Healthy Schools Leadership Institute Developing Leaders for Healthy Schools

Statewide Center for Healthy Schools Priorities Overview Statewide Center for Healthy Schools Priorities Provide, support, and foster leadership for school health programs Support and enhance health education efforts in schools Develop community support for school health programs

Overview Rationale National studies and reports document the need for coordination of school health programs (CSHP) Leadership from schools and communities is paramount for successful implementation of coordinated school health programs School health programs require the leadership of professionally prepared coordinators for a program to be stable, extensive and have relevance and meaning for students Leadership is required to link school health programs with student learning and school reform

The Need Kids can’t learn if they are: Many of today’s problems with students are actually health related. Kids can’t learn if they are: Hungry Tired Hung over from alcohol and drugs Worried about violence

The Solution CSH is about Involving parents Keeping kids healthy over time Supporting a student’s capacity to learn Imparting skills, knowledge and judgment to help kids make smart choices for life Reinforcing positive behaviors throughout the school day Making it clear that good health and learning go hand in hand

The Solution CSH is also about Helping young people grow into healthy, productive adults Focusing on the physical and emotional well-being of kids K-12 Coordinating parents, schools, administrators, and communities as key partners

Coordinated School Health: The Opportunity Every school day, 46 Million students attend more than 100,000 schools That’s big! That’s where the kids are! Parents, schools and communities can make positive contributions to the health and education of our nation

“Growing numbers of children come to school with health-related problems and engage in negative health behaviors that sap their motivation to learn, endanger their health, and threaten their future.” The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) http://www.ccsso.org/ Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) http://www.astho.org/

“Schools have more influence on the lives of youth than any other social institution except the family, and provide a setting in which friendship networks develop, socialization occurs and norms that govern behavior are developed and reinforced.” Healthy People 2010 http://web.health.gov/healthypeople/

Benefits of a Coordinated Approach to School Health People in different parts of the country report that the benefits of a coordinated approach include: Reduced school absenteeism Fewer behavior problems in the classroom Improved student performance

Benefits of a Coordinated Approach to School Health Brings everyone together: Provides a forum for greater parental and/or community involvement Provides and opportunity for the school and other agencies to collaborate Brings staff together within the school Provides a program in which students in all areas can participate Doner & Schwartz (1998)

What is a Coordinated Approach to School Health (CSH)?

What is a Good School Health Program? It includes eight defining components: Learning and adopting healthy behaviors Achieving lifelong physical fitness Encouraging healthful nutrition Enhancing school health services Creating positive learning environments Supporting social and emotional well-being Promoting faculty and staff wellness Connecting school, parents and community

Learning and Adopting Healthy Behaviors Provides knowledge and skills to students through health education to: - Maintain and improve their health - Prevent disease - Avoid or reduce health risk behaviors Motivates students to adopt lifelong healthy habits and behaviors Focuses on key skills related to student learning: - Accessing information - Goal setting - Decision making - Communication - Stress management Improves academic achievement

Achieving Lifelong Physical Fitness Provides knowledge and skills to students through physical education to: - Increase capacity for learning - Promote lifelong good physical health - Prevent premature death Promotes physical activity during recess, through after school recreation and through use of facilities for recreational programs Focuses on key skills related to student learning: - Develops self-management skills - Promotes positive attitudes - Encourages cooperation and teamwork - Reduces anxiety and stress Improves academic achievement

Encouraging Healthful Nutrition Provides knowledge and skills to students through school nutrition services to: -Access nutritious foods that promote growth and development -Develop healthy eating habits for life -Prevent health problems Relates healthy eating to mental alertness and good physical health Focuses on key skills related to student learning: -Understanding good nutrition -Planning healthful eating -Evaluating nutrition information -Setting goals for healthy eating habits Improves academic achievement

Enhancing School Health Services Provides knowledge and skills to students through school health services to: - Identify and minimize health risks - Prevent high-risk behaviors - Adopt good health habits - Promote lifelong healthy lifestyles Offers core health services such as: - Urgent and emergency care - Health promotion and risk prevention - Assistance with medication - Referral and other related services Focuses on key skills related to student learning: - Assessing health-risk behaviors - Learning prevention strategies - Accessing community health resources - Identifying healthy lifestyles

Creating Positive Learning Environments Provides the social, emotional and physical school climate to support learning by: - Minimizing distractions - Minimizing physical, psychological and social hazards - Creating a climate where students and staff do their best work - Expecting that all students can succeed - Implementing supportive policies Promotes maximum opportunities for teaching and learning Focuses on key skills related to student learning: - Sets high expectations for success - Creates positive attitudes towards school - Develops meaningful social relationships Improves academic achievement

Supporting Social and Emotional Well-Being Provides students with school counseling, psychological, and social services needed to: - Overcome barriers to learning - Prevent and address problems - Facilitate positive learning - Enhance healthy development Includes prevention and intervention services designed to support student success Focuses on key skills related to student learning: - Increases school attendance - Promotes healthy psychosocial development - Reduces dropout rates Improves academic achievement

Promoting Faculty and Staff Wellness Provides school faculty and staff with: - Screening and early detection of health problems - Education and supportive activities to reduce risk factors - Organizational policies that promote a healthful and supportive work site - Health care, insurance and related health support activities Promotes physical, emotional and mental health of staff as a school priority Focuses on key skills related to student learning: - Establishes positive role models - Reinforces the importance of good health - Builds school morale Improves academic achievement

Connecting School, Parents and Community Provides the partnerships of responsive and caring adults that: -Promote student and school success -Set high expectations for all students -Offer time, resources and expertise to support student growth and development Creates a supportive and nurturing home, school and community environment that lets students know that they are valued Focuses on key skills related to student learning: -Models positive social interactions and relationships -Builds student confidence and self esteem -Supports goals for student learning Improves academic achievement

Leadership Institute Program focus Professional preparation for school health leaders and teams Leadership development Action planning for CSHP implementation Learning and networking

Leadership Institute Purpose To develop leaders in school communities responsible for developing, advocating, and sustaining CSHP Implement action plans for CSHP implementation (eight component model) Increase the number of schools in New York with CSHP

Leadership Institute Design Select 6-8 participants Work with leaders and teams One week institutes of in-depth leadership development and planning Two-day mid-year retreats

Leadership Institute Program outcomes This project will incorporate a leadership component and demonstrate that investing in the development of school leaders for CSHP will result in sustained quality school health programs Upon completion of the 5 year program, participating school health leaders and teams will have advanced knowledge and skills and will:

Leadership Institute Outcomes for leaders Build organizational capacity for school health programs Effectively advocate for school health programs Use assessment and evaluation strategies to identify program status Lead and motivate others responsible for school health promotion Manage coordination of school health programs

Leadership Institute Expectations of Healthy Schools Leadership Institute Fellows/ Schools Commit to complete the five-year professional training program Implement a plan for CSHP Demonstrate leadership abilities Commit to support the candidate and team for five years

Program Benefits Experienced speakers and facilitators Develop leadership skills Challenge current thinking Gain a national perspective Focus on learning

Program Benefits Year-round network of contacts Focus on professional learning Broad range of topics and issues Expectation for local action Recognition for the district Safe time to explore new ideas Personal regeneration and inspiration

Feedback/reaction Think, write, share: What was exciting about the program? What did you learn about the LP that you didn’t already know? What concerns do you have about the program? What questions still remain regarding the program? Identify the two greatest concerns or questions from the group