School Health Program News - Education Development Center

School-CommunityConnections BoostAcademicsWhile schools continue to focus ontesting and results, programs aroundthe country are demonstrating thatacademic achievement is profoundlyaffected by school climate, healthprograms, and community connections.Three initiatives, describedbelow, expand knowledge, practice,and research in these key areas.Coalition Report SupportsComprehensive ApproachThe Coalition for CommunitySchools report Making the Difference:Research and Practice in CommunitySchools presents research from multipledisciplines showing that a comprehensivevision of communityschools leads to improved outcomesfor students, families, schools, andcommunities.“Educators have long known thattheir charge goes beyond decidinghow to provide all children withschooling; it requires that they createthe conditions that enable everychild to succeed. This is particularlydifficult when shrinking budgetsand increasing demands for accountabilitychallenge schools to domore with less,” said Martin J. Blank,staff director of the Coalition, whichis part of the Institute for EducationalLeadership.The report’s findings are based onevaluations of 20 community schoolinitiatives to determine their impacton outcomes that directly affect studentlearning. The design, methodology,and goals of each evaluationdiffer, as does each communityschool model. The initiatives enhancethe school experience—inacademics and other realms—infour key ways:• Improving student learning: Bytaking an asset-oriented approachand addressing theneeds of the whole child—physical,social, emotional, and academic—communityschools createenvironments that fulfill allthe necessary conditions forlearning. As a result, communityschool students show significantgains in academic and nonacademicdevelopment. Seventy-fivepercent (i.e., 15) of the initiativesreported improvement instudent academic achievement,as measured by improved gradesin school courses and scores inproficiency testing. More thanhalf the evaluations found evidenceof positive developmentas measured by improved attendance,reduced behavior or disciplineproblems, greater compliancewith school assignmentsand rules, greater contact withsupportive adults, and improvedpersonal/family situations.• Promoting family engagementwith students and schools: Familieshave access to services andopportunities—includingchances to participate as bothleaders and learners—that makethem effective partners in theirchildren’s education. More thanhalf the evaluations measuredspecific benefits to families, suchas improved communicationwith schools and teachers; familystability and ability to providefor children’s basic needs; andimprovements in parents’ abilityto meet workplace obligations,their confidence levels in teachingtheir children, and their attendanceat school meetings.• Helping schools function moreeffectively: Because parents andpartners work together withschool staff to support learning,community schools positively influenceoverall school operations.The report’s analysis of theschool’s overall environmentMay 2003identified improved outcomes inmany areas: (1) Principals andstaff affirmed the importance ofon-site services, (2) more parentsparticipated in their children’slearning, (3) there was non-partisansupport for public educationand access to resourcesthrough community partnerships,(4) services were well-integratedinto the operation ofschools, (5) there was an increasedemphasis on creative,project-based learning and moreinnovations in teaching and curriculum,and (6) the school environmentswere both morecheerful and more likely to beperceived as safe.• Adding vitality to communities:When the community worksclosely with the school, resourcesand benefits flow both ways.Eleven evaluations suggest thatcommunity schools play a powerfulrole in community buildingby improving the community’sknowledge and perceptions ofthe community school initiative,increasing the use of schoolbuildings, increasing thecommunity’s awareness of communityagencies and their accessto facilities that were previouslyunknown or unaffordable, improvingsecurity and safety at theschool, and strengthening communitypride and engagement inthe school.continued on page 73

School Health Program NewsDASH Consolidated Cooperative Agreements to Help SEAs, TEAs & Large City LEAs Prevent Critical Health Problems, FY 2003-07Implement YRBSBuild CSHP &prevent chronicdisease risksPrevent HIVinfectionPrevent asthmaepisodesPreventfoodborne illnessHelp providenationalprofessionaldevelopmentEligible statesFunds availablefor 50 SEAsAppliedFundedFunds availablefor 18 SEAsAppliedFundedFunds availablefor 50 SEAsAppliedFundedFunds availablefor 1 SEAAppliedFundedFunds availablefor 1 SEAAppliedFundedFunds availablefor 0 SEAsAppliedFundedAlabamaX X X X XAlaskaX X X XArizonaX X X XArkansasX X X X XCaliforniaX X X XColoradoX X X X X XConnecticutX X X X X XDelawareX X X X X X XFloridaX X X X X X X XGeorgiaX X X X XHawaiiX X X X X XIdahoX X X XIllinoisX X X X XIndianaX X X X X X XIowaX X X XKansasX X X X X XKentuckyX X X X X XLouisianaX X X X XMaineX X X X X X X XMarylandX X X XMassachusettsX X X X X X X XMichiganX X X X X XMinnesotaX X X X XMississippiX X X X XMissouriX X X X XMontanaX X X X XNebraskaX X X XNevadaX X X XNew Hampshire X X X XNew Jersey X X X XNew Mexico X X X X X X X X4

May 2003New YorkX X X X X X XNorthCarolina X X X X X XNorthDakota X X X X X XOhioX XOklahomaX X X X XOregonX X X X X X X XPennsylvaniaX XRhodeIsland X X X X X X X X XSouthCarolina X X X X X XSouthDakota X X X X X X XTennesseeX X X X XTexasX X X X X X X XUtahVermontX X X X X XVirginiaX XWashingtonX X X XWestVirginia X X X X X X X X XWisconsinX X X X X X XWyomingX X X X XStatestotal 434339184747151 131 4 0EligibleterritoriesFunds availablefor 8 TEAsAppliedFundedFunds availablefor 0 TEAsAppliedFundedFunds availablefor 8 TEAsAppliedFundedFunds availablefor 0 TEAsAppliedFundedFunds availablefor 0 TEAsAppliedFundedFunds availablefor 0 TEAsAppliedFundedAmerican SamoaGuamX X X X XMarshallIslands X X X XMicronesiaX X X XN. MariannaIslandX X X X XPalauX X X XPuertoRico X X X XVirginIslands X X X XTerritoriessubtotal7 7 2 0 7 7 0 0 0 0 0 05

School Health Program NewsEligible CitiesFunds availablefor 25 LEAsAppliedFundedFunds availablefor 0 LEAsAppliedFundedFunds availablefor 18 LEAsAppliedFundedFunds availablefor 6 LEAsAppliedFundedFunds availablefor 0 LEAsAppliedFundedFunds availablefor 0 LEAsAppliedFundedAlbuquerqueX X XAtlantaBaltimoreX X X X X XBostonX X XBroward Co.Lauderdale)(Ft.X X X X XCharlotteX XChicagoX X X X XDallasX X X X XDeKalbCo. X X X XDetroitX X X X XHillsboroughCo. X X X XHoustonX X X XJersey CityLong BeachLosAngeles X X X X XMemphisX X X X X XMiamiDade Co. X X X XMilwaukeX X X XNewarkNew Orleans X X XNew York City X X X X XOaklandOrangeCo. X X X XPalm Beach Co.(West Palm Bch)X X X XPhiladelphiaX X X X X XSanBernardino X X X XSanDiegoX X X XSanFrancisco X X X X XSeattleX XUpper MarlboroWashington,D.C. X X X XLarge Citiessubtotal22220 0 2418136 0 0 1 0Total727241187872287 131 5 06

School-Community cont’d.Lessons LearnedThree important lessons emergedfrom these evaluations:Lesson #1: Quality Counts. Thequality of the community schoolinitiatives has a significant impacton its outcomes.Lesson #2: Attendance Matters.Higher attendance in communityschools contributes to improvedachievement. Children in communityschools want to come to school,and, therefore, they learn more.Lesson #3: Everyone Benefits—theNeediest Most of All. Students withthe greatest need—those mostlikely to be in low-performingschools—benefit the most from thecommunity school environment.Community schools that reach outto low-income and underachievingstudents can begin to narrow theperformance gap among studentgroups and across schools.The report is available atwww.communityschools.org.Wingspread Conference onSchool Climate andConnectednessThe University of Minnesota’s Centerfor Adolescent Health and Developmentand the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention’s Divisionof Adolescent and SchoolHealth (CDC-DASH) will host aJune invitational meeting entitledSchool Connectedness—StrengtheningHealth and Education Outcomes forTeens at the Wingspread ConferenceCenter in Racine, Wisconsin. Themeeting will bring together nationalleaders in education to explore theevidence base and develop a clearand concise set of guidelines thatprofessional organizations can endorseand that schools can adopt toimprove connectedness—the positivefeelings that students have aboutschool.The goals of the meeting are as follows:1. Synthesize what is known aboutschool climate and connectednessand its relationship to educationaloutcomes and healthrisk behaviors.2. Explore effective interventionsthat improve school climate andconnectedness, and identify thecritical elements that such interventionshave in common.3. Provide schools across Americawith clear and concise guidelineson how to improve school climateand connectedness.4. Provide a simple assessment toolthat schools might use to assessclimate and connectedness.Empirical evidence from longitudinalstudies confirms that the connectednessof children and adolescentsto school is a key element inschools’ core mission of improvingacademic outcomes, according toDr. Robert Blum, Professor of Pediatricsand Adolescent Health at theUniversity of Minnesota. In addition,growing evidence links such connectednessto reducing health riskbehaviors and bullying and otherinter-personal aggression. The conferencewill feature additional studiesthat enhance understanding oflinks between school climate, studentconnectedness, and academicperformance.The meeting sponsors have commissioneda series of analyses by nationalexperts, including JohnBishop, PhD, Cornell University;Richard Catalano, PhD, Universityof Washington; Del Elliot, PhD, Universityof Colorado; and JimConnell, PhD, Institute for Researchand Reform in Education. In addition,sponsors are synthesizing theMay 2003relevant educational and health literatureas well as survey instrumentsthat have been used to measureschool climate and its related dimensions.The university, CDC, anda major foundation will develop anational dissemination strategy forconference recommendations.To receive information about theconference and its recommendations,contact Heather Libbey atlibb0016@umn.edu.University-AssistedCommunity School ProgramWins Youth DevelopmentPrizeThe National Academies and theWilliam T. Grant Foundation haveawarded the Foundation’s YouthDevelopment Prize to the University-AssistedCommunity School Programin Philadelphia, Penn. Theprogram involves the University ofPennsylvania’s Center for CommunityPartnerships, the Philadelphiaschool district’s West Region, andthe West Philadelphia Partnership,a community organization that comprisesneighborhood groups andvarious local institutions. Programparticipants focus on science andscientific research in their classroomand outreach efforts, both using theresources of learning centers basedin city schools.The president of the National Academies’National Academy of Sciences,Bruce Alberts, praised theaward winner’s application of scienceto important issues in theworkaday world, saying, “The University-AssistedCommunity SchoolProgram is designed to apply evidence-basedknowledge to the criticalmatters” of nurturing and supportingthe positive development ofyoung people. The CommunitySchool Program has three key thematicareas that are grounded inresearch: environmental health,7

