In October 2000, the Massachusetts Department of Education granted funds to Northeast SABES to facilitate the revision of the 1995 ABE Health Curriculum Framework.

The Challenge:Revision of the Health Curriculum Framework
Reflections of adults who have participated in health education classes illustrate the power of health content to motivate and energize students. For example, one student, quoted in the 1995 Massachusetts ABE Health Curriculum Framework, stated:

When I wanted to learn and came to school, my mind and body were not ready -- I was depressed, I was in an abusive situation -- but I was lucky to receive health education at school. My whole life changed. I'm in control now. Also, I want to help other students who are the same as I was before.

Feedback like this regarding health education is abundant and should be enough to convince any student, teacher, or administrator that health education is vital. But the challenge of crafting a health education program can inhibit the most well-intentioned practitioners. The scope of health topics is overwhelming and oftentimes teachers and students can be intimidated by the personal, sensitive, scientific, and emotional nature of health education. The "depth dilemma" is a familiar one in all aspects of ABE, but this question of how much exploration is enough is particularly poignant in health education. Investigation of ABE curricula across the state of Massachusetts reveals that most teachers include some health education in their classrooms- especially in ESOL classes where teaching vocabulary concerning the human body and doctor's visits is a common practice. While these lessons are an important beginning, the revised ABE Health Curriculum Framework will provide guidance to programs and teachers in transitioning to more purposeful development of transferable life skills, habits, and conceptual understandings.

Who's Involved
Marcia Hohn, coordinator of the Northeast SABES region and a nationally-recognized expert in health and literacy issues, has been particularly interested in promoting the ways in which health education galvanizes adult learning and leadership development. In collaboration with Northeast SABES office staff who are experienced in curriculum development and health education, she received the DOE grant to revise the ABE Health Curriculum Framework. Alisa Povenmire and Jeri Bayer of Northeast SABES serve as coordinators for the revision, while Marcia works in an advisory and support role.

The revision began in October 2000 with the recruitment and hiring of a statewide team of ABE practitioners with varying levels of health education and curriculum development experience. Team members include Lynne Paju, Sherry Russell, Shameem Selimuddin, and Widi Sumaryono from Western Massachusetts; Shannon Carroll, Beverly Hobbs, and Kathleen McKee from Central Massachusetts; Judith Dickerman-Nelson, Dot Gulardo, and Andrea O'Brien from Northeastern Massachusetts. The team's work includes reviewing and analyzing current standards documents, reviewing health curricula, and documenting their own health education practices.

The Making of a Framework
The 1995 draft of the ABE Health Curriculum Framework is a succinct and easy-to-read document. The Health Curriculum Framework Revision Team aims to retain these qualities, while crafting an updated document that will serve as a strong curriculum development guide, aligned with the other content frameworks. The goal of the Revision Team is to produce a document that will:

• be accessible and realistic for teachers;
• encourage teachers to address health content in the classroom; and
• illustrate how to address health education goals simultaneously with other language, literacy, or life goals.

EFF and the Health Framework
Equipped for the Future (EFF) is the national adult education standards initiative that organizes its curriculum development guide according to the life roles of adults. The ABE Curriculum Frameworks are designed as a sort of bridge between the role-oriented EFF and the Massachusetts K-12 content-focused Curriculum Frameworks.

The current thinking in the ABE Health Curiculum Framework Revision Team is that adult life roles-family member, community member, worker-might be appropriate organizing strands for health content, with the critical addition of the "self" role. Adult learners express health concerns from each of their roles, regularly placing concern for or interest in the health of family members or friends over concern for themselves. The skills gained through learning about or advocating for health are transferable across roles, and here again is where EFF might come in handy for organizing the Health Framework. EFF identifies learning standards within the skills categories of communication, decision-making, interpersonal learning, and lifelong learning, all of which are critical to health education.

The Big Picture
Another part of the research for the revision is interviewing key people within health education, adult education advocacy, and education standards arenas. It is our hope to incorporate the national, political, and public health perspectives into the Health Framework document so that ABE teachers and administrators will understand the wider implications of their health education efforts.

Big Questions
The Revision Team has identified some key questions to explore during the revision process and to address in the final Health Curriculum Framework document:

1. Does it matter how you teach health? How you teach is as important as what you teach. In health education this seems to be particularly true. There is a quantum difference between a health lesson that requires the memorization of body parts and a health lesson that requires students to develop educational brochures, teach their peers, and distribute the brochures in the community. In the first case, the learning, although essential, is passive. In the latter example, the learning becomes holistic, integrating creativity, technology, written and verbal communication, and action. In either case, the information to be learned is crucial to the well-being of the student. The Health Curriculum Framework will illustrate a spectrum of health education integration while highlighting student involvement in the curriculum development process.

2. What does health mean? What does it mean to be "healthy?" The definitions and perspectives on "health" are diverse and often contradictory. For instance, a person with chronic illness might emotionally and psychologically have a very "healthy" outlook and lifestyle. Another person whose body is "healthy" might have very damaging habits or self-concepts.

3. What is the purpose of health education? Should health education serve to provide knowledge, offer choices, or change behavior? In the current climate of Education Reform, when assessment is of increasing importance, what outcomes should we expect from health education?

4. How much health education is enough? Teachers worry that with the variety of goals expressed by adult learners, there isn't enough time to address health goals as well. GED, workplace, and English language needs often take precedent over personal health education needs.

Next Steps
If you are interested in any aspect of the ABE Health Curriculum Framework Revision, which involves giving feedback on the current draft and field testing the document, please contact Alisa Vlahakis Povenmire at 978-738-7304.

Alisa Vlahakis Povenmire has worked in the ABE field as an ABE/ESOL teacher, health educator, trainer/facilitator, and professional development coordinator since 1995. She can be reached at avlahakis@aol.com