really had two people at the committee, but by consensus it recommends approval. >> the committee gave this item a positive recommendation and there was much discussion about the use -- youth risk survey and the results of it. it was also the recommendation of the committee that the speed -- that this item be heard also at the budget committee. cracks i wanted to add to the report of the rules committee -- >> i wanted to add to the report of the rules committee because this was initially brought by natalie davidson, who saw that our existing policy was woefully inadequate. and the commission drafted some

language that the staff -- and i really want to thank kevin troy, ken coates, and debra for putting a lot of time into this. >> are there any public speakers for this item? >> i want to add one more thing. >> go ahead. >> i have it here. i will not read it, but i hope all the board members have gotten the memo about the credential in the issue about the health education teachers. there have been some changes. we have some teachers who will need help. there are requirements for what kind of credentials to teach help you need have changed. hopefully everybody has the appropriate credentials.

>> the associate superintendent, kevin triplett. >> good evening, commissioners. tonight, we are presenting a revision to the 1996 board of education health policy. the revisions made to the existing policy reflect the most recent california standards and guidelines specified in helping people in 2020. additionally, staff has needed to provide more direction and support to our schools to achieve greater consistency and stability from school to school,

which will lead to increases in student achievement and overall safety. we would like to share some of the most recent data from the california help the kids survey and the youth risk behavior survey, which you have been provided with copies in the executive summary and the public can accept -- can access at our website. i would like to turn it over to ken coates, who will lead this brief presentation on our data. hi, director camps directorkim. -- director kim. >> i would like to introduce you to my director who will give you an overview of the youth

risk behavior survey, also known as ybs. while we're getting our slide show cued up, and do want to a balanced team members who helped with this work. ken levine, who is our wire coordinator, donna, rows of -- rosa. and market. -- mark. i wanted to thank them for being here this evening. >> got it.

>> we're going to present very briefly two surveillance systems that we use to get a shot of health and wellness of our elementary students. we sometimes refer these two checks from 2011 which has as it waited sample of over 60% across the board. the unit's survey we do across grades 6, 7, and eight, as well as ninth, 10th, 11th, and 12. we also have a representative sample of 74%. this is probably the most critical element of data to give our students a picture of health

and wellness and data certainly i think the alliance with district goals if we want to ensure health education. >> this goes back to the slide on why we care and is an example of something you can see here of students who engage in risky behavior and are at a greater risk of doing this as well and we can to this on the high- school level as well. >> excuse me.

>> yes? >> i understand there is some of this that was heard in curriculum and is something that we usually take a vote on quickly. if we could wrap it up. thank you. >> we were coming back with a couple of slides that were asked to come back with and then we were going to recommend action for the vote. cracks -- >> at the curriculum committee, the commissioners on the committee recommended the come back and bring some highlights to this because we felt that it was a lot of information for commissioners to go true, but that there were -- to go through, but there were certain things that should be brought to the attention of the full board. would you like as to wrap up? >> if there are one or two more sites he would love to show us, go ahead. >> kevin, why don't we continue

with a couple of our violence prevention and we will jump right to the end. >> ok. our violence prevention slides here, you can see that it takes it in our fifth grade elementary students at 73%. in our middle school, about 63% of the students are saying that they hear "fag" or "gsy" and a year -- and they hear teachers intervene when they hear these slurs. while we agree that we need to

work more on that -- >> excuse me, if you need to have a private conversation, please take it outside. it is hard to cure in here. >> although we have work to do this is an improvement of the last survey on all three levels. basically, our lgbt units -- youths if they are harassed are likely not to go to school or have their property damage or being a physical fight at school.