School Health Program Newsnutrition and health, and literacy.Faculty and university students workwith school-age youth, their teachers,and community partners tosolve community problems, includingreducing exposure to lead paint;addressing poor nutrition by creatingproduce stands, community gardens,and farmer’s markets; anddeveloping culturally and linguisticallyappropriate approaches toreading instruction.For more information on the Centerfor Community Partnerships,including its Urban Nutrition Initiative,go to www.upenn.edu/ccp.ASCD Advances Healthin EducationThe Association for Supervision andCurriculum Development (ASCD)has launched a $290,000 initiativefor the Robert Wood Johnson Foundationto develop a research-basedHealthy School Report Card to explorethe effects of family and communityinvolvement as key elementsin the development of a healthyschool environment. The reportcard will help schools and communitieswork together to identify andmeasure the benefits of a healthyschool environment and its impacton student behavior, achievement,and health. It will also provide educators,families, and communitymembers with a tool they can use toadvocate for policies and resourcesthat support a coordinated and integratedapproach to school health.The report card will be a pointaround which policymakers, families,and communities can developand deepen their support for a coordinatedand integrated approachto school health. “Academic achievementdepends on schools helpingstudents overcome their physical,social, and emotional barriers tolearning and fostering a school environmentin which students canlearn more effectively,” said ASCDExecutive Director Gene R. Carter.“The Healthy School Report Cardwill be a valuable mechanism forbringing together all of the partnerswho play an important role in creatinghealthier schools.”ASCD and the Foundation will integratethis project with efforts to increaseuse of the School Health Indexand other CDC/DASH initiatives.The Foundation has also supportedASCD with a grant for its Health inEducation Initiative, created in 1998to address specific public health issuesaffecting students, to educateschool communities about those issues,and to create awareness of professionswithin the public healtharena. In November 2003, ASCD willpublish Education and Public Health:Natural Partnerships in Learning forLife, a book on forming school-community-publichealth partnershipsto engage students in experientiallearning. It will be distributed tomore than 90,000 ASCD membersand will be available at a nominalfee through the ASCD Web site(www.ascd.org).In August, ASCD will introduce aseven-lesson Professional DevelopmentOnline course that offersschool administrators a structure fordealing with the array of health issuesthat interfere with studentlearning. Created by Eva Marx, aschool health consultant, SupportingStudent Health and Achievement is designedto help administrators understandwhy schools and districts needto address health problems and howthey can work with students, staff,and the community to organize asystemic approach to improving studenthealth status. The course willalso help administrators develop aplan for establishing a coordinatedapproach to school health and helpensure that students will becomehealthy, productive adults.To provide additional professionaldevelopment opportunities, theHealth in Education Initiative sponsorssessions at ASCD’s Annual Conference.In 2003, the Initiative-sponsoredsession was “Making the Connection:Health and StudentAchievement,” presented by SharonMurray of the Society of State Directorsof Health, Physical Education,and Recreation and Amy Greene ofthe Association of State and TerritorialHealth Officials. The Healthin Education Network meeting featureda presentation by Steve Srokaand Fred Peterson about the impactof media on youth health. A numberof sessions at the conference focusedon student and staff wellness,school climate, and social and emotionallearning. The 2004 AnnualConference will be held in New Orleans,Louisiana, March 20–22.For information about the ASCDHealth in Education Initiative, contactTheresa Lewallen attlewalle@ascd.org or (703) 575-5622. To learn about being part ofASCD’s Health in Education Network,contact Fred Peterson atfpeterson@mail.utexas.edu.ProfessionalCommunityParticipation Is Key toSuccessBy Michael Sanderson, MPHSenior Advisor for Healthy Schools,N.C. Division of Public HealthInvolvement of local university facultyand students, hospitals, andhealth departments is a key ingredientin a successful coordinated8

school health advisory council, accordingto professionals in NorthCarolina.Their experiences reveal the waysthat broad professional involvementcan improve school health advisorycouncil efforts, provide suggestionsfor cultivating academic involvementand offer maintaining strategiesfor interest and momentum incollaborative efforts.The Local ContextGreenville is the hub of EasternNorth Carolina, home to manyhealth facilities and health professionals.East Carolina University’sBrody School of Medicine and PittCounty Memorial Hospital attractpatients from nine surroundingcounties. The university includesboth a School of Health and HumanPerformance and a School of Medicine.The Pitt County schools andthe university have partnered onseveral health-related initiatives.The Coordinated School HealthAdvisory Council was chartered inthe early 1990s to advise the PittCounty School System on the comprehensiveschool health program.The Council also gave school healthgreater visibility, encouraged parentand community involvement inschool health, and encouraged collaborationamong service providers.One of the few fundamentalchanges in the Council’s organizationduring its 10-year history is anew policy that the membershipmust represent all eight componentsof coordinated school health.This change has encouraged a morediverse membership and ensuredthat no one area of school healthreceives the lion’s share of theCouncil’s attention.Council SuccessesCollaboration with the East CarolinaUniversity School of Medicine hasmade it possible to administer theYouth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS)to all Pitt County middle school studentsin grades 6–8 each year since1997. These annual data have allowedteachers and administratorsto focus on specific local issues, suchas decreasing sedentary behavior;use of alcohol, tobacco, and otherdrugs; and unhealthy weight loss tactics.With solid local data in hand,the schools have been able to secureseveral grants to address key healthproblems.Team Up for Healthy Eating and SuccessfulLearning, an initiative of thecouncil, is based on collaborationbetween school staff and the PittCounty Health Department. Theschools’ Nutrition Director and theCommunities in Schools and RecreationDirector oversaw administrationof the School Health Index,which provides a systematic approachfor assessing the school environmentand practices relating tonutrition and physical activity. Teamsfrom several schools have conductedneeds assessments, developed andimplemented action plans, evaluatedthe outcomes, and communicatedresults within the schools andto the general public. The initiativehas concentrated on commitment tonutrition and physical activity, qualityschool meals and other healthyfood choices, pleasant eating experiences,nutrition education, andmarketing.Based on YRBS data showing thatthe children of Pitt County are participatingin too little physical activity,the Coordinated School HealthAdvisory Council established a partnershipbetween the schools and thePitt County Health Department’sCardiovascular Health program tomotivate students to participate inMay 2003daily physical fitness and health-relatedactivities. Project YEAH, nowactive in 10 schools, encourages studentsduring a designated twomonthperiod to participate insports and fitness activities and topractice a healthy lifestyle.A unique partnership between thePitt County Schools and Pitt MemorialHospital has provided hospitalnurses to the schools, whose presencehas improved students’ health,notably asthma sufferers. The PediatricAsthma Program has increasedthe attendance and participation ofchildren with asthma in physicaleducation, and reduced their emergencydepartment admissions. Thisprogram works through collaborationbetween school nurses, teachers,parents, the hospital, and pediatriciansin private practice.Abstinence-until-marriage curriculawere developed through collaborationbetween the Pitt County Schoolsand the East Carolina University(ECU) Department of Health Educationand Promotion. Faculty fromECU also developed an online continuingeducation credit opportunityfor teachers in the area of abstinenceuntil marriage.Connecting the Council withthe Academic CommunitySuccesses of the Coordinated SchoolHealth Advisory Council have beendirectly linked to involvement of theacademic community on the Council.Because professors often havemany responsibilities that consumetheir time, special efforts to cultivatetheir interest are frequently necessary.North Carolina professionals identifiedseveral ways to increase theinvolvement of the academic community:9

DASH Staff NewsDASH’s Research ApplicationBranch has hired Mary McKenna,PhD, to serve as its lead scientificadvisor on nutrition, obesity, and initiativesto promote healthy eating.Dr. McKenna also will serve asDASH’s primary liaison to CDC’sDivision of Nutrition and PhysicalActivity and the U.S. Department ofAgriculture. Dr. McKenna joinsCDC from the University of NewBrunswick, Canada, where shetaught Nutrition and Health Promotionin the Faculty of Education for16 years. In addition, she conductedschool-based research on nutritionpolicy and health promotion, andworked to promote healthy eatingat the local, provincial, and nationallevels, with a focus on school policies.She was a technical advisor toCDC in the development of theSchool Health Index, and has conductedresearch on the implementationof the School Health Indexin New Brunswick schools. Dr.McKenna has a BSc in Food Sciencefrom McGill University, Canada, anMSc in Nutrition from Cornell University,and a PhD in Education fromthe University of Nottingham, England.She is a member of Dietitiansof Canada and the Society for NutritionEducation.Stacey Mattison, MPH, CHES, hasbeen asked to serve as Acting TeamLeader for the School ProgramTeam, effective January 2003. Shewill work with the DASH managementteam to provide leadershipand guidance in the conduct oflong- and short-range assignmentsand will continue to oversee the contractwith the Rocky Mountain Center.Leah Lasco, a Health Services Officerwith the United States PublicHealth Service CommissionerCorps, will serve as project officerfor many of Ms. Mattison’s projects.Pete Hunt, Team Leader for theSchool Program Section for 10 years,has moved to the Research ApplicationBranch.DASH Improves Youth2001 OnlineDASH has released an enhancedYouth 2001 Online, its online YRBSdata query system:• Site navigation has been improvedby clarifying the wordingon links.• The options available for varioustypes of graphs are easier to use.• Comparison reports now use amore sensitive measure to determinestatistical differences overtime or between sites.These changes were made in responseto the User Satisfaction Survey.Youth 2001 Online can be accessed atwww.cdc.gov/yrbss.For more information, contact:Steve KinchenPhone: (770) 488-6161E-Mail: sak1@cdc.govCDC PublishesSARS GuidanceCDC has issued guidance for schoolson how to deal with students whohave been exposed to severe acuterespiratory syndrome (SARS).CDC’s guidance can be downloadedfrom www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/exposurestudents.htm.May 2003To date, all reported patients withSARS in the United States (approximately200) have been exposed eitherthrough previous foreign travelto countries with community transmissionof SARS or through closecontact with an infected person(e.g., a household member orhealth care worker). Casual contactwith a SARS patient at schools, otherinstitutions, or public gatherings(e.g., while attending the same classor public gathering) has not resultedin reported transmission inthe United States. However, managementof students who have beenexposed is a concern for manyschools.Symptoms of SARSIn general, SARS begins with a fevergreater than 100.4°F (>38.0°C).Other symptoms may include headache,an overall feeling of discomfort,and body aches. Some peoplealso experience mild respiratorysymptoms. After two to seven days,SARS patients may develop a drycough and have trouble breathing.Possible Cause of SARSScientists at CDC and other laboratorieshave detected a previouslyunrecognized coronavirus in patientswith SARS. The newcoronavirus is currently believed tobe the cause of SARS; however,other viruses are still under investigation.CDC RecommendationsPeople who have been exposed toSARS should consult a health careprovider if they develop any symptoms(i.e., fever greater than 100.4°F[>38.0°C] accompanied by a coughand/or difficulty breathing). Tohelp health care providers make adiagnosis, tell them about any recenttravel to places where SARS hasbeen reported or any contact withsomeone with SARS symptoms.11

