SRAE Title V Alignment Workshop Alignment Tool Handout

SRAE Title V Curriculum Alignment Tool: [Insert curriculum name]

SRAE Title V Legislation Curriculum Alignment Tool

Curriculum: [Insert curriculum name]

Overview of the Tool

Required Program Topics A-F

1. Life skill building to support future goals and well-being

2. Advantages of refraining from non-marital sexual activity in order to improve future outcomes, enhance overall health, and avoid poverty

3. The importance of healthy relationships, and their influence on the formation of friendships, romantic relationships, healthy marriages, and safe and stable families.

4. Avoidance of risk-taking behaviors like drug and alcohol use

5. Prevention of and support related to sexual coercion and dating violence

This tool is designed to assess the extent to which curricula used by Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) grantees address each of topics A-F covered in Title V legislation in their programming. In 2018 Congress re-authorized the Title V program. The legislation clearly specified what must be covered in SRAE programs, and this differed significantly from the prior Title V program requirements. The Administration of Children and Families (ACF) is interested in learning if and how the curricula used by SRAE programs have been developed or updated to reflect the current Title V program requirements. Because most curricula in use were developed prior to the Title V re-authorization, there is likely variation in the extent to which they address the required A-F topics and A-E elements. With this tool, users can examine how and to what extent the content covered in a curriculum’s lessons and activities integrate information about topics A-F and elements A-E. This assessment can inform whether supplemental content or experiences should be added to SRAE programs to meet the requirements.

Required Program Elements A-E

SRAE programming must:

1. Ensure that the unambiguous and primary emphasis and context for each topic is a message to youth that normalizes the optimal health behavior of avoiding non-marital sexual activity

2. Be medically accurate and complete

3. Be age-appropriate

4. Be based on adolescent learning and developmental theories for the age group receiving the services; and

5. Be culturally appropriate, recognizing the experiences of youth from diverse communities and backgrounds

For additional information about SRAE and the A-F topics and A-E elements, see: Promoting Healthy Futures for Youth: A Program Model for Sexual Risk Avoidance Education. (In particular, the A-F topics and A-E elements are displayed on page 14 of this brief).

Background Information on Assessed Curriculum

The following table includes information about the curriculum being assessed for alignment with this tool.

Version
Publisher
Delivery time and format
Target population(s)
Website (for additional information)

Using this Title V Legislation Alignment Tool

This tool allows users to map the lessons and activities of a curriculum to better understand to what extent topics A-F and elements A-E from the Title V program requirements are addressed in that curriculum. While federal legislation requires SRAE programs to educate participating youth on topics A-F and using elements A-E, not all grantees may be fully aware of the very specific language used to describe the topics and elements and how these requirements differ compared to the prior Title V legislation. This completed tool is an important first step in informing both SRAE grantees and ACF of the extent to which individual curricula include the required topics and elements, and then to consider whether additional content or experiences are warranted to be compliant with the program requirements

The tool includes seven total sections, one each for topics A, B-C, D, E, and F, followed by a section with a checklist of the degree to which elements A-E are covered in the curriculum. The tool concludes with a curriculum alignment summary section. Further guidance on each section is included below.

Topic A-F Mapping Sections

Each of this tool’s five topic sections includes three parts: (1) a definition of the topic; (2) a description of how the topic is addressed in the curriculum; and (3) a summary of the extent to which the topic is covered by the curriculum.

1. The definition of the topic is listed at the top of the section’s first page. The definitions are taken from the Promoting Healthy Futures for Youth: A Program Model for Sexual Risk Avoidance Education research brief.

2. Descriptions of how each topic is covered is shared through a table. Each topic has multiple sub-topics listed in the table and a short description of the content youth would receive if the topic is addressed by the curriculum. Sub-topics that are not covered by the curriculum should be identified as such in the table. For example, rows for sub-topics that are not covered could be greyed out and/or include a note indicating no coverage (e.g., “Not covered” or “None”). Users completing this tool should exercise their best judgment when assessing which lessons or activities within that curriculum address the topics; however, some lessons or activities may be challenging to assess or appear to address multiple topics and sub-topics. For this reason, a completed tool should not be considered a definitive determination or endorsement as to whether the topics are covered sufficiently by the curriculum.

Each table divides the selected topic into sub-topics, which the user may then evaluate for the following information across three columns:

• Relevant lesson(s) that cover the sub-topic. This column identifies the lessons that include content related to the sub-topic. Lessons may be listed as titles, numbers, or a combination of the two, depending on the format of the curriculum. Notes can be used to clarify details, for example, if only a portion of the lesson addresses a sub-topic or if the lesson is optional.

