What is the California Healthy Youth Act?
The California Healthy Youth Act (California Education Code Sections 51930-51939), which was approved in October of 2015 and took effect in January of 2016, requires all California school districts to provide comprehensive sexuality education at least once in middle school and at least once in high school.
What are the goals of the California Healthy Youth Act?
The California Healthy Youth Act has five primary purposes:
- To provide pupils with the knowledge and skills necessary to protect their sexual and reproductive health from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and from unintended pregnancy
- To provide pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to develop healthy attitudes concerning adolescent growth and development, body image, gender, sexual orientation, relationships, marriage, and family
- To promote understanding of sexuality as a normal part of human development
- To ensure pupils receive integrated, comprehensive, accurate, and unbiased sexual health and HIV prevention instruction and provide educators with clear tools and guidance to accomplish that end
- To provide pupils with the knowledge and skills necessary to have healthy, positive, and safe relationships and behaviors
Who determines what is "age appropriate" and "medically accurate" sexual health education?
The Adolescent Sexual Health Work Group (ASHWG), which is comprised of program managers from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), California Department of Education (CDE), and key non-governmental organizations, reviews sexual health education programs for age appropriateness and medically accuracy.
California Education Code 51931, defines "age appropriateness" and "medically accuracy" as:
"Age appropriate" refers to topics, messages, and teaching methods suitable to particular ages or age groups of children and adolescents, based on developing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral capacity typical for the age or age group.
"Medically accurate" means verified or supported by research conducted in compliance with scientific methods and published in peer-reviewed journals, where appropriate, and recognized as accurate and objective by professional organizations and agencies with expertise in the relevant field, such as the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Public Health Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
How can I view the course materials?
Each school year, the curriculum is available for viewing by parents at school sites during office hours. Materials are also available at the District Office in Educational Services during regular business hours.
Can I opt my student out of all or part of the comprehensive sexual health education?
California state law allows you to remove your student from all or part of any sexual health education provided. You may also excuse your student from any assessments given by the district. If you DO NOT want you student to participate in the comprehensive sexual health education lessons or assessments, please send a written note to your schools' front office or student's teacher. Please note, if you would like to opt out of the gender, sexual identity, and sexual orientation information, you will need to opt out of the entire program.
Can I selectively opt my child out of the LGBTQ related content of the comprehensive sexual health lessons?
No, you cannot selectively opt out your student from the LGBTQ-related content while remaining in the classroom for other sexual health instruction. Permitting parental opt-out that targets LGBTQ-related lessons would make it impossible for a school to fulfill its mandate of correcting hostile environments and would instead promote, allow, and facilitate discrimination in violation of both state and federal law. Parents/guardians may, of course, choose to remove their students from comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention instruction in its entirety, including the LGBTQ-focused content.
More information on ACLU's LGBTQ-inclusivity requirements.