School Health Program NewsFor Family Members Caringfor Someone with SARSCDC has developed interim infectioncontrol recommendations,available at www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/ic-closecontacts.htm, for patientswith suspected SARS in thehousehold. These basic precautionsshould be followed for 10 days afterrespiratory symptoms and fever aregone. During that time, SARS patientsare asked to limit interactionsoutside the home (i.e., staying awayfrom work, school, or other publicareas).For more information, visit CDC’sSARS Web site (www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars), or call the CDC publicresponse hotline at (888) 246-2675 (English), (888) 246-2857(Español), or (866) 874-2646 (TTY).HHS Funds PreventionStepsU.S. Department of Health andHuman Services (HHS) SecretaryTommy Thompson has announcedthe availability of $15 million infunding for “healthy communities”and introduced a strategy for developinga national health care systemthat addresses the prevention andtreatment of heart disease andstroke.The funding is part of the “Steps toa Healthier U.S.: Putting PreventionFirst” initiative. The funds willsupport programs that improve thelives of Americans through innovativeand effective community-basedchronic disease prevention andcontrol programs addressing diabetes,obesity, and asthma. Priority willbe given to populations with thegreatest needs, including racial andethnic minorities, the elderly,youth, and people with disabilities.The total federal investment in the“Steps” initiative is $125 million, a$110 million increase from fiscalyear 2003.The additional funding was announcedat an April meeting thatincluded a presentation by Dr. MikeWard, Superintendent of the NorthCarolina Department of Public Instruction,who called on educators,policymakers, and public health officialsto recognize the importanceof schools in solving the health crisisfacing America’s children, notingthat schools are often conflictedabout their role in this crisis. Dr.Ward cited scientific evidence onthe importance of health and physicaleducation in schools and its relationshipto positive academic performance,as well as preventingyouth obesity and diabetes. He recommendedstrengthening partnershipsbetween state education andpublic health agencies, working withother organizations dedicated topreventive health, and being astrong advocate for school healthand physical education.The President’s “Steps” initiative willfocus on reducing the major healthburden created by obesity, asthma,diabetes, heart disease, stroke, andcancer. The action plan announcedat the conference highlights theneed for urgent action through fivemain recommendations:• Taking action to prevent andtreat heart disease and stroke byusing the latest scientific findings• Ensuring a clear focus at publichealth agencies• Evaluating the impact of policyand program interventions• Advancing prevention policies• Collaborating with regional andglobal partners to share knowledgeand practicesFor information on the conferenceand its recommendations, go to:www.healthierus.gov. Dr. Ward’sslide presentation can be viewed atwww.healthierus.gov/steps/summit/day1/Ward-1100am.ppt.Terrorism Committeeto Issue ReportThe National Advisory Committeeon Children and Terrorism is expectedto send its report to HHSSecretary Tommy Thompson inearly June 2003.The Committee was authorized bylegislation enacted in June 2002 toprovide recommendations regarding(1) the preparedness of thehealth and mental health care systemto respond to bioterrorism as itrelates to children, (2) neededchanges to the health care andemergency medical service systemsand emergency medical servicesprotocols to meet the special needsof children, and (3) changes if necessaryto the National StrategicStockpile (emergency medical supplies)to meet the emergency healthsecurity of children.Committee members include childhealth experts on infectious disease,environmental health, toxicology,and other relevant professional disciplines.The committee hasempanelled a sub-committee to focuson schools’ preparedness,chaired by Brenda Greene, Directorof School Health for the NationalSchool Boards Association.For more information, contact:Lisa BarriosCDC/DASHE-Mail: lic8@cdc.gov.12

CCSSO HighlightsInsurance AccessThe David and Lucile Packard Foundationhas awarded funding for twoyears to the Council of Chief StateSchool Officers (CCSSO) to providetraining and technical assistance tofive states to improve school-basedoutreach for SCHIP (StateChildren’s Health Insurance Program)and Medicaid enrollmentand to share these states’ learningswith other states. The Foundationhas released an analysis of the currentstatus of health insurance forchildren that notes that state andfederal budget deficits are threateningto undo gains made between1998 and 2001 in the number ofchildren who are insured.The award expands CCSSO’s SchoolHealth Project, which highlights theconnection between access to healthinsurance and academic achievement.The School Health Projectalso helps schools provide informationon SCHIP and Medicaid tofamilies through its recently releasedBuilding Bridges to Healthy Kids andBetter Students: An Action Guide. TheAction Guide provides guidance toschools, state agencies, and communityorganizations as they form partnershipsto improve school-basedoutreach to families and enrollmentfor Medicaid and SCHIP.As a result of the No Child Left Behindlegislation, the guide notes,states are striving to meet new federalmandates at the same time theyare coping with diminished staterevenue. Schools are feeling pressureto improve performance butlack the tools and resources to doso. The School Health Project contendsthat a necessary building blockfor improving student performanceis health insurance for children. Asincreasing layoffs are causing manyfamilies to lose insurance, schoolscan help parents get needed informationabout free or low-cost insuranceto keep their children healthy.According to the School HealthProject, today’s economic situationaffects more than school budgets—it affects families’ ability to ensurethat their children come to schoolhealthy and prepared to learn. InSeptember 2002, the U.S. Censusreported that the number of peoplewithout health insurance had increasedby 1.4 million. At the endof December 2002, more than750,000 people lost their unemploymentbenefits, the highest numberof unemployed individuals withoutbenefits on record. Without income,families cannot afford to payhealth insurance premiums, CO-BRA payments, or co-payments fornon-emergency care. When familyincome declines, children oftenlose private health insurance andbecome eligible for free or low-costhealth insurance, such as Medicaidand SCHIP.The National Center for Health Statisticsfound that the portion of childrencovered by private plans fellin the first six months of 2002. Asthe economy declined, the percentageof children with private insurancedropped 2.6 percent from2001 to 2002. At the same time, thepercentage of children covered bypublic programs, including Medicaidand SCHIP, jumped 3.8 percentfrom 2001 to 2002—yet many familiesare unaware of these programs.Schools have a vested interest in thehealth of their students. An untreatedsore throat or ear infectioncan cause students to miss schooland perform less well than theywould have if they had received appropriatetreatment. Students whohave health insurance have accessto medical care and thus better attendancerates.May 2003In February 2003, the University ofSouthern California released a studythat showed that uninsured childrenwho enrolled in California’s free orlow-cost health insurance programsmissed fewer days of schools afterenrolling. ABC World News profileda Vermont school that providedhealth services to students at theschool and found a dramatic improvementin student achievement,with a dramatic improvement in students’reading test scores, whichrose from a pass rate of 41 percentto 83 percent.While many schools provide informationabout Medicaid and SCHIPat the beginning or end of theschool year, the project urges thatduring difficult economic times,schools reach out to families on anongoing basis. CCSSO’s ActionGuide contains practical tips andideas as well as resources, such asposters and flyers, that schools andcommunity organizations can use toinform families about health insurancefor their children.Following is a sample from the ActionGuide. The School HealthProject welcomes suggestions on effectiveoutreach strategies in yourstate or local community. For a copyof the Action Guide ($15), or if youhave questions about the BuildingBridges Program, contact TrishBrennan-Gac at (202) 312-6430 orpatriciab@ccsso.org, or visit theSchool Health Project Web site atwww.ccsso.org.continued on next page13

AFY Addresses SexualHealth Barriers• About 20 percent of youngpeople feel pressure from friendsto have sex for the first time.• Young people have widely varyingdefinitions of sexual abstinence.• Most teens have negative attitudesabout condoms.These are some of the findings inAdvocates for Youth’s (AFY) new issueof Transitions. The report describesbarriers to adolescent sexualhealth and identifies the componentsof effective programs. Accordingto the data, the barriers that keepyoung people from making healthysexual choices include the following:• Pressure from partners and friends:One study reported that 8 percentof young women considerpressure from their partner as afactor in having sex for the firsttime; 7 percent cited pressurefrom friends. Among youngmen, 1 percent cited pressurefrom their partner, and 13 percentcited pressure from friends.• Confusion in defining abstinence: Inone study of young people ages12 to 17 who had abstinence education,the students’ understandingsof abstinence varied considerably.While all defined abstinenceas avoiding vaginal intercourse,many students believedthat other sexual behaviors wereexcluded from the definition. Atotal of 37 percent of collegefreshmen and sophomores inthis study described having oralsex as abstinent behavior, and 24percent considered anal sex as anabstinent behavior.• Mixed effects of virginity pledges:Researchers have found that inearly and middle adolescence,virginity pledges delay transitionto first sex by as much as 18months. When teens break thepledge, however, they are onethirdless likely to use contraceptives.• Lack of knowledge about effectivecontraception: Thirty-two percentof U.S. teens, according to a recentpoll, did not believe thatcondoms were effective in preventingHIV/AIDS, and 22 percentdid not believe that birthcontrol pills prevent pregnancy.• Negative attitudes about usingcondoms: A total of 66 percent ofteens said that they would feelsuspicious or worried abouttheir partner’s past if the partnersuggested using a condom,49 percent would worry that thepartner was suspicious of them,and 20 percent would feel insulted.• Concern about lack of confidentiality:Of sexually active youngwomen under 18, 47 percent indicatedthat mandatory parentalnotification would causethem to stop using family planningservices.• Fear of homophobia and violence:Significant barriers to protectivebehaviors among lesbian, gay,bisexual, and transgenderyouth, as well as among youngmen who have sex with men,include homophobia and violence,which contributes todamaged self-esteem, lack of accessto health care,homelessness, and substanceabuse.Effective programs include the following:• Accurate information and ageappropriateservices that focuson behaviors• Youth-friendly, confidential contraceptiveservices• Culturally appropriate informationand servicesMay 2003• Gender-specific informationand services that address youngwomen’s often less-than-equalpower status in relationships• Peer education and outreach• Activities to build skills in communicationand negotiation• Meaningful involvement ofyouth in the program’s designand operation• Involvement of parents andother community membersEffective programs provide integratedservices to create an empoweringenvironment for youngpeople, according to the report.Although U.S. teens are increasinglyadopting protective sexualbehaviors, they still face barriers toconsistency. Youth’s attitudes andbehaviors continue to reflectsociety’s confusion about sexuality.Advocates for Youth reports thatamong teenagers ages 13 to 18, notinitiating sex was associated withhaving a two-parent family andhigher socioeconomic status, residingin a rural area, performing betterin school, experiencing greaterreligious feeling, not having suicidalthoughts, and believing that parentscare and have high expectations fortheir children.For more information about thisreport, contact:Advocates for YouthPhone: (202) 347-2263Web site:www.advocatesforyouth.org17

