Teaching about international health in United States public schools

This is a decade length study which will involve periodic surveys of curriculum directors and coordinators and review of health, social studies, and selected other curriculum documents. Curriculum directors and coordinators from 43 states responded to the Cissell International Health Curricula Questionnaire. Eighteen sent copies of their health curriculum documents. Ten sent copies of the social studies curriculum documents. Several indicated their curriculum documents could be purchased. Several others indicated their curriculum documents were being revised or reprinted. Solicitation of responses to the questionnaire and of additional copies of the curriculum guides will continue until curriculum directors or coordinators from all 50 states have responded and a copy of each of the published health and social studies curriculum documents has been received and analyzed or June 30, 1988. A second phase will be initiated in 1989 to solicit comparable information. Likewise, a third phase of the study will be initiated in 1994. Phases two and three will produce data that can be compared with the data obtained in phase one. In that way, any changes in school health curricula, as it relates to international health, should be evident.