Progress or Promises Whats Working For and Against Healthy Schools

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Progress or Promises?Whats Working For and
Against Healthy Schools
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Progress or Promises? Whats Working For and
Against Healthy Schools

• Published Fall 2008
• Downloadable PDF of report, executive summary and
  supporting documents at
• www.ActionForHealthyKids.org

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• Theres a definite awareness now that the next
  generation may have a shorter lifespan because of
  obesity and people are passionate about not
  letting this happen.
• Madeleine Levin, MPH, Senior Policy Analyst,
  Food Research and Action Center

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The Report

• Status of efforts to improve nutrition and
  physical activity in schools
• New research with 2,000 diverse stakeholders
  nationwide
• Analysis of existing and new data
• Interviews with and commentary by authorities in
  education, childrens health, and school wellness

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Change takes time simply because school
district leaders balance so many challenging
priorities. Katherine Kaufer Christoffel, MD,
MPH, Director of the Center for Obesity
Management and Prevention at Chicagos Children's
Memorial Hospital Pediatrics Professor at
Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of
Medicine
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What Is School Wellness?

• School wellness encompasses healthy eating,
  adequate physical activity, nutrition education,
  and physical education for all students.
• Improving school wellness practices is essential
  to decreasing childhood obesity and preparing
  children to live healthy, active, productive
  lives.

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• If there were ever some loud sirens out there,
  theyre there now, when you begin to talk about
  the condition of our children and the rapid pace
  at which our health is declining.
• Gene Wilhoit, Executive Director of the Council
  of Chief State School Officers formerly Director
  of the Arkansas Department of Education and
  Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of
  Education

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Report Takeaway

• Its critical for kids to be well nourished and
  physically active in order to learn.
• American schools still too resource-strapped.
• Strides made, but system-wide changes urgently
  needed.
• Roadblocks hamper progress.

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• Educators themselves often dont make the link
  between health and education. They see their role
  as producing kids who are excited about learning,
  and giving them strong academic and life skills.
  But educators sometimes dont make the connection
  that health is a huge contributor to success in
  life. The irony is that as weve increased
  academic expectations, weve neglected the health
  and wellness side of things which is a total
  contradiction.
• Gene Wilhoit

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Takeaway, contd

• Urban and minority communities especially
  challenged.
• Prevalence of health problems
• Disproportionate lack of resources
• Unhealthy environmental influences
• Higher levels of overweight and obesity

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• Many parents in low-income minority communities
  now understand that obesity is a dangerous and
  disproportionate burden on their communities.
  They see these health disparities as nothing less
  than a social justice issue.
• Guillermo Gomez, Chicago Director for the
  Healthy Schools Campaign

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Takeaway, contd

• Problem exacerbated by gaps in perception.
• Some school administrators minimize problem.
• Parents who are critical to solution are
  often unaware, uninvolved.

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Takeaway, contd

• Biggest nutrition hurdle getting
  youth-appealing, nutrient-rich foods into
  schools.
• Without this, kids cant make healthy food
  choices.
• Eliminating junk food only a partial solution.
• Of equal concern nutritional quality of food
  available in schools.

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• School wellness isnt just a matter of shifting
  the emphasis off the least nutritious foods its
  about shifting the emphasis onto healthier
  foods.
• Jennifer Weber, Manager of National Nutrition
  Policy, American Dietetic Association

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• Why should there be any unhealthy foods and
  beverages in schools? Surround kids with healthy
  foods and healthy food choices, making them easy
  for children to get create an environment where
  the choices at school are all healthy. If you
  really listen to kids, there are healthy foods
  they like.
• Madeleine Levin

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Other Report Messages

• Schools top priority is not childrens health.
• Other priorities take precedence.
• Academic pressures dominate.
• Healthy learning environments overlooked?

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• At the present time the incentives are not
  lined up so that putting wellness on the front
  burner makes business sense to school districts
  or schools. They meet the letter of the law, but
  then the fiscal realities come into play.
• Katherine Kaufer Christoffel

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Other Messages, contd

• Resources inadequate to implement wellness
  policies.
• This in spite of federal mandate.
• Some schools ill-equipped to tackle problem.
• Some schools ill-prepared for implementation.
• Schools cant do it alone.

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• Finding time to insert wellness-related
  activities like nutrition education and physical
  activity into the calendar is challenging. You
  cant blame teachers and districts for wanting to
  spend more time on math and science.
• Howell Wechsler, Director of the Division of
  Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease
  Control and Prevention

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Other Messages, contd

• Much progress made but more still to come.
• Easy fixes made now, new investment needed.
• Relatively simple and successful steps already
  taken.
• Now we must address the systemic barriers.

