Lessons from the Classroom: Elements of Promising School-Based HIV Education Programs and Recommendations for State Education Agencies.

Overview & Synopsis

In 1987, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) initiated a Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Education Project to enhance the capacity of state education agencies to assist local education agencies and schools in implementing effective HIV education within a framework of a comprehensive school health program. This publication, the result of school site visits conducted by CCSSO project staff during 1989 and 1990, reports on a number of schools' HIV prevention programs. Lessons about effective HIV education programs and what promotes learning were derived from classroom observations of promising HIV education programs. Following an introduction, the document offers recommendations intended to inform state efforts for enhancing students' healthy development and academic performance based on suggestions of administrators, faculty, and students who were interviewed during site visits. The main body of the document consists of a section titled "Common Elements of Promising Programs" and an appendix highlighting schools visited and the status of HIV and health in their districts. A list of 31 resources and 21 references are included. (LL)