School Health Index
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SCHOOL HEALTH INDEX (below information from CDC website)
The School Health Index (SHI): Self-Assessment & Planning Guide was developed by CDC in partnership with school administrators and staff, school health experts, parents, and national nongovernmental health and education agencies to:
- Enable schools to identify strengths and weaknesses of health and safety policies and programs
- Enable schools to develop an action plan for improving student health, which can be incorporated into the School Improvement Plan
- Engage teachers, parents, students, and the community in promoting health-enhancing behaviors and better health
The SHI has two activities that are to be completed by our district team: a self-assessment process and a planning for improvement process.
- The self-assessment process involves members of our district community coming together to discuss what our district is already doing to promote good health and to identify our strengths and weaknesses. The SHI allows our district to assess the extent to which our district implements the types of policies and practices recommended by CDC in its research-based guidelines for school health and safety policies and programs.
- The planning for improvement process enables our district to identify recommended actions we can take to improve performance in areas that received low scores. The SHI guides our team through a simple process for prioritizing the various recommendations. This step will help our district decide on a handful of improvement actions to implement. Finally, we will complete a School Health Improvement Plan to list the steps our district will take to implement the identified actions.
The SHI currently addresses six health topic areas, including:
- Physical activity
- Healthy eating
- Tobacco-use prevention
- Unintentional injury and violence prevention (safety)
- Asthma
- Sexual health, including HIV, other STDs and pregnancy prevention
It also includes cross-cutting questions, which address policies and practices that apply to all six health topic areas.
Completing the SHI is an important first step toward improving our district's health promotion policies and practices. Our district can then act to implement the School Health Improvement Plan and develop an ongoing process for monitoring progress and reviewing the recommendations for change. Our district's results from using the SHI can also help provide direction related to including health promotion activities in the district's overall School Improvement Plan.
Middle School/High School School Health Inventory Modules
***SHI Completion Date - OCTOBER 15, 2016***
1. School Health and Safety Policies and Environment - Chairperson: Mr. Ascani w/assistance from Lutz-Doemling, Inslemann, Tercha, and Muthersbaugh
2. Health Education - Chairperson: Mrs. Galm w/assistance from Baclawski, Riegel, and Lutz-Doemling
3. Physical Education & Other Physical Activity Programs - Chairperson: Mr. Baclawski w/assistance from Riegel, Galm, & Lutz-Doemling
4. Nutrition Services - Chairperson: Mr. Muthersbaugh w/assistance from Ascani and Inselmann
5. Health Services - Chairperson: Mrs. Tercha w/assistance from Churetta, Ascani, and Inslemann
6. Psychological Services - Chairperson: Mrs. Van-Spanje w/assistance from Inselmann and Keffer
7. Health Promotion for Staff - Chairperson: Mrs. Tercha w/assistance from Churetta and Lutz-Doemling
8. Family & Community Involvement - Chairperson: Ms. Inselmann w/assistance from Ascani, Keffer, Van-Spanje, and Lutz-Doemling
Resources by Module
Module 1: School Health and Environment
Improving School Health: A Guide for School Health Councils[PDF - 4.5 MB]
American Cancer SocietyPromoting Healthy Youth, Schools, and Communities: A Guide to Community-School Health Advisory Councils[PDF - 2.4 MB]
Iowa Department of Public HealthSchool Connectedness: Strategies for Increasing Protective Factors Among Youth
CDCWellness Policy Tool
Action for Healthy KidsHealthy School Environments Assessment Tool
Environmental Protection AgencyNational Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities
Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center
Module 2: Health EducationHealth Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT)(http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/HECAT/)
CDCHealth, Mental Health, and Safety Guidelines for Schools: Health and Safety Education
Maternal and Child Health Bureau, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Association of School Nurses, American School Health Association, and CDCNational Health Education Standards(http://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/sher/standards/index.htm)
Joint Committee on National Health Education StandardsA Competency-based Framework for Health Educators
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
Module 3: Physical Education and Other Physical Activity ProgramsSee Physical Education and Physical Activity resources.
Module 4: Nutrition ServicesSee Nutrition resources.
Module 5: Health ServicesFamily Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
U.S. Department of EducationGuidelines for Adolescent Preventive Services (GAPS)
American Medical AssociationModule 6: Counseling, Psychological, and Social Services
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
U.S. Department of EducationMental Health in Schools: An Overview
Center for Mental Health in SchoolsModule 7: Health Promotion for Staff
School Employee Wellness: A Guide for Protecting the Assets of Our Nation's Schools
Directors of Health Promotion and EducationModule 8: Family and Community Involvement
Parent Engagement: Strategies for Involving Parents in School Health[PDF - 2.1 MB](http://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/shi/pdf/parent_engagement_strategies.pdf)
Centers for Disease Control and PreventionParent Involvement: Getting Involved
National Parent Teacher AssociationHelping Your Child Series
U.S. Department of EducationResources by Health Topic
Asthma(http://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/asthma/publications.htm)
Nutrition(http://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/nutrition/facts.htm)
Physical Activity(http://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/physicalactivity/facts.htm)
Risk Behavior: HIV, STD, Teen Sexual Health and Pregnancy Prevention
