 The Challenge:
The physical, social and emotional health of students can support or hinder their
academic success and their prospects for a productive and healthy life. State and
national data reveal that many Tennessee students engage in unhealthy behaviors
that are detrimental to both their health and academic success. Additionally, data
indicate that school environments may not be as supportive as they could be of students’
health. Yet, in spite of these and other challenges, Tennessee schools can have
a powerful influence on improving students’ well-being and readiness to learn.
Our Mission:
“The mission of Coordinated School Health is to improve students’ health and their
capacity to learn through the support of families, communities and schools.”
CSH Model:
The CDC’s Coordinated School Health (CSH) model is a systematic approach that ensures
that a school community effectively links health with educational success. Although
these components are listed separately, it is their composite that allows CSH to
have significant impact. CSH is implemented in a way that fits the unique needs
and resources of each school community. The eight components of CSH are:
- Health Education
- Health Services
- Counseling, Psychological and Social Services
- Physical Education
- Nutrition Services
- Student, Family/Community Involvement
- Healthy School Environment
- Health Promotion for Staff
Goals:
- Establish and maintain state and local partnerships
necessary to implement the CSH model statewide.
- Create awareness about the importance of students’
health and wellness to their academic success and prospects for future work.
- Maximize the ability of each school community to adopt
and implement the CSH model by providing resources, materials and technical assistance
to meet the needs of that school community.
- Promote a healthy school environment in all Tennessee
school communities.
- Provide annual evaluation and needs assessment for
monitoring CSH in each school community.
CSH Outcomes:
- Increased the number of students who received screening
to include Body Mass Index (BMI) and blood pressure
- Reduced Absenteeism
- Improved nurse-to-student ratios resulting in increased
class time
- Increased access to health care services t Increased
health education
Our Approach
We believe:
- Adults and students in a school community can take
action to protect and enhance students’ health by providing a healthy school environment
and using effective health education strategies.
- It is vital to take a dual approach to students’ health
by reducing students’ risky behaviors and increasing students’ capacity to effectively
deal with current and future health challenges.
- It is important to help students acquire the necessary
knowledge, skills, and attitudes to make informed decisions about their health and
reduce risky behaviors.
Successful Strategies:
- Create awareness of how health impacts academic outcomes.
- Understand that health has three interconnected components
– physical, social and emotional.
- Keep in mind that students’ health is influenced on
three different fronts – school, family and community.
- Take a comprehensive approach to the health education
of students.
- Work with school communities to take a systems change
approach that emphasizes parent involvement, healthy school environments, community
partnerships, and students’ connectedness to school.
Activities to Date:
- T.C.A. § 49-1-1002: The Coordinated School Health
Improvement Act of 2000 provided funding for 10 school districts to become CSH pilot
sites.
- State CSH legislation, guidelines/standards and policies
have been established.
- The Office of Coordinated School Health has been created
within the Tennessee Department of Education. Additional positions have been filled
to assist with the CSH statewide expansion.
- Annual outcome-based evaluation of CSH has been implemented
since 2002.
- Legislation to provide CSH funding for all school
systems was passed in 2006.
- Several state and regional conferences have been held
to promote CSH in partnership with Action for Healthy Kids, Tennessee School Health
Coalition, TAHPERD and state universities.
- The CSH partnership has led to greater collaboration
among the Tennessee Department of Education, the Tennessee Department of Health
and community-based organizations.
- The State Board of Education has approved state school
health policies to help the mission of CSH.
- Many CSH presentations have been made to national,
state and local organizations.
Initial Local Empowerment:
Beginning in 2001, the Office of Coordinated School Health implemented the CDC Allensworth/Kolbe
model in ten state-funded Coordinated School Health Improvement pilot sites: Henry
County, Loudon County, Macon County, Monroe County, Putnam County, Tipton County,
Trenton SSD & Gibson County, Stewart County, Warren County, and Washington County.
The remaining Tennessee school systems began CSH on July 1, 2007.
State Contact Information:
The Office of CSH provides consultation and technical assistance to all school districts.
Call 615-532-6300 for assistance. www.tennessee.gov/education/schoolhealth
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