FILE: IDBA
Cf: IDA
SEX EDUCATION
The Orleans Parish School Board is committed to protecting the health of all of its students by providing comprehensive, medically accurate, and evidence-informed sexual health education.
In order to better educate and meet the growing awareness of today's youth, the School Board shall have the discretion, if so desired, of conducting classes in subject matter designated as sex education. Instruction in this area shall be age and developmentally appropriate such that it is designed to teach concepts, information, and skills suitable to a particular age, grade, and developmental level, based on the cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioral capacity of most students at that age, grade, and level. Said subject matter may be integrated into an existing course of study in grades three through twelve. When offered, such instruction shall be offered to non-graded special education students at age appropriate levels. Whenever instruction in sex education is offered by a school, such instruction shall be available also to any student in such school regardless of the student's grade level who is pregnant or who is a mother or father.
No religious beliefs, values, customs, practices in human sexuality nor the subjective moral and ethical judgment of any person shall be included in the study of sex education. Students shall not be tested, quizzed, or surveyed about their personal or family beliefs or practices in sex, morality, or religion.
All instructional materials used during the course of study of sex education shall be submitted to and approved by the Orleans Parish School Board and by a parental review committee, whose membership shall be determined by the School Board. The major emphasis of any sex education instruction offered in this parish shall be to encourage sexual abstinence between unmarried persons and any instruction shall:
Emphasize abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage as the expected standard for all school children.
Emphasize that abstinence from sexual activity is a way to avoid unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, including acquired immune deficiency syndrome and other associated health problems.
Emphasize that each student has the power to control personal behavior and to encourage students to base action on reasoning, self-esteem and respect of others.
Any child may be excused from receiving instruction in sex education at the option and discretion of his/her parent or guardian.
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann ยง17:281
Orleans Parish School Board