Giving Compass' Take:

• Sawsan Morrar reports on the contents of California's controversial sex education guidelines which sparked fierce debate over what is necessary and appropriate. 

• How can funders work to ensure that all students have appropriate sex education? 

• Learn how sex education can help to prevent sexual violence. 

The California Department of Education approved controversial changes to the state's health and sex education framework on Wednesday, but removed five resources and books that some organizations called "sexually explicit," including a book that explains sex to students as young as kindergarten.

Despite large protests, the department unanimously approved new guidelines for elementary school grades about sex trafficking, sexual orientation and how to support transgender and non-conforming students in the classroom.

The department's meeting focused on revisions for the Health Education Framework, which makes K-12 public school health curriculum recommendations for the next decade. More than 120 people signed up for public comment to support or oppose the changes.

The framework covers a wide range of topics for students in K-12 education including nutrition, physical activity, growth and sexual health. It also covers topics like alcohol, tobacco, other drug use, and emotional and personal health.

Most of the changes that stirred controversy involved sex education.

"After rising levels of sexually transmitted diseases in teenagers nationwide, this framework was created to help provide necessary education to ensure that students are equipped to make informed and educated decisions when it comes to their sexual health," education department spokesperson Kindra Britt said in a statement. "It was also designed to take the needs of our LGBTQ youth into consideration to make sure they felt safe and supported while at school."

Several organizations have called the revisions "sexually explicit," and say that the framework's recommended books show how "offensive, reckless and immoral" the framework is. The education department removed five of the books, but clarified they were not banning the books. According to the state's website, the books were listed as resources for parents to discuss sensitive issues with their children at home.

Read the full article about California's controversial sex ed guidelines by Sawsan Morrar at Governing Magazine.