Study examined perceived competence of school health educators in Taiwan and Florida and effectiveness of the Self-Assessment for the Health Educator instrument. In both groups, teachers rated perceived usefulness of health educator skills higher than perceived level of competence. Results suggest the instrument may help in examining professional…

Children with special health care needs pose many challenges for community-based providers. The article describes a system of training community-based providers that includes the care of children with special health care needs, levels of training, and expected competencies for the care providers of such children. (SM)

Taking a graduate-level course on family living and human sexuality resulted in increased knowledge for participating teachers, although no changes in overall attitudes were evident. A major finding of a study evaluating course effects was that older teachers tended to be less permissive on controversial issues. (Author/PP)

This report summarizes recommendations for encouraging physical activity among young people so they will continue to engage in physical activity into adulthood. Written by the Centers for Disease Control and national experts, the guidelines include recommendations about 10 aspects of school and community programs to promote lifelong physical…

Provides procedural guidelines, developed for the Edina (Minnesota) public school system, for dealing with crisis intervention in grades pre-K through 12. Focusing primarily on suicide, the guidelines address three levels of at-risk students/staff. Recommended actions following the death of any student or faculty member are included. (GLR)

Data from the health education component of the 1994 School Health Policies and Programs Study were analyzed. This report summarizes the findings, which indicate that although HIV prevention education has been widely implemented in U.S. schools, improvement in these programs is needed, particularly in numbers of teachers receiving inservice HIV…

Over 500 Indiana secondary school principals completed surveys regarding their schools' HIV/AIDS education status. Most offered some HIV/AIDS education taught by teachers with different educational backgrounds and school roles. Most considered students at risk for HIV and responded to the need for education using various formats, personnel, and…

Six articles describe the background, design, methods, findings, and implications of the 1986-89 Teenage Health Teaching Modules Evaluation study which (1) determined whether one comprehensive secondary school health education curriculum could positively affect student health knowledge, attitudes, practices, and self-reported behaviors; and (2)…

Telephone interviews with agencies in the 50 states and the District of Columbia revealed that 9 states mandated nutrition education and 21 required nutrition information within certain courses. In-service teacher training received state level attention in most states. Most curricular materials focused on grades K-6. (SM)

Describes California's Moving Children Project which provides elementary teachers a structure to incorporate positive physical, mental, and social concepts about wellness into a physical education program. The project focuses on body movement, object control, implement control, and game structure, and children learn to apply its concepts to…

Discusses five premises that shape design and delivery of postinservice staff development programs (focusing on health education): teachers respond to innovations in developmental stages; a multiphase approach is necessary; opportunities for teacher collaboration are crucial; staff development approaches must fit stages of teacher development; and…

The family life education model developed in Santa Cruz County (California) schools has confirmed the importance of four factors in program development: (1) community involvement and support; (2) administrative involvement and support; (3) effective and acceptable curriculum; and (4) effective teacher training. (JN)

Examines the impact of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) training on 129 secondary school professionals. Training focused on adolescents and homosexuality. Results indicate the trained professionals increased knowledge and tolerance, exhibited constructive behaviors, and were more likely to teach about…

A coordinator for sexuality programs helped to provide and coordinate parent education, teacher and staff inservice training, team teaching experiences, student counseling, and a broad range of community related activities. Records indicated a drop in reported pregnancies in a school with sexuality education program. (JN)

The paper advances a number of suggestions for an enhanced research agenda in school health education, examining approaches to health education that work, noting new or enhanced directions that are suggested by current successes, and discussing directions for which there are few available data. (SM)