Advocating for School Wellness

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Advocating for School Wellness
Role of Nutrition, Health and Physical Education
in Closing the Achievement Gap
SHAPE Workshops Spring 2009
4-2-09
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Overview

• Goals for Education
• Achievement Gap and Health Gap Connection
• School Wellness Saves Money
• Advocate What You Can Do!

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• We must understand this important truth that
  improving childrens health likely improves
  school performance. It may even help a schools
  bottom line.

David Satcher
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Goals for Education
Raise Academic Performance
Improve Student Well-Being
AND
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Same Goals!

• Healthier students typically do better in
  schoolWe know that strong bodies and strong
  minds work together to helpour students
  succeed.
• December 2008

Jack OConnellState Superintendent of Public
Instruction
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The Achievement Gap and Health Gap
What is the connection?
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Demographics California K-12 Enrollment for
2006-07 6,286,943
Source CDE DataQuest
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What is the Achievement Gap?

• Disparity between
• White and other Ethnic groups
• Socio-economically Disadvantaged and Non-
  Disadvantaged
• Students with Disabilities and students without
  Disabilities

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English-Language ArtsPercentages of Economically
Disadvantaged Percentages of Not Economically
Disadvantaged Students Scoring at Proficient and
Above, 2007
Economically Disadvantaged Not Economically
Disadvantaged
Source CDE DataQuest
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What is the Health Gap?

• Disparities in incidence of disease, disability
  and death among specific populations

• Economically Disadvantaged
• Ethnic Populations - African American,
• Hispanic, Native American

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Health Gap for Children Some Examples

• Anemia Higher among African-American children
• 19 AA versus 10 for Whites
• Dental Health Higher rates of poor teeth
  conditions
• 21 Hispanic children versus 11 African American
  vs 6 White
• Asthma Higher among African American and
  Hispanic children
• African American and Hispanic children have a 60
  higher rate of asthma than White children
• 12.7 incidence for both African American and
  Hispanic children compared to 8 incidence for
  White Children

Source Office of Minority Health
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Students Need School Wellness More than Ever

• February 2009 Superintendent OConnellsState
  of Education Address
• In difficult times, our schools provide safe and
  stable environments.
• Efforts at fitness have raised student
  achievement in California butin the last year
• 19 more homeless students
• 12 increase in numbers of subsidized meals
  served to California students
• 28 million more meals and growing

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Achievement and Health
Go hand in hand
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Health Improves Learning

• Poor nutrition decreases cognitive functioning
  and performance in the areas of language,
  concentration, and attention.

• Students with the highest fitness scores have the
  highest SAT-9 scores. Jim Sallis, 1999

Wehler, Scott, Anderson, 1996
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Health and Physical Education Raises Scores

• Health Education Third and fourth grade students
  who received comprehensive health education had
  significantly higher reading and math scores.
  Schoener, Guerrero, and Whitney, 1988
• Intensive Physical Education programs had higher
  reading, math and writing scores and reduced
  disruptive behaviors in the classroom. Sallis,
  1999

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Garden Education Raises Science Scores

• Students in third, fourth and fifth grade
  participated in school gardening activities
• Weekly garden reinforced by hands-on classroom
  activities
• Higher science achievement scores compared to
  those who did not have garden activities
• Klemmer, Waliczek, 2005 (Louisianna schools)

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School Wellness Saves Money
Even in tight budget times
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Health Affects Attendance

• Students with poor nutrition physical fitness
  more likely to be absent and tardy. Murphy, 1998
• Very overweight students miss 4-6 times more
  school than normal weight kids. Schwimmer 2003AHK

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Health Impacts School Budget

• Cost of Students being out one day a month
• A single-day absence by one student costs the
  district between 9 - 20.
• Reference Action for Healthy Kids The Learning
  Connection 2005, www.actionforhealthykids.org

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Do The Math
Figure out the impact to your district
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Wellness Is Cost Effective
Cuts Student Absences
Improves Student Well-Being
AND
Increases academic achievement
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Wellness. Investment in the Bottom Line

• Academic Resources
• Increased readiness to learn
• Better achievement
• Staffing
• Fewer visits to school nurse
• Fewer behavior problems
• Funds
• As school wellness increases the ADA goes up

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Closing the Gap Improves Our Future
In California, The achievement and health gap
represents a majority of students
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• Advocate!

What You Can Do
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What You Can Do!

