AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: The attached video is about parents discussing the new curriculum in September 2019.
According to a timeline released by the Austin Independent School District, the district's new grades three through eight sex education curriculum will go into effect in May 2020.
The new curriculum is detailed by grade level in documents available on the district's website.
Some of the topics included for the third-grade curriculum include identifying adults students can trust to talk to about relationships, demonstrating refusal skills, identifying medically accurate information on male and female reproductive anatomy and explaining the timing of puberty and adolescent development.
Some topics included in the fourth-grade curriculum are discussing how peers can influence relationships, how to address bullying and teasing, discussing who students can trust to ask questions about sexual orientation, describing reproductive systems – including their functions – and explaining ways to manage physical and emotional changes associated with puberty.
The fifth-grade curriculum continues to build upon the previous education, featuring topics such as defining sexual harassment and abuse, defining sexual orientation as "the romantic attraction of an individual to someone of the same gender or a different gender," describing the functions of puberty and explaining pregnancy and STD transmission, among other topics.
In sixth grade, the curriculum will cover communication skills to support a healthy relationship; the use of social media; personal rights; differentiating between gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation; information about adolescent development; the influences of self-concept and body image; and defining sexual intercourse, human reproduction, sexual abstinence and pregnancy prevention, among other topics.
Building on the previous curriculum, seventh-grade topics include the impact of technology on relationships, distinguishing the difference between friendships and romantic relationships, identifying sources of information about sexual health and more information regarding pregnancy prevention and STD prevention, among other topics.
Some topics eighth-graders will be taught include the criteria for evaluating a healthy relationship, the potential impacts of power differences within relationships, decision-making models, various strategies to avoid risks involved with sexual activity – including abstinence and various forms of contraceptives – and effective ways to communicate decisions regarding sexual behaviors.
You can find the full details of the curriculum on AISD's Human Sexuality & Responsibility Curriculum webpage.
Some schools, like Hill Elementary, are holding information sessions regarding the new curriculum. You can find out about a school's specific plans by contacting it.
Hill Elementary's information session will be held on Thursday, March 26, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
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