School Health Program NewsStudy Links TeenPregnancy Research,ProgramsFour sets of factors are associatedwith risky sexual behaviors and teenpregnancy, according to the authorsof a new study. To be successful, programsmust address: race andethnicity, socioeconomic status, socialinfluences, and attitudes towardcontraception, condoms, pregnancy,and safer-sex behavioral skills.The report, appearing in Perspectiveson Sexual and Reproductive Health,makes several recommendations:• Programs should begin earlierand target younger adolescents.• New program models for minorityteenagers need to be developed.• Risk reduction programs need tobe systematically linked to otheryouth programs that directly addresssocioeconomic disadvantages.• Programs need to understandthat many youth lack the skills topractice safer sex.• Programs must address the influenceof peer groups, socialnorms, and pressures to havesex.• Programs for adolescents shouldnot assume that sexual behavioris volitional.• Programs should not assumethat sexual activity among teenagersis limited to vaginal sex.• Programs should not take forgranted that teenagers areunambivalent about preventingpregnancy.The study also identifies four keybarriers to program success, which,it contends, research must address:• Learning disabilities and cognitiveimmaturity, which are linkedto early onset of sex• Insufficient male involvement incurrent pregnancy preventionprograms• Males’ very early sexual activity,which compromises programs’effectiveness• One-time visits to clinics, whichpose a considerable barrier tolasting results of initiativesAnswers to research questions aboutthese barriers should enhance thedevelopment and quality of sexualrisk reduction policies and programs.The authors conclude thatthis type of programmatic researchwill fundamentally strengthen thetenuous linkages between the research,program, and policy communities.The report’s authors are DebraKalmuss, Andrew Davidson, AlwynCohall, Danielle Laraque, and CarolCassell. Titled “Preventing SexualRisk Behaviors and PregnancyAmong Teenagers: Linking Researchand Programs,” the reportappears in the March/April 2003 issueof Perspectives on Sexual and ReproductiveHealth. It is publishedthrough the Alan Guttmacher Instituteand can be downloaded atwww.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals3598703.html.California ProgramShows Health,Academic ResultsA California program aimed at reducingearly sexual activity, teenpregnancy, and childbearing amonga high-risk group, sisters of pregnantand parenting teens, has shown positiveresults. A journal article entitled“An Evaluation of California’s AdolescentSibling Pregnancy PreventionProgram” reports that the programreduced several pregnancy-relatedrisk behaviors after ninemonths of enrollment. Youngwomen in the program were significantlyless likely than their peers tobecome pregnant, begin having sex,or skip school.California’s Adolescent Sibling PregnancyPrevention program targetssisters of adolescents who have beenpregnant or are parents. The servicesprovided to participants in theprogram included a combination ofindividual case management, academicguidance, training in decisionmaking, self-esteem development,and education about contraception.Young women in the program were43 percent less likely to becomepregnant than those who did notparticipate. Not only did youngwomen initiate sexual activity atlower rates than young women in thecomparison group, these youngwomen also had lower rates of truancy,and they registered strongerand more positive feelings about remainingabstinent.Study results are reported in detailin the article written by Patricia East,Elizabeth Keiernan, and GilbertoChavez, which appears in theMarch/April 2003 issue of Perspectiveson Sexual and Reproductive Health.You can download the full article atwww.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3506203.18

May 2003SIECUS to PublishYouth DevelopmentGuideOn the Right Track, a guide designedto help parents, schools, and communitiesincorporate comprehensivesexuality education within thetotal context of positive youth development,will be released in latespring by the Sexuality Informationand Education Council of theUnited States (SIECUS). On theRight Track provides a step-by-stepapproach to developing or tailoringcurricula about human sexuality,fact sheets, and other tools for youthdevelopment. It includes an extensiveresearch section and draws onexamples from evaluated programsaround the country, including theAmerican Youth Foundation inMichigan and New Hampshire, Sistersfor Science in Chicago andMichael Carrera’s Children’s AidSociety, a program that has beenreplicated in 20 sites, with provenresults in decreasing numbers of unintendedpregnancies.SIECUS has also launched an advertisingcampaign that encouragesparents to talk to their childrenabout sexuality. This campaign, underwayin Brooklyn, Queens, Hartford,Baltimore, and Tucson, is onecomponent of the SIECUS FamiliesAre Talking initiative aimed at enhancingcommunication aboutsexuality between parents and theirchildren.For more information, contact:Kate MacCarthyE-Mail:Kmaccarthy@siecus.orgAbstinence Education: Programs ReportSuccess, Evaluators Monitor ResultsFour years after Congress authorizedfunding for abstinence educationunder the Personal Responsibilityand Work Opportunity ReconciliationAct, most states are usingtheir funding in innovative ways andincorporating the abstinence messagewithin a broader approach toyouth development. Messages thatare stressed in current abstinencecurricula include the following:• Building self-esteem• Developing values and charactertraits• Formulating goals• Making decisions• Avoiding risky behavior• Maximizing communication• Strengthening relationships• Understanding developmentand anatomy• Preventing sexually transmitteddiseases• Withstanding social and peerpressure• Addressing consequences• Resolving sexual conflicts• Learning etiquette and manners• Aspiring to marriage• Understanding parenthoodThe original funding, authorized aspart of Title V of the Social SecurityAct to be administered by the Maternaland Child Health Bureau ofthe Health Resources and ServicesAdministration (HRSA), was intendedto endorse an unambiguousmessage of abstinence from sex outsidemarriage and could not encouragecontraceptive use. Despite considerablecontroversy, most stateseventually applied for funding.Many states have collaborated withstate education agencies to provideabstinence education in localschools. Community-based organizationsfrequently involved in implementingabstinence education includeBoys and Girls Clubs, YMCAs/YWCAs, social service agencies, crisispregnancy centers, and civic organizations.Many states have contractedout evaluation activities touniversity research centers or privatecontractors. More than half thestates have underscored their educationalefforts with media campaigns.States have addressed the challengesof finding abstinence education curriculathat meet guidelines, havebeen evaluated, and are consistentwith the public health principles ofhealth education and promotion.According to an early evaluationconducted by the Association ofMaternal and Child Health Programs,collaboration and communicationwith key groups and agencieshave been critical to establishing aprogram’s infrastructure and supportfor future efforts. Communityinvolvement, including both parentsand youth, in program developmentand implementation has also provedessential. Focus groups with teenshave provided states with helpfulfeedback for refining their curricula.Using a variety of educationand intervention strategies has alsoappeared to be a key ingredient ofsuccess.Virginia’s Initiative Based inLongitudinal ResearchThe Virginia Abstinence EducationInitiative aims to create a supportiveenvironment for abstinence-until-marriageeducation. To reach thestate’s students, Virginia has contractedwith six agencies, includingtwo local health departments, a departmentof social services, and19

School Health Program Newsthree nonprofit organizations. Inaddition to providing abstinenceeducation within comprehensiveschool health education, the initiativealso involves a statewide mediacampaign.The distinguishing feature of theVirginia program, according to GaleGrant, director of the AbstinenceEducation Initiative at the Departmentof Health, is the longitudinalresearch base of the program. Designedby researchers from Virginiacolleges and universities, the studytests the effectiveness of abstinenceeducation programming. The firstcohort of seventh grade students waspre-tested with a survey and posttestedafter the initiative was administered.This group has now reachedeleventh grade, and current test resultsare in the process of beingevaluated.Virginia will conduct local, regional,and statewide training workshops inJuly 2003. Since November 2002, 16one-day workshops have been offered.Family life education workshopsthat bring together community-basedorganizations and schooldistricts allow the two groups tolearn from each other and more accuratelyrecognize the opportunitieseach has for interaction with youth.According to Fran Anthony Meyer,a specialist in comprehensive schoolhealth at the Virginia Departmentof Education, the success of the VirginiaAbstinence Education Initiativeresults from efforts todepoliticize it and to offer high-qualityeducation with a low-key approach.For questions about the VirginiaAbstinence Education Initiative,contact:Lissa Power-deFurDepartment of EducationPhone: (804) 225-2818E-Mail: lpowerd@nail.vak12ed.eduorGale E. GrantDepartment of HealthPhone: (804) 225-3697E-Mail:ggrant@vdh.state.va.usTo read more about the VirginiaAbstinence Education Initiative, goto www.canwait.com.Oklahoma Launches KEEPOklahoma’s Abstinence Educationinitiative is entitled KEEP, or KidsEagerly Endorsing Purity. Launchedby the Oklahoma Family PolicyCouncil in 1999, KEEP is now reachingmore than one-third ofOklahoma’s 77 counties. KEEP targetsyouth ages 12 to 18. Adult volunteerspresent the multi-weekKEEP program in public and privateschools, youth organizations, andchurches. These volunteers musthave completed an intensive teachertraining in abstinence educationsponsored by the Oklahoma FamilyPolicy Council. Practicing physiciansassociated with the Oklahoma PhysiciansResource Council supplementthe KEEP curriculum withclasses on sexually transmitted diseases.The evaluation component of KEEPuses a pre- and post-test prepared bythe University of Oklahoma’s Instituteof Public Affairs. The analyzedstudent surveys contribute to anevaluation of the overall effectivenessof abstinence-until-marriageeducation in Oklahoma comparedwith comprehensive sex educationapproaches of the past four decades.For more information about KEEP,contact:Oklahoma FamilyPolicy CouncilPhone: (405) 787-7744Web site:www.okfamilypc.org/abstinence_educationInstitute for YouthDevelopment SponsorsForumsDuring 2003, the Institute for YouthDevelopment is convening abstinenceeducation forums in 20 U.S.cities. The daylong workshops includepresentations by CDC/DASHand state and local abstinence educationstaff.To check the location of upcomingforums or to register, go towww.youthdevelopment.org, or contact:Institute for YouthDevelopmentPhone: (703) 471-8750E-Mail:info@youthdevelopment.orgCongress MandatesEvaluation of AbstinenceEducation InitiativesSince the passage of the PersonalResponsibility and Work OpportunityReconciliation Act, statisticsshow that the percentage of teenshaving sex has decreased and teenagepregnancy rates are down. Butto what extent are these downwardtrends associated with abstinenceeducation?To answer this question, Congresshas authorized a large evaluationstudy being conducted byMathematica Policy Research. Thestudy will also analyze the implementationand operational experiencesof local community-basedgroups and schools in launching ab-20

