AIDS Education: Public School Programs Require More Student Information and Teacher Training
HRD-90-103
Published: May 01, 1990. Publicly Released: Jun 15, 1990.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO surveyed public school districts' implementation of the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) educational program about human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Human Services | The Secretary of Health and Human Services should require the Director, CDC, to take a leadership role in developing approaches to extend and reinforce HIV-related education for eleventh- and twelfth-grade students. |
Closed – Implemented
CDC concurred with the GAO recommendation, but said that it has already taken enough of a leadership role.
|
| Department of Health and Human Services | The Secretary of Health and Human Services should require the Director, CDC, to work with state education agencies to help smaller school districts overcome resource and community barriers preventing them from offering HIV education. |
Closed – Implemented
CDC concurred, but said that resources should be primarily focused on high-incidence areas, wherever they are.
|
| Department of Health and Human Services | The Secretary of Health and Human Services should require the Director, CDC, to ensure that state and local grantees collect adequate knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors data from students to evaluate and improve school-based programs. |
Closed – Implemented
CDC concurred, but said that such data collection may be perceived as controversial. Therefore, data collection is a complicated process requiring cooperation from grantees.
|
| Department of Health and Human Services | The Secretary of Health and Human Services should require the Director, CDC, to develop guidelines for the training of teachers who instruct HIV education courses. |
Closed – Implemented
CDC concurred, but said that is has already helped to develop support materials in lieu of specific guidance.
|
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Topics
AIDSstate relationsPublic schoolsSchool health servicesSecondary educationSecondary school studentsTeacher educationDisease controlTeachersStudents