Schools
Other School Resources
- Healthy School Communities
The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) has launched the Healthy School Communities as part of its new multi-year focus on the whole child. The Healthy School Communities program is designed to promote the strong links among the emotional and physical health of learners, best practices in leadership and instruction, and policies that support healthy schools and partnerships with communities. Also available for purchase on this website is the Healthy School Report Card, a tool which enables individual schools to assess health-related aspects of the learning environment and to use the results as part of school improvement and community engagement.
www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/
- Calories In, Calories Out: Food and Exercise in Public Elementary Schools, 2005
The National Center for Education Statistics has released this study designed to obtain current national information on availability of foods and opportunities for physical activity in public elementary schools. The report includes findings on the types of food sold in all school venues; food service operations and contracts with companies to sell foods at schools; scheduled recess and physical education; activities to encourage physical activity among elementary students; and the physical assessment of students. The report and a supporting PowerPoint presentation can be found on-line at:
nces.ed.gov/whatsnew/commissioner/remarks2006/
5_16_2006.asp
- Webcast of News Conference on Urban School Climate Report
On March 30, 2006, a news conference was held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to release the report, "Where We Learn." This report was a project of the Urban Student Achievement Task Force of NSBA's Council of Urban Boards of Education and is also available on the site.
www.nsba.org/site/page.asp?TRACKID=&VID=1&CID=
1824&DID=38104
- The Future of Children Journal - Childhood Obesity
This volume, published by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and the Brookings Institution, focuses on the dramatic changes in the ways Americans work, live, and eat over the past 30 years and the evidence on how each of these changes may have caused obesity to increase and examines how best to address each of the possible causes. Articles address such issues as the role of built environments in physical activity and eating, and the roles of school, childcare settings and parents in obesity prevention. A companion policy brief "Fighting Obesity in the Public Schools" is available as a PDF.
www.futureofchildren.org/pubs-info2825/pubs-info_show.htm?doc_id=349724
Download: Fighting Obesity in the Public Schools [199k pdf file]
- Progress in Preventing Childhood Obesity: Focus on Schools - Brief Summary: Institute of Medicine Symposium.
Published October 2005, this brief summary highlights the recurring themes for accelerating change and moving forward with obesity prevention efforts that emerged from the symposium: forging strategic partnerships; empowering local schools and communities; educating stakeholders; evaluating obesity prevention efforts; documenting the benefits of obesity prevention; innovating to address barriers; using a systems approach; and developing a long-term strategic plan. Two other summaries that focus on Industry and Communities have been published in 2006 and are also available at their website.
www.iom.edu/report.asp?id=30355
- SHAPE California
SHAPE California is a network of over 70 school districts working together to improve the health and academic success of California children. Working as a team, child nutrition staff, teachers, school administrators, family, and the community can provide a consistent nutrition message in child nutrition programs, classrooms, and throughout the school environment. The SHAPE California network website is designed as a tool for students, teachers, parents, and community members.
www.ausd.k12.ca.us/shape/
- Farm to School Programs
Farm to School programs are popping up all over the U.S. These programs connect schools with local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, providing health and nutrition education opportunities that will last a lifetime, and supporting local small farmers. The Farms to Schools website offers state-by-state information about existing programs and resources to develop a program in your local area.
www.farmtoschool.org/
- Federal-aid Safe Routes to School Program Guidance
The Federal-aid Safe Routes to School Program (SRTS) was created in August 2005 and funded at $612 million to provide Federal-aid highway funds to State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) over five Federal fiscal years (FY2005-2009). These funds are available for infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects, and to administer State Safe Routes to School programs that benefit elementary and middle school children in grades K-8. SRTS Program Guidance for State DOTs has been released to enable the states to create SRTS programs and spending program funds. While this is a state level program, local communities should know about and keep track of potential projects in their area that might fall under this funding. More information and the guidance document is available at:
safety.fhwa.dot.gov/saferoutes/srtsguidance.htm
- HealthySEAT - Healthy School Environments Assessment Tool
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has developed a free software tool to help school systems evaluate and manage their school facilities for key environmental, safety, and health issues. HealthySEAT brings together all of EPA's regulatory and voluntary programs for schools into a single, free software tool that public, private, and tribal school systems can use, if they wish, to establish and manage comprehensive school facility assessment programs. HealthySEAT is designed to be customized by states and school systems to reflect their own priorities and needs. The software will make it easier for school systems to access and implement EPA programs as well as track the status of facility conditions across all of their schools. Visit the HealthySEAT web site:
www.epa.gov/schools/
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