stinence education initiatives. Studymethods include data analysisthrough review of program documents,interviews and focus groupswith program staff, and observationof school or community sites.Thus far, the Mathematica study hasfound great diversity among currentabstinence education programs.The initiatives range from brief, curriculum-basedclassroom programsto more intensive experiences withcomplementary services, such as after-schoolcare, tutoring, peer oradult mentoring, and parent andfamily support. Many states have targetedinitiatives to teens and implementedsystemic, community-wideinitiatives intended to change communitynorms and provide support.The evaluation involves an in-depthstudy of 11 programs, including abstinenceeducation initiatives in Miami,Florida; Clarksdale, Mississippi;Edgefield, South Carolina;Powhatan, Virginia; Milwaukee, Wisconsin;Cedar Rapids, Iowa; MonroeCounty, New York; and Fort Bendand McClennan Counties, Texas. Aninterim report, due in late spring2003, discusses the success of currentabstinence education initiativesin achieving their goals.For more information about theevaluation study or the upcomingreport, contact:Rebecca MaynardE-Mail:Rmaynard@mathematicampr.comACS Targets UrbanDistrictsThe American Cancer Society(ACS) has expanded its leadershipinstitute to include urban schoolsystems. The National Urban SchoolHealth Leadership Institute, fundedthrough a cooperative agreementwith CDC/DASH, targets seven urbanschool districts with involvedschool administration, faculty, andcommunity organizations. The expandedprogram allows ACS toreach a larger youth audience anda more diverse group of school systems.Designed as a three-year project, theUrban Institute will help build theleadership skills of selected schooldistrict representatives so that theycan create institutionalizedsystemwide change in support ofyouth health. After a nationwiderecruitment process, seven urbandistricts were invited to an orientationsession in September 2002:• Detroit Public Schools, Michigan• Fulton County Schools, Georgia• Las Cruces Public Schools, NewMexico• Los Angeles Unified School District,California• Saint Paul Public Schools, Minnesota• San Francisco Unified SchoolDistrict, California• Volusia County Schools, FloridaThe school district representativesreconvened in early March 2003 tocontinue strategic planning forstrengthening the capacity of theirdistricts to provide coordinatedschool health.May 2003For more information about theNational Urban School HealthLeadership Institute, contact:Neely TolbertPhone: (404) 982-3672E-Mail:neely.tolbert@cancer.orgCompendiumDescribes CulturalCompetencyInitiativesIn response to an Institute of Medicine(IOM) report that indicted thehealth care system for persistent inequitiesin health care, the Henry J.Kaiser Family Foundation has developeda compendium of initiatives in“cultural competency”—that is,practices that enable effective crossculturalcommunication and understanding.The 2002 IOM report,Unequal Treatment, recommendedthat the health care system pursuea multi-strategy approach to reducecultural and communication barriersto health care. The Kaiser compendium,a first attempt to describethese activities in a single document,followed many requests from themedia and others to define culturalcompetency and to identify effortscurrently underway in this emergingfield.The compendium summarizes severalchallenges to the field:• Lack of agreement about definitionsof cultural competency,other terms, and basic approaches• Limited research on the impactand effectiveness of existing programsin cultural competency21

School Health Program News• The widespread misperceptionthat cultural competency focusesonly on people of color insteadof on diverse population groupsunited by religious affiliation,class, or sexual orientation• Absence of fundingThe initiatives described date from1990 to the present. The compendiumdivides initiatives into two categories—publicsector and privatesector—and it includes initiativessponsored by health care institutions,professional organizations,foundations, academic institutions,and policy research organizations.The compendium also provides definitionsof major terms in the field,organizational descriptions of initiatives,and lists of cultural competencyexperts.You can download the Kaiser compendiumat www.kff.org/content/2003/6067/.School Nurses RecommendSensitivity in Care for GayYouthThe Journal of School Nursing featuresa recent article recommending thatschool nurses be aware of and knowledgeableabout the subculture of gayyouth and cultivate skills for communicatingsensitively with these students.Gay youth and those questioningtheir sexual identity are oftenmarginalized, and their particularsafety and health needs can be overlooked.Because school nurses havethe job of identifying at-risk studentpopulations and developing programsto promote youth and familyhealth, they are key players in providinghealth care for these students.However, nurses in general say theylack the knowledge and skills to identifyand address the needs of thisgroup.This article, “Promoting CulturallyCompetent Care for Gay Youth,” presentsstrategies for school nurses tobuild their competence in this area.Written by Leslie J. Bakker and AngelaCavender, the article was publishedin the April 2003 issue of TheJournal of School Nursing pp. 65–72.ASHA Issues Statement onCultural Competency andDisabilitiesThe American School Health Association(ASHA) is offering a varietyof trainings and professional developmentopportunities to schoolhealth staff who want to improvetheir knowledge and skills in addressingthe needs of students with disabilities.Youth with disabilities live in a mainstreamculture that frequently conveysthe message that living with adisability means being deficient, deviant,or dependent. Many schoolscontinue to refer to students withdisabilities as “impaired,” “delayed,”or “disordered.” Some expect thatstudents with disabilities should“overcome” their disability to achievelike other students. This is difficultand stressful for students with disabilities,and it often diminishestheir health and academic success.The needs and concerns of studentswith disabilities are rarely discussed.They are seldom included in preprofessionalor in-service diversitytraining. At most, school staff aregenerally introduced to the laws protectingstudents with disabilities’educational rights, such as the Individualswith Disabilities EducationAct and Section 504 of the RehabilitationAct. Few teachers or schoolhealth staff receive training to helpthem become competent to workwith students with disabilities. Consequently,they are ill-prepared toaccommodate the health and learningneeds of these students.ASHA can provide technical assistanceand professional developmentopportunities in this area, includingpresentations, training/workshops,program planning, and materialsdevelopment through phone, e-mail, or on-site consultation.For more information, contact:Donna BernertPhone: (330) 678-1601, x124E-Mail:dbernert@ashaweb.orgAAHE AddressesHealth LiteracyThe American Association of HealthEducation (AAHE) convened aworkshop in January for HistoricallyBlack Colleges and Universities(HBCUs) in North and South Carolina.The workshop, entitled“Health Literacy: Teaching HIV PreventionThrough Standards-basedHealth Education and Assessment,”is designed to enhance the capacityof colleges and universities to prepareteacher candidates to use theNational Health Education Standards,promote health literacy, andprevent HIV infection as well asother serious health problems. Facultywho prepare health educationteachers at the secondary level andelementary school teachers participatedin the two and a half-day workshop.The workshop consisted of severalcomponents:• HIV/AIDS Update• Standards and Assessment Overview• Application of Standards to HIVPrevention Education• National Council for Accreditationof Teacher Education(NCATE) 2000 Standards22

AAHE will offer “Health Literacy:Teaching HIV Prevention ThroughStandards-Based Health Educationand Assessment” to all HBCUs beginningin fall 2003.For more information, contact:Deborah A. FortunePhone: (703) 476-3439E-Mail: dfortune@aahe.orgASTHO and CCSSORelease Updated KitThe 2003 edition of Why Support aCoordinated Approach to School Health:The Coordinated School Health StarterKit is now available from the Associationof State and TerritorialHealth Officials (ASTHO) and theCouncil of Chief State School Officers(CCSSO). The kit is designed tohelp state health officials, chief stateschool officers, and their staffs buildsupport in communities and schoolsfor coordinated school health.The kit was prepared in response toneeds expressed by state health officialsand chief state school officersfor (1) a common language to describethe benefits of a coordinatedapproach to school health, (2) clear,jargon-free messages that resonatewith target audiences (e.g., parents,teachers, others who work in schoolsand school administration), and (3)effective tools to enable action. Tomeet these objectives, the kit containseasy-to-use, research-basedtools and materials to educate andmotivate the public about schoolhealth issues, for example:• A booklet for policymakers andopinion leaders• Posters• A wide range of resources to increasecommunity awareness ofthe importance of school health• A CD-ROM containing all thematerials, graphics files, and textused to create the kit, whichstates can use to adapt the materialsto their own state or communityThe revised version includes updatedresearch, such as new YouthRisk Behavior Surveillance Surveydata and Monitoring the Future surveys,as well as new quotations frompolicymakers and others working inhealth and education. Both versionswere developed with support fromCDC/DASH.The cost of the new kit is $30, includingpostage.For more information or an orderform, contact:Nora HowleyE-Mail: norah@ccsso.orgorStephanie YunE-Mail: stephaniey@ccsso.orgNGOs Target AsthmaIncidenceWith CDC estimating that about 6percent of all Americans haveasthma—a doubling of the rate since1980—NGOs are identifying andimplementing strategies to improveschool attendance and services tostudents with asthma.Asthma is an inflammation and constrictionof the airways that makes itdifficult to breathe. Those with agenetic predisposition can becomeasthmatic, and environmental factors,such as pollen, dust, animaldander, air pollution, and cold air,also contribute to the developmentof the disease and can trigger attacks.EDC TeleconferenceMay 2003Education Development Center,Inc. (EDC), in collaboration withthe ILIAD IDEA (Individuals withDisabilities Education Act LocalImplementation by Local Administrators)Partnership, sponsored anational teleconference, ImprovingAttendance, Improving Achievementfor Students with Asthma. TheMay panel featured Jack Campana,San Diego Public Schools; HowardTaras, MD, American Academy ofPediatrics; Karen Drezner, Directorof Operations, Harbor Science andArt Charter School, formerly AssociateDirector of the ChildhoodAsthma Initiative at the Children’sHealth Fund; and Paula Carroll,Community Program Coordinator,American Lung Association.The telecast focused on the fact thattoo many students with asthma aremissing too many days of school dueto non-existent or poor case management.The problem is critical forstudents in urban school districts,where the number of asthma casesis rising. Some neighborhoods ofNew York City have rates above 10percent and into the high teens,such as the South Bronx andHarlem.The panelists noted that when studentsare repeatedly absent fromschool, they miss key instruction andthus often fare poorly on state andlocal performance measures. “Giventhat students with asthma fall withinIDEA’s category of ‘other healthimpairments,’ this is a critical problemfacing both general and specialeducation administrators, as well asschool health professionals,” said Dr.Taras.23

