title: Local school district adoption of state-recommended policies on HIV prevention education.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study evaluated the extent to which school districts in Massachusetts adopted HIV education policies consistent with state education agency recommendations, and whether adoption of state-recommended policy language was associated with other core components of school-based HIV prevention programs such as staff development, curriculum, and implementation characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  A census of health coordinators (n = 251) and high school HIV teachers (n = 174) in randomly selected schools in Massachusetts were surveyed. Chi-squares and analysis of variance (ANOVAs) were used to analyze data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most districts' policies fully incorporated state-recommended language for training HIV teachers (62%), providing HIV education within comprehensive sexuality education (62%), and providing skills-based instruction (57%). Districts adopting state-recommended policies were significantly more likely to have trained more HIV teachers (82% vs. 59% of teachers trained; P < 0.001), provided HIV education to a greater percentage of students (90% vs. 50% of students educated; P < 0.001), and adopted research-based curricula (44% vs. 27%; P < 0.01). High school teachers who received training and those using research-based curricula covered more HIV prevention topics and used more skills-based instructional methods than those who did not receive training or did not use research-based curricula (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest that strong, state-level HIV prevention education policy recommendations can help shape local school health policy and, when adopted locally, can positively influence the reach and quality of HIV education.
authors.affiliation: The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA. smblake1@aol.com
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Blake
authors.forename: Rebecca A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ledsky
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Sawyer
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goodenow
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Banspach
authors.forename: David K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Lohrmann
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hack
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008404:Massachusetts; D011640:Public Policy; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012736:Sex Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013219:State Government