��������

According to statistics compiled by the Guttmacher Institute, the US has “one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the developed world—almost twice as high as those of England, Wales, and Canada, and eight times as high as those of the Netherlands and Japan.” Because of the rising pregnancy rates among teens, in addition to the rising rates of sexual activity among teens, both parents and public schools are exploring the best sex education programs to benefit students.

This video discusses the issue of teaching sex education in school.

While sex education has historically brought forth great tension and debate between schools and communities, National Public Radio asserts that “providing effective sex education can seem daunting because it means tackling potentially sensitive issues. However, because sex education comprises many individual activities, which take place across a wide range of settings and periods of time, there are lots of opportunities to contribute.”

The Debate of Sex Education in Public Schools

While some Americans express mixed opinions on how public schools should teach sex education courses, National Public Radio (NPR) reports that the once heated debate over whether or not schools should even teach teens about sex has now dwindled: “A new poll by NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government finds that only 7 percent of Americans say sex education should not be taught in schools. Moreover, in most places,

As obesity levels and health issues are rising among young children and teens across the country, public schools are implementing new health and physical education programs to help prevent illnesses while striving to promote wellness. Some studies report that the new health programs not only help children to improve physically, but a school’s wellness plan can also help students improve emotionally, behaviorally, and academically as well.

The Current Health Issues Facing Public School Students

Since 1997, America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being has issued reports regarding American children’s health and wellness. According to America’s Children, one of the biggest issues of concern among all public schools and parents is the rising percentage of overweight children: “In 1976–1980, only 6 percent of children ages 6–17 were overweight. […] Most recently, in 2005–2006, 17 percent of children ages 6–17 were overweight.”

Paired with this, Asthma is another disease, in addition to weight, that is a serious concern for American children. According to studies, “Asthma is a leading chronic disease among children, and rates of childhood asthma have remained at historically high levels since the 1990s.” Recently, in 2006, 9 percent of children suffered from asthma.”

As schools are becoming increasingly aware of these issues, public wellness plans are designed to decrease obesity rates while also helping students cope with specific health issues, such as asthma, diabetes, and many others.

This TedTalk explains how quality, daily physical education in schools not only reduces obesity amongst our children, but

According to recent research, only 2% of American children receive the recommended daily nutritional servings from dietary choices. In an attempt to combat such issues of poor health and malnutrition, a non-profit organization called “Action for Healthy Kids” is actively striving to improve the meals available for public school students. As WTOP News explains, Action for Healthy Kids is striving “to address the epidemic of childhood obesity, is putting pressure on schools to cut back calories and dish out healthier options to students at lunch time.”

The Unhealthy Public School Provisions

Middle and High Schools vs. Elementary Schools

According to MSNBC’s article, “Secondary Schools Serve Unhealthy Foods,” the low-nutrition foods available to middle and high school students are far less healthy than the foods provided to elementary students. According to their report, researchers have discovered that the drastic shift in healthy food options for middle and high school students not only leads to poorer overall physical health but also may be “the main difference between the lower and higher grades was the greater availability of unhealthful foods and beverages for older students.”

Ultimately, researchers assert that the overall “school ‘food environment’ is significantly healthier in lower grades.” One of the culprits leading to the unhealthy state of middle and high schools is the increasing number of vending machines in the upper education buildings. According to researchers, “while vending machines aren't automatic sources of unhealthful foods and drinks, they are -- along with a la carte cafeteria

As younger adolescents move from the smaller middle school setting to the larger and more diverse high school environment, many kids experience anxiety and worry about the shifting dynamics and expectations. According to researchers Mizelle, Phelan, Yu, and Davidson, “Young adolescents […] are concerned about being picked on and teased by older students, having harder work, making lower grades, and getting lost in a larger, unfamiliar school.”

Common Struggles for New 9th-Grade Students

As they move to the high school setting, many 9th-grade students commonly experience a significant decline in both grades and attendance. This often occurs as a result of the new social opportunities and the greater option of choices for young students, in addition to the pressures of fitting in and finding their own comfortable peer groups.

In addition, according to ERIC Digest, these students tend to “view themselves more negatively and experience an increased need for friendships.” This is a relatively universal experience for young adolescents, as studies reveal this to be true for even honors or “high achieving” students.

How Can You Help Keep Your Child on Track?

Transition Programs

To help young students transition to the new school setting, recent studies reveal that students who take part in middle school “transition programs” are able to move through the shifting school settings with far less of a struggle.

As Eric Digest explains, “Research has found […] that when middle school students took part in a high school transition program with several diverse articulation