School Health Program NewsOne way to keep students withasthma healthy and successful inschool is to create and implement acase management system that bringstogether general and special educationpractitioners, the family, schoolhealth professionals, and pediatricians,said Jack Campana, theformer director of student servicesat the San Diego Public Schools.The telecast described a case managementsystem that the San DiegoPublic Schools implemented for studentswith asthma, as well as adaptationopportunities in other districts.To obtain materials from theteleconference, you can log on tothe Web site of the National Institutefor Urban School Improvement,www.inclusiveschools.org.24DASH Technical AssistanceTo provide science-based guidanceand support to its funded partners,CDC’s Division of Adolescent andSchool Health (DASH) is providingassistance in evaluating schoolasthma programs. An Expert PanelMeeting on School Asthma Programswas held in March 2003.Leading asthma experts fromaround the nation reached consensusat the meeting on the componentsof a logic model and key indicatorsthat will be used for continuedtechnical assistance with CDC/DASH-funded asthma partners.CDC/DASH will host a one-dayevaluation training workshop forfunded asthma education agencieson July 16, 2003. The Asthma ProgramEvaluation Training for CDC/DASH-Funded Education Agencieswill build on information deliveredat the May Funded Partners Meetingand technical assistance obtainedfrom the Academy of EducationalDevelopment. A product ofthis workshop will be a completedevaluation grid that funded educationagencies will be able to utilizefor their asthma programs.For more information about CDC/DASH’s response to addressingasthma in schools, contact:Sarah MerklePhone: (770) 488-6129E-Mail: SMerkle@cdc.govNASN Pilots AsthmaProgramThe National Association of SchoolNurses (NASN), in its third year ofa cooperative agreement with CDC/DASH, is now piloting the SchoolNurse Asthma Management Program(SNAMP), which will be releasednationwide during fall 2003.SNAMP is intended to teach schoolnurses to more effectively manageasthma in students at school andduring school-related activities. Theprogram focuses on improving collaborationwith school health teammembers, community health careproviders, and local asthma-relatedorganizations and associations. Theprogram’s aims are to decrease students’symptoms of asthma, improveschool attendance, and increaseaccess to health care for individualswith this common childhoodchronic illness.In fall 2003, materials will be distributednationwide. In addition, atraining-of-trainers program forqualified school nurses will be heldin fall 2003.NASN, through this cooperativeagreement, is also analyzing whichhealth and educational policies facilitateimproved care of childrenwith asthma at school. NASN will goon to develop other methods tobroadly distribute the training materialsto school nurses, for example,through a Web-based tutorial.SNAMP has been developed andrefined by project officers, anasthma work group, and three advisorygroups. The SNAMP advisorygroup includes representativesfrom each of the eight coordinatedschool health program components.The second advisory groupconsists of asthma content experts,and the third group provides directionabout the school nurse’s rolein school-based asthma management.For more information about theasthma management program, contact:Jacalyn P. DoughertyPhone: (303) 663-2329E-Mail: nasn@nasn.orgNASN Offers Training inDiabetes Management atJune ConferenceNASN has also developed a trainingfor managing diabetes in theschool setting. “Strategies to HelpStudents with Diabetes: A Manualfor School Nurses” will be ready forthe NASN preconference on June27. A new manual will be distributedwith the training. Other trainingsbeing piloted are “Healthy Weightsfor Healthy Kids,” to be piloted inConnecticut, and “Disaster Preparedness:A Guide for SchoolNurses.”For more information about theseNASN trainings and materials, contact:Marilyn KinnePhone: (303) 663-2329E-Mail: mkinne@nasn.org

Principal Fights forIndoor Air QualityStruck by the overwhelming numberof students who visited her officefor asthma inhalers, the principalat G.W. Carver ElementarySchool, outside of San Francisco, setout to investigate. She learned thather school had many more studentswith asthma, even compared withnearby schools. The local healthcare agency confirmed that theCarver community had higherasthma rates than other areas of thecity—and that the local AmericanLung Association (ALA) and theState of California were aware ofand ready to address this disparity.As the local ALA was an EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA)Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools forSchools Partner, it hosted a meetingattended by key stakeholders toaddress the problem of asthma andIAQ in San Francisco schools. EPAoffered assistance, and the San FranciscoUnified School District selectedG.W. Carver as one of twopilot schools for the IAQ Tools forSchools Program.Needed changes were evident fromthe initial school walkthroughs. Aftersimple building repairs weremade, routine maintenance practiceswere implemented, and schoolstaff were trained, several positiveoutcomes were reported, includingthese two:• Visits to the principal’s office forthe use of asthma inhalers werereduced by half.• Fewer students needed to keepasthma medicine or inhalers atschool.• Asthma episodes became lessfrequent even though the numberof students with asthma hasnot changed.An Asthma Task Force, comprised ofschool officials, EPA, ALA, Universityof California at San FranciscoMedical Center, Stanford University,and the San Francisco City HealthDepartment, now provides asthmarelatedassistance to the community,including a telephone hotline and adirectory of resources.The story of the G.W. Carver Schoolis not unique. Schools across thecountry have taken charge of theirindoor air quality and are workingwith EPA through the IAQ Tools forSchools program. These districtshave also made the link between ahealthy learning environment andimproved student performance.EPA’s Web site, www.epa.gov/iaq,contains considerable asthma-relatedinformation, including casestudies of other schools that havetackled poor indoor air quality.For more information about the IAQTools for Schools program, contact:Michele GuarneriPhone: (202) 564-9099E-mail:guarneri.michele@epa.govCoalition PromotesPesticides ProtectionMost school districts do not havesafe pesticide use policies in place,according to Beyond Pesticides/National Coalition Against the Misuseof Pesticides. Without a federallaw regulating school pesticide use,states and local school districts musttake the lead in protecting studentsfrom toxic exposure while they areat school, said the Coalition, a 20-year, nonprofit membership organization.Pesticides are often applied inschools immediately before the studentsarrive or even after they arepresent.May 2003According to the 2002 update ofBeyond Pesticides’ analysis of statepesticide laws, 33 states have takensome action to address pesticide usein or near their schools. Manyschool districts have adopted safepest management policies in responseto state requirements or asa voluntary measure that exceedsstate laws, which are uneven.Beyond Pesticides recommendsthat safe pest management policiesinclude four components:• The Integrated Pest Managementprogram, a systematic processof monitoring to establishwhether a pest problem exists;identifying the causes of theproblem; using pest suppressiontechniques, if needed, based onmechanical and biological controls;and using the least toxicpesticide, only after nontoxicalternatives have been tried andexhausted• Written notification, prior toeach pesticide use, to ensurethat all students, parents, andstaff are warned about potentialexposure• Posted pesticide use notificationsigns• Restrictions on the use of certainpesticidesLaws and policies that only recommendrather than require the adoptionof these four components areineffective, says the national coalition.Local groups are paying moreattention to pesticides as communitiesreject chemical-intensive approachesto pest control. Many U.S.communities are adopting state andlocal policies that foster a schoolenvironment free from both pestsand pesticides. These communitiesaim for long-term control of pestsand use toxic pesticides only as a lastresort.25

School Health Program NewsBeyond Pesticides has developed aWeb site with information aboutpesticide use in schools, state lawsabout school pesticide use, summariesand copies of local school districts’policies, and contact informationfor local organizations involvedin the school Integrated Pest Managementprogram. These resourcesare made available on-line atwww.beyondpesticides.org/schools/schoolpolicies.Global ProgramsPilots Tobacco ControlActionA new curriculum developed byHealth and Human Development’s(HHD) Global Programs at EducationDevelopment Center, Inc., appliesresearch-based lessons to preventone of the major causes ofdeath in the world. Working with theWorld Health Organization, a groupof HHD curriculum developers havecreated the Model School HealthTobacco Control Intervention,which can be used in classroomsworldwide.The cornerstone of the curriculumis involving young people—targetedby large-scale tobacco advertisingcampaigns—as advocates in theirown neighborhoods, villages, andcountries.The lessons of the curriculum aregrounded in years of research on theimportance of using an “environmentalapproach” to promotehealth—that is, focusing on the contextor environment where thehealth problems and behaviors occur.If people do not start smokingby the age of 20, they are much lesslikely to ever smoke. Also, engagingyoung people as anti-smoking advocatesis more likely to be successfulthan didactic programs focusing onthe long-term dangers of tobacco.26The curriculum is based on a methodologythat has been tested andused successfully by HHD’s TeenageHealth Teaching Modules and inother school health interventionsthat focus on building life skills. Lessonsinclude advocacy exercises focusedon critical thinking, persuasion,communication, action planning,leadership, media literacy, dataanalysis, and policy development.Next, Global Programs will workwith teachers to pilot-test the curriculumin classrooms. The ModelSchool Health Tobacco Interventionwill also be presented at severalinternational public health conferences.Global Programs welcomes feedbackfrom educators. An introductionand two lessons from the curriculumare included on the HHD Web siteat main.edc.org. A review form tosend back can be downloaded atwww.hhd.org/hhdnews/hhdstories/ar_2003.asp.For more information about theModel School Health Tobacco ControlIntervention, contact:Wendy SantisE-Mail: Wsantis@edc.orgNYAM Offers SkinTrainingThe New York Academy of Medicine(NYAM) is offering teacher trainingin its award-winning curriculum,The Wonders of Skin: Looking Good,Being Healthy, developed in partnershipwith the American Skin Association.The two organizations receivedthe Gold Triangle Award forHealth Community OrganizationAccomplishment in August 2002 forcollaborating to develop the curriculumand implementing the programfor students in New York CityPublic Schools, K–12.The Wonders of Skin includes lessonsgauged for students in kindergartenthrough twelfth grade. It covers thestructure and function of skin, sunsafety, acne, tattooing and bodypiercing, and skin disorders anddiseases. The curriculum is designedto be developmentally appropriate,skills-based, culturally sensitive,and aligned with nationalhealth education standards.The New York Academy of Medicineand the American Skin Associationhave recently partnered to disseminatethis curriculum on a nationwidebasis. They provided consultation,staff development, and technicalassistance to teachers in theMiami-Dade County Public Schools.Teacher training workshops are designedfor teaching the curriculumas part of comprehensive healtheducation.The Academy will provide The Wondersof Skin curriculum materials andtraining at school district locationsfree of charge on a first-come, firstservedbasis.To arrange for training or for moreinformation, contact:Leslie GoldmanDirector, Office of SchoolHealth ProgramsThe New York Academyof MedicinePhone: (212) 822-7265E-Mail: lgoldman@nyam.org

