Frequently Asked Questions

Information from the CCSSO/ASTHO

Listed below are common questions parents, teachers, and administrators who have just received basic information might ask about a coordinated approach to school health.

Does a coordinated approach require additional funding for our school or school district?
Adopting this approach may mean better use of the resources you already have at your school or in your community. You can begin to establish partnerships with the public health department, local business and industry, or private health organizations that may provide services or funds.  This approach is not a reorganizing of the school curriculum or administration; rather it is a way of focusing on our children’s health and well-being from kindergarten through 12th grade. Changes do not have to be made in all eight areas at once...even starting with a few that are the most critical to your schools will help your kids. And, in fact, now that you’re aware of what the areas are, you probably find that you have many of them in place already.

How does a coordinated approach fit into the school’s primary mission to promote learning?
The coordinated approach to school health is designed to assure that children and teens are ready to learn everyday throughout their school years by being physically and emotionally healthy.  For today’s kids to succeed they need to learn to read, write, and understand math. But how much can they learn if they’re using alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, and/or suffering from stress or depression?  Preparing children for learning means addressing their intellectual, emotional, and physical needs. A coordinated approach offers our children opportunities — from health education to a healthy school environment — to learn and practice skills that will help them throughout their lives.  The ideal approach brings health topics into day-to-day learning activities in a variety of subject areas and settings, so that both academic goals and an understanding of health issues are addressed together.

What have other schools found to be the benefits of a coordinated approach?
Other schools, communities, and parents have noted the following benefits:

• Teaches students practical skills they can use to make smart choices for life  
• Reduces absenteeism and behavioral problems
• Improves classroom performance (higher test score s more alert students, and more positive attitudes among students)  
• Increases collaboration among parents, teachers and administrators, and the community, providing increased resources and services to schools
• Gets kids ready to learn by meeting their basic needs (e.g., school meal programs, nurses’ diagnosis of illness). 

It is important to remember, however, that a coordinated health approach is not a magic bullet; it cannot provide all the answers to multiple health, academic, or social issues.

How does a coordinated approach address instruction about controversial issues, like sex education?
The basic idea of a coordinated approach to health is to bring together education and health and to figure out how schools can support efforts of families and communities.  How programs are put in place will be determined, as always, by local communities with input from individual schools, educators, and parents.  In terms of sex education, many communities decide it is appropriate to cover this topic in classrooms. The research shows that carefully constructed programs help kids delay sexual activity and don’t cause increased sexual activity or other risky behaviors. The type of abstinence/sex education offered to students is a decision that you as parents and school and health professionals must make as a community.

Does coordinated school health take into consideration issues of mental health?
The idea behind school counseling and mental health is to make sure we support both the emotional and physical well-being of students. Statistics show us that kids are affected by stress, depression, and thoughts of suicide.  Ways to help kids can include peer discussions on stress management; conflict resolution or violence prevention training for teachers and students; and workshops and other opportunities to help parents understand self-esteem, adolescent rebellion, and peer pressure. Schools cannot meet the mental health needs of families alone but can form relationships with other community professionals and make referrals.

Who can initiate and manage a coordinated approach to health?
Coordinated school health can be managed by different staff. In some areas a school health coordinator from either the health department or department of education (or sometimes one from each) would initiate and develop the approach with guidance from a community board. The key to a successful approach is to have someone who brings together all of the many people in charge so that the overall effort is coordinated. The school nurse, often with help from the public health department, often coordinates and provides health services along with other professionals, such as social workers, speech pathologists, and dentists providing specific services. There is no one model. The organization and maintenance of a coordinated approach depends to a large extent on the staff at each school, the families, and the community partners who are available to help.

Why is teacher and staff wellness listed?
First of all, teachers and staff serve as role models for the students. They may teach the benefits of exercise, good nutrition, or not smoking, but if they are seriously overweight or smoke during recess, students may not find their health messages credible. Second, teachers who are healthy and feel appreciated at school more often become happier employees. Successful schools have highly motivated teachers and lower absentee rates.

Our school building has problems with inadequate heating and cooling and poor lighting.  What kind of role will a coordinated school approach have in dealing with these types of issues?
Parents and school staff can form a safety committee and request help from the public health department and community contractors to identify and remedy problems.  Usually a school system would pay for the improvements.  In some cases, contractors may donate their services.  Other parents and community representatives can be called in to assist in keeping the school environment clean, safe, and healthy.

What’s the first step in starting a coordinated approach in our school ?
You may want to have meetings with parents, teachers, and other school staff to discuss the possibility of starting a coordinated approach and delegate a person or committee to undertake a needs assessment to evaluate the current health- related programs and to determine the priorities in this area. A needs assessment usually involves interviews with key people, a written questionnaire distributed to others (parents, teachers, staff), and/or a review of current curriculum, materials, and programs at the school and in the community.

Is there a role for media in this type of program?
Using media is a way to get the message out about coordinated school health that can enhance your efforts. Examples of using media effectively to support the program include:

• Sending public service announcements and press releases to local print and broadcast media to describe your efforts and to solicit assistance
• Communicating to community groups and interested people by electronic media over the Internet, which can easily be accessed to support your efforts.

How does this approach address confidentiality when dealing with our children’s health?
Each state has different laws governing a family’s right to privacy, and schools must adhere to these regulations within the context of a health program.  A coordinated approach should not change confidentiality adherence.  In terms of any disciplinary or legal issues, schools will always notify parents of any areas of concern.

Would this approach diminish the family’s role in teaching kids about health?
The coordinated approach is designed to support the family in teaching health knowledge and skills.  School health should reinforce the healthy behaviors that parents teach at home and provide opportunities for practicing those behaviors in another setting.  Given the complexity of today’s world, it is probably impossible for parents to teach every aspect of health.  Teachers and other professionals who have current knowledge of health issues — from healthful eating and exercising to drugs and tobacco prevention — can present information that can help kids prevent many problems and diseases later in life.

In addition, many parents may not know what some of the key risks may be — for example, how accessible marijuana is to kids or the effects of lead paint exposure on young children.

Parents play a key role in starting and shaping a coordinated health approach, and their input and contributions are essential in making it work. If there are differences of opinion about issues to be discussed in school, parents would have opportunities to voice concerns and resolve issues.