State Board of Ed updates health, sex education standards for first time in decades – Michigan Public

Report on Michigan’s Updated Health Education Standards and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction and Overview

The Michigan Board of Education has approved updated Health Education Standards, marking the first revision since 2007. These 74-page guidelines, while nonbinding, provide a modernized framework for local school districts. The update aligns with several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by promoting health, well-being, and inclusive education.

Alignment with SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The core of the new standards directly supports SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all. The guidelines are designed to equip students with the knowledge to make healthier and safer choices.

• Comprehensive Health Topics: The standards cover a wide range of issues critical to well-being, including substance use and misuse, emotional health, and physical health.
• Mental Health Focus: Proponents note that inclusive health education contributes to better mental health outcomes, addressing targets within SDG 3 by aiming to reduce depression and suicide risks among students.
• Sexual Health: The inclusion of comprehensive sex education is a key component for achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, a specific target under SDG 3.

Advancing SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

The standards represent an effort to enhance the quality of education (SDG 4) by making it more inclusive and relevant, which in turn helps to reduce inequalities (SDG 10) within the school environment.

1. Modernized Curriculum: New topics such as social media and newer technologies are included, ensuring the educational content is relevant to students’ contemporary lives.
2. Inclusive Learning Environment: By addressing topics like gender identity and sexuality, the standards aim to create a safer and more accepting atmosphere, leading to lower rates of bullying and higher levels of student safety.
3. Equitable Outcomes: Supporters argue that when students feel seen and not stigmatized, outcomes like absenteeism and depression decrease, fostering a more equitable educational experience for all students, particularly those from marginalized groups.

Contribution to SDG 5: Gender Equality

A significant portion of the updated guidelines directly addresses targets within SDG 5, which seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

• Gender Identity and Sexuality: The formal inclusion of discussions on gender identity and sexuality promotes understanding and respect, which is fundamental to achieving gender equality.
• Boundary Setting and Consent: The emphasis on boundary setting is critical for empowering individuals and helps to address issues related to gender-based discrimination and violence.

Stakeholder Perspectives and Institutional Process (SDG 16)

The debate surrounding the standards reflects the democratic process central to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), highlighting the function of accountable and inclusive institutions.

• Arguments in Support: Proponents, including Ann Arbor Public Schools board member Rima Mohammad, asserted that the standards would lead to healthier students and safer schools. They also maintained that parental rights are preserved, as parents can still opt their children out of sex education.
• Arguments in Opposition: Opponents, such as State Board of Education member Nikki Snyder, argued that the guidelines overstep parental rights by integrating sex education with general health education, potentially diminishing the effectiveness of the opt-out provision.

Analysis of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   The article on Michigan’s updated Health Education Standards connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by focusing on health, well-being, education, and equality.

   • SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The core of the article is about updating health education standards. It directly addresses physical and mental health by including topics like “substance use and misuse, emotional and physical health,” and aiming for “better mental health outcomes.”
   • SDG 4: Quality Education: The article discusses the revision of the state’s “Health Education Standards” to provide comprehensive and relevant education. The goal is to equip students with knowledge to make “healthier and safer choices” by including modern topics like “social media and newer technology, gender identity and sexuality, and boundary setting.”
   • SDG 5: Gender Equality: By proposing the inclusion of “gender identity and sexuality” in the curriculum, the new standards aim to provide education that promotes understanding and respect, which is a key component of achieving gender equality.
   • SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The push for “inclusive health education” is directly linked to reducing inequalities. The article quotes a supporter who states that such education helps when students feel “invisible and stigmatized,” and leads to “lower rates of bullying” and “higher levels of student safety,” thereby promoting a more inclusive environment for all students.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   The article’s content points to several specific SDG targets:

   • Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being. The article’s focus on “emotional and physical health” and achieving “better mental health outcomes” by reducing “depression… and even suicide risks” directly aligns with this target.
   • Target 3.7: By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education. The inclusion of “sex education,” “gender identity and sexuality” in the state’s guidelines is a direct effort to provide comprehensive information and education in this area.
   • Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for… human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence… and appreciation of cultural diversity. The new standards, which cover “boundary setting,” “gender identity,” and aim to reduce “bullying,” contribute directly to this target by fostering a culture of respect and safety.
   • Target 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. Providing education on “sexuality” and “gender identity” is a fundamental step in ensuring young people have the information necessary to understand their health and rights.
   • Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… sex… or other status. The argument that “inclusive health education” prevents students from feeling “invisible and stigmatized” directly supports the goal of social inclusion within the school environment.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   The article does not mention official SDG indicators but implies several qualitative and quantitative measures that could be used to track progress:

   • Implementation of Educational Policies: The primary indicator is the adoption of the “new standards” by local school districts, as they are “nonbinding guidance.” The extent to which districts set their own curriculum based on these guidelines would be a key measure.
   • Rates of Bullying: The article explicitly mentions that inclusive education leads to “lower rates of bullying.” This is a measurable indicator of a safer and more inclusive school environment (relevant to SDG 4 and 10).
   • Student Safety Levels: The mention of “higher levels of student safety” suggests that school safety metrics, such as incident reports or student surveys on feelings of safety, could be used as an indicator.
   • Mental Health Outcomes: Progress can be measured by tracking “better mental health outcomes.” The article implies this could be monitored through “rates of depression, absenteeism, and even suicide risks” among students, which are quantifiable data points (relevant to SDG 3).
   • Student Absenteeism: Lowering “absenteeism” is mentioned as a positive outcome of inclusive education, providing another concrete, measurable indicator of student well-being and engagement.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article. In this table, list the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their corresponding targets, and the specific indicators identified in the article.

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators (Implied in the Article)
   SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being	3.4: Promote mental health and well-being. 3.7: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health information and education.	Rates of depression among students. Student suicide risks. Overall mental health outcomes.
   SDG 4: Quality Education	4.7: Ensure all learners acquire knowledge and skills for promoting human rights, gender equality, and a culture of peace.	Adoption of updated Health Education Standards by school districts. Inclusion of topics like social media, boundary setting, and gender identity in curricula.
   SDG 5: Gender Equality	5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights.	Implementation of curriculum covering “gender identity and sexuality.”
   SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities	10.2: Empower and promote the social inclusion of all.	Rates of bullying. Levels of student safety. Rates of student absenteeism. Reduction in students feeling “invisible and stigmatized.”

Source: michiganpublic.org