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CHoosing And Maintaining Effective Programs for Sex Education in Schools

About iCHAMPSS

Background

Texas has one of the highest teen birth rates in the US, costing the state over $1 billion each year.1 Evidence-based programs (EBPs) for sexual health education can reduce pregnancy- and HIV/STI-related risk behaviors in adolescents.2 However, Texas school districts face many challenges to successfully adopt, implement, and maintain EBPs in their district.

Common barriers include:

  • Lack of knowledge about EBPs and where to find them
  • Perceived lack of support from school administrators and parents
  • Lack of guidance regarding the adoption process
  • Competing priorities
  • Lack of specialized training on sexual health.3-9

Currently, there is no set of established best practices for school districts to adopt and replicate EBPs. Through collaboration with parents, teachers, principals, and school district personnel, the University of Texas Prevention Research Center developed a decision-support system and tools to facilitate adoption and implementation of EBPs. The CHAMPSS Model provides innovative digital resources to aid school districts in the adoption and implementation process of EBPs for teen pregnancy prevention.

Purpose

Through iCHAMPSS you can learn how to adopt, implement, and maintain an effective sexual health education program in your school or school district. Our goal is to aid and empower champions like yourself to improve the status of adolescent sexual health.

The CHAMPSS Model simplifies the process of adopting and implementing EBPs and provides practical steps for you to follow. The system will guide you to:

  • Improve your knowledge of adolescent sexual health and evidence-based programs,
  • Develop skills in policymaking and program implementation,
  • Increase organizational capacity to address complex school health issues,
  • Create stakeholder networks within and between school districts.

Development

Intervention Mapping (IM), a methodological framework that incorporates data from theory, research, and the community, was used to develop the CHAMPSS model.11 IM guided the creation of the CHAMPSS concept, learning objectives, and the development of iCHAMPSS resources, activities, and products.

The development of iCHAMPSS was a collaborative effort between the University of Texas Prevention Research Center and Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services with special contribution from the Harris County School Health Leadership CHAMPSS subgroup.

Model

The CHoosing And Maintaining Effective Programs for Sex Education in Schools (CHAMPSS) model is a framework that outlines the steps and tasks needed for school districts to adopt, implement, and maintain EBPs. For more in-depth information about the research behind the development of the CHAMPSS model, see:

Hernandez BF, Peskin M, Shegog R, et al. “Choosing and Maintaining Programs for Sex Education in Schools: The CHAMPSS Model,” Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk: (2011) Vol. 2: Iss. 2, Article 7.

Available at: http://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/childrenatrisk/vol2/iss2/7

Acknowledgements

Funding for iCHAMPSS was provided by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

References

  1. Hoffman SD. By the Numbers: The Public Costs of Teen Childbearing. Washington, DC: National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy; 2006.
  2. Kirby D. Emerging Answers 2007: Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Washington, DC: National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy; 2007.
  3. Peskin MF, Hernandez BF, Markham CM, Johnson K, Tyrrell S, Addy RC, Shegog R, Cuccaro P, DeRoulet P, Tortolero SR. Sexual health education from the perspective of school staff: implications for adoption and implementation of effective programs in middle school. J Appl Res Child. 2011;2(2): Art. 9.
  4. Darroch JE, Landry DJ, Singh S. Changing emphases in sexuality education in U.S. public secondary schools, 1988-1999. Fam Plann Perspect. 2000;32(5):204-11.
  5. Landry DJ, Darroch JE, Singh S, Higgins J. Factors associated with the content of sex education in U.S. public secondary schools. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. November 2003;35(6):261-9.
  6. Donovan P. School-based sexuality education: the issues and challenges. Fam Plann Perspect. 1998;30(4):188-93.
  7. Fagen MC, Stacks JS, Hutter E, Syster L. Promoting implementation of a school district sexual health education policy through an academic-community partnership. Public Health Rep. 2010;125(2):352-8.
  8. Kirby D. The impact of schools and school programs upon adolescent sexual behavior. J Sex Res. 2002;39(1):27-33.
  9. Alldred P, David ME, Smith P. Teachers’ views of teaching sex education: pedagogy and models of delivery. J Educ Enquiry. 2003;4(1):80-96.
  10. Bartholomew LK, Parcel GS, Kok G, Gottlieb NH. Planning Health Promotion Programs: An Intervention Mapping Approach. San Franscisco, CA: Jossey-Bass; 2006.

