School Health Updates & Special Announcements

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Additional Resources

National Award to Honor Superintendents Who are Champions for Health
April 27, 2012 - The American School Health Association (ASHA) is currently accepting nominations for a national award that honors superintendents as champions for student health and well-being.

New National Sexuality Education Standards
April 12, 2012 - The Future of Sex Education (FoSE) initiative explores comprehensive sexuality education in schools. Through this project and in an attempt to address the inconsistent implementation of sexuality education across the nation, the new National Sexuality Education Standards were developed to provide guidance on comprehensive sexuality education that is developmentally and age-appropriate for students in grades K-12.

New CDC Publication Helps Schools Involve Parents in School Health
February 10, 2012 – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released “Parent Engagement: Strategies for Involving Parents in School Health.” This new publication describes parent engagement and identifies specific strategies for connecting with, engaging, and sustaining parent engagement in schools, more specifically related to health activities.

NSBA Mourns the Loss of School Health Leader and Advocate Brenda Z. Greene
February 7, 2012 - It’s with heartfelt sadness that we announce the passing of NSBA’s former Director of School Health Programs Brenda Z. Greene on February 3, 2012.

NSBA Launches New Food Allergy Policy Guide for Schools
January 9, 2012 – The National School Boards Association (NSBA) has published a policy guide to help school leaders establish policies and practices that support the safety, well-being, and academic success of students with life-threatening food allergies.

New Toolkit Helps Schools Assess and Improve Physical Activity Programs
December 2, 2011 – The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) has a released a new toolkit to help school board members and superintendents assess the level of physical education/activity being provided by their school districts. The Let’s Move in School Superintendents and School Boards Toolkit is also designed to help school leaders create awareness around the benefits of a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) as well as take steps to increase physical education/activity in their districts.

New NSBA Publication Helps School Leaders Foster Family Engagement
September 28, 2011 – The National School Boards Association (NSBA) today unveiled Family as Partners: Fostering Family Engagement for Healthy and Successful Students – a publication designed to help school leaders effectively engage families in schools, particularly around school health issues.

CDC Releases Updated Guidelines to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity
September 20, 2011 – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released the updated version of “School Health Guidelines to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity.” The new resource combines previous guidelines published in the 1990s and identifies the most effective policies and practices schools can implement to help young people adopt and maintain healthy eating habits and a physically active lifestyle.

Register for the 2011 American School Health Association Conference
September 14, 2011 – The 2011 American School Health Association (ASHA) Conference will be held from October 12-15 in Louisville, KY and will provide the opportunity for education and school health professionals to explore the future of school health. This year’s theme will be “Limitless Possibilities: School Health in the New Decade.”

New School Health Profiles
August 26, 2011 – The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has released the 2010 School Health Profiles. The survey is designed to provide information on five of the eight components of coordinated school health: health education, physical education, health services, healthy and safe school environment, and family and community involvement, as well as requirements, policies, activities, and programs related to those components.

New CDC Fact Sheet Shows Positive Financial Outcomes for Schools Implementing Strong Nutrition Standards
July 8, 2011 - Many school districts believe that by implementing strong nutrition policies and practices, their schools will have less revenue derived from food and beverage sales. Nevertheless, a new CDC fact sheet shows otherwise.

NSBA Receives Award to Promote Coordinated School Health
June 10, 2011 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently awarded NSBA a new five-year cooperative agreement to promote Coordinated School Health (CSH) with school leaders and other decision makers and opinion leaders.

New Report Shows the Benefits and Challenges of On-the-Go School Breakfast
May 10, 2011 – A new School Nutrition Association (SNA) report provides the characteristics, logistics and keys to the success of on-the-go breakfast venues in middle and high schools.

New Report Outlines Ways to Align Health and Education in the School Setting
May 9, 2011 – ASCD has released a new publication to inform educators and education leaders of the need to align health and education in order to obtain a healthy and successful school community.

New Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools Website
April 29, 2011 – The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools has a new Safe and Supportive Schools Technical Assistance Center website.

USDA Recognizes Schools that Have Excelled in the Areas of Nutrition and Physical Activity
April 29, 2011 – Recently, several schools in 38 U.S. states received a HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC) award to become certified as Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Gold of Distinction Schools by the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (USDA’s FNS) due to their ability to make changes to: 1) Improve the quality of the foods served; 2) Provide students with nutrition education; and 3) Provide students with physical education and opportunities for physical activity.

Celebrate World No Tobacco Day
April 21, 2011 -- World No Tobacco Day is celebrated globally every year on May 31st. The event, sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO), is an opportunity to educate the public on the negative health outcomes associated with tobacco use and the deceitful marketing practices of tobacco companies, and is also a means of protecting future generations from the harmful effects of tobacco.

Important Health Events in May
April 15, 2011 – In May, several health events that contribute to the health and well-being of youth are being observed.

