Curriculum Adoption Process

So, you know young people need to learn about their changing bodies and emotions. But what if your puberty lessons are outdated, ineffective, or nonexistent? Whether you’re a teacher, parent, or administrator, you can be an advocate and influence how puberty education is taught. Just follow this Curriculum Adoption Roadmap, and you can save the day. Let me show you how to guide the curriculum adoption process.

Step One: Gather Leaders and Information

Identify any state laws and school policies that inform or regulate how puberty education is taught. Talk to school board members and/or other school decision-makers to assess their willingness to implement puberty education. Plan the timeline for formal approval of the puberty curriculum as needed.

Establish leadership roles and define the expectations for the members of the Puberty Education Curriculum Adoption Committee (PECAC). Gather your puberty education leadership. Identify people in your school community who want to make sure students get a great puberty education. Include administrators, educators, parents/guardians, students, medical professionals, and others who can advocate for and/or serve on a committee to get a puberty education program in place.

Want some tools to provide motivation for stakeholders? Click HERE.

Step Two: Lay Groundwork

Hold your first face-to-face meeting of the Puberty Education Curriculum Adoption Committee (PECAC). Establish the processes for working together as a productive team. Review tools that impact puberty education, such as state laws and state standards for health education. Identify the goal and desired outcomes of your puberty education program.

Conduct a survey of the parents/guardians of students in the school to find out what they want to be taught in puberty education at each grade.

Request a free preview of Puberty: The Wonder Years for your committee to review.

Step Three: Review and Recommend Curriculum

Have a virtual PECAC meeting to share resources and information.

  • Summarize and share the results of the parent/guardian survey with the PECAC members.
  • Provide a written summary of the puberty education program goals and desired outcomes for PECAC members.
  • Provide preview copies of Puberty: The Wonder Years to the committee members for individual review.

Hold your second face-to-face meeting of the PECAC to discuss Puberty: The Wonder Years. Compare your desired student outcomes and any legal requirements with the student learning objectives of the curriculum to see how they align.

Formalize the PECAC’s recommendation to adopt the curriculum. Ask the school’s decision-making body for formal approval to implement Puberty: The Wonder Years.

Step Four: Develop Guidelines and Procedures

Prepare parent notification procedures and other processes for the puberty education program. Develop written guidance describing how puberty education will be taught. Share the guidance with school staff and parents/guardians. Answer questions and clarify the guidance as needed.

Send parent/guardian notification letters home. Provide opportunities for them to review the curriculum and materials. Consider offering a parent/guardian preview night with a presentation on the new puberty curriculum and program implementation. Designate a point person to answer questions parents and guardians might have about puberty education.

Step Five: Prepare Teaching Staff

Order Puberty: The Wonder Years curriculum, videos, and other materials needed to implement the lessons. Provide professional development for all educators who will implement the Puberty: The Wonder Years curriculum. Distribute their puberty education materials and prepare copies or student workbooks. Discuss the guidance for implementing puberty education so educators know what to do.

Week Six: Review and Sustain Program

At regular intervals, evaluate the puberty education program’s effectiveness in reaching the desired outcomes. Use the evaluation results to improve and streamline the program. Publish the evaluation results so stakeholders can read them. Answer questions.

Use “Process for Adopting Puberty: The Wonder Years in Schools” for a detailed checklist with links to all the resources and information described above.
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