(b) The local school board shall require that each school health education program provides:

• (1) Systematic instruction in grades K-12, designed to enable students to:

• a. Comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention, linking to all content areas;

• b. Demonstrate functional knowledge of the most important and enduring ideas, issues, and concepts related to achieving good health;

• c. Demonstrate the ability to access valid health information and health-promoting products and services;

• d. Demonstrate the ability to practice health enhancing behaviors and reduce health risks;

(b) The local school board shall require that each school health education program provides:

• (1) Systematic instruction in grades K-12, designed to enable students to:

• e. Analyze the effect of culture, media, technology, and other influences on health;

• f. Demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communications skills to enhance health;

• g. Demonstrate the ability to use goal-setting and decision making skills to enhance health; and

• h. Demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health;

Logic Model for the National Health Education Standards

As part of the development of the Assessment Framework produced by the CCSSO~SCASS project, health and assessment professionals conceptualized a logic model for the National Health Education Standards. This model was hierarchical from a growth and development point of view.The model, which was useful in linking skills to content descriptors, illustrated concepts as the foundation, or base. In conjunction with concepts, the skills grow in complexity, requiring higher-order thinking, with Self Management and Advocacy at the top of the model. When linking skills to concepts, the developmental level of the students was viewed hierarchically. For example, the Advocacy skill is considereda high-level skill. This skill was not linked to assessment at the essential level for the elementary level. On the other hand, Accessing Information was heavily linked at the elementary level. And while the full application of Self Management requires individuals to engage in personal risk assessment, some aspects of Self Management are basic (e.g., hand-washing and buckling safety belts) and can be taught and assessed at all levels.

The New Hampshire Health Education Guidelines are based on the National Health Education Standards (NHES). The first NHES standard addresses health education content (what students need to know) while Standard 2–7 address the skills needed to support healthy and safe actions. Skill-based instruction in health education provides students with the opportunity to practice skills through a variety of health education options.