• Share District Data with Vision
• Make the connection between health and academics
  with district-specific data
• Get others involved
• Integrate Wellness Into Your Districts
  Achievement Strategic Plans
• Discuss District Wellness Policy
• Include wellness in Program Improvement
• Emphasize turn-key approaches

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Fitness Gram 2008California Statistics
Use Your District Data
http//www.eddataonline.com/fitness/data/default.a
spx or http//data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/
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Local Example Fitnessgram 2006-07 in Healthy
Fitness ZoneABC Elementary
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California Healthy Kids Survey results can be
tailored for your district
http//www.wested.org/cs/chks/print/docs/chks_bsea
rch.htm
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XXX School Data/Year
Example Percentage Of District Students Who
Report Eating Breakfast On The Day Of The Survey
XXX County 81 60 52 51
Grade 5 7 9 11
83
68
62
59
0
20
40
60
80
100
Percent of Students
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Another GapImplementation versus Reality
Parents Views on School Wellness Policy from a
National Action for Healthy Kids Survey 2005
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Compare Your District
Wellness Area
Parents Views on School Wellness Policy from
a National Action for Healthy Kids Survey 2005
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CDEs Closing the Achievement Gap PlanBased on
Four Themes

• Access
• How do all students gain access to what they
  need?
• Culture/Climate
• How can schools offer the best learning
  environment for all students?
• Expectations
• Are high expectations for teachers and students
  truly held?
• Strategies
• What practices have been proven effective for
  closing the achievement gap?

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Some Ways to Integrate

• Access- Fresh, Wholesome Foods Quality Health
  and Physical Education for All
• Culture- Healthful, Vibrant Campuses
• Expectations- Walk the Talk (Policies and
  Practices)
• Strategies- Share Wellness Models

Source of ACES CDEs Report on Closing the
Achievement Gap http//www.cde.ca.gov/eo/in/pc/
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Involve The Whole School

• Get on the Principals Meeting Agenda-
• invite them to see activities
• Involve Teachers- Hands on Nutrition and Taste
  tests at meetings health posters in teachers
  rooms staff wellness ideas to integrate into
  curricula
• Be the Coachs Buddy- promote healthy snacks and
  education for competitive edge
• Nurse as Partner in reducing health visits
• Guidance Counselor as ally to prevent behavior
  problems through positive student activities
• Parents as Messengers- talk to PTA leaders about
  why fitness matters-promote fitness events
• Publish health articles in school newsletters

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• Today many educators are narrowing their focus
  on academics in order to meet testing and
  accountability standards... You cant sacrifice
  one part of a child for another. Focusing on a
  part of the child is a zero-sum game that forces
  false choices.
• Gene R. Carter, EdD. Executive Director and CEO
  of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum

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Some Resources Used to Develop This Presentation

• Massachusetts Department of Education Health and
  Academics Making the Link http//www.doe.mass.edu/
  cnp/health00/slides.PDF
• Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities
  (OMHD)-Overview Centers for Disease Control
  Prevention (CDC) http//www.reportingonhealth.com/
  resources/topics/links/office-minority-health-heal
  th-disparities-omhd-3
• Reducing Health Disparities by Reducing Education
  Disparities Whats health got to do with it?
  Division of Partnerships and Strategic Alliances,
  Centers for Disease Control

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Resources (continued)

• Mission Becomes Mandate Campaign for School
  Wellness, Action for Healthy Kids
  www.actionforhealthykids.org/pdf/CSW20Report20FI
  NAL208-18-06.pdf
• Making the Connection Health and Student
  Achievement Society of State Directors of
  Health, Physical Education and Recreation
  (SSDHPER) http//www.thesociety.org/pdf/makingthec
  onnection.ppt
• 2009 California State of the Education Address
  Closing the Achievement Gap in California
  http//www.closingtheachievementgap.org/cs/ctag/pr
  int/htdocs/home.htm

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Another Resource

• Show the following video clip
• Call to Leadership Elevating School Wellness to
  a Higher Level  Part 6- Dr. Jose Salgado,
  Principal, Mario Umana Middle School Academy,
  Boston, MAwebcast archive www.ActionForHealthyKid
  s.org

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Slide show to be posted at California Healthy
Kids Resource Center website www.californiahealthy
kids.org
Questions? Heather Reed, MA, RD
Nutrition Education Consultant,
California Department of Education
hreed_at_cde.ca.gov