Comprehensive Sexual Health

Comprehensive Sexual Health Compliance Information

updated April 2024

What is comprehensive sexual health education (CSHE)?
Comprehensive sexual health education is defined in the bill as instruction about human development and reproduction that takes place over time, is age-appropriate, and is inclusive of all students.

The recent passage of Washington State Senate Bill 5395, regarding comprehensive sexual health education, required White River School District to conduct a review of our current curriculum. We examined the state requirements for each grade level.

Listed below are the grade-level requirements, including what students learn, what instructional materials are used, when the preview night is held, and information for opting out.

Families are encouraged and invited to review the curriculum at preview events or by special appointment. After viewing the curriculum, families have the ability to opt their child out of any or all lessons.

The new law requires the teaching of age-appropriate comprehensive sexual health education to students in grades 6-12 beginning in the 2021-2022 school year and in grades 4 or 5 beginning in the 2022-23 school year. Students in grades K-3 are required to be taught social-emotional learning skills such as managing emotions, establishing relationships, setting goals, and making responsible decisions. There is no sexual health content required in K-3.

In our district, the sexual health education currently offered to students in grades K-5 meets the requirements for the new law. This means we will not be making changes to our current curriculum in those grade levels. Because we had outdated textbooks in our secondary grades, new health textbooks were adopted along with supplemental materials that comply with State requirements.

Your student's teacher will send in-person review night invites. Learn more about specific grade level preview opportunities below.

GRADES K - 3

What is required by OPSI in grades K-3?
No sexual health content is required for students in grades K-3. Schools must provide social-emotional learning (SEL) which provides skills and strategies to support students with how to cope with feelings, how to have respectful communication, develop healthy friendships, respecting personal space, set goals, and get along with others. No sexuality content or curriculum will be required.

Curriculum used in White River: Second Step

Previewing the Curriculum: The Social Emotional learning lessons are taught weekly. Please preview the curriculum by viewing the Second Step scope and sequence. Contact your child's Principal if you have questions about the curriculum and to preview the materials.

Opting Out: The K-3 Second Step curriculum contains no sexual health lessons. Please speak with your child's teacher if you have questions or concerns.

GRADE 4

What is required by OPSI in grades 4-5?
Schools must provide sexual health education at least once in grades 4 through 5. The White River School District provides a basic introduction of puberty in both grades. Age-appropriate lessons teaching assertiveness skills, dealing with peer pressure, and saying no in different situations, such as in horseplay or bullying, meet the requirements of affirmative consent and bystander training. Students will continue to receive lessons on SEL through our Second Step curriculum.

Curriculum used in White River: Human Growth and Development: Always Changing by Proctor and Gamble (2017)

Always Changing 4th Grade Girls Booklet
Teacher Slide Deck Girls*
Are You Normal? Girls and Puberty 4th grade
*swipe or use bottom-left arrows to advance the slides

Always Changing 4th Grade Boys Booklet
Teacher Slide Deck Boys*
What Boys Want to Know About Puberty Video
*swipe or use bottom-left arrows to advance the slides

Materials in Russian

Materials in Spanish

Materials in Ukrainian

Preview Night Dates: The in-person preview night happens yearly on the first Monday of May. Watch for communication from your child's teacher regarding the preview location and time. If you can not attend the preview night, please reference the links above and contact your child's Principal if you have additional questions. Instruction takes place in June.

Opting Out: Parents have always had and will continue to have, the right to opt their child out of the Human Growth and Development lessons. This form must be completed and turned in to opt-out. An alternative lesson will be provided during the lesson in another location for students who have opted out.

GRADE 5

What is required by OPSI in grade 5?
Schools must provide sexual health education at least once in grades 4 through 5 and HIV/STD prevention is required annually starting no later than grade 5. The curriculum provides a basic introduction of puberty in both grades. Age-appropriate lessons teaching assertiveness skills, dealing with peer pressure, and saying no in different situations, such as horseplay or bullying, meet the requirements of affirmative consent and bystander training. Students will continue to receive lessons on SEL.

Curriculum used in White River: Human Growth and Development: Always Changing by Proctor and Gamble (2017) and HIV/AIDs: The KNOW Curriculum.

Always Changing 5th Grade Girl’s Booklet

Teacher Presentation Slide Deck Girls*

Always Changing and Growing Up Girls Puberty Video

*swipe or use bottom-left arrows to advance the slides

Always Changing 5th Grade Boy’s Booklet
Teacher Presentation Slide Deck Boys*
Always Changing and Growing Up Boys Puberty Video
Teacher Presentation Slide Deck HIV Co-ed*
HIV Video
*swipe or use bottom-left arrows to advance the slides

Materials in Russian

Materials in Spanish

Materials in Ukrainian

Opting Out: Parents have always had and will continue to have, the right to opt their child out of the Human Growth and Development lessons. This form must be completed and turned in to opt-out. An age-appropriate lesson will be provided during the lesson in another location for students who have opted out.

Families do not need to review sexual health curriculum to opt out, but are required to review the HIV/STD materials before opting out. Families have the ability to opt their children out of any or all lessons. This form must be completed and turned in to opt-out of the HIV lesson.

