 ODE Sexuality Education Newsletter
March 20, 2025
Dear Colleagues,
March is Women’s History Month, a time when educators can uplift the endless contributions that women have made and continue to make in all areas of life. Educators can reflect on the gifts of the countless change-makers who fought for health, reproductive rights, and gender equality, such as Dr. Helen Rodríguez Trías and her work addressing reproductive health disparities. This month, in classrooms across the state, scholars can analyze history and the journey of gender justice. In the words of Grace Lee Boggs, “History is not the past. It is the stories we tell about the past. How we tell these stories—triumphantly or self-critically, metaphysically or dialectically — has a lot to do with whether we cut short or advance our evolution as human beings.”
Header photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash, Newberg, OR
Section photo by Sam on Unsplash
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ODE Updates & Opportunities
Updated: Domestic Violence Prevention Posters
ODE published updated domestic violence prevention posters, in compliance with ORS 339.368, for school districts and private schools to post on school grounds. The posters are available in ten languages and include information regarding domestic violence and hotlines that students may call for information and help regarding domestic violence.
Versions in all ten languages are available on the ODE Sexuality Education website, under the Child Abuse Prevention & Violence Prevention Resources drop down menu.
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Health Education 2025 Update: Instructional Materials
ODE is committed to ensuring students and educators have access to high-quality resources that align with the state’s vision of health education, and Oregon school districts should continue teaching the 2023 State Board of Education Health Standards. These standards ensure that students receive consistent, high-quality health education that prepares them for success. As the end of the 2024-25 school year nears, school districts should adopt new Health Education materials for implementation in the 2025-26 school year, either from the State Board of Education approved instructional materials or through independent adoption.
Resource: Sexuality Education Parent/Guardian Notification and Opt-out Policies
Several administrative rules and revised statutes comprise Oregon’s sexuality education parent/guardian notification and opt-out policies. This short resource aims to make clear what each policy allows or requires in one central document, covering schools’ responsibilities to notify parents and guardians of sexuality education instruction, and procedures for parents or guardians who would like to remove their child from specific sexuality education content or other required instruction.
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Student Opportunity: Youth Advisory Council Applications Open
Applications for ODE’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) are open. The YAC is open to youth ages 14-18 from across the state who are passionate about leadership and interested in how youth perspectives can influence state education programs. The goal of the council is to provide youth a consistent platform to have a voice in shaping and implementing important educational initiatives. Applications are due by May 9, 2025, and members will be selected and notified no later than June 30, 2025.
ODE Federal Actions Webpage
ODE is actively monitoring changes at the federal level for any impact that they have on Oregon. The ODE website now has a new page to clearly communicate with anyone seeking a better understanding of changes at the federal level. It includes ODE’s guiding statement, any actions that have immediate impact on ODE work, the latest updates to districts, and a quick look at Oregon programs that receive federal funding.
Update: Adolescent Literacy Framework Released
Last month, ODE released the Adolescent Literacy Framework, which follows the implementation of the Early Literacy Success Initiative by providing guidance and best practices for research-based literacy instruction in middle and high school. As part of ODE’s approach to addressing the academic disparities in scholar data and outcomes, this framework is a key component in a larger vision for academic excellence for Oregon’s students.
Section 6 of the Framework describes literacy skills that can be integrated within health education classrooms, including assessing health materials for validity, analyzing the ethical impacts of health communications, and creating behavior change materials.
Section photo by Ed Robertson on Unsplash
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Opportunity: Pre-Register for Free Oregon Statewide Learning Summits
Join educators from across the state for an exciting series of Statewide Learning Summits. Mark your calendars and prepare for a day of insightful sessions, networking opportunities, and shared learning experiences on: Early Literacy, Adolescent Literacy, Social Science, and Transformative Social and Emotional Learning.
Five Statewide Locations:
- Bend: Thursday, July 31, 2025
- Medford: Wednesday, August 6, 2025
- Portland: Tuesday, August 12, 2025
- Newport: Thursday, August 14, 2025
- La Grande: Friday, October 3, 2025
Who Should Attend? Teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators. To maximize learning and impact, we encourage attendees to come in teams that include administrators (building and district), teachers, and coaches. Registration is limited – save your spot now.
Sex Ed News & Resources for Educators
ODE is committed to supporting school districts with implementing Oregon Human Sexuality Education (OAR 581-022-2050). Please see below for related news and resources for K-12 educators.
Research & News for Educators
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More Teens Than You Think Have Been ‘Deepfake’ Targets, EdWeek, March 2025
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LGBTQ+ Identification in U.S. Rises to 9.3%, Gallup News, February 2025
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Violence in Teen Relationships Is More Common Than You Think, TIME, February 2025
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The nightmare of sextortion, USA Today, February 2025
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Many Young Adults Favor at-Home STI Testing for Convenience and Privacy, Newswise, February 2025
Resources for Educators
Resources for LGBTQ+ Health Awareness Week
Resources for International Transgender Day of Visibility
Upcoming Events, Training & Conference Opportunities for Educators
Unless hosted or facilitated by the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), these training opportunities have not been endorsed by ODE, but are being shared as relevant opportunities for education professionals to consider.
Questions? Connections?
Please reach out to us at ode.sexed@ode.oregon.gov.
Did someone forward you this newsletter? Want to stay connected with sexuality education at the Oregon Department of Education? Visit our website or subscribe to the ODE Sexuality Education ListServ today!
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