• Relevant activities that cover the sub-topic. This column identifies the specific activities in a lesson that include content related to the sub-topic. Activities may be listed by name, number, and/or a brief summary of the activity, depending on the format of the curriculum, and notes may be needed to clarify details (for example, if the activity is optional or only applicable to some participants).

• Total number of relevant lessons/time on the topic. The total column summarizes the amount or proportion of time dedicated to the sub-topic across the relevant lessons and activities. If a curriculum provides information on the time needed for lessons or activities, this column should include an estimated amount of time spent on the sub-topic by summing across lessons and activities listed in the previous columns. Depending on the format of the curriculum, this column could be organized by population, such as age categories.

3. The narrative summary that follows the table describes the extent to which the curriculum covers the topic as a whole. The summary should address the following questions to provide an overall assessment of coverage:

• Which sub-topics related to topics A-F are covered, and which are not covered?

• Within sub-topics that are covered, are some skills or abilities covered to a greater extent than others?

• What are the primary lessons and activities that promote content related the sub-topics?

• What is the estimated number of lessons or total time spent on the sub-topics?

Following the sections for each topic, the alignment tool provides a checklist to determine the degree to which the five program elements (A-E) required by Title V legislation are covered in the curriculum being assessed. Each item can be rated on a three-point scale indicating the degree to which the element is included in the curriculum. The checklist also provides an area for additional notes and details regarding the incorporation of that element in the curriculum.

Curriculum Alignment Summary Section

The tool’s curriculum alignment summary section, included on the final page, provides guiding questions for an overall assessment of how the curriculum does or does not align with Title V legislation. This concluding section is intended to assist a user in quickly understanding the topics and elements that are adequately covered and those that may need additional input when using the selected curriculum.

Life Skill Building

Life skill building to support future goals and well-being (Topic A)

Definition: This topic of the program model focuses on helping youth set goals and develop decision making skills to orient them toward the future and motivate them to achieve those goals. The emphasis on building life skills and the focus on youth’s goals sets the foundation for other required topic areas. SRAE programming should help youth understand successful outcomes are attained not only by avoiding risks (for example, sexual activity, alcohol and drug use) in the short term but also by building life skills that pave the way for a healthier future. The SRAE approach frames messaging around the positive steps youth should take to pursue education and career success, avoid poverty, and form healthy families. Many of these outcomes build on youth’s protective skills and characteristics, such as self- determination and emotion regulation. This approach also emphasizes a growth mindset.

Coverage of Life Skill Building sub-topics

Life Skill Building Sub-Topics Descriptions of content included in each sub-topic	Relevant lesson(s) that promote the sub-topic	Relevant activities that promote the sub-topic	Total relevant lessons/time on the sub-topic
Personal responsibility Help youth recognize that their choices have short- and long-term consequences for themselves and others.
Self-worth Assure youth of their intrinsic worth, regardless of external traits or achievements. Build their feelings of self-respect by helping them reflect on what makes them unique, valuable, and worthy of setting high expectations for themselves.
Goal setting and future planning Introduce how to set short-term and long-term goals and identify steps to achieving goals and planning for likely challenges. Goals encompass various facets of youth’s lives, including academic, career and relationships.
Decision making Teach about healthy decision making by having youth reflect on social norms, consequences, their intentions and beliefs, and how their actions related to sexual activity and other risk behaviors (such as alcohol and drug use) might influence their plans.
Self-regulation Build youth’s self-regulation skills, or their ability to monitor and manage their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, to help them meet their goals and enhance their well-being.
Other: __________________________ Any other sub-topics related to Life Skill Building not included above but which feature in the curriculum.

Summary of Life Skill Building (Topic A)

[Insert narrative summary here, using questions listed under the Using this Title V Alignment Tool section to guide the summary]

Advantages of Refraining from Non-Marital Sexual Activity

Advantages of refraining from non-marital sexual activity to improve future outcomes, enhance overall health, and avoid poverty (Topics B and C)⁰

Definition: This topic focuses on avoiding sexual activity and its link to better physical and emotional health for youth, as well as other potential benefits for youth, such as greater academic achievement and higher quality romantic relationships over time. These benefits, in turn, may translate to the prevention of teen pregnancies and STIs, and ultimately, may help support healthy marriages and stable families, in addition to poverty avoidance and economic stability as youth transition into adulthood. Programs should teach youth that sex is a natural part of life and help youth recognize the potential benefits of postponing sex until it is part of a healthy, stable, and married relationship.

