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School Health Advisory Councils

Welcome

While we are waiting to begin, please:• Compete the survey•Put a post-it note on the coordinated school health component that best matches your job responsibility•Indicate on the note at least one expectation from this workshop

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Goal and Objectives

1 2 3 4

Understand the value of a SHAC

Understand the of the law

Provide best practices:

•Recruitment•Organization•Effectiveness

Provide practical information, resources, and strategies

Empower You to Help Your School District Have an Exemplary School Health Advisory Council

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Agenda

1. Improving Your School’s Bottom Line: Why SHACs Make A Difference

2. SHAC Basics: Essential Information to Get You Started

3. Lunch

4. How to Recruit and Retain Great SHAC Members

5. How to Create an Exemplary SHAC

6. Wrapping It All Up

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A Few Housekeeping Details……

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Introductions

• Your Name• Your School District• Your Role• Two things you’d like

to get out of this workshop

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School Health Advisory CouncilsWhy They MakeA Difference

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Youth Risk Behaviors

Tobacco Use Poor Food Choices and Inappropriate Portion

Sizes Inadequate Physical Activity Alcohol and Drug Use Sexual Behaviors That Can Transmit HIV and

other STD’s Unintended Pregnancy Intentional and Unintentional Injuries, Often

Due to Violence

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National Trends Adults

Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CDC.

19961991

Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 1991, 1996, 2004

(* BMI 30, or about 30 lbs overweight for 5’4” person)

No Data <10% 10% –14% 15%–19% 20%–24% ? 25%

2004

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National Trends in Child Overweight

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4th 25.6% 29.4% 21.5% 24.9% 32.2% 18.9%

8th 18.8% 21.0% 16.1% 18.2% 25.0% 13.6%

11th 14.5% 17.0% 11.4% 16.6% 23.0% 10.6%

White/

Other

Boys

All

Hispan

ics

Girls

Africa

nAmeri

can

Body Mass Index Above the 95 percentile for age and sex (2000-2002 Span Data)

Texas Health Data 2000-2002

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Rate of Childhood Overweight-Texas

•Table 2. Prevalence of overweight1 and at-risk-of overweight2 in Texas school-age children between 2004 and 2005

 

  Overweight At Risk for Overweight

4th Grade 23% 19%8th Grade 20% 19%

11th Grade 19% 17%

 

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National Diabetes Ethnicity Trends

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Promoting Healthy Behaviors

Refusal Skills Decision Making Goal Setting Communication Healthy Relationship

Building Interest in Alternative

Health Promotion Activities

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Activity

Each person at your table take a different component of coordinated school health

Using obesity as the topic:• Discuss how weaknesses in

your component contribute to obesity

• Discuss how strengths in your component can contribute to solutions to obesity.

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Elements of Excellence

1 2 3 4

ActiveLeadership

CoordinatedAnd

CollaborativeApproach

Safe andNurturingLearning

Environment

CommitmentOf

Time,Personnel,Resources

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A History of SHACs

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History of SHAC

Session 1 Session 2 Session 3

Human Sexuality Only

Health Education

Only

Coordinated School Health

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Current LawA Brief Note

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What’s Needed for Change?

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School Health Advisory Council

A SHAC is a group of individuals representative of segments of the community, generally appointed by the school district to serve at the district level.

They provide advice on coordinated school health programming and its impact on student health and learning.

A SHAC provides recommendations that impact the entire school district.

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SHAC Roles and Responsibilities

• Every school district must have a SHAC• They should focus on the district not

individual campuses• The make recommendations to the school

board• They do not have legal authority• The majority of members must be parents

not employed by the school district• SHACs have certain restrictions by law

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Key Duties

• The number of hours of health education instruction

• Curriculum appropriate for specific grade levels

• Appropriate grade levels and methods of human sexuality instruction

• Strategies for integrating the curriculum components into other elements of a school district

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Common Responsibilities

Most commonly includes:• Program planning• Promotion and advocacy• Consideration of fiscal impact• District and state agency interaction• School Board interaction• Evaluation, accountability and

Quality Control

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Who Makes Up A SHAC?

• Combination of parents, community leaders, and school personnel

• The majority must be parents not employed by the school district

• The law suggests but doesn’t require representation for numerous community groups.

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Many Sources for Members

School Personnel

Government Officials

Interested Parents

Youth Groups

Law Enforcement

Public Media

Colleges/Universities

Civic Organizations Faith-based Institutions

Volunteer Health Agencies

Business/Industry

Public Health Agencies Medical Professionals

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Activity

• Refer to Worksheet 1 on page 25 of your SHAC Guide.

• Become familiar with the document• List the names of people you know who

might fit the different categories• List the names of people you know who

may know people who fit the different categories.

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Coordinated School Health Model

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Texas and Federal Law

Essentially divided into four parts:• The role of a SHAC• Who should serve• Restrictions regarding human

sexuality• Accountability

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Four Currently Approved Programs

Texas law requires elementary, middle and junior high schools to adopt a coordinated school health program.

Approved for elementary schools:• Bienestar• CATCH• Great Body Shop• Healthy and Wise

Approved programs for middle school and junior high have not been determined

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Federal Child Nutrition

The federal Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act requires that every school district must have a wellness policy in place.

