Just as there are state-adopted standards for English, math, science and other subjects, content standards were approved in 2008 for health education, describing the knowledge and skills that all students should possess. These, of course, vary greatly by grade level.
For example, the standards say first-graders should be able to explain why sleep and rest are important for growth and good health. Students in grades seven and eight should be able to analyze the nutritional value of different foods and identify ways to increase daily physical activity. High schoolers should be able to demonstrate assertive communication skills to resist pressures to use alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
Here’s a one-pager with a breakdown of which content standards are offered at each grade level:
And here’s the same document in four additional languages:
You can access all of the health education standards by grade level here: www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/