Coverage of Refraining from Non-Marital Sexual Activity sub-topics

Advantages of Refraining from Non-Marital Sexual Activity Sub-Topics Descriptions of content included in each sub-topic	Relevant lesson(s) that promote the sub-topic	Relevant activities that promote the sub-topic	Total relevant lessons/time on the sub-topic
Overall or optimal health Explain the value of striving toward overall health and well-being, underscoring the connection between avoiding sexual activity and improving various dimensions of health. Help youth to see sexual avoidance as integral to reaching both their short-term and longer-term goals.
Physical/sexual health Provide medically accurate information about adolescent development and sexual health, including risks such as STIs and unplanned pregnancy. Information on contraception must make it clear to youth that contraception reduces but does not eliminate physical risk.
Emotional health Address emotional and mental health issues that might unduly influence youth’s decisions to engage in sex and might also be triggered by engaging in sex.
Intellectual health and poverty avoidance Explain the potential value of completing life milestones—such as earning a high school diploma, working full time, and/or getting married—before having children. If possible, help connect youth with opportunities for service learning, internships, job shadowing, and support on financial literacy and career planning.
Social and spiritual health Help youth recognize sources of individual and community support that are invested in their health and well-being. This subtopic might include, for example, tips for having difficult conversations with parents and referrals to community activities and organizations.
Benefits of a healthy marriage Discuss the characteristics of a healthy marriage. Explain the emotional, economic, and other potential benefits of a healthy marriage, and discuss the value of avoiding sex until marriage.
Other: __________________________ Any other sub-topics related to the Advantages of Refraining from Non-Marital Sexual Activity not included above but which feature in the curriculum.

Summary of Advantages of Refraining from Non-Marital Sexual Activity (Topics B-C)

[Insert narrative summary here, using questions listed under the Using this Title V Alignment Tool section to guide the summary]

Healthy Relationships

The importance of healthy relationships and their influence on the formation of friendships, romantic relationships, healthy marriages, and safe and stable families (Topic D)

Definition: This topic addresses healthy relationships to support youth’s overall well- being and support them in refraining from sexual activity until marriage. Programs should help youth understand the value of healthy relationships and how to recognize and build such relationships. The importance of healthy relationships extends not only to romantic relationships but also youth’s relationships with themselves, their friends, their family, and other community members. Positive relationship skills may increase the chances that youth will develop strong connections with parents and teachers and form bonds with positive peer role models; such connections and bonds act as protective factors against sexual initiation. These skills will position youth to develop healthy relationships with romantic partners over time, including in preparation for and in the context of marriage and family formation in the future. Furthermore, communication skills are critical for youth to foster and maintain healthy relationships and include the ability to communicate personal boundaries, resolve conflicts, and use refusal tactics to avoid negative risk behavior.

Coverage of Healthy Relationships sub-topics

Healthy Relationships Sub-Topics Descriptions of content included in each sub-topic	Relevant lesson(s) that promote the sub-topic	Relevant activities that promote the sub-topic	Total relevant lessons/time on the sub-topic
Trusted relationships with parents/adults Address the importance of having a trusted adult to talk to and offer tips on how to approach conversations with trusted adults. Look for opportunities to engage parents and other adults (for example, teachers, coaches, community members) in some aspects of programming.
Healthy peer friendships Teach interpersonal communication skills, boundary setting, conflict resolution, and other competencies to develop strong, healthy friendships and peer relationships.
Healthy romantic relationships Identify characteristics of healthy relationships (romantic and otherwise), and characteristics of unhealthy/abusive relationships.
Community connections Encourage youth (and provide opportunities or referrals) to engage positively with schools and communities through extracurricular activities, service opportunities, and internships, among others.
Other: __________________________ Any other sub-topics related to Healthy Relationships not included above but which feature in the curriculum.

Summary of Healthy Relationships (Topic D)

[Insert narrative summary here, using questions listed under the Using this Title V Legislation Alignment Tool section to guide the summary]

Avoidance of Negative Risk Behaviors

Avoidance of negative risk behaviors, such as drug and alcohol use (Topic E)

Definition: Although SRAE programming is intended to motivate youth to make healthy decisions to achieve their goals, it must also emphasize education on factors that can steer them off course. This topic pertains to the challenges youth might experience related to drug and alcohol use and other negative risk behaviors, such as delinquency or hanging out with peers who engage in negative risk behaviors. Understanding how such behaviors can compromise youth’s ability to make healthy decisions and influence the onset of sexual behavior are important aspects of SRAE programming. Programming should help youth develop and practice refusal skills and related personal boundary setting, which are crucial protective competencies that SRAE aims to foster.

