Sexual Health Education Workgroup

The 2019 Washington State Operating Budget (ESHB 1109 Section 501 [3] [h]) required OSPI to convene a workgroup to complete the following tasks related to sexual health education:

1. Review provisions related to sexual health education in the 2016 Health Education K–12 Learning Standards.
2. Review existing sexual health education curricula in use in the state for the purpose of identifying gaps or potential inconsistencies with the learning standards.
3. Consider revisions to sexual health provisions in statute.
4. Consider the merits and challenges associated with requiring all schools to offer comprehensive sexual health education to students in all grades by September 1, 2022.

The legislation specified that the workgroup shall consist of the following members:

• OSPI: The Superintendent or designee
• Three school district representatives recommended by the Washington State School Directors' Association, reflecting diversity of student enrollment, geographic location, and urban/suburban/rural locations.
• Three school principals recommended by an association of Washington school principals, reflecting diversity of student enrollment, geographic location, and urban/suburban/rural locations.
• Three public school health educators recommended by an association of Washington educators, one each representing K–5, 6–8, 9–12, reflecting diversity of urban/suburban/rural locations.
• Three public health officials, as least two of whom are local and with expertise in developing or presenting comprehensive SHE materials and resources, as recommended by the Department of Health, and reflecting diversity of urban/suburban/rural locations.
• Three parents: one with a child enrolled in a public school west of the Cascades and one with a child enrolled in a public school east of the Cascades, as recommended by an association of parents, teachers, and students. The third must be the parent of a child receiving special education services, as recommended by an association of parents, teachers, and students that focuses on the needs of students receiving special education services.

SHE Workgroup Members

Meetings

The Sexual Health Education (SHE) Workgroup met in August and September and provided two reports to the State Board of Education, Department of Health, and the education committees of the Legislature: Sexual Health Education Workgroup Recommendations and Comprehensive Sexual Health Education Data Survey.

Public Comments

A public survey was available from August 5 to September 22 to provide opportunities for the public to provide comments about this work. This was not a scientific, representative survey. The purpose of the survey was to provide public comment to the workgroup.

Public comments were accepted at the two in-person workgroup meetings, with notice provided on this webpage at least 24 hours in advance of the meetings.