1. What Works in School Health DS McCall, Alberta Coalition for Healthy School Communities September 26, 2006

2. Points for Discussion The Black Box of the School The Ecology of School Systems Building System Capacities Understanding Public Systems Some Working Examples

3. The Reality/Complexity

4. Ecology of School Systems Think of a blueberry farms

5. System Capacities 1. Coordinated policy/ policy on coordination 2. Assigned staff and infrastructure 3. Formal and informal mechanisms for cooperation 4. Knowledge transfer, translation, promising practices 5. On-going work force development (pre and in-service) 6. Strategic, coordinated issue management 7. Ongoing surveys of health, periodic surveys of programs 8. Explicit plan for sustainability.

6. System Characteristics Multiple Systems (Degree of cooperation, at which levels, fit between innovation/reform and system & environment, professional norms, ideologies, sociology of professions) Open Systems (Economic and social factors, politics, media, local community history, norms, & resources, family characteristics, congruent/competing influences, change agents and influencers) Loosely Coupled (Shared vision, internal networks, communities of practice, professional development) Professional Bureaucracies (Routines, internal communication, knowledge is power, structures, documentation)

7. Some Working Examples Canadian (On some issues, some good PT plans, some case studies) (Everactive Schools, Action schools, Safe & Caring Schools) International (Some national/state results) (England, Scotland, Hong Kong, Western Australia) International (On several issues) (Bullying, cardio-vascular, sexual health, mental health)