About iCHAMPSS 
 

Background

Texas has one of the highest teen birth rates in the US, costing the state over $1 billion each year.1 Evidence-based programs (EBPs) for sexual health education can reduce pregnancy- and HIV/STI-related risk behaviors in adolescents.2 However, Texas school districts face many challenges to successfully adopt, implement, and maintain EBPs in their district.

Common barriers include:

Lack of knowledge about EBPs and where to find them
Perceived lack of support from school administrators and parents
Lack of guidance regarding the adoption process
Competing priorities
Lack of specialized training on sexual health.3-9
Currently, there is no set of established best practices for school districts to adopt and replicate EBPs. Through collaboration with parents, teachers, principals, and school district personnel, the University of Texas Prevention Research Center developed a decision-support system and tools to facilitate adoption and implementation of EBPs. The CHAMPSS Model provides innovative digital resources to aid school districts in the adoption and implementation process of EBPs for teen pregnancy prevention.

 
Purpose

Through iCHAMPSS you can learn how to adopt, implement, and maintain an effective sexual health education program in your school or school district. Our goal is to aid and empower champions like yourself to improve the status of adolescent sexual health.

The CHAMPSS Model simplifies the process of adopting and implementing EBPs and provides practical steps for you to follow. The system will guide you to:

Improve your knowledge of adolescent sexual health and evidence-based programs,
Develop skills in policymaking and program implementation,
Increase organizational capacity to address complex school health issues,
Create stakeholder networks within and between school districts.
 

Development

Intervention Mapping (IM), a methodological framework that incorporates data from theory, research, and the community, was used to develop the CHAMPSS model.11 IM guided the creation of the CHAMPSS concept, learning objectives, and the development of iCHAMPSS resources, activities, and products.

The development of iCHAMPSS was a collaborative effort between the University of Texas Prevention Research Center and Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services with special contribution from the Harris County School Health Leadership CHAMPSS subgroup.

 
Model

The CHoosing And Maintaining Effective Programs for Sex Education in Schools (CHAMPSS) model is a framework that outlines the steps and tasks needed for school districts to adopt, implement, and maintain EBPs. For more in-depth information about the research behind the development of the CHAMPSS model, see:

Hernandez BF, Peskin M, Shegog R, et al. “Choosing and Maintaining Programs for Sex Education in Schools: The CHAMPSS Model,” Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk: (2011) Vol. 2: Iss. 2, Article 7.

Available at: http://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/childrenatrisk/vol2/iss2/7

 
Acknowledgements

Funding for iCHAMPSS was provided by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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References

  1. Hoffman SD. By the Numbers: The Public Costs of Teen Childbearing. Washington, DC: National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy; 2006.
  2. Kirby D. Emerging Answers 2007: Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Washington, DC: National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy; 2007.
  3. Peskin MF, Hernandez BF, Markham CM, Johnson K, Tyrrell S, Addy RC, Shegog R, Cuccaro P, DeRoulet P, Tortolero SR. Sexual health education from the perspective of school staff: implications for adoption and implementation of effective programs in middle school. J Appl Res Child. 2011;2(2): Art. 9.
  4. Darroch JE, Landry DJ, Singh S. Changing emphases in sexuality education in U.S. public secondary schools, 1988-1999. Fam Plann Perspect. 2000;32(5):204-11.
  5. Landry DJ, Darroch JE, Singh S, Higgins J. Factors associated with the content of sex education in U.S. public secondary schools. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. November 2003;35(6):261-9.
  6. Donovan P. School-based sexuality education: the issues and challenges. Fam Plann Perspect. 1998;30(4):188-93.
  7. Fagen MC, Stacks JS, Hutter E, Syster L. Promoting implementation of a school district sexual health education policy through an academic-community partnership. Public Health Rep. 2010;125(2):352-8.
  8. Kirby D. The impact of schools and school programs upon adolescent sexual behavior. J Sex Res. 2002;39(1):27-33.
  9. Alldred P, David ME, Smith P. Teachers’ views of teaching sex education: pedagogy and models of delivery. J Educ Enquiry. 2003;4(1):80-96.
  10. Bartholomew LK, Parcel GS, Kok G, Gottlieb NH. Planning Health Promotion Programs: An Intervention Mapping Approach. San Franscisco, CA: Jossey-Bass; 2006.