School Wellness Policies and the Healthy Schools Program

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School Wellness Policies and the Healthy Schools
Program

• Policy and Systems

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Session Objectives

• Identify key required components of the federal
  school wellness policy
• Compare the Healthy Schools Program Criteria
  Framework to the wellness policy implementation
  in your school
• Explore technical assistance offered by the
  Alliance for a Healthier Generation

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Why Policy and Systems?
The Healthy Schools Program is designed to create
a nationwide paradigm shiftin which a school
environment that promotes healthy eating and
physical activity is the norm and not the
exception.

NORMS
POLICY
OR
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Best Practices Framework

• Policy/Systems
• Health Education
• Physical Education
• School Meals Programs
• Competitive Foods Beverages
• Physical Activity
• Before and Afterschool Programs
• School Employee Wellness

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Requirements of the 2004 Child Nutrition
Reauthorization

• Districts will develop a wellness policy that
  includes
• Goals for nutrition education, physical activity
  and wellness activities
• Nutrition guidelines for all foods at school
• Meeting requirements for reimbursable meals
• Plan for measuring implementation, including
  naming a person responsible
• Parents/students involvement (wellness councils)

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Policy and Systems Criteria

• BRONZE-School Wellness Council
• School has convened a wellness council or
  committee that meets at least every other month
• School wellness council is representative of the
  diversity of the student population
• School wellness council includes at least one
  student-family member representative as an active
  member

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Policy Development
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Wellness Policies Examples

• Healthy Schools Program Framework provides cues
  for policy development
• Strategies included are best practices
• The criteria have been sequenced to allow for
  strengthening as community norms change

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Sample Policies

• What do you notice about this policy?
• How are you feeling about your own school
  policies after looking at this one?
• How would you rate your local wellness policy
  based on this one? Why?

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Roles in the Policy Development Process

• State level requirements and standards
• School Board
• District Administration
• District Level Staff
• District Level Wellness Council/School Health
  Advisory Council
• School Level Wellness Council

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The Wellness Policy Basics

• States the intent of the school board
• Gives the reason why policy has been developed
• Gives direction to district staff on what the
  board would like to implement

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Procedures/Regulations

• Outline a plan for implementation
• Include responsibilities and accountability of
  district and school staff-who
• Describe the specifics of implementation-how

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Policy and Procedure Examples

• Do the policies look similar or different than
  your own district policies?
• Discuss how your wellness policies were developed
  and adopted.
• Do you think these policies have been
  implemented? Why or why not?

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Successful Policy Development
School Wellness Council
Clear directives accountability
Successful implementation
Academically successful kids
Healthier kids
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Silver Policy and Systems Criteria

• Family and Community Involvement
• Status of activities communicated to students,
  families and school staff.
• All parents and guardians have the opportunity to
  provide meaningful input

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A Policy Challenge-Strategy Shift

• Obstacle or Barrier

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Policy and the Framework

• Health Education
• Physical Education
• School Meals Programs
• Competitive Foods Beverages
• Physical Activity
• Before and Afterschool Programs
• School Employee Wellness

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Evidenced Based Policies

• Limiting access to unhealthy food
• Free access to drinking water
• Increasing physical activity/PE
• Quality health education

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What gets measured get managed

• Accountability in policy
• Ensuring that policy is a living document, not
  just meeting a requirement

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Other Policy and Systems Criteria

• Checklist items
• 11 total
• 6 for silver
• 9 for gold

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Online Resources
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Healthy Schools Program Technical Assistance

• Toolkit
• E-mail and phone calls
• Onsite training specific to criteria

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Questions??3-2-1