341.21

FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION
HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT CURRICULUM

Family Life Education will provide individuals with adequate, accurate, and developmentally appropriate knowledge of family life in its physical, psychological, social, and moral dimensions, enhance self-esteem, encourage self-understanding, increase skills in decision making and communication, clarify personal values, promote respect for family values and the values of others, encourage communication between parents and their children, and promote fulfilling, healthy, and responsible behavior. While State law encourages Wisconsin schools to address such knowledge, primary responsibility to provide for family life education rests with parents and home.

Family Life Education curricula will be reviewed regularly, and evaluated cooperatively with representative parents, educators, community health professionals, religious leaders, and youth and will include various points of view, cultural and religious beliefs, and will reflect community values.

Cross Reference:
Human Growth Development Curriculum, 341.21-Rule

Legal Reference:
Wisconsin State Statute 118.019(5)

Adoption Date: April 12, 1993

341.21-Rule

FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION
HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT CURRICULUM

Procedures

The District will provide a clear, consistent, philosophical format upon which staff and students may teach and learn respectively.

The subject of human growth and development within Family Life Education is part of the academic K-12 Health curriculum with the following general principles:

1. The concepts taught throughout the District will be uniform in philosophy.
2. The presentation and timing of human growth and development materials will be determined by the professional educators.
3. Annually, a parent/guardian may request, in writing, nonparticipation of their child(ren) in the human growth and development/sexuality unit of Family Life. Exempted students will pursue other worthwhile material provided by the school system. There will not be a dual human growth and development curriculum.
4. At no time will a student’s or staff member’s personal sexual orientation or activity be publicly challenged or criticized in the classroom.
5. Teaching materials and the method of teaching such materials shall always be within the philosophic guidelines of the District set forth by the Board of Education.
6. The Board of Education will not individually scrutinize a particular teacher’s performance in the Family Life curricular area unless specifically asked to do so by the administration at the request of the building principal.
7. Staff education in the area of human growth and development/sexuality will be offered by the District to keep pace with scientific and social change. Principals should encourage and can require staff education so that currency and uniformity will be maintained. Parents will be apprised of and welcome to such posted educational workshops. Parents are urged to review all Family Life educational materials that are available in the District.
8. The District will establish the criteria for the required School/Community Advisory Committee relative to Wisconsin State Statute 118.019 (1985; amended 1990).
9. Students will be encouraged to seek advice and counsel from their parents/guardians, appropriate health care professionals/organizations, and/or religious counselors.

There are areas in human growth and development/sexuality curriculum to which the Board makes specific philosophical points. Programming in this area will be sensitive to and support parental/family values. Review materials in these areas will be available in our school libraries.

The following precepts will prevail in designated areas:

1. Abstinence from sexual intercourse outside of marriage is the prime goal for these three reasons:
   1. It is the best way to promote sexual emotional health.
   2. It is the only proven consistent and safe way to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies.
   3. Abstinence from sexual intercourse does not preclude other wholesome expressions of sexual understanding and/or activity that will and can be experienced by students.
2. Contraceptive devices and/or methods will be discussed with students emphasizing failure rates, health risks, self-responsibility, and the misnomer premarital “safe sex.” New developments in contraception may be included as scientific information is available.
3. The curricular component of sexual orientation will be defined and discussed with reference to human anatomy, physiology, and development. Practices, patterns, lifestyles, or evaluation of such sexual activities may be deferred to others outside the Appleton Area School District, at the discretion of the professional educator.
4. Sexual harassment, rape, and incest will be defined for our students and taught as a criminal offense.
5. Sensitive physiological information related to the reproductive system will be, when appropriate, done in an environment of gender separation at the K-6 levels.

The Board of Education believes that human sexuality is a wholesome part of our being. It further feels that the Appleton Area School District is responsible to supply factual information in this field so that our students K-12 may lead healthy lives in this area. Lastly, we feel our teachers are or will be qualified to meet the needs of our students and community in this area of human growth and development.

Adoption Date: April 12, 1993