Six Key Drivers for a Successful Indoor Air Quality Program

1. Six Key Drivers for a Successful Indoor Air Quality Program Blue Valley School District Katy Independent School District Hartford Public Schools

2. Blue Valley School District Dave Hill Executive Director of Facilities and Operations

3. Blue Valley School District District Location: Overland Park, KS District Type: Suburban district outside of Kansas City, KS Student Population: 20,000 Number of Facilities: 35 Facility Age Range: 0-87 Years Total Facility Square Footage: 3,500,000 IAQ TFS Excellence Award: 2003 IAQ TFS Model of Sustained Excellence Award: 2005

4. Key Drivers for Successful School IAQ Management • Organize • Assess • Create a Plan • Take Action • Evaluate • Communicate

5. IAQ Organization • Designate an IAQ Coordinator • Assemble an IAQ Team • Develop Support • Communication

6. IAQ Organization • Designate an IAQ Coordinator • The “face” of your IAQ program • People person, empathetic listener • Excellent communicator

7. IAQ Organization • Assemble an IAQ Team • Multi-disciplined – include the champions who can build buy-in, add credibility • Regular meetings • Problem-solving environment • Communication

8. IAQ Organization • Develop Support • Seek support at the highest levels to ensure program success • Create champions at all levels • Create buy-in by institutionalizing your IAQ program • Demonstrate the link between student achievement and excellent IAQ • Communication

9. IAQ Organization • Communication • Let people know what you’re starting • Connect the importance of excellent IAQ to student achievement • Organize to be self-sustaining – can survive the “champion(s)”

10. IAQ Assessment • Develop an “IAQ Profile” for your building(s) • Collect Data • Building Walkthrough • Communication

11. IAQ Assessment • Develop an “IAQ Profile” for your building(s) • Know what you have; inventory • Try to use objective, measurable data, but don’t ignore subjective data

12. IAQ Assessment • Collect Data • Try to use objective, measurable data, but don’t ignore subjective data • Use technology • Interview occupants • Look for trends with occupants and/or building operations

13. IAQ Assessment • Building Walkthrough • Know what to look for, be informed • Use EPA’s Tools for Schools checklists or develop your own • Schedule it • Invite others • Teach others; empower reporting

14. IAQ Assessment • Communication • Let people know why you’re there • Be open and honest • Same team, there to help • Listen • Follow up – let people know what you found, and what you’re going to do about it

15. Katy Independent School District Oscar Gonzalez Environmental Coordinator

16. Katy Independent School District District Location: Katy, TX District Type: Rapidly growing suburban district outside of Houston, TX Student Population: 47,816 Number of Facilities: 57 Facility Age Range: 0 – 40 Total Facility Square Footage: 8,974,521 IAQ TFS Excellence Award: 2005

17. Key Drivers for Successful School IAQ Management • Organize • Assess • Create a Plan • Take Action • Evaluate • Communicate

18. Create a Plan • Administrative Support • Strategic Goals & Objectives • IAQ Policy • Key Team Members • Communication • Continuous Improvement & Growth

19. Support for IAQ Program • Senior Administrative Support • Department Support • Management • Staff • Schools • Principals, Teachers, & Staff • Community

20. Goals & Objectives • Implement “Tools for Schools” Program • Improve and maintain IAQ • Improve student, teachers, and staff comfort levels • Reduce IAQ Complaints • Implement IPM • IAQ Policy

21. Key Team Members • Select Key Team Members • Roles & Responsibilities • Director • Environmental Coordinator • IPM Coordinator • Certified Applicators • General Environmental Staff

22. Communication • Senior Administration • Management Meetings • Department Newsletter • Schools • Principals, Teachers, Nurses, & Staff • Community • Participate in community projects • Newspaper articles

23. Continuous Improvement • Implement IAQ in future construction of schools and facilities • Lessons learned • Training • Continuing Education • Seminars • Hire additional staff

24. Take Action! • Conduct IAQ Walkthroughs of schools and facilities • Respond quickly to IAQ Complaints • Remove harmful chemicals • IAQ Training and Presentations

25. IAQ Walkthroughs • Conduct regular IAQ Walkthroughs • During IAQ Walkthroughs: • Identify and repair problems • Investigate odors • Water intrusion • Remove toxic chemicals • Observe occupant behavior • Communicate with staff

26. Responding to an IAQ Complaint • Respond Immediately!!! • Investigate Strange Odors • Identify source • Occupant complaints • Recurring problem? • Generate Work Orders • Follow-up/Meetings • Accurate Record Keeping • Share Lessons-learned

27. Lessons Learned • What are we doing right? • How can we improve? • Evaluate IAQ Policies • Training • Communication

28. Case Study • Parent is concerned that her son’s bad cough is due to his classes in portable building • Symptoms: • Constant cough and congestion • Parent contacts the school nurse • Is the school making my son sick?

29. Preliminary Steps • First Point of Contact – Nurse • Nurse contacts Environmental Department • IAQ Complaint (Confidential) • Information about student • History of respiratory illness? • Class schedule • Days absent • Visit to nurse clinic • Other complaints?

