What grade levels do these standards cover?

Grade 9, Grade 10, Grade 11, and Grade 12

Where can I read the official document?

Kentucky Academic Standards Health Education June 2025

K–12 Standards

Grades 9-12
Other Kentucky Health Education sets
Kindergarten
Kindergarten-Grade 2
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grades 3-5
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grades 6-8
Grade 7
Grade 8
High School

Use functional health information to support health and well-being of self and others: The acquisition and application of functional health information provides a foundation for promoting health and well-being. This standard includes essential concepts based on established theories and models of health behavior and health promotion. It focuses not only on risk factors, but also on protective factors that can support health and wellness. Concepts reflected in this standard include health literacy, health promotion, health equity, social determinants of health, well-being and health outcomes within individual, interpersonal, community, societal and environmental contexts. Functional information can be applied to health-related skills, such as analyzing influences, accessing resources, interpersonal communication, decision-making, goal-setting, engaging in health practices and behaviors and advocacy.1

1
Analyze ways to build upon strengths and assets to support individual and collective health and well-being.1.12.1
2
Analyze the relationships between various dimensions of wellness as related to health outcomes.1.12.2
3
Evaluate behaviors that reduce or prevent illnesses and injuries.1.12.3
4
Evaluate practices and behaviors that support health and well-being, including how to manage health conditions.1.12.4
5
Examine connections between individual health literacy, organizational health literacy and health outcomes.1.12.5
6
Analyze how individual, interpersonal, community, societal and environmental factors are interrelated and impact health outcomes.1.12.6
7
Analyze the benefits of and barriers to practicing a variety of health behaviors.1.12.7
8
Examine how self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility and perceived severity affect health behaviors.1.12.8
9
Analyze the relationship between access to health care and overall health and well-being.1.12.9
10
Summarize the relationship between the menstrual cycle and conception.1.12.10
11
Justify abstinence as the most effective method of protection from HIV, other STDs and pregnancy.1.12.11
12
Explain why individuals have the right to refuse physical and sexual contact.1.12.12
13
Evaluate the social, cultural and personal factors that influence an individual’s right to express or remove consent.1.12.13
14
Summarize the signs, symptoms, transmission and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).1.12.14
15
Analyze various contraceptive methods to reduce the risk of pregnancy, HIV and other STDs.1.12.15
16
Analyze the short- and long-term health benefits of avoiding or discontinuing the use of nicotine, including financial costs.1.12.16
17
Analyze the short- and long-term health benefits of avoiding or discontinuing the use of alcohol and other drugs, including financial costs.1.12.17
18
Summarize personal strategies for minimizing potential harm from sun exposure.1.12.18
19
Explain accepted procedures for emergency and lifesaving care, including CPR.1.12.19

Analyze influences that affect health and well-being, including but not limited to family, peers, culture, media and technology: Health and well-being are affected by many, diverse influences within individual, interpersonal, community, societal and environmental contexts. This standard focuses on identifying and evaluating internal and external factors influencing health practices and behaviors. Influences on health and well-being may include but are not limited to: personal values and beliefs, perceived and social norms, family, peers, schools, communities, culture, media and technology, policies and the environment. This standard recognizes that the factors affecting health behaviors and outcomes, such as social determinants of health, are complex and impact people and communities differently. It also supports the individual’s ability to identify and use skills to recognize the types of influences, analyze the role of influences across a variety of wellness dimensions and manage influences on health and well-being in digital and in-person settings. This skill contributes to a better understanding of the connections between individual health, community health and health equity, which can strengthen use of other health skills, such as accessing information and advocacy.2

1
Evaluate the interrelationships and impacts of various influences and health behaviors on health and well-being.2.12.1
2
Evaluate how social determinants of health influence health behaviors, health outcomes and health equity.2.12.2
3
Evaluate how individual, interpersonal, community, societal and environmental influences and factors affect health equity.2.12.3
4
Formulate strategies to manage influences that impact health and well-being.2.12.4
5
Use resources to manage influences that impact health and well-being.2.12.5
6
Evaluate how technology and social media influence the health of self and others.2.12.6

Access valid and reliable resources to support health and well-being of self and others: Access to valid and reliable health information, products, services and other resources is essential to promoting health and well-being and preventing, detecting, managing and treating health issues and conditions. Access to valid and reliable information, products, services and other resources promotes health and well-being in individual, interpersonal, community, societal and environmental contexts. This standard focuses on identifying, accessing and evaluating valid and reliable resources, including managing misinformation and disinformation, within digital and in-person settings. Media and technology play a significant and increasing role in the way individuals learn about and connect with themselves, others and the world. This standard engages students in critical thinking around media messages and resources, including how they are accessed, evaluated and used to support health and well-being.3

1
Analyze the accessibility of trusted adults, health professionals, other individuals and resources to promote health and well-being.3.12.1
2
Analyze supports and barriers to accessing valid and reliable health information, products, services and other resources.3.12.2
3
Evaluate the validity and reliability of health information, products, services and other resources.3.12.3
4
Use valid and reliable sources of health information, products, services and other resources.3.12.4
5
Apply strategies to manage misinformation and disinformation.3.12.5

Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self and others: Effective communication promotes health and well-being in individual, interpersonal, community, societal and environmental contexts. This standard focuses on expressive and receptive communication in digital and in-person settings. Combined with perspective-taking, communication skills help to recognize and strengthen interpersonal interactions, create and maintain relationships, express and interpret messages and manage conflict. Developing communication skills helps individuals to see how they communicate and the ways in which their communication affects those around them.4

1
Apply effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills across multiple modes and formats of communication to support health and well-being of self and others.4.12.1
2
Apply communication skills and strategies within a variety of interpersonal contexts.4.12.2
3
Demonstrate how to ask for and offer assistance to support the health of self and others.4.12.3
4
Use effective communication skills to set and express boundaries as well as grant or withdraw consent in a variety of situations.4.12.4
5
Apply refusal skills and strategies in a variety of situations.4.12.5
6
Apply skills and strategies to prevent, manage or resolve conflict.4.12.6
7
Demonstrate collaboration skills in a variety of situations.4.12.7
8
Demonstrate negotiation skills in a variety of situations.4.12.8
9
Adapt strategies to communicate with others with different perspectives and values in various contexts.4.12.9
10
Communicate with empathy and compassion.4.12.10

Use a decision-making process to support health and well-being of self and others: Effective decision-making is needed to identify, adopt and maintain health-promoting behaviors. This standard includes skills and steps integral to the process of effective decision-making to support health and well-being. The decision-making process enables collaboration to improve quality of life within individual, interpersonal, community, societal, cultural and environmental contexts.5

1
Analyze how health-related decisions may affect personal and community health and well-being from a variety of perspectives.5.12.1
2
Determine when and why health-related situations require the application of a thoughtful decision-making process.5.12.2
3
Apply an individual, supported or collaborative decision-making process to maintain or improve health and well-being.5.12.3
4
Analyze a variety of options based on priorities and potential outcomes when making health-related decisions.5.12.4
5
Analyze the potential impacts of decisions on the health and well-being within individual, interpersonal, community, societal, cultural and environmental levels.5.12.5
6
Develop a plan of action to implement health-related decisions.5.12.6
7
Evaluate the impacts of supports and barriers that affect decision-making within individual, interpersonal, community, societal, cultural and environmental levels.5.12.7
8
Evaluate the effectiveness of health-related decisions.5.12.8

Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others: Goal-setting is a process to support short- and long-term health and well-being goals. In addition to achieving a goal, a goal-setting process includes using practices, habits and routines in daily life. This standard includes the processes needed to plan, reach and reflect on health goals. Setting goals is a flexible process and considers personal and social factors affecting health and well-being. Goal-setting supports aspirations and future planning for health and well-being within individual, interpersonal, community, societal, cultural and environmental contexts.6

1
Assess personal health, well-being and factors for engaging in a goal-setting process.6.12.1
2
Use an individual, supported, or collaborative goal-setting process as appropriate.6.12.2
3
Develop a goal and analyze how it supports health and well-being.6.12.3
4
Implement a plan that addresses supports and barriers to attaining a health-related goal.6.12.4
5
Monitor progress and adjust the goal or plan as appropriate.6.12.5
6
Evaluate the goal-setting process and outcomes on health and well-being.6.12.6

Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self and others: Developing health practices and behaviors can promote health and well-being over the lifespan and reduce risk to self and others. Practicing health behaviors is critical to incorporating health-promoting habits and routines into all dimensions of wellness. Due to the increasing influence of technology, it is crucial to develop and apply practices and behaviors that support media balance and digital wellness. This standard promotes individual and collective responsibility by encouraging the exploration and practice of skills and processes that support health and wellbeing in individual, interpersonal, community, societal and environmental contexts.7

1
Analyze supports and barriers to engaging in health-related practices and behaviors.7.12.1
2
Evaluate practices, behaviors and other factors supporting individual and collective health and well-being.7.12.2
3
Adapt practices and behaviors to support individual and collective health and well-being.7.12.3
4
Demonstrate a variety of practices and behaviors supporting individual and collective health and well-being.7.12.4

Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others: Advocacy skills are critical for promoting health and well-being within individual, interpersonal, community, societal and environmental contexts. This standard helps learners develop and apply skills and strategies to increase agency and advocacy for self and others. Practicing advocacy helps students be informed, civic-minded members of their community, who are inclusive of individual, cultural, historical and other differences.8

1
Examine a variety of factors that affect health advocacy within individual, interpersonal, community, societal and environmental levels.8.12.1
2
Advocate for health issues either collaboratively or individually to promote health and well-being.8.12.2
3
Customize advocacy skills and strategies when addressing a variety of audiences and contexts.8.12.3
4
Demonstrate self-advocacy skills and strategies to promote health and well-being.8.12.4
5
Demonstrate advocacy skills and strategies to promote health and well-being within interpersonal, community, societal and environmental levels.8.12.5
6
Evaluate the process, outcomes and impact of advocacy efforts within individual, interpersonal, community, societal and environmental levels.8.12.6
7
Analyze the role of collaboration among different people in a community to prevent and solve community health issues.8.12.7

Frequently asked questions

What grade levels do these standards cover?: Grade 9, Grade 10, Grade 11, and Grade 12
Where can I read the official document?: Kentucky Academic Standards Health Education June 2025

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