Middle School

What is required in grades 6-8?
Schools must provide sexual health education at least twice in grades 6-8. HIV/STD prevention is required annually starting no later than grade 5. The White River School District provides a unit of instruction during students’ 6th grade PE class and is already embedded in their health course (human growth and development) in grade 7. Other topics include understanding and respecting personal boundaries, developing healthy friendships and dating relationships, and how to choose healthy behaviors. Students continue receiving SEL lessons through middle school. The 2022 adoption of our Health textbook and supplemental materials meet the requirements of SB 5395.

Date of instruction: Toward the end of the semester. Human Growth and Development is the last unit in the 6th grade PE/Fitness semester-long course and the last unit in the 7th-grade Health semester-long course.

Curriculum used in White River: Health Textbook: Essential Health for Middle Schools

Human Growth & Development and HIV/STDS
Teacher Presentation Slides
Supplemental Materials

Preview Night Dates: The in-person preview night happens twice yearly. The first preview is during Back to School Night and the second preview is during spring conferences. An informational letter will be sent home for students enrolled in the health course. If you can not attend the preview night, please reference the links above and contact your child's Principal if you have additional questions.

Opting Out: Parents have always had and will continue to have, the right to opt their child out of the Human Growth and Development lessons. This form must be completed and turned in to opt-out of the HIV lesson. An alternative lesson will be provided during the lesson in another location for students who have opted out.

Families do not need to review sexual health curriculum to opt-out, but are required to review the HIV/STD materials before opting out. Families have the ability to opt their children out of any or all lessons.

High School

What is required in grades 9-12?
Schools must provide sexual health education at least twice in grades 9-12. HIV/STD prevention is required annually starting no later than grade 5. All students in the White River School District take a required Health class for graduation in 9th grade, which meets the new requirements of SB 5395, and the content is addressed again in their 12th-grade Life Skills class. Students continue to build on knowledge from grade 8 by learning how to reduce health risks and understanding the influence of family and society on healthy relationships.

Curriculum used in White River:

Health Textbook: Essential Health Skills for High School
Supplemental Curriculum: FLASH

Preview Night Dates: The in-person preview night happens yearly in late November (semester 1) and late April (semester 2). Watch for communication from your child's teacher regarding the preview location and time. If you can not attend the preview night, please reference the links above and contact your child's Principal if you have additional questions.

Opting Out: Parents have always had and will continue to have, the right to opt their child out of the Human Growth and Development lessons. This form must be completed and turned in to opt-out of the HIV lesson. An alternative lesson will be provided during the lesson in another location for students who have opted out.

Families do not need to review the sexual health curriculum to opt-out but are required to review the HIV/STD materials before opting out. Families have the ability to opt their children out of any or all lessons.

Instructional Materials Commitee (IMC)

What is the IMC?

The Instructional Materials Committee (IMC) is the body that makes core instructional materials adoption recommendations to the School Board based on superintendent-established procedures.

When does the IMC meet?

The IMC meets three times a year. (October, January, and April)

Who serves on the IMC?

The committee will consist of at least one administrator from each level (elementary, middle, and high), at least one teacher from the high school, middle school, and two elementary teachers and the inclusion of one or more parents of enrolled students, with the parent members equaling less than one-half of the total membership. In addition, staff from the central office, with responsibility for ensuring essential standards at every grade level and course work, will be included as full members. The chair will be appointed by the Superintendent. Members will be appointed by the chair through the District’s committee process. Membership must be approved by the Board of Directors. The chairperson and the secretary will be permanent members of the committee. Other members will have three-year terms. Temporary appointments of one year or less may be made to fill vacancies.

Parent Representation
School districts must include on their instructional materials committees one or more parents of enrolled students, with the parent members equaling less than one-half of the total membership of the committee. We value parent voice. For questions please reach out to the Administrative Assistant to the Assessment & Learning Director. (360) 829-0600

Frequently Asked Questions

Is sexual health education integrated into other content areas?
The bill does not require that comprehensive sexual health education, or components of this education, be integrated into curriculum, materials, or instruction in unrelated subject areas or courses. The Sexual Health lessons take place in the middle school and high school health courses. The required HIV/STD lesson is taught as a stand-alone lesson in the years that students do not have health class (grades 5 and above).

Are HIV/STD prevention lessons required?
The AIDS Omnibus Act was passed in 1988 and requires HIV/AIDS prevention instruction for all students in Washington annually through grade 12, beginning no later than grade 5. Lessons are age-appropriate and address the life-threatening dangers of HIV/AIDS, its transmission, and its prevention. Consistent with the law, curriculum, instruction, and materials used in the upper grades must include information about abstinence and other methods of preventing unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Abstinence may not be taught to the exclusion of other materials on contraceptives and disease prevention. Parents can opt their child out of any or all lessons after reviewing the curriculum and signing a consent form.

Are schools required to teach about gender and/or sexual identity?
The inclusion of self-identity content addresses state civil rights and equity and RCW 28A.300.475 requirements for inclusive and bias-free CSHE instruction. Gender identity language is part of the supplemental teacher slidedeck beginning at grade 6. Please reference the 6th grade slidedeck above.

Where did the graphic illustrations come from that I saw on social media when Senate Bill 5395 was in the news?
Several social media posts inserted illustrations from a book into a lesson plan for 4th graders. The book was one of several optional books on a handout for parents and guardians wishing to continue talking with their child about puberty and reproduction and not part of a lesson, curriculum, or instruction.