The Indiana Academic Standards for Grades K-12 Health and Wellness are organized in grade bands (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12). These standards reflect the essential skills and knowledge that all students should know and be able to do to equip them to make healthy choices and avoid high-risk behaviors. In alignment with the National Health Education Standards, the following Indiana Academic Standards represent learning outcomes for students. Each standard is accompanied by indicators that define the specific knowledge, skills, and behaviors expected of students by the end of each grade band.
| Indiana Academic Standards for Health & Wellness | |
|---|---|
| Title | 2023 Standards |
| Grades K-12 Health and Wellness | |
Health and Wellness Resources
Excerpts from Indiana Code (IC) and any related guidance and resources supporting the implementation of the Indiana Academic Standards for Health and Wellness that may be of special interest to educators are accessible using the drop-down menus. Additional resources will be posted as they become available.
- IC 20-30-5-16: Human organ and blood donor program instruction
Sec. 16. (a) Each school corporation shall include in the school corporation's high school health education curriculum instruction regarding the human organ donor program and blood donor program as adopted by the state board, including:
- the purpose of the human organ donor program and blood donor program;
- the statewide and nationwide need for human organ and blood donations; and
- the procedure for participation in the human organ donor program and blood donor program.
(b)The department shall, in consultation with the state department of health or any other appropriate organization, develop human organ donor program and blood donor program educational materials to be made available to school corporations to assist teachers assigned to teach the material described in this section.
(c) The:
- department shall develop guidelines; and
- state board shall adopt rules under IC 20-30-5-16; concerning the instruction required under this section to assist teachers assigned to teach the material described in this section.
[Pre-2005 Elementary and Secondary Education Recodification Citation: 20-10.1-4-14.]
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.14
- IC 20-30-5-13 Instruction on human sexuality or sexually transmitted diseases
Sec. 13. Throughout instruction on human sexuality or sexually transmitted diseases, an accredited school shall:
- require a teacher to teach abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage as the expected standard for all school age children;
- include in the instruction that abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other associated health problems; and
- include in the instruction that the best way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases and other associated health problems is to establish a mutually faithful monogamous relationship in the context of marriage.
- IC 20-34-3-17 Human immunodeficiency virus information; contents; consent to distribute
Sec. 17. (a) The state board shall provide information stressing the moral aspects of abstinence from sexual activity in any literature that it distributes to students and young adults concerning available methods for the prevention of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The literature must state that the best way to prevent HIV transmission as a result of sexual activity is for young people to refrain from sexual activity until they are ready as adults to establish, in the context of marriage, a mutually faithful monogamous relationship.
(b) The state board may not distribute HIV literature described in subsection (a) to students without the consent of the governing body of the school corporation the students attend.
- IC 20-30-5-9 Hygiene and sanitary science; leaflet; excused from instruction
- Sec. 9. (a) The principles of hygiene and sanitary science must be taught in grade 5 of each public school and may be taught in other grades. This instruction must explain the ways that dangerous communicable diseases are spread and the sanitary methods for disease prevention and restriction.
(b) The state health commissioner and the secretary of education shall jointly compile a leaflet describing the principles of hygiene, sanitary science, and disease prevention and shall supply the leaflets to each superintendent, who shall:
- supply the leaflets to each school; and
- require the teachers to comply with this section.
(c) Each prosecuting attorney to whom the Indiana department of health or the Indiana department of health's agents report any violation of this section shall commence proceedings against the violator.
(d) Any student who objects in writing, or any student less than eighteen (18) years of age whose parent or guardian objects in writing, to health and hygiene courses because the courses conflict with the student's religious teachings is entitled to be excused from receiving medical instruction or instruction in hygiene or sanitary science without penalties concerning grades or graduation.[Pre-2005 Elementary and Secondary Education Recodification Citation: 20-10.1-4-7.]As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.14. Amended by P.L.43-2021, SEC.99; P.L.56-2023, SEC.179.yThe Grade 5 Hygiene Education leaflet was designed in partnership with the Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana Department of Health under IC 20-30-5-9 to help support educators when planning instruction focused on the spread of communicable diseases and sanitary methods for disease prevention.