Public Policy that Matters for FCS Education:

1. Public Policy that Matters for FCS Education: Mandates and Related Resources for Strengthening and Promoting Family and Consumer Sciences Education

2. Traditional Focus – CTE Legislation • 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

3. Retaining CTE Funding • 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.

4. Utilize Other Public Policies to Build Support for FCE Programming • Financial Literacy • School Wellness Policies • Sexual and Reproductive Health Education • Healthy Marriage Initiative • Pregnant and Parenting Student Policies • Policies on Shaken Baby Syndrome

5. Financial Literacy • 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

6. School Wellness Policies • 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

7. School Wellness Policies, con’t • 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

8. Sexual and Reproductive Health Education • 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

9. Sexual and Reproductive Health Education, con’t • 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

10. Healthy Marriage Initiative • 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.”

11. Healthy Marriage, cont. • 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

12. Education for Pregnant and/or Parenting Students • 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

13. Policies Related to Shaken Baby Syndrome • 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)

14. Shaken Baby Syndrome, cont. • 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

15. Implications: • 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

16. Developed by: • Wendy L. Way • Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs • University of Wisconsin - Madison