Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Curriculum Review topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Health advisory committee flags outdated data, recommends edits to reproductive-health supplemental materials
Summary
On April 28 the Health Advisory Committee reviewed reproductive‑health supplemental materials, flagged outdated statistics and grade‑level alignment issues, and agreed to forward recommended edits to the academic committee for vetting and publisher updates.
The Health Advisory Committee reviewed supplemental reproductive‑health materials April 28 and agreed to forward recommended edits to the district academic committee after members flagged outdated statistics, typos and grade‑level alignment concerns.
Members said the review found largely usable materials but identified specific problems that need correction before teachers receive published unit plans. The chair said some high‑school worksheets include outdated charts and a typo — a note‑taking worksheet read “symbols” where it should say “symptoms” — and questioned whether a worksheet that described HIV/AIDS “as a pandemic” was still accurate or appropriate in the current context.
"I thought some of the statistics... it said it was considered a pandemic," the committee chair said, calling for updated data and publisher consultation. Dr. Pierce said the middle‑ and high‑school slide content was generally age‑appropriate and praised lessons on healthy dating and refusal skills, while urging caution about presenting certain anatomy or reproductive content to sixth and seventh graders before foundational lessons.
Cindy, a committee member, told the group she found several items that did not correlate with the South Carolina state standards and flagged Module 18 in particular as containing draft material dating to 2001 and scenarios that should be modernized. "Those are not mentioned in the South Carolina State Standards," Cindy said of some lesson topics, urging removal or revision of nonaligned activities.
Committee members recommended three concrete next steps: 1) record all reviewer comments in the reviewer form attached to the supplemental materials; 2) ask staff to contact the textbook or curriculum publisher about updated charts and statistics; and 3) forward the HAC recommendation to the academic committee for review and possible referral to the full school board for final approval. Staff said draft materials are stored in the district Rubicon Atlas and will remain in draft until the committee and academic committee approve publication.
The group also approved the March 18 committee minutes by unanimous consent at the meeting’s start. The HAC will present its recommended edits to the academic committee (tentatively May 28) and pursue publisher updates where feasible.
