Sexual Health and Safety Education
School code requires all Illinois school districts to provide comprehensive health and personal safety education. Our district teaches the following topics according to the Illinois Physical Health and Safety Standards. Insturctional units include the following topics:
- Human growth and development
- Family life, including sexual abstinence until marriage*
- Prevention, transmission, and spread of STI and disease including AIDS*
- Age-appropriate sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention*
* Parent or guardian can notify the school that their child will opt out
Illinois public schools are required by law to provide all students, from Grades Pre-K through 12, with age-appropriate personal safety awareness and prevention education. This program is referred to as Erin’s Law. In compliance with the Erin’s law requirement to provide developmentally sensitive and appropriate training for students, our district’s social workers have carefully developed and delivered lessons that teach our students to understand, identify, and protect themselves from sexual abuse and assault. Classroom teachers have received annual professional development on this topic since the 2013-14 school year. More information about Erin’s Law can be found on this web page: Erin’s Law.
CUSD 201 will not teach comprehensive sexual education aligned with Comprehensive Personal Health and Safety and Sexual Health Education (National Sex Education Standards) during the 2024-2025 school year. With this clarification, CUSD 201 will continue to use our current sex education units, which align with the Illinois Physical Development and Health Standards for the 2024-2025 school year.
Health and Safety Education Plan for 2024-2025
- Grades K-3: Erin’s Law lessons
- Grades 4 and 5: Puberty - Understanding Changes by Candor Health Education
- Grades 6 and 7: Puberty II - Navigating Changes by Candor Health Education
- Grade 8: Teen Sex Health by Candor Health Education
- Grade 8: Specific Unit in Health
- Grade 9: Specific Unit in Health
Candor Health Education Family Resources
Candor Health Education Program Alignment to National Sex Education Standards
No student is required to participate in any class or course in comprehensive personal health and safety education. Parents or guardians may opt the student out of instruction by submitting a request in writing to their child’s school.