At a glance
- The 2021 edition of the Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT) is available for download and through HECAT Online.
- The resources help schools select or develop health education curricula and improve delivery.
- HECAT can be customized for local community needs and to conform to a state's or school district's curriculum requirements.
Features
- Instructions on using the HECAT to review curricula and using the results to make health education curriculum decisions.
- Customizable templates for recording important information for state or local use in the curriculum review process.
- Tools to analyze preliminary curriculum considerations, such as accuracy, acceptability, feasibility, and affordability.
- Tools to analyze curriculum fundamentals, such as learning objectives, curriculum design, culturally responsive and inclusive characteristics, and instructional strategies and materials.
- Specific health topic knowledge and skills analyses across grades pre-K–2; 3–5; 6–8; and 9–12.
- Instructions on using the HECAT for developing a health education scope and sequence.
- Instructions on using HECAT Online for conducting curricula analysis and developing a health education scope and sequence.
Download the HECAT: 2021 edition*
*If you have difficulty viewing information or files on this web page due to adaptive technologies, use the Contact Us link to request a different format of the website content.
Notice
- Print version: Alcohol- and Other Drug-Use Prevention
- Print version: Food and Nutrition
- Print version: Mental and Emotional Health
- Print version: Personal Health and Wellness
- Print version: Physical Activity
- Print version: Safety
- Print version: Sexual Health
- Print version: Tobacco-Use Prevention
- Print version: Violence Prevention
- Print Version: Comprehensive Health Education
- Appendix 1: HECAT Contributors
- Appendix 2: Using the HECAT for the Review of Health Education Resource Materials
- Appendix 3: HECAT Healthy Behavior Outcomes for Grades Pre-K–12
- Appendix 4: HECAT Skill Expectations for Skill Standards 2–8
- Appendix 5: Using the HECAT to Develop a Scope and Sequence for Health Education
- Appendix 6: Using the HECAT to Analyze Curricula for Early Childhood Programs
- Appendix 7: Understanding Health Education Assessment
- Appendix 8: Health Education Improvement Plan Template
- Glossary
Use HECAT Online
HECAT online is a free, interactive tool that allows you to work collaboratively in teams to:
- Complete projects related to curriculum analyses.
- Compare strengths and weaknesses of multiple curricula.
- Develop a scope and sequence for health education.
FAQs about HECAT Online
Having the HECAT as an interactive, web-based application helps improve accessibility and usability. Some may find it helpful for the many state, regional, and local education agency staff, and others involved with selecting, supervising, developing, or using health education curricula.
No. Content in HECAT Online is the same as in the downloadable PDFs on CDC's web page.
HECAT Online uses the same systematic steps and processes for conducting a curriculum analysis found in Chapters 1–6 of the print/PDF version. However, organization of modules and system-generated forms (for instance, curriculum score cards) may be displayed differently in HECAT Online. This difference is to ensure better function in a user-friendly, interactive application. Detailed guidance for how to HECAT Online can be found in the HECAT User Guide.
Once you are ready to begin using HECAT Online, you will need to register, and then log in. Once logged in for the first time, you can create a team.
Note that if you received an email invitation to join a HECAT team, you will automatically be assigned to that team. However, you can be on multiple teams.
The next step is to create or select a project (for example, Curriculum Analysis or Scope and Sequence) and get started.
Need help with the Online system?
Using technology to evaluate health education curricula is important in the digital age. These instructional guides can help you understand the basics about using HECAT Online. The guides also clarify how to select, develop, or customize health education curricula to meet students' needs.
Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT) Overview
This guide includes the overview and rationale of CDC's HECAT, including information about accessing and using HECAT Online.
Using HECAT Online to Perform a Curriculum Analysis: Overview and General Instructions
This guide includes information and step-by-step instructions for using HECAT Online to conduct a health education curriculum analysis.
Using HECAT Online to Develop a Scope and Sequence for Health Education
This guide includes information about using HECAT Online to develop a scope and sequence for:
- A single health topic or grade span.
- Comprehensive health education across multiple health topics and grades pre-K–12.
Using HECAT Online to Analyze Comprehensive Health Education (CHE) Curriculum: General Instructions
This guide includes information about how to complete HECAT Online tasks for analyzing comprehensive health education curricula.