Coordinated School Health
Programs
Making the Link…
Health + Academics
Data Sources:
Healthy Kids Learn Better, CDC
Making the Connection: Health and Student Achievement,
ASTHO/SSDHPER, 2002
Policy Statement on School Health, CCSSO, 2004
Something to Ponder…
Think about the students in your
school/community
What health behaviors compromise their
ability to succeed academically?
What’s the impact on your school district?
Some common issues…
Not enough sleep
Hungry, poor nutrition
Substance abuse problems
Tardiness to class because of smoking
Stressed-out
Afraid of violence
Family/peer problems that occupy their thinking
Sick, and don’t have health care available
What often happens in schools…
Health-related programs and activities
are fragmented
No one is fully aware of what others are
doing
Student’s health needs are unmet
Coordinated
School Health Program
A planned and coordinated school-based
program that is designed to enhance child
and adolescent health
A framework around which existing and
future district- and school-level programs
and services can be organized
1. School Environment
To learn effectively, children must:
Feel comfortable and supported
Attend a safe, properly
functioning school
Have minimal distractions
2. Health Education
School staff can work
together to develop
an ongoing approach
to help students build
health-related
knowledge and skills
from kindergarten
through high school
graduation
3. School Meals and Nutrition
The Reality:
Students often eat
one or two meals
a day at school
4. Physical Education
Physical activity can
build self-esteem and
leadership skills and
reduce stress
5. Health Services
Growing kids require a
regular health “maintenance”
program, including
immunizations, dental
checkups, physicals, and eye
exams
6. Counseling, Psychological,
and Mental Health Services
The Need:
Many students have the
added stress of coping
with emotional challenges
7. Staff Wellness
The Reality:
Educators and school
staff are important role
models.
Successful schools have
healthy, highly motivated
staff with low rates of
employee absenteeism
8. Parent/Community Partnerships
Benefits:
A closer working relationship
between parents and schools
Parents, businesses and
community groups, and
schools can form powerful
coalitions to address health
needs of students
QuickTime™
and a
TIFF (Uncompre
are needed tossed) dec ompres sor
see this picture
.
Coordinated School
Health Programs
The Good News!
 These components already exist in your
school/district
The Challenge…
 Coordinating these efforts
How Coordinated School Health
Benefits Students
Improved student performance and test scores
Decreased risky behaviors
Reduced drop out rates
Less absenteeism
Less fighting
Improved rates of physical activity
Avenue to increase family involvement
Coordinated School Health Helps
Schools…
Save money
Reduce duplication
Reduce absenteeism
Improve staff morale
Reduction in teacher absences
Support teacher teamwork
Linking Health and Academic
Success
Reading and math scores of 3rd and 4th
grade students who received
comprehensive health education were
significantly higher than those who did
not receive it.
Linking Health and Academic
Success
Students with poor nutrition and low
levels of physical activity are more likely
to be absent and tardy
School nutrition services can improve
students’ scores on standardized tests
Linking Health and Academic
Success
Physical activity among adolescents is
consistently related to higher levels of
self-esteem and lower levels of anxiety
and stress
Linking Health and Academic
Success
Intensive PE programs have positive
effects on academic achievement even
when time for PE is taken from the
academic day:
 Increased concentration
 Improved math, reading, writing scores
 Reduced disruptive behaviors
Linking Health and Academic
Success
Schools with school-based health centers
report:
 Increased school attendance
 Decreased drop-outs and suspensions
 Higher graduation rates
What it looks like…
There is a system for coordinating health
programming:
 School health coordinator
 School health teams
 District-level school/community team
What it looks like…
Multiple interventions exist:








Policy
Instruction
Direct intervention
Environmental change
Role modeling
Social support
Peer instruction
Media
Examples of success from other
districts
School breakfast programs:
 Increase learning and academic
achievement
 Improve student attention to academic
tasks
 Reduce visits to school nurse
 Decrease behavioral problems
Examples of success from other
districts
Increase Physical Activity:
 Allocating a substantial proportion of
curricular time to physical activity had
positive effects on academic performance.
(Shepard, 1997)
 At the school level, build relationships with
core teachers to integrate instruction. For
example, find ways for kids to get “up and
moving” in the reading classroom
Examples of Success from other
districts
Take a look at the physical environment of
the school
 An improvement in the school’s condition
(e.g., from poor to fair) is associated with a 5.5
point improvement in average achievement
scores
Examples of success from other
districts
Develop “positive bonding” with the
school. Students who report this bonding
are:
 More likely to remain academically engaged
 Less likely to be involved with misconduct at
school or engage in activities that may put
them at risk
 Blum & Rinehart, 1997; Hawkins et al. 1992,
1999
Examples of success from other
districts
Take a look at vending machines:
 Substitute water, 100% fruit juice or milk for
soda
 Pay attention to placement of the machines
and limit the amount of time the machines are
on
 Offer healthier choices such as trail mix,
granola bars, fruit or nuts.
Examples of success from other
districts
Adopt district-level policies that promote
healthy schools and healthy students
 Board-adopted policies may be the best way
to ensure that health-promoting programs stay
in place over time.
The Principal is Key…
A major key to the coordination and success of
many CSH programs is the school principal.
Where plans have succeeded, the principal is a
strong leader who promotes a spirit of teamwork.
Without the principal’s direction, the program will
almost certainly not succeed.
“Lessons From the Field”, 2003, CDC
Administrators are looking for
something that really works to help
all children, and help the profession
as a whole. Coordinated School
Health will do that.
Pat Cooper, Superintendent, McComb, MS