FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION
AR 6140
April 2010March 2015
I.
Introduction. The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools shall offer a Family Life
Education Program as an integral part of the life management skills and health curriculum
in accordance with the policy of the Board of Education and the guidelines set forth
below.
II.
Objectives of the Program. The objectives of the program are to provide information to
students:
A. Some growth patterns are predictable, and some are unique for each individual;
B. Basic growth changes will occur with the onset of adolescence;
C. Of the differences between the female and the male reproductive anatomy;
D. About the basic biological functions of the human reproductive system;
E. About the basic physiological and psychological changes which take place during
adolescence;
F. About the various diseases associated with the reproductive system; and
G. About the uses and types of contraception and that sexual abstinence is recommended
prior to marriage.
III.
Program Content, Teaching Materials and Resource Speakers.
A. It shall be the responsibility of the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, in
consultation with the Program Manager for Healthful LivingSpecialist for Character
Education and the Director of Career and Technical Education, to periodically review
and recommend revisions to the Superintendent, if needed, in the content of the
Family Lifelife Education Program.
B. Suggested new curricular materials and/or resource speakers shall be referred to the
Program Manager for Healthful LivingSpecialist for Character Education.
C. The criteria for approval of new materials and/or speakers is as follows:
1. The appropriateness and relevancy of the material and/or speaker’ s program to
the curriculum;
2. The appropriateness of the material and/or speakers with respect to the age and
maturity of the students; and
3. The quality and content of the new material and/or speaker’s program as
compared to existing materials and resource speakers.
AR 6140
Page 2
D. New materials and/or speakers approved by the Assistant Superintendent for
Instruction, and subject to review by the Superintendent, shall be added to the
approved list, which shall be made available to teachers, the Board of Education and
the public.
IV.
Specific Limitations on Teaching Methods.
A. Pursuant to Board Policy, students cannot be compared with respect to personal
anatomical growth and development; therefore, pictures, charts, or models of the
human body should be used for this purpose.
B. While students may not be asked to draw parts of the reproductive system, they may
be asked to learn the proper name of each part.
C. The teaching of and about reproduction and contraception shall be limited to
providing factual information to students but for only those purposes set forth in
Board Policy 6140 and the North Carolina Essential Standardspolicy and the North
Carolina Standard Course of Study. Any new program to be taught to students before
the fifth grade shall be recommended by the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction
and approved by the Board of Education Curriculum Committee.
D. Many topics in Family Life Education are most effectively taught to boys and girls
together. While classes should be mixed if scheduling permits, there must be a
separation of boys and girls when teaching contraception and personal hygiene. The
separation of boys and girls is not required in the high school elective course,
Parenting and Child Development.
E. Each Middle School Principal and Healthful Living Chairperson shall annually certify
the use of only curricula and materials approved by the Program Manager for
Healthful LivingSpecialist for Character Education. The certification form shall be
provided to Principals by the Program Manager for Healthful LivingSpecialist for
Character Education.
V.
Faculty Selection and Training.
A. All new teachers and counselors responsible for teaching Family Life Education and
the high school elective course, Parenting and Child Development, will have an indepth workshop to review the curriculum, the list of approved materials and speakers,
and the limitations in teaching methods set forth in Board Policy.
B. Experienced teachers and counselors will have a periodic review of the curriculum,
the list of approved materials and speakers, and the limitations on teaching methods
set forth in Board Policy 6140.
C. While the classroom teacher is primarily responsible for teaching Family Life
Education, the Principal may assign the guidance counselor to assist any teacher who
feels uncomfortable or unqualified to teach this subject area.
AR 6140
VI.
Page 3
Communication with Parents about the Program and Their Rights.
A. When human sexuality is to be covered, parents of students in life management skills
and health classes shall be notified at least two (2) weeks prior to the beginning of
such instruction.
B. The school’s letter to parents shall include the following information:
1. A brief description of the content and purpose of the program;
2. An invitation to preview the materials used in the program; and
3. An explanation of their right to remove their child from class during the time that
material which they consider to be offensive is to be taught.
C. Periodic public showings of audiovisual materials used in the program should be
planned and publicized to parents of children in the program.
D. Students should be encouraged to share the informationmaterials used in the program
with their parents.
E. Parents should be encouraged to communicate directly with the Principal for
information about the program and for answers to questions and responses to
complaints.
F. A parent’s request to remove a child from class should be directed to the Principal.
Parents who choose to remove children from Family Life Education classes may
borrow from the school a copy of the textbook and supplementary materials used in
order to provide home instruction and counseling.
G. A student who is removed from class as a result of a parental request should be
assigned to another classroom or other appropriate instructional area to work on
health education activities. Removal from class shall not affect a student’s grade nor
shall the student be penalized in any manner for missing this portion of instruction.
H. Each school should make certain that its PTA and School Improvement Team are
kept abreast of what is being done in the teaching of Family Life Education. These
groups can help to evaluate and interpret the program to the community.
I. Information about the curriculum and materials used in the high school elective
course, Parenting and Child Development, shall be included in the high school
registration materials. Parents and students shall have the right to preview the
curriculum and materials used in the course before they register.
AR 6140
VII.
Page 4
Relationship to Other Courses and Subjects.
A. With the exception of the teaching of or about contraception, the provisions of this
Regulation do not apply to any other courses or subjects such as science and health
occupation courses except the high school elective course, Parenting and Child
Development.
B. Contraception shall not be taught except as a part of the Family Life Education
Program and the high school elective course, Parenting and Child Development.
However, it is not the intent of the Policy to limit the authority of guidance counselors
to provide information to individual students based on their professional judgment
and/or the unique needs of the student.
C. The provisions of the Family Life Education policy do not restrict or limit the
authority of teachers and other certificated employees to talk with students about their
personal and/or school related problems, with one exception. If the student’s problem
relates to sexuality, contraception, pregnancy, or STDs, the teacher shall seek
direction from the guidance counselor or the child’s parents. The teacher may
participate in the counseling process if the counselor and student desire such
participation. It is within the authority and role of the guidance counselor to request
any certificated employee’s assistance in counseling with any individual student about
and personal or school related problem, including contraception.
Adopted:
Revised:
Latest Revisions Effective:
Last Reviewed:
Next Review Date:
May 1981
September 1992; January 2002; April 2010; March 2015
[date of BOE vote]
March 2015
________ 2018 [three years]