Students from two large public school districts in North Carolina will be part of the research.

 

Following are some of the details according to the grant announcement posted at ies.ed.gov.

 

Project Activities: The research team will first work with content experts, curriculum developers, teachers, students, and parents to develop a brain-based health curriculum that meets mandated National Health Education Standards to replace the existing Healthful Living ninth-grade curriculum currently required in North Carolina. The new curriculum will then be pilot tested with teachers and their students to determine feasibility and inform further modifications to the course. In the final year, a larger pilot test will be conducted in which teachers are randomly assigned to implement the new brain-based health curriculum or to continue to implement the existing Healthful Living curriculum to determine the promise of the new course for increasing targeted student outcomes.

 

Products: The products will include a fully developed, standards-based health education curriculum in ninth grade that integrates information about adolescent brain development and functioning. These pedagogical principles are informed by social cognitive theory and growth versus fixed mindsets. Preliminary evidence of the impact of the curriculum on students' health behaviors, self-regulation skills, sense of self-efficacy, and academic achievement will also be collected. Peer reviewed publications will also be produced.