Health Education courses at AACPS are focused on building health-literate students. Health literacy refers to the ability to obtain, interpret, and understand basic health information and services to make healthy lifestyle choices, and achieving health literacy for all students is dependent upon a comprehensive Middle School and High School Health Education.

AACPS courses prepare students to become health-literate 21st Century learners as responsible members of society - self-directed learners, effective communicators, critical thinkers, and problem solvers - using curriculum designed from National Health Education Standards and Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Health Education standards. Outcomes are integrated throughout various disciplines with an emphasis on knowledge and health-enhancing skills.

Core health concepts include mental and emotional health, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, personal and consumer health, family life and human sexuality*, safety and injury prevention, nutrition and fitness, and disease prevention and control.

Health skills include analyzing influences, accessing information, interpersonal communication, decision making, practicing health-enhancing behaviors, goal setting and advocacy. 

*A student may be excused from the Human Sexuality and/or AIDS unit upon written parent request. Alternative instructional lessons will be provided for the student.