Researcher ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8460-3535
Graduation Year
2026
Date of Submission
1-2026
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Government
Reader 1
Shanna Rose
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
Alejandro Quiroz-Novela
Abstract
This thesis examines why strong sex education laws do not reliably translate into consistent classroom experiences for LGBTQ+ students. Using a qualitative single-case study of California, it traces the evolution from SB 71 (2003) to the California Healthy Youth Act (CHYA) (2016) and analyzes how mandates move through a decentralized governance chain. Drawing on statutes, legislative records, state guidance, curriculum review tools, advocacy reports, media accounts, and public indicators, the study focuses on implementation mechanisms rather than estimating causal health effects. Three findings emerge: CHYA sets a clear legal floor but is difficult to verify at scale; district discretion and uneven capacity produce predictable variation in curriculum, training, and content depth; and enforcement is largely complaint-driven, leaving oversight episodic and dependent on local reporting and advocacy. The analysis argues that closing the policy-practice gap requires routine, administratively feasible monitoring paired with technical assistance and usable complaint pathways across the state.
Recommended Citation
Quiroz-Novela, Alejandro, "From Statute to Classroom: The Implementation Gap in California's Queer-Relevant Sex Education Policy" (2026). CMC Senior Theses. 4247.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/4247
Included in
Education Policy Commons, Other Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons, Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation Commons, Public Policy Commons, Social Justice Commons, Social Policy Commons, Social Welfare Commons
