Public Policy that
Matters for FCS
Education:
Mandates and Related Resources
for Strengthening and Promoting
Family and Consumer Sciences
Education
Traditional Focus – CTE Legislation
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FCS Education has historically been funded under
federal vocational education/ career & technical
education legislation
Currently operates as allowable use under the
Carl D. Perkins Act of 1998 – slated to be
reauthorized in summer 2006
Reauthorization to focus on: accountability for
outcomes, academic as well as vocational
achievement, career pathways
Retaining CTE Funding
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Continued Perkins funding will require
quantitative evidence of program outcomes
and not just anecdotal descriptions
Need to collect tangible facts about student
and program outcomes and share them
with local, state, national policymakers:
graduation rates, college attendance, test
score gains, earnings.
Utilize Other Public Policies to Build
Support for FCE Programming
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Financial Literacy
School Wellness Policies
Sexual and Reproductive Health Education
Healthy Marriage Initiative
Pregnant and Parenting Student Policies
Policies on Shaken Baby Syndrome
Financial Literacy
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The National Council on Economic Education
reports that 38 states (76%) now have personal
finance standards or guidelines
21 states require them to be implemented
8 states require a course to be offered; 7 states
require a course for graduation
State-by-state information can be found in: Survey
of the States: Economic and Personal Finance
Education 2004 www.ncee.net
School Wellness Policies
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P.L. 108-265 – Child Nutrition and WIC
Reauthorization Act of 2004 requires all
school districts with federally funded school
meal programs to develop and implement
wellness policies by the 2006-07 academic
school year
School Wellness Policies, con’t
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Wellness policies must include goals for nutrition
education, physical activity, nutrition guidelines for
school meals and availability of other foods at
school
State-by-state health & nutrition policies available
at: Education Commission of the States
www.ecs.org
See also: www.schoolwellnesspolicies.org;
www.schoolnutrition.org; www.nanacoalition.org
Sexual and Reproductive Health
Education
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Sexuality education laws vary greatly among
states, although the federal government has spent
$1Billion promoting abstinence-only approaches
since 1982
Many states have guidelines for what must be
included in sexuality education and how, if it is
taught (e.g., an abstinence-only approach,
medically accurate information, and parent
permission)
Many states require specific instruction on
prevention of HIV/AIDS
Sexual and Reproductive Health
Education, con’t
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State-by-state listing of policies and guidelines
can be found at the Sexuality Information and
Education Council of the United States
www.siecus.org
Monthly state policy updates on sexuality
education and reproductive health and numerous
resources, including a Powerpoint presentation on
need for sexuality education, can be found at the
Guttmacher Institute www.guttmacher.org
Healthy Marriage Initiative
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Included as part of the 2005 reauthorization
of TANF legislation (Temporary Assistance
to Needy Families – Welfare Reform),
signed Feb. 8, 2006.
Authorizes $150 million to “help couples
gain greater access to services…
necessary to form and sustain a healthy
marriage.”
Healthy Marriage, cont.
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Up to $50 million may be used to encourage
responsible fatherhood
Funds may be used for 8 activities including high
school education on the value of marriage.
More information is available from the U.S.
Department of Health & Human Services,
Administration for Children & Families
www.acf.hhs.gov/healthymarriage
Education for Pregnant and/or
Parenting Students
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State policies vary widely from no policy to
requiring local districts to provide special teenage
parent programs
Several states that do not require special
programs provide funding for districts that offer
them
A state-by-state listing of policies can be found at
the National Association of State Boards of
Education website
www.nasbe.org/healthyschools/States/Pregnant%
20&%20Parenting.html
Policies Related to Shaken Baby
Syndrome
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The Skipper Initiative (Shaking Kills: Instead
Parents Please Educate and Remember) is
promoting education programs and policies to
prevent SBS
Efforts have resulted in legislation in 7 states
requiring education for high school and middle
school students on shaken baby syndrome
(Wisconsin, Nebraska, New York, Missouri,
Illinois, Minnesota, Pennsylvania)
Shaken Baby Syndrome, cont.
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U.S. Senate adopted a resolution
designating the third week of April as the
National SBS Awareness Week; House
action on a counterpart bill is pending
For more information see:
www.skippervigil.com
Implications:
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Existing policies can be used to advocate
for expanded role of FCS Education
Policies in one location can be used to
advocate for similar mandates/guidelines in
other states/localities
Developed by:
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Wendy L. Way
Professor and Associate Dean of Academic
Affairs
University of Wisconsin - Madison