2. School Health Index • Developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention • School self-assessment and planning guide • Nationally recognized assessment tool • Based on Coordinated School Health model

3. Coordinated School Health 3

4. School Health Index will enable your school to….. • Identify strengths and weaknesses • Develop an action plan • Involve school staff, parents, students, and the community in improving school policies, programs and services

5. What SHI Is and What SHI Is NOT Self-assessment and planning tool Research or evaluation tool Educational and community-organizing process Tool to audit or punish school staff

6. What SHI Is and What SHI Is NOT Identifies low-cost or no-cost changes Requires expensive changes Focused, reasonable, and user-friendly experience Long, bureaucratic, and painful process

7. SHI Format • Completed by school health teams • Two separate versions: • Elementary School • Middle School/High School • Self-Assessment: 8 modules corresponding to Coordinated School Health Program model • Planning: Planning for Improvement section

8. Forming your Wellness Team • Identify key players • Representation from administration • Representation from each of the eight component areas

9. Modules = CSHP Components • School Health and Safety Policies and Environment • Health Education • Physical Education and Other Physical Activity Programs • Nutrition Services • School Health Services • School Counseling, Psychological, and Social Services • Health Promotion for Staff • Family and Community Involvement

10. Health Topics in the SHI • Physical activity • Nutrition • Tobacco-use prevention • Safety (unintentional injury and violence prevention) • Asthma

11. Question Coding CC = cross-cutting PA = physical activity N = nutrition T = tobacco-use prevention S = safety (unintentional injury and violence prevention) A = asthma

12. Time Commitment • The SHI can be completed in as little as 6 hours: • Modules 1-4: ~1 hour each • Modules 5-8: ~30 minutes each A small investment of time can pay big dividends in improving students’ well-being, readiness to learn, and prospects for a healthy life.

13. Ultimate Outcome • Sustainable School Wellness Team • PANT • ESP (Environmental, Systems and Policy Changes) • Wellness action plan • Healthier school communities

15. Do you have ESP? Environmental Systems Policy Changes

16. ESP - Environmental Change Any physical sustainable change to the school environment to promote healthy behavior. • developing a walking path, installing bike racks • replacing soda with water and 100% juice in vending machines • creating a school garden • creating a staff fitness center, etc.

19. Employee Fitness Center 19

22. ESP – Systems Change Any sustainable change in school operations to promote healthy behavior - offering healthier lunch options - incorporating physical activity with core subjects - offering organized physical activities to after school programs, etc. - increasing PE requirements

24. ESP – Policy change Any sustainable change in school policy to promote healthy behaviors. - healthy items for school fundraiser - healthy rewards for students - alternatives to suspension for students caught smoking - prohibit using physical activity as punishment

25. Healthy Snacks for Principal’s Coffee Hour 25

26. Making a Difference As a result of implementing the SHI, schools have • Created a wellness team. • Increased time for physical education. • Started student and staff walking clubs. • Offered access to the gym outside of school hours. • Provided parent education through newsletters and healthy activity nights. • Provided professional development training to staff. • Offered health screenings for staff.

27. 1 Assessment -School Health Index -School absences -Meal counts -Injury and violence report 5 Re-Tool (when necessary) - Evaluate -Revise Action Plan 2 Making the Plan -Action Plan -Menu of Activities Reports and Findings (4) Promote School Wellness -“What’s in it for me?” 3 Implement the Plan -Document Activities

29. Questions