Resources Resources Resources ResourcesMay 2003APHA CelebratesNational Public HealthWeek with Tools forAction against ObesityIn commemorating National PublicHealth Week April 7-13, 2003, theAmerican Public Health Association(APHA) developed a resource list oftools for action against overweight andobesity. The document includes samplepolicies to encourage healthy eating inschools, sample policies to encouragephysical activity in schools, and how-todirections for organizing walk-to-schoolday events and school-based campaignsto shift to lower-fat milk. The resourcealso contains checklists for physical educationin schools, and a guide to communityaction, entitled Taking the Fizzout of Soda Contracts in School.To download the APHA document, goto www.apha.org/nphw/resources/tools.California DevelopsResource Guide forHealthy Food PolicyCalifornia Project LEAN (Leaders EncouragingActivity and Nutrition) developedthe Healthy Food Policy ResourceGuide, in collaboration with the CaliforniaSchool Boards Association. Thisguide is designed for use by schoolboard members and administrators whowant to have a positive impact on thehealth of students.The Healthy Food Resource Guide offers astep-by-step approach for creating ahealthy school environment so studentscan practice healthy eating habits whileat school. It outlines the link betweennutrition, physical activity and learning;addresses the nutritional and physicalactivity status of children and youth;highlights school districts that are successfullyoffering healthy foods and beverages;and provides sample policies, factsheets, and resources. The guide wasfield-tested with school board members.Copies of the guide are $20. To order,go to the California Project Lean Website at www.dhs.ca.gov/LEAN.The President’sChallenge RewardsFitness in SchoolsThe President’s Challenge, a physicalactivity and fitness program created bythe President’s Council on Physical Fitnessand Sports, is reaching wider schoolaudiences. Each year, more than 4.2 millionawards are distributed.• The Presidential Physical FitnessAward honors students who demonstratean outstanding level of fitnessby scoring above the 85th percentileon five fitness tests.• The National Physical Fitness Awardrecognizes students who score at orabove the 50th percentile on all fivestandard exercises.• The Participant Physical FitnessAward is designed for students whocomplete the five exercises, butwhose scores are below the 50th percentileon one or more tests.• The Health Fitness Award recognizesstudents who achieve a healthy levelof fitness.• The Presidential Active LifestyleAward recognizes students who participatein daily physical activity ofany type for 5 days/week, 60 minutesa day.For more information about thePresident’s Challenge, go to http://fitness.gov/challenge/challenge.html.CDC PublishesGuidance onManagement of SchoolStudents Exposed toSARSCDC has developed interim domesticguidance for management of school studentsexposed to severe acute respiratorysyndrome (SARS). The guidance islocated on the CDC Web site atwww.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/exposurestudents.htm.Specific questions about SARS can beaddressed by contacting the CDC SARShotline.English: (888) 246-2675Spanish: (888) 246-2857CDC Publishes FreeFour-Color PhysicalActivity PromotionBrochuresCDC has developed four free brochuresto help parents, teachers, and schoolprincipals increase physical activityamong elementary and middle schoolagedyouth. These colorful brochurescontain photos, motivating messages,and specific activity ideas for home,school, and community. The parents’brochures are available in English andSpanish versions.To print or order copies, go towww.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/PhysicalActivity, or call (888) 231-6405.For more information about the brochures,contact:Charlene R. Burgeson Phone: (770) 488-6126E-mail: cburgeson@cdc.gov27

School Health Program NewsResources Resources Resources ResourcesAmerican CancerSociety Publishes NewGuide to School HealthCentersPromoting Healthy Youth, Schools, and Communities:A Guide to School Health Councilsis the new guide published by theAmerican Cancer Society. The guide willassist school districts in developing newschool health councils, strengtheningexisting school health councils, andmaintaining councils to support schoolhealth practices, programs, and policies.The guide is tailored to the planningneeds of school district staff responsiblefor school health, and can also be usefulto parents and other communitypartners interested in promoting thedevelopment of a school health council.For those new to the school healtharena, the guide contains a publicationfrom the American Cancer Society, entitledSchool Health: Elements of Excellencefor Programs that Help Children Learn andStay Healthy. This document provides anoverview of coordinated school healthprograms, as well as key elementsneeded to create an exemplary schoolhealth program.Promoting Healthy Youth, Schools, and Communities:A Guide to School Health Councilsis published in collaboration with theAmerican School Health Association,the American Academy of Pediatrics, theNational Center for Health Education,the Iowa Department of Public Health,the American Cancer Society-Iowa Division,and Blank Children’s Hospital.To order a copy of the guide, contactthe American Cancer society and use referencecode 2061.For more information, contact:Jeanine BadePhone: (404) 982-3672E-mail: jeanine.bade@cancer.org2002 National Schoolsof Character BookOffers Practical LessonsThe newly released 2002 National Schoolsof Character: Practices to Adopt and Adaptoffers schools, districts, and educatorsdescriptive profiles, effective strategies,and practical lessons from each of the2002 award-winning schools and districts.The book describes strategies eachwinner used to develop special initiatives,and ways winners knew they were successful.The book also features reproduciblepages and unique, replicable ideas fromthe Promising Practices citations winners.To order, call Character Education Partnershipat (800) 988-8081.For more information, contact:Andrea GrenadierPhone: (202) 296-7743, x20E-mail: agrenadier@character.orgCalifornia PublishesGuidelines for State-Mandated HIV/AIDSPrevention EducationThe California Department of Educationannounces Putting It All Together: ProgramGuidelines and Resources for State-MandatedHIV/AIDS Prevention Education in CaliforniaMiddle and High Schools. These guidelineswere written to help superintendents,administrators, board members,and other policy and decision-makersdevelop and implement high-qualityHIV/STD prevention programs thatcomply with California State law. Theguidelines are organized by topic, includingpolicy development, program planning,parent and community involvement,staff training, curriculum selection,supplemental prevention strategies,and program evaluation.For a preview of the document, go towww.cde.ca.gov/cdepress/catalog/districtadmin3.html.The guidelines cost $35, plus shippingand handling. They come in a tabbed,3-ring binder and contain many tips andlinks to resources.To order, contact CDE Press at (800) 885-4099, and request Item #1549. Or youcan order on-line at www.cde.ca.gov/cdepress/orderinfohtml.Participants in developing this documentinclude the California ParentTeachers Association, California SchoolBoard Association, California Associationof School Health Educators, CaliforniaSchool Nurse Organization, a representativefrom the faith community,medical experts, county offices of education,school districts, and the StateDepartments of Education and HealthServices.For questions or more information, contact:Christine BerryDepartment of EducationPhone: (916) 319-0285Oregon ReleasesCoordinated SchoolHealth Blueprint forActionOregon’s Healthy Kids Learn BetterPartnership announces the release of theCoordinated School Health Blueprint for Action.This document reflects key recommendationsmade by a diverse array ofindividuals in Oregon, including stateand local health and education practitioners,policy makers, school and countyadministrators, parents, non-profit organizations,and others. The CoordinatedSchool Health Blueprint for Action was developedto help improve student healthand achievement in Oregon.28

Resources Web sites Web sites Web sitesMay 2003To receive a copy, contact:Tamara KuenziOregon Department ofEducationPhone: (503) 378-3600, x2722E-mail: tamara.kuenzi@state.or.usOregon has also developed a Healthy KidsLearn Better Took Kit on CD-ROM whichincludes model PowerPoint presentationswith talking points, school healthresources and policies, and live links tostate and national health and educationresources. To obtain a copy, contactTamara Kuenzi.EPA Releases NewBrochure on Indoor AirQualityIndoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program:Benefits of Improving Air Quality in the IndoorEnvironment is a new, full-color brochurewith sections highlighting a rangeof benefits of using the Indoor Air QualityTools for Schools Program. The sectionsinclude successful outcomes in schools(health benefits and costs savings), researchon IAQ and schools (cost savings,performance, and health effects), mold,asthma, and a detailed reference section.The brochure is available on-line atwww.epa.ov/iaq/schools/.VERB CampaignReaches Two MillionViewersVERB, the paid media campaign designedto encourage physical activity in‘tweens—or young people between 9and 13—had reached more than 2 million‘tweens and parents by February2003. Several VERB public service announcementshave aired on primetimeTV. The Cartoon Network, the DisneyChannel, the WB Network, and CBS havedonated both talent and media time forVERB PSAs. The Cartoon Network PSA,which aired beginning in October, featuresanimated characters from thePower Puff Girls, Courage the CowardlyDog, and Ed, Edd, and Eddy. CBS createda primetime PSA using the sportsstar Deion Sanders. To reach segmentsof the African American audience, therapper BowWow promoted the VERBmessage in both radio and televisionPSAs.Gruher & Jahr’s Fit Family Fit Kids continuesto track the progress of four differentfamilies in becoming more active.Their saga has been reported on inChild, Family Circle, Fitness, and ParentsMagazines.A Web site, at www.fitfamilyfitkids.com,provides an interactive experience forthe program’s followers.VERB Outreach has partnered with localmarkets to interact with ‘tweens inColumbus, Ohio; Los Angeles; Houston;Greenville, S.C., and Green Bay, Wisconsin.In addition, a VERB newsletterschronicles VERB events and progress.Focus groups have shown that the VERBcampaign is connecting with tweens. Toread more about the campaign and its effects,go to www.cdc.gov/youthcampaign.Green SquadEncourages Students toWork for GreenerSchoolsThe Green Squad: Kids Taking Action forGreener, Healthier Schools is a new interactiveWeb site aimed at middle schools.Jointly developed by the Natural ResourcesDefense Council and theHealthy Schools Network, this virtual libraryof fact sheets on diesel exhaust,pests and pesticides, air quality, lead andmolds provides hands-on opportunitiesto envision the environment in newways. It also provides tips for reportingresults of investigating the environmentin the school newspaper.To access the Green Squad, go towww.nrdc.org/greensquad/.Web site Aids Accessto DataEconData.Net, a guide to data fundedby the U.S. Department of Commerce,has named as May site of the monthTheDataWeb, a new site developed as acollaboration between the U.S. CensusBureau and the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention.TheDataWeb is a network of on-linedata libraries. Topics include censusdata, economic data, health data, incomeand unemployment data, populationdata, labor data, cancer data,crime and transportation data, familydynamics, and vital statistics data. Thesite serves as a starting point for workingwith microdata.TheDataWeb is home of theDataFerrett, now in its latest incarnationas a slick java-based application thatruns in most browsers. DataFerrett letsusers sift through huge microdata collectionsto select just the records of interest.DataFerrett does most of the tediouswork of preparing tables of datawhich users can then extract in a formatfor use in SPSS, SAS, Excel or Access.For those not familiar with how towork with microdata, there are helpfultutorials on using DataFerrett to minemicrodata.In addition, TheDataWeb is open toother providers of data so users canmake one of their databases availableto a wider audience, and can publishtheir data through TheDataWeb. Visitwww.thedataweb.org/.29

