Book excerpt: This framework emphasizes health literacy for students, i.e., development of the knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed for healthy living. The framework defines four unifying ideas of health literacy that serve as central themes for all content areas and grade levels: (1) acceptance of personal responsibility for lifelong health; (2) respect for and promotion of the health of others; (3) an understanding of the process of growth and development; (4) informed use of health-related information, products, and services; and (5) promotion of health education supported by a comprehensive school health system and sustained by the collaborative efforts of school, family, and community. Seven chapters are organized as follows: (1) "The Vision: Health Literacy, Healthy Schools, Healthy People"; (2) Developing Health Literacy in the Classroom and in the School"; (3) "Health Education"; (4) "Beyond Health Education"; (5) "Assessment of Health Literacy"; (6) "Criteria for Evaluating Instructional Resources"; and (7) "Integration with Other Disciplines." Selected Education Code sections, a paper titled "Integrated Services Center Links School, Family and Community" (Andrea Zetlin and Robert Bilovsky), Project Teach recommendations on preservice teacher training in health education, and a list of publications available from the California Department of Education are appended. (LL)