1 If You Can Read This, Thank Your Health Teacher! The Link between Adolescent School Health and Academics John Lagomarsino, School Health Education Consultant Coordinated School Health and Safety Office Presentation at 14 th Annual Prevention Educators Conference May 5, 2011 Berkeley, CA CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 2 Today’s climate in education is in a state of flux. Public debate centers on how schools can do what they do even better— despite shrinking budgets and new challenges.... [E]ducational reforms will be effective only if students’ health and well-being are identified as contributors to academic success and are at the heart of decision and policy making. Schools, in concert with students, their families, and communities, must consider how well schools are accomplishing their missions and how they can best help students realize their full potential. —Eva Marx, Susan Frelick Wooley, and Daphne Northrop, Health Is Academic, 1998, p. 293 Guess the Date of this Quote

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 3 Is student health the missing piece in school reform?

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 4 Making the Link… Health + Academics = Successful Healthy Students

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 5 How do we know? Look at the research and data What does it tell us? What are the implications for my school?

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 6 Forging the Links... Discuss the provided research document with a partner and report out to the group: The title of the document The link between health and academic achievement discussed The results of the study that stood out for you

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 7 Forging the Links... CDC Fact Sheets Health Risk Behaviors and Academic Achievement Physical Inactivity and Unhealthy Dietary Behaviors and Academic Achievement Tobacco Use and Academic Achievement Alcohol and Other Drug Use and Academic Achievement Unintentional Injury and Violence Related Behaviors and Academic Achievement

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 8 Forging the Links... California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) Fact Sheet Are Student Health Risks & Low Resilience Assets an Impediment to the Academic Progress of Schools? Health Risks, Resilience, and the Academic Performance Index

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 9 Forging the Links... Getting Results Fact Sheet What Does Getting Results Say About Student Health, Supportive Schools, and Academic Achievement? WestEd Reports Student Health Risks, Resilience and Academic Performance: Year 1 Report Student Health Risks, Resilience, and Academic Performance in California: Year 2 Report, Longitudinal Analysis

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 10 Further Links between Health and Academic Success Using the CHKS to Help Improve Schools and Student Achievement Recent Research on Health and Achievement

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 11 Every Health Risk Can Affect Academic Success Interventions can narrow disparities. Health interventions can improve learning and health. Dilley, 2009

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 12 Healthy Students Learn Better Adolescents with poor general health were found less likely to graduate from high school than healthier students. CDE, 2005; Currie, 2005; Fiscella, 2009

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 13 Healthy Schools/Healthy Communities School Performance Healthy Children Healthy Communities Increased Social Capital “The relationship between schooling and health outcomes is one of the strongest generalizations to emerge from empirical research in the U.S.” Nagya R. (2000). Applied Economics, 32,

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 14 Examples of Success from the Field Nutrition (School breakfast programs): Inner-city students mostly (African American) in grades one through eight who ate a school breakfast at least 80 percent of the time, had  Better math grades  Less hyperactivity  Better attendance – less tardiness than students who ate a school breakfast less than 80 percent of the time. Murphy, Pagano, Nachmani, et al.,1998

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 15 Examples of Success from the Field Nutrition Services States that: prohibit junk food consumption; evaluate their nutrition; prohibit food as a reward; and provide funding for staff training have: Better academic performance Higher test scores Vinciullo and Bradley, 2009

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 16 Examples of Success from the Field Nutrition Services & Parent Involvement School Nutrition Policy Initiative:  Implemented for grades four through six  50% low income  Included nutrition education and policy, social marketing, and parent outreach Result:  50% reduction of overweight incidence Foster, Sherman, Borradaile, et al., 2008

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 17 Examples of Success from the Field Counseling, Psychological, & Social Services Mental health and counseling services provided to high school students Result: Decreased absenteeism and tardiness. Gall, Pagano, Desmond, et al., 2000

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 18 Examples of Success from the Field Physical Education An increase in physical activity in classrooms, through extended physical education classes or physical activity breaks, showed that students either performed better or the same as control group, despite having less classroom instruction time. Pellegrini and Davis, 1993

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 19 Examples of Success from the Field Physical Education States that do not teach physical education, do not provide staff development for physical educators, and do not have someone to oversee physical education at the state level have: Higher dropout rates Diminished academic achievement Vinciullo and Bradley, 2009