30. Investigation • Conduct an IAQ Walkthrough • Inspect classrooms for the following: • Strange odors, water intrusion, mold growth • Chemicals • Temperature and humidity • Dust • HVAC • Meet with Principals, Teachers, and Staff

31. Results • IAQ Walkthrough – All Good!!! • No other IAQ complaints found • Report generated and sent to: • Environmental Director, Principal, and Nurse • Meeting with Parents, Nurse, and Principal to discuss results

32. Hartford Public Schools • Pamela Clark, RN, MPH Clinical Nursing and Support Supervisor Hartford Public Schools, Hartford, CT • Paula Schenck, MPH Center for Indoor Environments & Health Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine University of Connecticut Health Center

33. Hartford Public Schools District Location: Hartford, CT District Type: Urban district in Connecticut Student Population: 24,000 Number of Facilities: 45 Facility Age Range: 0 – 120 Years Total Facility Square Footage: 5,003,644 IAQ TFS Excellence Award: 2005

34. Key Drivers for Successful School IAQ Management • Organize • Assess • Create a Plan • Take Action • Evaluate • Communicate

35. 2004-2005 Hartford Public Schools Strategic Profile • 22,172 students attend 48 schools (includes 9 non-public) • 94% minority, 52% Hispanic and 41% black • Over 68% qualify for free/reduced- price meals • 47% of students’ home language other than English • Hartford per capita income $13, 428

36. Problem: • Children in Hartford are at significant risk for asthma. The city of over 120,000 has the second highest rate (41.3%) of child poverty among the nation’s cities (2000 Census). The city’s health department reports 17% prevalence of asthma, over twice the statewide average.

38. Challenge: • More than 45 school buildings– ranging from over 122 years to 4 years old– • Asthma is the leading cause for school absenteeism for the district. 11,000 unexpected asthma- related visits to the school nurse were reported for school year 2003-2004. • Teachers, nurses, administrators, and custodial staff have limited time to focus on environmental improvements • Educational programs necessarily compete for limited resources that are needed to fix building problems.

39. Dwight Elementary School - Hartford, CT(oldest school in the city, built 1880)

40. Response: • Hartford Public Schools and UCONN Center for Indoor Environments and Health organized a program for training Health and Safety School teams throughout the school district on indoor air quality and EPA's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program that emphasized leadership development. • The goal is a sustainable district-wide effort to foster improvements in the indoor environment and reduce children's exposure to asthma risk factors in the school buildings.

41. Individual Schools to District Wide • Train-the-trainer program instituted to form leadership cohorts on indoor environmental quality and EPA 's Tools for Schools (TfS) Program • Related organized trainings for nurses, other staff, and custodians

43. Hartford Public Schools Tools for Schools collaborators • University of CT Health Center’s Center for Indoor Environments and Health • CT Schools Indoor Environment Resource Team (CSIERT) • Hartford Health and Human Services Department (HHD)/ Asthma-Call-To-Action (ACTA) • American Lung Association/ CT Chapter • CT Children’s Medical Center’s Asthma Center • CT Department of Public Health’s Asthma and Indoor Environment Programs • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 1

44. Communication Needs and Strategies • Two phases • Establishing a response to asthma and an indoor air quality TfS program • Sustaining the program and integrating with broader (but related) program that established Health and Safety Teams in every school • Messages • Language must reflect value in an educational setting---- Relationship with academic performance paramount! • Delivered in many settings internal and external (includes agency meetings-CSIERT, HHD, community-ACTA and public forums- American Public Health Association, National Environmental Health Association).

45. Three thrusts directed at nurses, principals and teaching staff, and facility personnel • Clinical Nursing and Support Supervisor is the key coordinator/ communicator • Dialog maintained directly with individual principals • School nurses become “empowered” and become the focus for communications within individual schools • Actively coordinates with Director of Facilities • Director of Facilities • Senior administration official/decision maker • Tools for Schools becomes integrated into overall training for his staff and school custodians • Reinforced with theme on hats, shirts • Supports Clinical Nursing and Support Supervisor efforts • UCHC partner • Facilitate meetings and communication • Brings “outside” academic connection –validates priority • Provides technical support

47. Outreach and Communication Thrusts • Nurses : • professional day training devoted to asthma and environment, indoor environmental quality, and nurse’s role in Tools for Schools. • Companion training program with Connecticut Children's Medical Center’s Asthma Center on asthma management for school nurses and HPS school-based nurse practitioners • HPS Nurses Recognition Day educational presentation on asthma, immunology and EPA Tools for Schools • Leadership cohort of nurses provides peer support to others

48. Outreach and Communication Thrusts • Principals : • As part of the “before the school year training” UCHC invited to introduce program to Principals • Meeting with School Superintendent for UCHC and Health Services to introduce District-wide program • Consistent involvement of senior administration-Director of Facilities supported less formal communication

49. Outreach and Communication Thrusts • Facilities : • Planning for new buildings expanded with indoor air quality management criteria and involvement of parent and staff Tools for Schools advisory group • Enhanced training for custodians • Uses work order and TfS priority listings to track needs and progress and provide feedback

50. Teaching Tools Developed by Hartford PublicSchools