Coverage of Avoidance of Negative Risk Behaviors sub-topics

Avoidance of Negative Risk Behaviors Sub-Topics Descriptions of content included in each sub-topic	Relevant lesson(s) that promote the sub-topic	Relevant activities that promote the sub-topic	Total relevant lessons/time on the sub-topic
Peer norms and behaviors Address stereotypes about teen sex that are projected from peer and social environments. Share actual percentages of sexually active teens that normalize the avoidance of teen sex. Promote norms that increase the perceived value of marriage and the avoidance of sexual activity until marriage.
Drug and alcohol use Highlight negative consequences of drug and alcohol use, delinquency, and other negative risk behaviors. Share information to dispel myths about the incidence and social acceptability of teenage drug and alcohol use, discuss the links between drug and alcohol use and sexual activity, and connect youth with positive alternatives and opportunities.
Media use and influence Examine and discuss media portrayals of sex in the media. Discuss how to safely navigate social media and avoid provocative texts, photos, and video postings of self and/or acquaintances.
Other: __________________________ Any other sub-topics related to the Avoidance of Negative Risk Behaviors not included above but which feature in the curriculum.

Summary of Avoidance of Negative Risk Behaviors (Topic E)

[Insert narrative summary here, using questions listed under the Using this Title V Legislations Alignment Tool section to guide the summary]

Prevention of Sexual Coercion

Prevention of and support related to sexual coercion and dating violence (Topic F)

Definition: As mentioned, educating youth on the importance of healthy relationships is a critical component of SRAE programming. To further this understanding, the final topic of the SRAE program model highlights the role programs play in helping youth recognize when relationships stray from being healthy. Programs should teach youth to identify signs indicative of a coercive or violent relationship. In addition, programs can educate youth on the notion of consent, helping them understand it as a necessary and accepted precursor to any sexual activity. Effective programming can help youth develop the skills and competencies to understand and communicate personal boundaries with a partner, negotiate situations in which they confront sexual boundaries, and use refusal tactics to avoid engaging in sexual activity.

Coverage of Prevention of Sexual Coercion sub-topics

Prevention of Sexual Coercion Sub-Topics Descriptions of youth skills/abilities included in topic	Relevant lesson(s) that promote the sub-topic	Relevant activities that promote the sub-topic	Total relevant lessons/time on the sub-topic
Sexual consent Define consent and develop skills related to asking for and providing consent to partners. Help youth understand that sexual activity requires consent, but that even with consent, teen sex remains a risk behavior.
Sexual coercion and dating violence Build self-protective behaviors, such as effective communication, personal boundary setting, and negotiation and refusal skills when confronted with sexual decisions. Help youth recognize signs of sexual coercion and address the threat of human sex trafficking.
Other: __________________________ Any other sub-topics related to the Prevention of Sexual Coercion not included above but which feature in the curriculum.

Summary of Prevention of Sexual Coercion (Topic F)

[Insert narrative summary here, using questions listed under the Using this Title V Legislation Alignment Tool section to guide the summary]

Checklist of Curriculum Elements Required by Title V Legislation

Title V Legislation outlines five required elements to guide SRAE programming. These are:

A. Ensure that the unambiguous and primary emphasis and context for each topic is a message to youth that normalizes the optimal health behavior of avoiding non-marital sexual activity

B. Be medically accurate and complete

C. Be age-appropriate

D. Be based on adolescent learning and developmental theories for the age group receiving the services; and

E. Be culturally appropriate, recognizing the experiences of youth from diverse communities and backgrounds

Does the curriculum…	To what extent does the curriculum include this element?	Notes
…normalize avoiding non-marital sexual activity?	Not at all Somewhat A lot O O O	[Add detail about where and how often in the curriculum this element arises.]
…cite adolescent learning or developmental theories? (If yes, please note how and where they are cited.)	Not at all Somewhat A lot O O O
…provide different content based on participants’ age (if known based on assessor’s role)?	Not at all Somewhat A lot O O O
…recognize the diverse experiences, backgrounds, and communities of participants in a culturally sensitive manner (for example, LGBTQ+ youth)?	Not at all Somewhat A lot O O O	[Add detail about the different communities included and how that inclusion is signaled. For example, do images represent diverse groups? Are there multiple scenarios or examples that include youth from different backgrounds? Does the curriculum include tailored information for youth in different communities?]

Summary of Curriculum Alignment

This page is to provide an overall assessment of how well the selected curriculum aligns with Title V topics A-F and elements A-E. Questions to consider:

• What topics are adequately covered in this curriculum?

• What topics are not adequately covered? For those topics that need more coverage, what is missing? (For example, the topic is missing lessons on a sub-topic.)

• Are any topics missing entirely?

• What elements are covered “somewhat” or “a lot” vs. those that are covered “not at all”?

0 The SRAE program model treats topics B and C as a combined topic area, given their substantive similarities.

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