Sex Ed in Texas

There has been some recent news articles and press releases about sex education in the state of Texas. These articles are based on a recent report by the Texas Freedom Network--an organizations which states that one of its missions is to "counter the religious right"--titled "Just Say Don't Know." This report claims to be a "comprehensive" report. However, the report seems to be more of an attack on sex education programs which encourage students to refrain from sexual activity.

WISD uses the "Worth the Wait" program developed by Scott & White Hospital. As the title infers, "Worth the Wait" does advocate that children refrain from sexual activity until they are old enough and mature enough to handle the physical and emotional components of sex. However, it does include a whole section of curriculum that covers contraceptives and all forms of birth control. "Worth the Wait" is also the most widely used sex education program in the state, and has won both state and national awards from the National Bar Association and the Texas State Board of Education.

"Worth the Wait" is the gold standard of sex education programs in Texas, and WISD will continue to use it as a curriculum for our 6th, 7th, & 8th grade students. Teen pregnancy rates have declined 21% in Texas from 1991 to 2005, and programs like "Worth the Wait" should receive some credit for the job they do.