Health Education

The goal of health education is to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to:
  •   Make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing,
  •   Adopt healthy behaviors that support physical, mental, emotional, and social health,
  •   Build resilience and self-efficacy in managing personal and community health challenges, and
  •   Become health-literate individuals who contribute positively to their families, schools, and communities.
 

Minnesota’s New Statewide Health Standards: Timeline and Status

  • The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is actively developing the first-ever statewide K–12 Academic Standards in Health, transitioning from locally developed health standards to a consistent statewide framework 
  • Draft 2 of the standards, which includes anchor standards, strands, and benchmarks, underwent public comment from June 16 to July 18, 2025 
  • Next steps: (see full timeline below)

Health Standards Creation and Rulemaking Process

In accordance with Minnesota Statutes, Minnesota is in the process of creating statewide Minnesota K–12 Academic Standards in Health. Please visit the K–12 Health Standards Active Rulemaking page for more information about rulemaking. 

 

Health Standards Creation and Rulemaking Process

In accordance with Minnesota Statutes, Minnesota is in the process of creating statewide Minnesota K–12 Academic Standards in Health. Please visit the K–12 Health Standards Active Rulemaking page for more information about rulemaking. 
 
The Minnesota K–12 Academic Standards for Health creation is being conducted by a committee that includes members with varying perspectives and backgrounds across Minnesota. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120b.021, subdivision 2. outlines who must be represented in the committee. All adult committee members agreed to the Adult Health Standards Committee Guiding Assumptions and all student committee members agreed to the Student Health Committee Guiding Assumptions. The committee members are listed in the 2025 Health Standards Committee Members document. They were selected in accordance with Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120b.021, subdivision 2 and announced on January 8, 2025. 

Additionally, as described Minnesota Session Laws, Chapter 115, H.F. No 5257, Section 21, subdivision 1, the commissioner of education will consult with the commissioners of Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota Department of Human Services.
 

Standards Creation and Adoption Timeline

The timeline provided below is general in nature and will be updated in the event a meeting is canceled or rescheduled. Additionally, more general dates or dates marked as To Be Determined (TBD) will be updated as they become available. Please note that all meetings are posted to the MDE calendar and all public comment or feedback periods are posted to this webpage (to be notified of public comment or feedback periods via email you can sign up for the Health Standards Public Comment mailing list. Agendas for the meetings will be posted 24–48 hours prior to the meeting.
 

Legislative Updates from the 2024 Session:

The 2024 Minnesota legislative session made changes to state statutes that directly impact K–12 public health education. This is an overview of those changes in Minnesota House File (HF) 5237. Please review the K–12 Health Standards Legislation for a more complete list of the statutes that directly impact the creation of the Health Standards. 

Please note that locally developed academic standards in health apply until statewide rules implementing statewide health standards under subdivision 3 are required to be implemented in the classroom.

Health Education Standards are Shifting from Local Development to Statewide 
Article 2 Education Excellence Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2023 Supplement, section 120B.018, is amended to read:
 
  • Subdivision 6. Required academic standards. "Required standard" means (1) a statewide adopted expectation for student learning in the content areas of language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, physical education, health , and the arts. Locally developed academic standards in health apply until statewide rules implementing statewide health standards are required to be implemented in the classroom.

Required Statewide Health Education Standards are to be Developed 

Article 2 Education Excellence adds Section 21
  • Subdivision 1. Statewide standards. The commissioner of education must begin the rulemaking process to adopt statewide academic standards in health. The commissioner must consult with the commissioner of health and the commissioner of human services in developing the proposed rules.
  • Subdivision 2. Required health-related subject areas. The commissioner must include the following expectations for learning in the statewide standards:
(1) cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automatic external defibrillator education that allows districts to provide instruction to students in grades 7 through 12 in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.236;
(2) vaping awareness and prevention education that allows districts to provide instruction to students in grades 6 through 8 in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.238, subdivision 3;
(3) cannabis use and substance use education that allows districts to provide instruction to students in grades 6 through 12 in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.215;
(4) sexually transmitted infections and diseases education that meets the requirements of Minnesota Statutes, section 121A.23; and
(5) mental health education for students in grades 4 through 12.
 
  • Subdivision 3. Other health-related subject areas. The commissioner may include the following expectations for learning in the statewide standards:
(1) child sexual abuse prevention education in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, sections 120B.021, subdivision 1, paragraph (d); and 120B.234;
(2) violence prevention education in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.22;
(3) character development education in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.232; 
(4) safe and supportive schools education in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, section 121A.031, subdivision 5; and 
(5) other expectations for learning identified through the standards development process. 

Graduation Requirements for Health Education

Article 2 Education Excellence Minnesota Statutes 2024 Supplement, section 120B.024, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
 
  • (7) credits sufficient to satisfy the state standards in health upon adoption of statewide rules for implementing health standards under section 120B.021;
Local districts assign health education credits sufficient to satisfy locally developed standards, and credits to sufficiently meet the state standards in health upon adoption of statewide rules for implementing health standards under section 120B.021. 

Revision Cycle for Academic Standards in Health Education

Article 2 Education Excellence Minnesota Statutes 2024 Supplement, section 120B.021, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
  • (h) The commissioner must implement a review of the academic standards and related benchmarks in health education beginning in the 2034-2035 school year and every ten years thereafter. 

For more information about health education, contact mde.academic-standards@state.mn.us

Education on Cannabis Use and Substance Use: List of Model Programs

In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature passed Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.215 requiring comprehensive, science-based education on cannabis and substance use for middle and high school students, to be implemented statewide by the 2026–27 school year. To support the requirements under subdivision 2, MDE, in collaboration with Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Department of Human Services and education experts, has 

  1. included these requirements in the design of the forthcoming Minnesota K–12 Academic Standards in Health, and
  2. identified model cannabis programs for schools to consider. 

The list was created in the spring of 2025 and schools have the option of implementing one of the programs listed or to use their own program(s) that have been identified through their local curriculum adoption  process. While it is not required for a school district or charter school to use one of the programs in the list, the list and rubric provided may be useful to school districts and charter schools in their own decision-making process.


Standards and Related Information