Not sure how to update with new standards? Here's some advice...

Hello Reader,

The release of the updated National Health Education Standards (and the updated PE Standards!) means that teachers everywhere are now looking for information on updating their curriculum to align with the new standards. Here in Massachusetts, we now have revised state standards, too, which haven't been updated since I was in middle school: in 1999!

It's understandable that this task seems overwhelming. I'm going through it, too. And, this summer, I've done zero updating. My main plan is to go unit by unit from the start of the school year. I'll admit it may not be as challenging for teachers who are already using the National Health Education Standards compared to those just getting started. But it's still a process, and it takes time to do it right.

Here are some things I'm reminding myself before the school year starts, and I think these steps will help you, too:

1. I know that I need to familiarize myself with the new standards. I've already done that, and being trained to lead PD sessions on the new standards through SHAPE America was a BIG help for that. With the NHES, make sure to read the new rationales for each standard. I plan on using the rationale statements more in my classroom this year.
2. Before I start making changes to my curriculum, I need to figure out what needs to be changed in each unit by making a revision checklist. My teaching colleague, Jess, and I did this during a PD session at the end of the school year. On our list, we have scope and sequence documents, slide decks, student assignments/formative assessments, assessment/project descriptions, assessment/project planning sheets, and assessment/project rubrics. Maybe we missed something; we'll adapt as needed.
3. With the documents in the first unit opened up and ready to be revised, I want to find natural connections between the performance indicators in the old standards and the performance indicators in the new standards. For example, what performance indicator from the old set of standards is similar to this one from the new set? You know, I think there might be a resource coming out soon that crosswalks the old and new standards...but I'm not 100% sure... 🤔
4. Now, I can begin to update and revise as needed. I plan on starting backward with each unit's summative assessment, and once that is adjusted, I'll make changes to everything else.

I'll communicate any changes to my curriculum director and building administrators, so everyone is on the same page. Because we already use the NHES in our units, I don't think it will be an overwhelming process. We're not building a whole new ship, we're just adjusting the rigging and updating the hull (can you tell I read The Wager this summer?).

Teachers brand new to using the NHES might have a hard time determining what to cover in their health class. For more information on how to decide what to teach in your curriculum, I suggest Jenny Withycombe's post on the SHAPE America blog, "Using the National Health Education Standards and Other Important Elements to Guide Your Teaching in Health Ed."​

Thanks for reading! I've prescheduled this to send because I'm in western Massachusetts right now (it's a pretty rural part of the state for those not from here) this week, working at a running camp where I oversee the classroom portion of camp. It's one of the best weeks of the summer! While I'm there, do you mind answering one question for me? Here it is:

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Thank you again!

Jeff B.

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