HE Standard #2: Problem Solving and Decision Making Students who can access, analyze and evaluate health information, products and resources are positioned to make informed decisions and solve problems associated with their health and the health of others. While healthy decisions and solutions to health-related problems are the desired outcomes of this standard, the emphasis of the benchmarks is on the systematic processes students must engage in to reach these positive health outcomes. Students in the earliest grades (K-2) can determine when health decisions are needed, how their decisions can affect themselves and others, and how people close to them (e.g., family) can influence their decisions about health. They can recognize when health problems arise, particularly at home and school. At the next level (3-4), peers gain more influence in decisions students make about their health. Understanding these influences, what the potential outcomes of specific decisions might be and what the steps are in a simple decision making process are emphasized. Once students can recognize when health problems exist, they can begin developing strategies for solving them. By sixth grade, students develop a deeper understanding of the decision-making process, including factors that influence the decision and the potential impact different decisions might have on their health. Cognitive demand increases in their problem solving as they analyze health options and apply a systematic process to examine familiar issues or problems. By eighth grade, these problems expand to the non-familiar and students begin to apply a systematic decision making process, including an analysis of the consequences of the decision. High school students apply systematic decision making and problem solving processes, with emphasis on the evaluation of consequences, influences, evidence, claims, beliefs and points of view.

HE Standard #4: Problem Solving and Decision Making Health literate students possess personal and social skills that are associated with taking responsible action to enhance health and reduce or avoid health risks for themselves and for others. They can self-manage, self-monitor and self-assess health and health risks. This begins in the early grades (K-2) when students control impulsive behavior and when they identify and describe behavior, goals and strategies that enhance health and reduce or avoid health risks. Once achieved, older students (3-4) can apply a specific goal setting process to their health and they understand how specific behaviors and emotions can impact the health and safety of themselves and of others. Bullying and the role of the aggressor in bullying situations is introduced at this level. By grade 6, students understand the various types of bullying and roles people play in these situations, as well as how individual, social and cultural differences can make people vulnerable to bullying. They can use multiple criteria to set and monitor their personal health goals and they can analyze various factors that affect health, including stress. Stress management, bullying and violence prevention, and setting personal health goals continue to be addressed in 7-8 grades. Goal setting is extended to include making a plan to achieve personal health goals. Stress management incorporates the analysis of age-appropriate factors that impact adolescents’ health. Analyzing the effects of taking action to oppose bullying and describing the impact of bullying on various forms of health are also included in the benchmarks. By high school, the cognitive demand of previous benchmarks increases to include the evaluation of strategies for managing stress and for being respectful to others and the analysis of various cause and effect relationships. At this level, students will demonstrate the ability to manage their health, advocate for the prevention of violence and bullying, and monitor progress toward achieving long-term health goals.