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• The federal mandate to create a policy forced a
  national discussion about what we want for our
  children in schools, in terms of nutrition and
  physical activity. And thats good. But the
  second wave of wellness activity is making those
  policies work toward a continuous improvement
  process in the schools. And that step is proving
  to be more difficult.
• Robert Murray, Chair of the Council on School
  Health, American Academy of Pediatrics Professor
  of Pediatrics, Ohio State University

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Other Messages, contd

• Physical education and physical activity programs
  are low priorities in many schools.
• This despite benefits to academic achievement.
• Once again, inadequate funding and time.
• Surprisingly low emphasis in schools.

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Other Messages, contd

• Insufficient monitoring and tracking of school
  wellness.
• Disagreement among stakeholders on progress.
• Most schools/states no systems in place to
  measure.
• Policy mandates meaningless without monitoring.

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• In order to achieve continuous quality
  improvement in school wellness the next step
  after policy implementation states will likely
  have to mandate monitoring. Without a mandate to
  monitor progress, my fear is that schools just
  wont do it.
• Robert Murray

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What Do Parents Think?

• 82 say schools should provide more nutritious,
  appealing meals.
• 80 say more opportunities for physical activity
  needed during the school day.
• 96 say they themselves should play a role in
  school wellness.

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What Do Parents Think? contd

• Although 73 of parents say their schools welcome
  parental involvement...
• Only 24 have contacted schools to request
  improvements in meals.
• Only 24 have done so regarding physical
  education and physical activity

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What Do School Administrators Think?

• Over 60 of superintendents and principals say
  schools have effective wellness policies most
  community health professionals disagree.
• Two-thirds of superintendents and half of
  principals feel that most school effectively
  engage wellness teams over 60 of almost all
  other stakeholders disagree.

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• Most change happens because of the impassioned
  leadership of one individual. Were going to have
  to tap into those superintendents at the state
  and district level who get it, and perhaps even
  the retired ones who get it. They can help
  their peers understand that all superintendents
  will eventually be held accountable for school
  wellness.
• Howell Wechsler

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What Do School Administrators Think? contd

• Over 80 of superintendents say schools do
  provide access to healthy, youth-appealing foods
  most teachers, parents, and health professionals
  disagree.
• Half of school administrators and board members
  say most schools provide quality daily physical
  education and physical activity for all students
  over 70 of P.E. teachers and parents disagree.
• Over half of administrators and board members
  believe schools have effective policies to
  encourage daily physical activity two-thirds of
  P.E. teachers, parents, students, and community
  and state education and health professionals
  disagree.

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• The relatively cheap fixes are done. We are
  starting to make progress on them already. But
  overhauling physical education and school lunches
  fixing these is much more resource-intensive.
• Howell Wechsler

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What Can Parents Do?

• Be a good wellness role model at home.
• Stay informed about the schools wellness
  practices.
• Join child in the lunchroom to see firsthand
  whats available.
• Call childs principal to inquire about
  districts wellness policy.
• Work with foodservice staff to add fresh fruits
  and vegetables, whole grains, or milk in updated,
  attractive packaging.
• Organize walkathons, lobby for improved
  playground facilities, sponsor wellness-themed
  fundraisers.

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What Can Schools Do?

• Elevate the importance of wellness.
• Leverage connection with academic performance.
• Track and report the impact of school wellness.
• Get others involved.
• Make a broad, sustained commitment.
• Create a healthy environment.

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• The catalyst for improving school wellness is
  leadership. Whether its a superintendent, a
  principal, a motivated school board member, an
  active and interested parent, or all of the
  above, school wellness has to start with one
  committed individual or constituency.
• David Satcher, MD, PhD, 16th U.S. Surgeon
  General and Founding Chair of Action for Healthy
  Kids

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Action for Healthy Kids The Future

• Emphasis on nutritional quality and physical
  activity.
• Redoubled focus on underserved communities.
• Enlist parents as wellness advocates.
• Support school leaders.
• Share and replicate best practices of Action for
  Healthy Kids Teams.
• Support local wellness policy implementation and
  monitoring.

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• With school wellness, you have to pick your
  shots get some wins look for other small
  victories. Even if it doesnt lead to change
  right now, youre laying real groundwork.
• Julia Graham Lear, PhD, Research Professor,
  George Washington University Director, Center
  for Health and Health Care in Schools

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School Wellness Resources

• Parents Advocating for School Wellness
• Game On! The Ultimate Wellness Challenge
• ReCharge! Energizing After-School
• School wellness policy monitoring tool
• URWhatUEat
• Available at
• www.ActionForHealthyKids.org

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• I have never seen a community that demands
  high expectations of a school and have that
  school not deliver on it. I have seen some
  enlightened superintendents and educators bring
  about excellence despite a community, but its
  very hard. Its so much easier to bring about
  changes if the community understands it, the
  conditions, and is committed to making a
  difference in the lives of children. It gives the
  superintendent a clear message, and it gives the
  teachers direction and excitement.
• Gene Wilhoit