- Alaska does not have a statute that requires sexuality or sexually transmitted disease (STD) education.
- Sexuality curricula are not required to include instruction on sexual orientation, gender identity, or consent.
- There is a statute stating that each district is encouraged to conduct a health education program for students in K-12 that incorporates instruction in physical health and personal safety, including “the identification and prevention of child abuse … sexual abuse, and domestic violence, and appropriate use of health services.”
- Classes in sex, human reproduction, or human sexuality may only be taught by someone who “possesses a valid teacher certificate … and is employed under contract with the school or is supervised [by such person].”
- When considering a new sex education curriculum, the curriculum, literature, or material must be approved by the school board and be available for parents to review.
- The “Skills for a Healthy Life” section of the Content and Performance Standards for Alaska Students recommends that students should “understand the physical and behavioral characteristics of human sexual development and maturity”; “develop an awareness of how personal life roles are affected by and contribute to the well-being of families, communities, and cultures”; “understand how respect for the rights of self and others contributes to relationships”; and “take responsible actions to create safe and healthy environments.”
Some Sex Ed Advocates in the State
- The Cook Inlet Tribal Council and their Native Stand curriculum
- Alaska Adolescent Health Program
- Alaska Coalition for Healthy Youth
For more detailed information on how various districts in the state have been implementing these standards — and for recent legislation — you can read SIECUS’s Alaska profile.