Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 28 - EDUCATION
Part LIX - Bulletin 103-Louisiana Health Education Content Standards
Chapter 1 - General Provisions
Section LIX-109 - Need and Context for Reform

Universal Citation: LA Admin Code LIX-109

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

A. Education reform is driven by concerns of government and business leaders for the future of the country in a technological world economy. Parents and community members concur that calling for reform will enable students to become responsible members of their families and communities. It is agreed that essential preparation for success in work and family and community settings includes acquisition the foundation skills. Future workers and members of society need the ability to apply knowledge from multiple sources and to work cooperatively.

B. Health-A Key Component

1. Educational excellence in traditional content areas may not be sufficient to secure the future competitiveness of the country. Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use as well as low levels of physical activity, poor nutrition, injuries, teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and stress contribute to a lower health status and result in loss of work and school time.

2. Health education in schools is essential to enable students to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to practice good health. Implementation of planned, sequential health curricula has been linked to changes in students' attitudes and behaviors. Poor health habits often carry over into adulthood. Students who follow good health habits are more alert, perform at a higher level, are absent less, and have greater self-esteem. These traits carry over into adulthood. Healthy adults will be prepared to contribute to the nation's economic competitiveness by working more effectively and decreasing employee absenteeism. Due to an increase in disease prevention, fewer medical services will be required, thereby reducing health insurance costs.

3. Decreased business costs will increase productivity as a result of a workforce of healthy individuals. In addition, health knowledge and skills, when applied, ensure a better quality of life.

C. The Recognized Need

1. The major health problems facing the United States today are largely preventable, and attributable to a few types of behaviors. Such behaviors include those that lead to injury through violence or accidents, drug and alcohol abuse, poor nutrition, suicide, pregnancy and insufficient physical activity (Surgeon General's Report, 1996). Additionally, recent studies suggest that adolescent depression may approach 8 percent of the population, and approximately 15-20 percent of adolescents will express depression during their teen years (Schlozman, 2001). It is important that we address these behaviors early in a child's education through school programs.

2. More children are developing habits that lead to unhealthy lifestyles. Findings from the Surgeon General's Report and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that as students age, they participate in fewer forms of physical activity. This finding, coupled with additional risk factors (e.g., tobacco and drug use, poor nutrition and poor eating habits, increase in sedentary activities) leads to an increasing incidence of cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke, obesity, and Type II diabetes. For cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes, Louisiana has higher rates than the national average (BRFSS, 1996).

3. The cost of cardiovascular diseases and stroke in the United States in 2001 was estimated at $329.2 billion (AHA, 2002). This figure includes both direct cost health expenditures (the cost of physicians and other professionals, hospitals and nursing home services, medications, home health, and other medical durables) and indirect cost health expenditures (loss of productivity resulting from morbidity and mortality). Cardiovascular diseases claim the lives of more than 15,000 Louisiana residents each year making it the state's number one killer. Many of these lives could be saved if bystanders promptly phone 911, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and if trained rescuers provide defibrillation within minutes.

4. Louisiana has alarming rates of obesity. In a recent report from the CDC, Louisiana was ranked twentieth out of 25 states for its level of obesity. In a similar report, New Orleans was found to be the most obese city in America. In 1996, 33 percent of adults in Louisiana reported being overweight according to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). There is evidence to conclude that obesity-related diseases account for approximately 80 percent of the national health care budget, or about $100 billion. Health-risk behaviors claim a high proportion of Louisiana 's Medicaid dollars (48 percent).

5. In addition, suicide has become a significant cause of death in the United States. Based on facts published by CDC and from the Louisiana Adolescent Suicide Prevention Task Force:
a. for people from 15-25 years old, suicide is the third leading cause of death;

b. more teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, AIDS, heart disease, birth defects, strokes, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease combined; and

c. in 1996, medical treatment for youth suicide in Louisiana for ages 0 to 20 years was $364,000,000.

6. Suicide prevention, along with other health education issues can be easily integrated into the health education curriculum that is based on health education content standards. Today, the goals of health education focus more on the development of the whole person. Greater emphasis is placed on health and wellness of the human being. Promoting personal well-being includes attention to mental health as well as physical health.

D. Looking Forward

1. Traditionally, the health education curriculum has been organized around health content topic areas. Today, greater emphasis is placed on health and wellness. The Health Education Content Standards are an ideal means for providing guidelines for curriculum addressing high-risk behaviors and healthy lifestyles.

2. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified six risk behaviors that are incorporated in the organization of the new health content standards. The six risk behaviors include:
a. tobacco use;

b. sedentary lifestyle/poor physical activity patterns;

c. alcohol and drug abuse;

d. unhealthy dietary behaviors;

e. behaviors that result in accidents and injuries;

f. sexual behaviors that result in sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy.

3. In collaboration with health and education partners (Association for the Advancement of Health Education of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, American School Health Association, American Public Health Association, and American Cancer Society), the CDC assists in providing states with information and skills needed to avoid such risk behaviors. The eight components of a coordinated school health program systemically address these risk behaviors and the development of healthy lifestyles. They include:
a. health education;

b. physical education;

c. health services;

d. nutrition services;

e. counseling, psychological, and social services;

f. healthy school environment;

g. health promotion for staff;

h. family and community involvement.

4. Coordinated school health programs offer the opportunity for us to provide the services and knowledge necessary to enable children to be productive learners and to develop skills for making health decisions for the rest of their lives.

E. Purpose

1. This framework document organizes and integrates the content and process of health education. It serves as a bridge between classroom practice and national standards established by the health education community. The standards define what a health-educated person should know, understand, and be able to do. Although the standards provide a framework for curriculum development, local education agencies may choose topics to meet the needs of children and youth in their communities.

2. The Louisiana Health Education Content Standards framework is designed to guide the process of reforming health education in this state. It provides the following:
a. a framework for developing a comprehensive K-12 health education curriculum;

b. a catalyst for insightful discussion of the fundamental nature of health education;

c. a guide for evaluating progress and achieving health education benchmarks among the students of Louisiana ;

d. a vision of health education for the state; and

e. a tool to enable local districts, schools, and educators to grasp the nature, purpose, and role of health education.

F. Intended Audiences. This document is intended for use mainly by kindergarten through grade 12 teachers of health education and curriculum developers to plan curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

G. Intended Use. Intended uses for this framework include the following:

1. for teachers and curriculum developers a guide for planning curriculum, instruction and assessment;

2. for parents a means for gaining information regarding the effectiveness of their children's health education program;

3. for administrators and school board members a vision for health education and a basis for planning resource allocations, material purchases, local curriculum development and teachers' professional development;

4. for policymakers and state education staffs a basis for developing laws, policies and funding priorities to support local reforms;

5. for staff developers a basis for creating professional development materials and strategies designed to increase teachers' knowledge of health education content, teaching methodologies and assessment strategies;

6. for assessment specialists and test developers a guide for the development of an assessment framework to assess students' health education understanding and ability more effectively;

7. for colleges and university faculties a guide for content and design of teacher preparation programs; and

8. for business and industry leaders and government agencies a basis for developing effective partnerships and local reforms for funding instructional materials and professional development.

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:24.4 et seq.

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