 10-19, 10-19b and 10-16b) mandate time for health and require districts to provide on-going, systematic programs.
Therefore, I would like to recommend that language be added to Raised S.B. 944 to include the .5 credit health education as part of the 25 credit requirement for high school graduation.
If I can provide any further information or clarification, please do not hesitate to contact me. .
Sincerely,
Name:
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