Creating Policies to Support Healthy Schools: Policymaker, Educator, and Student Perspectives

Initiatives focused on improving aspects of students' well-being in schoolsas addressing childhood obesity, preventing bullying, and restricting schools' use of exclusionary disciplinegaining momentum. However, such efforts are often implemented in silos, without recognition of their inter...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Policy File 2018
Main Authors: Solomon, Bonnie, Katz, Emily, Steed, Heather, Temkin, Deborah
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Child Trends
Children & youth/Families & family life
Education
Government
Health care policy
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:Initiatives focused on improving aspects of students' well-being in schoolsas addressing childhood obesity, preventing bullying, and restricting schools' use of exclusionary disciplinegaining momentum. However, such efforts are often implemented in silos, without recognition of their interconnections. To advance the common goal of improving social, health, and academic outcomes for all students, coordinated efforts that integrate multiple components of healthy school environments are needed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model presents a framework illustrating the interconnected nature of 10 elements of a healthy school environment: health education; physical education and activity; nutrition environment and services; health services; counseling, psychological, and social services; social and emotional climate; physical environment; employee wellness; family engagement; and community engagement. Although state laws and regulations address many elements of the WSCC model, these policies are fragmented and are not yet integrated to best support the whole child. This study was built on the need to better integrate the WSCC framework in policy and the recognition that policymakers prioritize issues they see as critical given finite resources. The study aimed to identify policy opportunities to promote the overall WSCC framework through interviews and focus groups with state policymakers (e.g., state board of education members, state legislators), educators (e.g., teachers, school administrators, school health professionals), and students.