Board Directive
It is the primary responsibility of parents to provide sex education for their children. It is the responsibility of the schools to provide supportive instruction that will complement the efforts in the home. The Board authorizes the UTVA Administration to conduct health, family life, and character instruction within the framework of guidelines established by the State Board of Education and as approved by Utah Virtual Academy.
Administrative Policy
The Administration delegates to the Academic Director the responsibility for the review and selection of appropriate materials, and the responsibility to ensure use of appropriate, approved and supportive educational instruction.
- Sex education is best described as that part of character education that develops a reverence and respect for birth and life, respect for the human body, respect for parenthood, and a respect for moral standards. It includes instruction to develop understanding of the physical, mental, emotional, social, economic, and psychological phases of human relations as they are affected by male and female relationships. It includes more than the anatomical and reproductive information, and it emphasizes the development of positive attitudes, and provides guidance related to association between the sexes.
- Programs and materials relating to sex education shall be based on the only curriculum approved by the Board.
- All instructional materials shall be medically accurate, verified or supported by a body of research conducted in compliance with scientific methods and published in journals that have received peer review.
- Sex education shall be conducted within the framework of already existing courses such as 5th Grade Maturation, Health, Biology, Psychology, Anatomy, Medical Terminology, Family and Consumer Science, and Physiology.
- Responsibilities of Utah Virtual Academy:
- The Head of School and the Academic Director shall involve community representatives and District personnel as members of a Health Curriculum Materials Review (HCMR) committee. The HCMR committee will review commercial materials, teacher prepared materials and professional programs considered for school use. Media, instructional materials and technology applications approved for use will be published and distributed to the schools.
- The HCMR committee shall consist of the following: Academic Director, two (2) parent representatives, one (1) high school health teacher, one (1) middle school health teacher, one (1) school counselor, and one (1) elementary principal or assistant principal. Proposed courses of study, instructional units, and teaching materials relating specifically to sex education shall be screened by the HCMR committee, and the approved list shall be submitted to the Head of School for review and approval. Approved materials are available for public viewing by request.
- As parent interest warrants, classes for parents may be conducted through the Family Academic Support Team. These classes would focus on parenting skills that would enhance the parents’ role as they teach their children responsible values and attitudes about sexuality.
- The school counselor shall plan an elective maturation program for each fifth-grade girl and her parents and each fifth-grade boy and his parents. Students may opt out of the program with written permission from their parents to their school. The main purposes of the program will be to provide accurate information about sexual development and to encourage discussion in the home. At the discretion of the school principal, students and their parents from other grades may be invited to attend.
- Utah Virtual Academy Academic Director will manage a logging and tracking system of parental and community complaints and comments resulting from student participation in human sexuality instruction.
- Provide training for health educators, allowing them to review Board rules and instructional materials once every three years.
- UTVA shall develop a logging and tracking system of parental and community complaints and comments resulting from student participation in human sexuality instruction, to include the disposition of the complaints, and provide that information to the Superintendent upon request.
- Responsibilities of Utah Virtual Academy Health Educators:
- Parent approval shall be obtained by sex education teachers in writing, using the USOE consent form. Materials that will be used in school presentations will be made available to parents upon request prior to the presentations taking place. Selected programs must come from the published, approved list.
- Students who opt out of the maturation program shall be allowed, under the supervision of their parents and in cooperation with the teacher and school, to learn the required course materials consistent with Utah Code 53A-13-101.2(1), (2) and (3). New teachers are required to attend a state-sponsored professional development as they begin their career. Thereafter, teachers must attend a school sponsored professional development once every three years.
- Use instructional materials that are medically accurate and aligned with the State Core Health Curriculum.
- Teachers may respond to students’ questions to provide accurate data or correct inaccurate or misleading information.