Can the HECAT be used to determine the most appropriate grade to address specific concepts or skill instruction?
No. The HECAT provides concepts and skill examples deemed appropriate for grade groups (pre-K2; 35; 68; 912). It does not identify the individual grade at which these might be most appropriate. State boards of education, local school boards, school district administrators, or curriculum coordinators determine curriculum priorities and curriculum requirements for all relevant health education topics, including the grades at which specific concepts and skills should be addressed. The HECAT can inform priorities and decisions about grade-level requirements. However, the HECAT is most useful in determining which commercially packaged curriculum best aligns with established requirements or what should be included in a locally developed curriculum to better meet these requirements. You can rearrange the HECAT concepts and skill examples if their current placement does not match your local requirements.
