National and State Health Education Standards

Standards are in place as a guide to educators that assist in the development of curriculum that promotes skill development. I examined used and examined the National standards in the past and have found them to be very similar to New York State and Florida Standards. They give a base of expectations and skills that will benefit students greatly.

As a health educator it is crucial for me to recognize the mission of the communities that I will work in. It is important to understand the needs of a community and of the students. People must want change before change can take place in a lasting way. Understanding the community standards for education is a good guide for addressing the community’s needs and expectations effectively. As I begin to actively search for a teaching job I will make sure to research the standards for the community, state, and nation. This will provide me with insight and allow me to be a more effective teacher.

When comparing national standards to state standards it is easy to spot the similarities. There are common skills and themes throughout such as the development of general health knowledge and the skills to find that knowledge, behavior modification skills, and the concept that anyone can influence others to improve their lifestyle behaviors. The state standards that I have examined have more benchmarks (similar to performance indicators) and are more specific (they give examples and suggestions for use).

When skills are standardized it provides a method for large scale behavior change. When assessing student’s knowledge and skills it is important to compare them to the standards that are used in that school as a goal for learning. When developing assessment tools and lessons that will need to be assessed, one of the first steps in the process is exploring the standards of the community.

Skill development is so important at all ages and I feel that more should be done with younger students. Both Florida and New York address the need for health education at the K-6 level, but many schools do not include it as a part of the curriculum. With an increased emphasis on core subjects, such as reading, many programs have been removed from the curriculum to make more time for passing standardized tests. I feel that health education should be emphasized even more due to its lifelong effects on the physical, social and emotional aspects of healthy life.

References:

National Standards

Florida Standards