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Cleveland schools revising sex ed
Program includes lessons on abstinence, contraception
Friday, October 20, 2006
Regina McEnery
Plain Dealer Reporter
Troubled by the city's high rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, Cleveland is backing both abstinence and contraception in a sweeping sex education curriculum change that appears to be unequaled in the state.
Cleveland schools already offer sex education to many of their middle and high school students. The schools are also required to teach HIV prevention. But the city wants to incorporate a program that will begin in kindergarten with age-appropriate lessons and continue through the high-risk high school years.
The effort, intended to reach all 58,000 students, is being financed by an $800,000 block grant from Cuyahoga County.
The classes, which begin soon, will address self-esteem and peer pressure as well as biology.
Children in grades K-3 will learn about how viruses work and appropriate and inappropriate touching.
Grades 4-6 will start learning about menstruation and other aspects of reproductive health.
In grades 7-12, the discussion shifts to interpersonal relationships, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy and respect for sexual orientation. Condom demonstrations are not planned.
Abortion will be explained and defined but not promoted, said Lita Townsend, responsible sexual behavior coordinator for the district.
Participation is voluntary, although public health and school personnel hope parents support the effort.
"One-third of all the HIV/AIDS cases in Ohio are in Cleveland," said Townsend. "Really, the best weapon we have right now is education."
Ohio does not require public schools to offer sex education. Curricula marketed by Akron-based Abstinence, the Only Choice, have been taught in dozens of middle schools throughout Summit and Medina counties, including Akron, Cuyahoga Falls and Hudson.
Euclid, South Euclid and Warrensville Heights take a more comprehensive approach.
"Some believe we could be a model for the state," said Matt Carroll, interim Cleveland health director.
The initiative, which will be announced on Tuesday, comes when Cleveland's teen birth rates are high but dropping, while rates of some STDs, including HIV, are rising.
About 40 of every 1,000 girls ages 15-19 become pregnant every year, state data show. Cases of chlamydia - the most common STD - rose 30 percent over the past five years while HIV, rarely diagnosed in adolescents, turned up in 19 Cuyahoga County teens.
It also arrives as communities from Massachusetts to California wrestle with whether to adopt programs that stress abstinence until marriage or more comprehensive models that promote condoms and other contraceptives.
The Bush administration favors abstinence-only education, but critics argue that the programs are untested and spread misinformation.
The city's move to adopt a universal program evolved from a Cabinet-level meeting in late spring, when Mayor Frank Jackson asked Carroll what could be done to lower the number of teen births and STDs.
Carroll had been part of a 60-member committee known as the Collaborative for School Age Health that had been meeting about adolescent health issues for the past 18 months.
Carroll said he told Jackson that a strong school-based sex education package could be a powerful weapon in lowering teen pregnancies and STDs.
"The mayor essentially said, 'Give me a plan. Let's do it,' " Carroll said during an interview earlier this week.
Townsend said she is unaware of any program that targets every grade level.
She said the school district's program is evolving and will be largely taught by representatives of six Greater Cleveland agencies.
The goal, said Townsend, is to transition the program to the district's health and physical education classes.
How strongly parents embrace the program remains to be seen.
"The No. 1 obstacle to comprehensive programs is not the opposition. It is the exaggerated fear of the opposition," said Douglas Kirby, a sex education expert from California who addressed the City Club on Thursday.
"Schools are fearful if they implement a program that emphasizes abstinence but also mentions condoms, that parents will come to the school board meeting and complain. School board members like to avoid that."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
rmcenery@plaind.com, 216-999-5338
© 2006 The Plain Dealer
© 2006 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved.
Cleveland schools revising sex ed
Program includes lessons on abstinence, contraception
Friday, October 20, 2006
Regina McEnery
Plain Dealer Reporter
Troubled by the city's high rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, Cleveland is backing both abstinence and contraception in a sweeping sex education curriculum change that appears to be unequaled in the state.
Cleveland schools already offer sex education to many of their middle and high school students. The schools are also required to teach HIV prevention. But the city wants to incorporate a program that will begin in kindergarten with age-appropriate lessons and continue through the high-risk high school years.
The effort, intended to reach all 58,000 students, is being financed by an $800,000 block grant from Cuyahoga County.
The classes, which begin soon, will address self-esteem and peer pressure as well as biology.
Children in grades K-3 will learn about how viruses work and appropriate and inappropriate touching.
Grades 4-6 will start learning about menstruation and other aspects of reproductive health.
In grades 7-12, the discussion shifts to interpersonal relationships, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy and respect for sexual orientation. Condom demonstrations are not planned.
Abortion will be explained and defined but not promoted, said Lita Townsend, responsible sexual behavior coordinator for the district.
Participation is voluntary, although public health and school personnel hope parents support the effort.
"One-third of all the HIV/AIDS cases in Ohio are in Cleveland," said Townsend. "Really, the best weapon we have right now is education."
Ohio does not require public schools to offer sex education. Curricula marketed by Akron-based Abstinence, the Only Choice, have been taught in dozens of middle schools throughout Summit and Medina counties, including Akron, Cuyahoga Falls and Hudson.
Euclid, South Euclid and Warrensville Heights take a more comprehensive approach.
"Some believe we could be a model for the state," said Matt Carroll, interim Cleveland health director.
The initiative, which will be announced on Tuesday, comes when Cleveland's teen birth rates are high but dropping, while rates of some STDs, including HIV, are rising.
About 40 of every 1,000 girls ages 15-19 become pregnant every year, state data show. Cases of chlamydia - the most common STD - rose 30 percent over the past five years while HIV, rarely diagnosed in adolescents, turned up in 19 Cuyahoga County teens.
It also arrives as communities from Massachusetts to California wrestle with whether to adopt programs that stress abstinence until marriage or more comprehensive models that promote condoms and other contraceptives.
The Bush administration favors abstinence-only education, but critics argue that the programs are untested and spread misinformation.
The city's move to adopt a universal program evolved from a Cabinet-level meeting in late spring, when Mayor Frank Jackson asked Carroll what could be done to lower the number of teen births and STDs.
Carroll had been part of a 60-member committee known as the Collaborative for School Age Health that had been meeting about adolescent health issues for the past 18 months.
Carroll said he told Jackson that a strong school-based sex education package could be a powerful weapon in lowering teen pregnancies and STDs.
"The mayor essentially said, 'Give me a plan. Let's do it,' " Carroll said during an interview earlier this week.
Townsend said she is unaware of any program that targets every grade level.
She said the school district's program is evolving and will be largely taught by representatives of six Greater Cleveland agencies.
The goal, said Townsend, is to transition the program to the district's health and physical education classes.
How strongly parents embrace the program remains to be seen.
"The No. 1 obstacle to comprehensive programs is not the opposition. It is the exaggerated fear of the opposition," said Douglas Kirby, a sex education expert from California who addressed the City Club on Thursday.
"Schools are fearful if they implement a program that emphasizes abstinence but also mentions condoms, that parents will come to the school board meeting and complain. School board members like to avoid that."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
rmcenery@plaind.com, 216-999-5338
© 2006 The Plain Dealer
© 2006 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved.
