New Health Education Standards were approved by the Board of Education Sept. 28. A timeline for implementation will be announced at a later date.

A Health Education Standards Revision Committee, comprised of K-12 and postsecondary educators, has been working on the project since summer of 2009. The committee reviewed the National Health Education Standards, which focus on teaching students how to become health literate by addressing the core concepts of nine different content areas.

The committee recommended that South Dakota adopt the National Health Education Standards. The board voted 9 to 0 in favor of adoption.

The board also voted to adopt new rules for districts that choose to create their own end-of-course exams. The rules offer standard procedures for developing valid and reliable tests.

For more information, contact:

Health Education Standards
Karen Keyser, (605) 773-6808

End-of-Course Exams
Viki Crichton, (605) 773-8193