>> we will conclude with one final slide, and that is some longitudinal data beginning in 1999 through the last administration of ybs, through years never having been taught about hiv or aids infection. we do not want to see a decline, but we do. it makes the critical case we need to support health education for our k-12 students. >> that being the data, the requested action that the board of education and san francisco unified school district 68-13-s p one. the proposed revisions are

amended in the amended version it is revised and adopted by the board of education has 68-13- sp1. the health education policy will be given board member p6302. >> thank you. >> i have four speaker cards up here. christopher pepper. michael baxter. william limm. jason mark.

why don't you take a minute. a minute. >> hello. i'm christopher pepper, a health education teacher at balboa high school. i'm just here to support this measure. we do have the health programs department giving us some good backing. and i really want to be a model program this proposal that i really like is to strengthen the health education class that i taught at the ninth grade.

i think that is the direction we need to move in supporting the help the district. i would like -- i will be available to speak to you more. >> my name is michael baxter. i work for the department of public health where i have been for 25 years and i direct youth programs and primary care. i'm happy to see that burden high school this year, we actually implemented eight hours a week in the pilot program and it is going badly as the. i would like you to support this resolution. this is an amazing time. and i have worked for the

district for decades at this point. and i'm thrilled to be working with this team and the people in the health programs office. i know i'm going to exceed my one minute, but i do want to let you know that we are currently working on a project where we are hoping by the fall of 2013 to have a fully implemented program in all of the high schools where the unified school district is working with the department of public health and with the cbo. the school district cannot do this alone, and i think the school district recognizes this. which is why we see it coming in and working collectively. i know that kevin is going to work with me and support this big time. and if the school board members have any questions, i will be thrilled.

but i'm a junior at balboa high school. at our school we've noticed that ever since the establishment of the advisory board, the scores have risen. we contributed to because of peer to peer networking and we have a stronger infrastructure in terms of health education.

i am appreciative that you are approving of this policy so that more students can further improve in their education and become healthy high school student. >> i am a senior at balboa high school and a member of the student advisory council. in the beginning, health education in high school seemed like it was repeating information i have learned from previous glasses. i did not think of eight -- i did not link it was important felt i was actually in the class during the second semester of my freshman year. this class taught me about the topics that are not openly talked about. we learned about the responsibility that came with having sex, the consequences of drug use, and all of the other advice about being healthy.

entering high school, students do not have the same level of knowledge about these topics. i personally came into high school knowing very little about sex and drugs. this information that the class taught me is very important to me and that is why i support this policy. thank you for your time. [applause] >> i'm looking for cards. are you here to speak on this topic? >> yes. in all of these cards i do not see you. -- >> somehow in all of these cards i do not see you.

>> can i have marked elkin's martinez. >> my name is mark that. i worked for the school district for over 30 years and for the past 12 years i have been at the school health program. health is a passion for me. i presently set on the board

for health matters and education. i was the only teacher on the content advisory panel for the state an amount -- and the only board certified teacher of health at san francisco unified. i was very disheartened when i found that health was removed from the elementary report card. when i was in the classroom, it was still there. i am -- i am appreciative that the board is considering passing this amendment to the health education policy, as well as looking further into health education for all of our students into san francisco unified. it is a priority, as i said for myself and for many people. it is especially important for our students. i very quickly want to say that i want to continue my job, even though there is no funding for me as an elementary gsa and health. but i want to continue doing the work providing professional

development for the teachers, spearheading the health advocate program, providing assistance to the schools and their communities. i hope you will consider this. thank you. [applause] >> good evening, commissioners and superintendent. my name is mario. i have been a teacher in san francisco for almost 29 years. and i have been at the education center for 17 years. our staff works with new the arrived immigrants. 99% of our students are free breakfast and lunch, and we see the benefits of having helped education in our school. our fifth graders -- some of our fifth graders have lost 20 lbs. in order to pass the fitness test. and this is thanks to the services we have received from the school health programs and the health department.

