School Implementation of Sex-Education Programs

The Grand Jury found of the County’s 17 school districts surveyed and the schools administered by the VCOE, all have implemented various policies, practices and procedures in keeping with AB 329 except Conejo Valley Unified School District (Conejo), which was still developing policies at the time of the Grand Jury’s survey.

The Grand Jury found that Conejo, Moorpark Unified School District (Moorpark) and Mupu Unified School District (Mupu) are the only districts to establish and describe what the alternative educational activity would be for students opting-out of the sex-education curriculum. All the other districts did not specify an alternate educational activity in the materials sent to parents or guardians.

The Grand Jury found that only Mupu provided information to the parents or guardians that their children could be excused from participation in all or in part of the sex-education instruction.

The Grand Jury found that only Mupu, Oxnard Union High School District (Oxnard Union), Oak Park Unified School District (Oak Park), Simi Valley 2 School Implementation of Sex-Education Programs Unified School District (Simi) and Moorpark notified parents or guardians that any student who opted-out of the sex-education program will not be subject to academic penalty or disciplinary action.

The Grand Jury found that in their annual handbook to parents or guardians, only Conejo, Port Hueneme Unified School District (Port Hueneme), Oxnard Union and Mupu informed parents or guardians of their right to review any and all materials to be utilized in instruction of the sex- education classes at the beginning of the school year or the beginning of a child’s enrollment. Only Oxnard Union provided a website to conveniently review the curriculum.

The Grand Jury found that information regarding sex-education curricula and surveys sent to parents or guardians in the schools’ general handbooks were not easily found.

The Grand Jury found that only Oxnard, Ventura Unified School District (Ventura), Somis, Ojai School District (Ojai) and Port Hueneme provided a form that could be returned to the district enabling a parent or guardian to conveniently provide a written request that the child opt-out from the sexual-education instruction or surveys concerning sexual behaviors. Conclusions C-01. The Grand Jury concluded that all school districts surveyed, except Conejo, have implemented policies, practices and procedures regarding the implementation of AB 329. (FA-01) C-02. The Grand Jury concluded that school districts’ policies, practices and procedures fail to provide sufficient details of the sexual-health education and HIV/AIDS prevention class curriculum, or the content of the sexual- behavior surveys. This makes it difficult for parents or guardians to easily access, understand and make decisions about whether their children should be excused from or included in the sexual-education classes or surveys on sexual behavior. (FA-01, FA-02, FA-03, FA-04, FA-05, FA-06, FA-07) C-03. The Grand Jury concluded that all district policies, procedures and practices (except Conejo, Moorpark and Mupu) fail to provide adequate notice that a student excused from instruction will be provided an alternative educational activity. (FA-02) C-04. The Grand Jury concluded that all district procedures, policies and practices (except Mupu, Oxnard Union, Oak Park, Simi and Moorpark) fail to give notice that a student excused from instruction will not be subject to any academic penalty. (FA-04) C-05. The Grand Jury concluded that all districts (except Oxnard Union, Ventura, Somis, Ojai and Port Hueneme) do not provide a separate written form for parents or guardians to conveniently opt-out their students from all or part of the curriculum on sexual-health education or surveys on sexual behavior. (FA-07) School Implementation of Sex-Education Programs 3 Recommendations R-01. The Grand Jury recommends that the school districts provide to parents or guardians a separate informational notice describing the sexual education and HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum and content of sexual-behavior surveys. (C-02) R-02. The Grand Jury recommends that the notice provided to parents or guardians states that no academic penalty will attach as a result of a parent or guardian excluding a child from sexual-education classes or surveys of sexual behavior. (C-04) R-03. The Grand Jury recommends that school districts provide an alternative educational curriculum to students opting-out of sexual-education classes that closely aligns with the Legislature’s intent that “instruction and materials shall provide pupils with knowledge and skills for making and implementing healthy decisions … including negotiation and refusal skills.…” The details of the alternative curriculum should be included in the notice to parents or guardians. The Life Skills curriculum established by the Moorpark Unified School District is an example of such an alternative. (C- 02, C-03, Ref-07) R-04. The Grand Jury recommends that the school districts provide a more detailed explanation of the content of sexual-education and HIV/AIDS curriculum and sexual-behavior surveys in an easily accessible format. (C- 02) R-05. The Grand Jury recommends that the school districts facilitate the opt-out process by including a single form that can be signed and returned, indicating that parents or guardians wish to have their child excused from sexual-education instruction and surveys. (C-02) R-06. The Grand Jury recommends that the school districts notify parents or guardians that they may opt-out their children from any part of sexual- education classes or surveys, while allowing them to attend or participate in others. (C-02, FA-03) R-07. The Grand Jury recommends that school districts provide a more complete explanation in the annual parent/guardian notification of any surveys to be taken concerning sexual behavior of students. (C-O2) Responses Responses Required From: Conejo Unified School District Fillmore Unified School District Mesa Unified School District Moorpark Unified School District Mupu Unified School District Oak Park Unified School District Ocean View Unified School District 4 School Implementation of Sex-Education Programs Ojai Unified School District Oxnard Elementary School District Oxnard Union High School District Pleasant Valley Unified School District Port Hueneme Unified School District Rio Unified School District Santa Paula Unified School District Simi Valley Unified School District Somis Unified School District Ventura County Office of Education Ventura County Unified School District References Ref-01. California Healthy Youth Act (AB 329) http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id201520 160AB329 Accessed April 3, 2019 Ref-02. The following School Districts were surveyed: Briggs Elementary School District Conejo Valley Unified School District Fillmore Unified School District Mesa Unified School District Moorpark Unified School District Mupu Unified School District Oak Park Unified School District Ocean View Unified School District Ojai Unified School District Oxnard Elementary School District Oxnard Union High School District Pleasant Valley Unified School District Port Hueneme Unified School District Rio Unified School District Santa Clara Unified School District Santa Paula Unified School District Simi Valley Unified School District Somis Unified School District Ventura County Office of Education School Implementation of Sex-Education Programs 5 Ventura County Unified School District Ref-03. California Education Code Sections 51937, 51938 (b) http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayexpandedbranch.xh tml?tocCode=EDC&division=4.&title=2.&part=28.&chapter=5.6.&article = Accessed April 3, 2019 Ref-04. California Education Code Sections 51938 http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayexpandedbranch.xh tml?tocCode=EDC&division=4.&title=2.&part=28.&chapter=5.6.&article = Accessed April 3, 2019 Ref-05. California Education Code Sections, 51939 http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayexpandedbranch.xh tml?tocCode=EDC&division=4.&title=2.&part=28.&chapter=5.6.&article = Accessed April 3, 2019 Ref-06. California Education Code Sections 51937, 51939 http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayexpandedbranch.xh tml?tocCode=EDC&division=4.&title=2.&part=28.&chapter=5.6.&article = Accessed April 3, 2019 Ref-07. California Education Code Section 51933(h) http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayexpandedbranch.xh tml?tocCode=EDC&division=4.&title=2.&part=28.&chapter=5.6.&article = Accessed April 3, 2019 6 School Implementation of Sex-Education Programs Glossary TERM DEFINITION AB 329 California Healthy Youth Act Conejo Conejo Valley Unified School District Grand Jury 2018-2019 Ventura Grand Jury Mupu Mupu Unified School District Oak Park Oak Park Unified School District Ojai Ojai Unified School District Oxnard Union Oxnard Union High School District Port Hueneme Port Hueneme Unified School District Somis Somis Unified School District Simi Simi Valley Unified School District School Implementation of Sex-Education Programs 7 This page intentionally blank 8 School Implementation of Sex-Education Programs