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 20 Examples of Success from the Field Importance of Recess Time spent in recess appears to have a positive relationship or no relationship with children’s attention, concentration, and/or on-task classroom behavior. Children were less fidgety, less listless, more focused, and more on task compared with when they did not have recess. Pellegrini, Huberty, Jones, 1995; Raviv, Low, 1990; Pollatschek, O’Hagan 1989; Sallis, McKenzi, Kolody,Lewis, Marshall, Rosengard,1999; Jarret, Maxwell, Dickerson, Hoge, Davies, Yetley,1980

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 21 Examples of Success from the Field Nutrition, Physical Activity & Tobacco Healthy Maine Partnerships funded health coordinators and offered physical activity intramurals, improved nutrition education, and tobacco cessation. Result:  Decreased soda consumption  Higher physical activity  Reduction in tobacco use O’Brien, Polacsek, MacDonald, et al., 2010

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 22 Examples of Success from the Field Healthy School Environment A social development project in Seattle for grades one through six included training for  Students - cognitive; social skills  Teachers - classroom management; interactive teaching  Parents - child behavior management Result:  Improved language, math, and reading  Improved study skills  Improved School attachment O’Donnell, Hawkins, et al.,1995

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 23 Examples of Success from the Field Healthy School Environment States with policies prohibiting harassment of students by fellow students and prevention of harassment at school were found to have  Higher test scores  Lower dropout rates than states that have not implemented such health- promoting policies. Vinciullo and Bradley, 2009

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 24 Examples of Success from the Field Positive Bonding with the School Students who report this bonding are: More likely to remain academically engaged Less likely to be involved with misconduct at school or engage in activities that may put them at risk -Blum & Rinehart, 1997; Hawkins et al. 1992, 1999

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 25 Examples of Success from the Field Health Education States that taught health related topics at high school level and had someone oversee health education at individual school sites had students who:  Scored higher on advanced placement  Performed better academically  Were more likely to complete high school Vinciullo and Bradley, 2009

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 26 Examples of Success from the Field Staff Health Promotion Worksite wellness programs have been shown to decrease absenteeism and improve productivity. The evidence that healthier worksites create healthier, more productive employees can be extended to suggest that healthier schools may create healthier, more successful students. Harris, Lichiello, Hannon 2009; Goetzel, Ozminkowski 2008

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 27 Something to Ponder… Think about the students in your school/community What health behaviors compromise their ability to succeed academically? What’s the impact on your school district?

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 28 Some common issues… Not enough sleep Hungry, poor nutrition Substance abuse problems Tardiness to class because of smoking Stressed-out Afraid of violence Family/peer problems that occupy their thinking Sick, and don’t have health care available

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 29 Assessing Your District Turn to a partner: Look at the provided data Discuss the implications of the data in light of previously discussed research Blank template provided Data available on CDE Data Quest

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 30 What often happens in schools… Health-impacting programs and activities are fragmented No one is fully aware of what others are doing Student’s health needs are unmet

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 31 What needs to happen... Coordination of School Health Programs A planned and coordinated school-based approach that is designed to enhance child and adolescent health A framework around which existing and future district- and school-level programs and services can be organized

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 32

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 33 Coordinated School Health Programs The Good News! These components already exist in your school/district The Challenge… Coordinating these efforts

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 34 How Coordinated School Health Programs Benefits Students Improved student learning Decreased risky behaviors Reduced drop out rates Less absenteeism Less fighting Improved rates of physical activity

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 35 How Coordinated School Health Programs Help Schools Save money Reduce duplication of services/programs Reduce absenteeism (students and staff) Improve student performance and test scores Improve student classroom behavior Improve staff morale Support teacher teamwork Avenue to increase family involvement

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 36 What it looks like… Multiple interventions exist: Policy Instruction Direct intervention Environmental change Role modeling Social support Peer instruction Media

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 37 What it looks like… There is a system of coordination for activities that impact student health led by: School principal School health coordinator School health teams District-level school/community team

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 38 The Principal is Key… A major key to the coordination and success of many CSH programs is the school principal. Where plans have succeeded, the principal is a strong leader who promotes a spirit of teamwork. Without the principal’s direction, the program will almost certainly not succeed. “Lessons From the Field”, 2003, CDC

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 39 Four Key Processes Communication Cooperation Coordination Collaboration

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent Public Instruction 40