school health programs provide a lot of services. it provides us with grants, for and vegetables for our children. but we do not want that to be lost because of funding. we know it is hard times, but we do not want you to cut the funds or stop providing services for our children. thank you for your support. i know you will do what is best for all of the children, because it's a matter of apathy. thank you. -- empathy. thank you. [applause] >> excuse me, i do not think i have a speaker cards for you. >> mark elkin. i am a teacher in special assignment. i began my career in 1995 as a kindergarten teacher. in kindergarten, students learn the importance of washing hands

and covering their sneezes and putting bandages on cats. that is the basis for education about disease prevention. they learn to share crayons, to take turns, and to use their words when they are going to share and express all kinds of feelings. these are the root for conflict resolution and for developing and fostering good relationships. these are the steps to success to keep students healthy and ready to learn. it is about addressing health disparities among communities in the same way the district is committed to erasing disparities in test scores. it is our responsibility to see what we can do to limit obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, which are in high levels in latino and african-american populations. our responsibility is to give the students tools for success. i urge you to pass this and also to consider funding a teacher on

special assignment, which does not exist now, and also funding a comprehensive health curriculum for elementary that was adopted 20 years ago. it is old. keep health education a priority. [applause] >> any comments from the board or the superintendent? vice president norton? >> i just want to say that the data we saw tonight and the data we saw any curricular commit -- curriculum committee underscores the importance of being vigilant about the assignments that kids are getting any number of minutes during the year in health education, because it is very important. i'm very glad we are doing this. i think the suggestion to look at an elementary curriculum is a good one. maybe that is something we can

take up at a future meeting. >> i am very pleased this is brought before us tonight for consideration. and commissioners, i just wanted you to know that this calls for reinstating health education on the elementary school report card, which i think will be crucial for health education in our elementary schools. i would also like to bring to attention -- the attention of the board some of the results of the youth risk behavior survey. it shows that our lgbt users are still at a much higher percentage the -- lgbt youth are at a much higher rate drug use, tobacco use, our call, and suicide. you may recall the passing of the initiative and support of reconfirm our commitment to a safe environment for lgbt

youth. at that time, the board in its wisdom decided to fund half of the request. i respectfully request that the head of the chair of the budget committee bring this back to the budget committee, so we can reconsider -- i mean, bring it up for reconsideration, considering we are passing this health education policy that includes also sexual orientation and gender identity. and also hiv. i am asking the chair of the budget committee if they could agendize this item. thank you. >> i just want to state that this survey, the health survey results, it is so important.

i hope the community will take the time to look at it. it reflects different attitude, being overweight, self-esteem, suicide, all of these issues that are critical to young people. we produce a yacht -- a girls' report looking at the status of girls, and we are looking at it as we speak, based on these results. i do want to say that i strongly support abolition -- evolution. i would like to see a different piloting of everything, but i want to make sure we are meeting their requirements of the resolution.

>> the cost the city it -- associated with this implementation process, the costs are very real, but i also understand that we pay now or we pay later. i would rather consider deeply investing now, particularly at the elementary school level, because if we do not educate our young people, we will be paying at a much higher cost later. we cannot avoid that. and plainly, we should not fantasize that will not happen to us. it will happen. there is a cost associated with it, but again, i'd rather make the investment now in education early. and save the cost for us later. it is a much broader cost because it is not just our students, but their families,

and san francisco as a whole. thank you. >> i want to thank everybody for coming tonight. what i want to say is that i think we need to start doing the work we want to do, but we need to be realistic about what we want to do, given the current circumstances. i, too, think we need a specific plan that will tell us what is going to cost, so we can make the difficult choices that we need to make. i also want to acknowledge that even though -- we need to do it and we do, and the teachers do this, but we never got to do this without saying that every time we are going to do this in the elementary school, we are asking all of our teachers to do something in addition to all of the other things we ask them to do, which is too much for them to do now. there are choices to be made all over.

i think this is the step we want to take, passing the policy, making sure our commitment is reiterated and redefined periodically, as it should be. thank you, everybody. and we should do this, but we ought to look at the steps we want to take carefully. thank you. >> i also will be supportive of this resolution. i think it is time that we bring it back down to the elementary school level in terms of these issues. i want to mention it and once more. i can hear some of the kid, but that is ok. but i also hear a lot of adults talking to each other. if you really need to speak, just go outside. it will help us be able to hear everything. [speaking foreign language]