School Health Program NewsConferences Conferences Conferences ConferencesNational Youth AdvocacyCoalitionThe 6th annual National Youth Summitof the National Youth Advocacy Coalitionwill be held May 30–June 1, 2003,at the Washington Court Hotel in Washington,D.C. The conference will considerthe critical issues facing lesbian,gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning(LGBTQ) youth. This is the only nationalmeeting focusing entirely on issuesof critical importance to LGBTQyouth.For more information, contact:Craig A. BowmanPhone: (202) 319-7596, x15Web site: www.nyac.youth.orgSociety for Public HealthEducationThe Society for Public Health Education(SOPHE) will hold its Midyear Scientificmeeting June 18–20, 2003, in LasCruces, New Mexico. The conferencetheme is “Spicing Up Health Education:Recipes for Innovative Approaches andPractices.”For more information, contact:SOPHEPhone: (202) 408-9804E-Mail: info@sophe.orgWeb site: www.sophe.orgNational Conference onAsthmaThe National Asthma Education andPrevention Program, coordinated by theNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute(NHLBI) of the National Institutesof Health, is the chief sponsor for theNational Conference on Asthma. Scheduledfor June 18–21, 2003, in Washington,D.C., the conference will addressasthma-related objectives of HealthyPeople 2010, including eliminatinghealth disparities in asthma treatment.Some sessions are devoted to schoolbasedasthma interventions and asthmafriendlyschool policies.To register for the conference, callCatherine Porterfield at 202 973-8679.For more information, contact:Carla BattlePhone: (202) 973-8679E-Mail:asthma@courtesyasso.comNational School-BasedHealth Center ConventionThe 2003 National School-Based HealthCenter (NASBHC) Convention will beheld June 26–28, 2003, at the Hyatt Regencyin Reston, Virginia. The conferencetheme, “School-Based Health Centers:A Capitol Idea,” reflects theconvention’s location close to Washington,D.C. The conference will focus onfunding updates; collaborations withfamilies, schools, and communities;evaluation and research; clinical skillsbuilding to address important healthconcerns; and advocacy and policy tosupport school-based health centers. Aspart of the conference, the National Assemblywill convene the first-ever HillDay, during which conference participantswill have opportunities to discussissues of importance to school healthwith legislative staff of Capitol Hill.For more information, contact:Deidre WashingtonPhone: (202) 638-5874, x204E-Mail: deidrew@nasbhc.orgWeb site: www.nasbhc.orgNational Association ofSchool NursesNASN will focus on “Partners with Children,Families, and Communities” for its35th annual conference, scheduled forJune 28–July 1, 2003, at the CincinnatiConvention Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.The meeting is intended to affirm thevalue of children as full partners in theirhealth care.For more information, contact:Gloria DurginPhone: (207) 883-2117Web site: www.nasn.orgNational PreventionSymposiumThe National Prevention Symposiumwill be convened July 16–18, 2003, at theHotel Nikko in San Francisco, California.The symposium is sponsored by theComprehensive Health EducationFoundation (CHEF). The goal of thesymposium is to strengthen school andcommunity programs that support thehealthy development of youth, and reducehigh-risk behaviors in the areas ofviolence, drug abuse, sexuality, intentionaland unintentional injury, schooldropout, and delinquency.The National Prevention Symposiumpresents current information on preventionresearch, strategies and resources,and focusing on what is proven to workto reduce youth risk behaviors. Themeeting is intended for state, county,and district Safe and Drug-Free Schoolscoordinators, health educators, HIV/AIDS coordinators, bullying and violenceprevention coordinators, studentassistance professionals, juvenile justices,nurses, parents, teachers, and communitypartners.For more information, contact:Comprehensive HealthEducation FoundationPhone: (800) 323-2433Web site: www.chef.orgCenter for School MentalHealth AssistanceThe Third Annual School Health InterdisciplinaryProgram, “Charting theCourse for Our Children’s Future,” willbe convened July 21–23, 2003, at theTurf Valley Resort and Conference Centerin Ellicott City, Maryland. This is anintensive training for all professionalswho work with young people. Nationallyrecognized speakers include Dr.Malcolm Smith, Dr. Karen Dowd, Dr.Michael Fowlin, and Dr. Robert Brooks.Presentations concentrate on school climate,crisis response, cultural competence,youth at risk, youth development,and many other areas.30

May 2003Conferences Conferences Conferences ConferencesThe SHIP is sponsored by the Universityof Maryland Center for School MentalHealth Assistance, the Maryland StateDepartment of Education, the MarylandDepartment of Health and Mental Hygiene,and other Maryland partners.For more information, contact:Sylvia HuntleyPhone: (410) 706-0981E-Mail:shuntley@psych.umaryland.eduNational HIV PreventionConferenceThe National HIV Prevention Conferencewill be held July 27–30, 2003, at theHyatt Regency in Atlanta, Georgia. Numerousgovernment agencies and nongovernmentalorganizations have committedsupport to the conference becauseit provides opportunities to shareeffective prevention approaches and researchfindings among government,community, and academic partners. Itcan also strengthen collaborations betweenprogram practitioners and researcherson behavioral interventions,vaccine development, monitoring theepidemic, developing rapid and reliabletests for HIV diagnosis, and improvingaccess to early treatment.To register, you can call (703) 548-0569,x3, or you can send an e-mail toinfo@2003HIVprevconf.org.If you have questions about the conference,you may call (866) 277-6313, or e-mail yourquestions to info@2003HIVprevconf.org.California Conference onChildhood Injury ControlThe 17th Annual California Conferenceon Childhood Injury Control will beheld September 22–24, 2003, at theRadisson Hotel at Los Angeles Airport,Los Angeles, California. The conferenceis designed to update public health andpublic safety professionals, nurses, physicians,and injury prevention advocateson current issues and future directionsin injury epidemiology, public policy,and injury prevention strategies. Conductedin conjunction with the Maternaland Child Health Branch of the CaliforniaDepartment of Health Services,the conference focus is state and nationalinjury control priorities, new research onchild land adolescent injuries, and injuryprevention program models and lessonslearned.For more information, contact:Center for Injury PreventionPolicy and PracticeSan Diego State UniversityPhone: (619) 594-3691Web site: www.cippp.orgCharacter EducationPartnershipThe Character Education Partnership’s10th Annual Forum is scheduled for October16–18, 2003, in Washington, D.C.The theme is “A National Call to Character:Capitalizing on our Strengths.”The conference is designed for K–12educators, administrators, communityleaders, parents, policy makers, and researchers.The meeting intends to capitalizeon strengths of the field, includingcharacter education, service learning,social and emotional learning, civiceducation, safe and drug-free schools,and after-school youth development.For more information, contact:Merle SchwartzPhone: (800) 988-8081, x26E-Mail: mschwartz@character.orgWeb site: www.character.org/forumNational Black ChildDevelopment InstituteThe National Black Child DevelopmentInstitute’s (NBCDI) 33rd Annual Conferencewill be held October 19–21,2003, at the Hyatt Regency in New Orleans,Louisiana. NBCDI’s annual conferenceis a major training vehicle forthousands of educators, service providers,policymakers, parents and volunteersworking to improve and protect thelives of African American children andother children of color and their families.The conference will be organizedalong six major tracks: education, earlycare and education, health, child welfare/familysupport, technology, and research.For more information contact:NBCDIPhone: (202) 833-2220E-Mail: moreinfo@nbcdi.orgWeb site: www.nbcdi.orgAmerican Public HealthAssociationThe American Public HealthAssociation’s (APHA) 131st annualmeeting is scheduled for November 15–19, 2003, in San Francisco, California.This year’s focus is “Behavior, Lifestyle,and Social Determinants of Health.”With more than 900 sessions and 12,000attendees, the APHA annual meeting isthe largest public health conference inthe world. APHA now has a section devotedto school health education andservices.For more information about the conference,visit the Web site at ww.apha.org.To register, contact:Edward ShipleyPhone: (202) 777-2478E-Mail:Edward.Shipley@apha.orgCDC/DASH NationalLeadership Conference toStrengthen HIV/AIDSEducation andCoordinated SchoolHealth ProgramsThe next CDC/DASH National LeadershipConference to Strengthen HIV/AIDS Education and CoordinatedSchool Health Programs will be held inAtlanta, Georgia, in 2004. After the 2004conference, future conferences will beheld every even year.31

GlossaryAAHE: American Association of Health Education; ACS: American Cancer Society; AFHK: Action for Healthy Kids; AFY:Advocates for Youth; ALA: American Lung Association; ASCD: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development;ASHA: American School Health Association; ASTHO: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials; CCSSO: Councilof Chief State School Officers; CDC/DASH: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Adolescent andSchool Health; CHEF: Comprehensive Health Education Foundation; COBRA: Consolidated Omnibus Budget ReconciliationAct; ECU: East Carolina University; EDC: Education Development Center, Inc.; EPA: Environmental Protection Agency;HBCUs: Historically Black Colleges and Universities; HHD: EDC’s Health and Human Development Programs; HHS: U.S.Department of Health and Human Services; HIV/AIDS: Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune DeficiencySyndrome; HRQOL: health-related quality of life; HRSA: Health Resources and Services Administration; IAQ: Indoor AirQuality; IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; IOM: Institute of Medicine; KEEP: Kids Eagerly EncouragingPurity; LEAs: Local education agencies; LEAN: California Project’s Leaders Encouraging Activity and Nutrition; LGBTQ:Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Questioning youth; NASBHC: National Association of School-Based Health Centers;NASN: National Association of School Nurses; NBCDI: National Black Child Development Institute; NCATE: NationalCouncil for Accreditation of Teacher Education; NGOs: Nongovernmental organizations; NHLBI: National Heart, Lung,and Blood Institute; NYAC: National Youth Advocacy Coalition; NYAM: New York Academy of Medicine; PSAs: public serviceannouncements; SARS: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome; SCHIP: State Children’s Insurance Program; SEAs: Stateeducation agencies; SHIP: School Health Interdisciplinary Program; SIECUS: the Sexuality Information and EducationCouncil of the United States; SNAMP: School Nurse Asthma Management Program; SOPHE: Society for Public HealthEducation; SSDHPER: Society of State Directors of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation; YMCA: Young Men’s ChristianAssociation; YMCA: Young Women’s Christian Association; YRBS: Youth Risk Behavior SurveyEducation Development Center, Inc.55 Chapel StreetNewton, Massachusetts 02458-1060Non-profit OrganizationU.S. PostagePAIDBoston, MassachusettsPermit No. 58241