Two New CDC Resources
April 8, 2011 – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has two new resources to help school leaders address student health issues in their communities: an enhanced Adolescent and School Health website and a brochure to help create a culture of healthy living.

Now Available from NSBA and AASA - In the Schoolyard and Beyond: Addressing Childhood Asthma in Your Community
April 7, 2011 - The National School Boards Association (NSBA) and the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) have released a guide for families, youth-serving organizations, and school leaders on steps each can take to provide a consistent and supportive environment for children with asthma.

World Asthma Day is May 3 - and kicks off National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
March 30, 2011 - Join the national effort to raise awareness and increase public knowledge of asthma and allergy management by participating in World Asthma Day and National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.

New CDC Learning Products on Teen Health
March 24, 2011 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a new “Learning Connection Spotlight” dedicated to teen health. The learning products and resources included in this spotlight help promote safe and nurturing environments for teens to become healthy, productive adults.

School Health Sessions at NSBA’s Annual Conference
March 18, 2011 – This year’s National School Boards Association’s Annual Conference, being held in San Francisco from April 9-11, will focus on key issues that are impacting school boards across the country. As part of that framework, a few conference sessions will discuss issues that pertain to the health and wellness of students and schools.

Register Now for EPA’s National Asthma Forum in Washington DC, June 9 - 10, 2011
March 16, 2011 - Asthma is one of the leading causes of absenteeism and is the most common childhood disease, affecting nearly 3 children in each classroom of 30. In addition, if asthma is poorly managed, it can affect a child’s academic performance and behavior. Therefore, developing policies and practices that help children manage their asthma in school will help keep children with asthma in school and ready to learn every day.

National Healthy Schools Day is April 11
March 10, 2011 – National Healthy Schools Day is observed on the first day of School Building Week. Healthy Schools Day provides an opportunity for parents, school personnel, advocates, and agencies to engage in activities that highlight healthy and green indoor school environments for all children and school staff.

New Study on the Impact of Social and Emotional Learning
March 4, 2011 - A new study on the impact of social and emotional learning (SEL) programs shows that, compared to study controls, SEL participants demonstrated significantly improved social and emotional skills, attitudes, behavior, and academic performance that reflected an 11-percentile-point gain in achievement. The findings add to the growing empirical evidence on the positive impact of SEL programs.

Celebrate Kick Butts Day on March 23!
February 22, 2011 -- Help encourage young people to stand up against the tobacco industry by celebrating the sixteenth annual Kick Butts Day on March 23, 2011.

March is National Nutrition Month
February 18, 2011 – National Nutrition Month is a nutrition education and information campaign sponsored by the American Dietetic Association (ADA). The campaign focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. This year’s theme is “Eat Right with Color,” which encourages people to remember to include a colorful and nutritious variety of foods on their plates every day.

New report discusses how to leverage multiple resources to support community schools
February 10, 2011 – Financing Community Schools: Leveraging Resources to Support Student Success, a new report from the Coalition for Community Schools, provides information on how to finance the many important services that community schools offer. With budgets tight and more and more being asked of schools, working with other community organizations invested in the welfare of children makes financial sense. The first paper in a series on building capacity for community schools, this document is meant to help practitioners and policymakers develop capacity and resources to create more effective community schools.

New Website Focuses on the Educational and Health Outcomes of LGBT Youth
February 3, 2011 – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has created a new website dedicated to issues surrounding lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth and those who are questioning their sexual orientation. The website provides an overview of problems experienced by LGBT youth and the negative effects those problems have on education and health.

New Initiative to Promote Physical Activity in Schools
January 25, 2011 - NSBA, with the School Health Programs Department, is one of several strategic partners in a new initiative called Let’s Move in School, which is hosted by the American Alliance for Health Physical Education Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) and its National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE).

Celebrate the Great American Spit Out on February 24!
January 20, 2011 -- According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent National Youth Tobacco Survey, smokeless tobacco, or spit tobacco, is one of the most commonly used forms of tobacco among middle and high school students. This suggests that as more schools and public places go smoke-free, there is an increased need to pay careful attention to spit tobacco use, as it is much more difficult to detect than cigarette use. The Great American Spit Out, held this year on February 24, is a great opportunity to start paying attention to this addictive, cancer-causing substance.

New Video Clips Give Strategies Schools can Use to Address Food Allergies
January 07, 2011 – The National School Boards Association (NSBA) has posted seven short video clips related to addressing food allergies within schools.

No Decline Seen in Overall Tobacco Use between 2006-2009
January 6, 2011 -- A new report, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, presents the results of the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) from 2000-2009. The NYTS is a school-based survey which collects information on tobacco use and related behaviors among middle and high school students. Participants responded to questions about their use of a range of tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, pipes, bidis and kreteks, within the last 30 days.