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LunchWe start back promptly at 12:30

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Afternoon Topics

Practical considerations regarding getting your SHAC in place and in operation:• Recruitment• Formation of your SHAC• Effective functioning of your

SHAC

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Important Recruitment Criteria

A SHAC is only as good as its members

Recruitment takes time and planning but is worth the investment

Key selection criteria:• A Demonstrated interest in youth• Knowledge of the community• Professional ability• Commitment of time• Representative of the population• Credibility

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Your First Step

Form a recruitment team of 3 to 5 objective individuals whose focus is simply to identify prospective members.

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SHAC Recruitment Process

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

Identify Recruit Orient

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Many Sources for Members

School Personnel

Government Officials

Interested Parents

Youth Groups

Law Enforcement

Public Media

Colleges/Universities

Civic Organizations Faith-based Institutions

Volunteer Health Agencies

Business/Industry

Public Health Agencies Medical Professionals

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Activity

Imagine being asked to serve as a member of your district’s Pandemic Flu Preparedness Committee.

What questions would you have before you agreed to serve?

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Steps In Forming A SHAC

• Develop bylaws or guidelines for how the group will function.

• Establish a statement of philosophy often called

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School Health Index

Developed by the CDC, this excellent tool helps to assess a school systems school health strengths and areas for improvement.

It is free and available in printed or on line versions.

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Activity

• Divide into groups of two• Each person should take a

different nutrition module and survey their partner

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Our School District’s Results

School Health Index Overall Score Card _____Camp Allen ISD__________________________________________

For each module (row), write an X in the one column where the Module Score falls*

Low Medium High

0 – 20%

21% – 40%

41% – 60%

61% – 80%

81% – 100%

School Health Policies and Environment – Health Education –

Physical Education and Physical Activity – Nutrition Services –

School Health Services – Counseling, Psychological, Social Services –

Health Promotion for Staff – Family and Community Involvement –

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Developing Strategic Plans

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Continuous Quality Improvement

Evaluate

Recruit Organize

Assess

Plan

SHAC Cycle

The JourneyStarts Here

Implement

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A SHAC should always keep in mind that their major objective is to develop recommendations for improving coordinated school health policies and practices for their school board to consider.

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Activity

• Stay in your groups of two• Using your handout

“Complimentary Actions” Worksheet, write down three objectives to address.

• Next, each pair should discuss specific actions that both a SHAC and an ISD leadership team can take

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Complimentary Actions

School Boardand

School Superintendent

School Health Advisory Council

Internal School Health Action TeamIssue

Do an assessment using the School Health Index

Actions:•Assign representative from each dept. to project team•Distributes survey to faculty•Summarize results and draft report

Actions:•Assign member to project team•Get PTA to survey parents•Analyze results•Present report to school board

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Qualities of S.M.A.R.T. Objective

Specific: What kind of, or which problem is to be addressed?

Measurable. How much, how many, and how well the problem will be resolved.

Action-Oriented. Uses action verbsReasonable. Result you can expect

to achieve.Time-bound. Gives specific data for

its own achievement.

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Measurable Objectives

A = Audience: Who will be affected (target group) B = Behavior: The observable change (knowledge,

attitude, behavior, process) that will occur in the target group because of your project.

C = Conditions: How the behaviors will be observed or measured, including the instruments to be used.

D = Data: Levels of attainment that must be met in order for your project to be called a success (your definition).

E = Era: Identifies when the effects of your program will be measured

Easy As ABCDE

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Activity

• Still in your pairs, use the “Complimentary Actions Strategic Planning” Worksheet

• Work together to craft a specific goal and two objectives you want to achieve.

• Include specific actions both the SHAC and CSH Leadership Team can achieve.

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The Ultimate Objective

By affecting school policies, a SHAC can ensure that school health practices are improved and are sustained so that all children who attend school in that district receive the benefits of coordinated school health.

The only legal authority to adopt a local school policy is the school board. SHACs can only make recommendations.

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Getting Policy Adopted

Five Basic Steps

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Lay the Groundwork

• Clarify the need• Clarify the objective• Review the policy development

process for your school district• Collect information• Brainstorm concrete activities or

programs• Write a policy proposal• Become familiar with local dynamics• Devise an appropriate strategy• Respect the hierarchy• Do not expect quick or easy victories

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Build Awareness and Support

• Involve those affected by the policy• Involve school health supporting

organizations in the community• Involve people from a variety of

community groups.• Anticipate, respond to, and involve

critics• Apply communication strategies as

needed

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Draft the Policy

• Bring the policy proposal to the attention of the decision-making body.

• Review policy options and legal parameters.

• Stay focused on the “big picture.”• Draft the policy language that is simple,

clear, specific, and accurate.

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Adopt the Policy

• Present the policy recommendations to the school board.

• Use a well respected and known person to present a persuasive case.

• Support the school board in the decision-making process.

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Administer the Policy

• This is largely the role of administration, however, SHACs can assist in developing implementation guidelines.

• Support the administration by providing positive community support.

• Ensure that the effort is maintained.

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Activity

• Use the “Community School Partnership” Worksheet

• At each table, review the sample.

• Each table should choose an objective and complete the “Community-School Partnership” Worksheet by listing resources/contributions that various entities can provide to the solution.

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A Word on Evaluation

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Great Resources

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Questions and Answers

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Thank You for Participating

Please complete an evaluation of this workshop.

Have a save and pleasant journey home.

Best wishes in your efforts to improve school health in your school district through.