Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT)
HECAT – Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool – can help schools districts, schools and others conduct a clear, complete, and consistent analysis of health education curricula based on the National Health Education Standards and the CDC’s Characteristics of Effective Health Education Curricula. The results can help schools select or develop appropriate and effective health education curricula and improve the delivery of health education.
Need for the HECAT:
There is an alarming need for health education in schools. Schools can improve the health of their students by teaching all aspects of health as part of their curriculum. A high quality health education curriculum can teach healthy life skills at an early age that will carry on long after students graduate. The health topic modules included are: Alcohol and Other Drugs; Healthy Eating; Mental and Emotional Health; Personal Health and Wellness; Physical Activity; Safety; Sexual Health; Tobacco; Violence Prevention.
HECAT Users
- State education and health agency school health education coordinators and specialists
- District-level health education curriculum coordinators, curriculum specialists, school health advisory councils, curriculum committees
- School-level health education departments, individual health education teachers
- College/University health education teacher preparation professionals
The HECAT is aligned with the National Health Education Standards and is based on the Characteristics of Effective Health Education Curricula that help young people adopt and maintain health-enhancing behaviors. The National Health Education Standards are widely accepted framework of written expectations of what students should know about health education and what they should be able to do as a result of this education. These standards provide a foundation for health education curricula at the state and local levels.
The HECAT includes all the needed guidance and appraisal tools for carrying out a thorough assessment of health education curriculum. Information, materials, processes, and tools include:
- Overview of school health education, curriculum, and the relevance of the HECAT to curriculum selection and development.
- Step-by-step guidance for organizing a health education curriculum review and conducting a curriculum analysis using the HECAT.
- Tools for scoring accuracy and acceptability of curriculum content, feasibility of curriculum implementation, and affordability of the curriculum materials, including cost of implementation.
- Tools for scoring fundamental characteristics of a health education curriculum, including learning objective, teacher materials, curriculum design, instructional strategies and materials, and promotion of norms that value positive health behaviors.
- Tools for scoring important concepts and skills that are relevant for curriculum topics, such as alcohol and other drugs, healthy eating, mental and emotional health, physical activity, safety, tobacco and violence.
- Overall summary forms useful for summarizing scores for the appraisal of a single curriculum or comparing scores across curricula.
