scholarly journals Building Healthy Communities: Creating Policy to Sustain Health-Related School Change

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 176-190
Author(s):  
Erin Elizabeth Centeio ◽  
Jeanne M. Barcelona ◽  
Kristen Kaszeta ◽  
Nate McCaughtry

Many organizations including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Academies of Science have called on schools to address childhood obesity and provide more opportunities for children to be active and eat healthier. This study discusses the impact that one comprehensive school program, Building Healthy Communities (BHC), had on school policy across 40 Midwest elementary schools. The study aim was to assess elementary schools that participated in the BHC whole-of-school intervention and examine the policy changes that took place during the year-long intervention, as well as proposed changes made as part of a sustainability plan. Findings indicated that evidenced-based tools can spur awareness of the need for health-based school change among administration, which in turn can prompt the adoption of school-level adherence policies. The intersection between school-based health policy and community-based youth programs is explored as an important part of comprehensive youth health promotion.

Author(s):  
Timothy Brusseau ◽  
Ryan Burns

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of summer breaks on the body composition and cardiovascular fitness of elementary school children who participated in a multi-year school-based physical activity intervention. Participants were 404 children who had their height and weight measured and completed the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) during physical education classes at the beginning and end of the school year for three consecutive years. To examine the effects of time on health-related fitness data, general linear mixed effects models were employed. The results indicate that there was a trend toward an increase in body mass index (BMI) after the summer of 2015 (p = 0.958), and a significant increase in BMI after the summer of 2016 compared to time point 1 (p < 0.001). For PACER laps, there were trends toward decreases in PACER laps after the summers of 2015 (p = 0.515) and 2016 (p = 0.073). Summer breaks tended to attenuate the BMI and PACER lap improvements that were observed during the intervention. While school-based physical activity programming has had some successes in improving health-related fitness markers, the loss of these improvements over the summer is of concern to both practitioners and researchers. It is clear that additional efforts are needed to limit obesogenic behaviors during the summer months.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 3109-3123
Author(s):  
Kamid Kamid ◽  
Rohati   Rohati ◽  
Yelli Rahmalisa ◽  
Mustamin Anggo ◽  
Sabila Eka Septi ◽  
...  

This study aims to integrate the local wisdom of the traditional engklek game into problem-solving-based mathematics learning at the elementary school level. The method used in this study is a mixed-method with an explanatory design. The data analysis technique used in this study was random sampling and data collection was carried out by distributing observation sheets about student process skills, student learning interest questionnaires and conducting interviews with students and teachers at the school. Based on the results obtained by the researchers, it can be found that there is interest in learning and skills of students in grades IV A and IV B in the engklek game in mathematics subjects at State Elementary Schools. In addition, there is a relationship between students' interest in learning and students' process skills in mathematics subjects at State Elementary Schools. Key words: Mmathematics, local Wisdom, engklek games, iinterest, process skills, elementary School.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2018 (1) ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
Frances Shiobara ◽  
Keiko Sakui

Team teaching (TT) has been playing an important role in Japanese English education, especially at the secondary school level, since it started over 30 years ago (Reed, 2016). With the expansion of English education at the elementary school level, the impact of TT on English teaching is going to be even greater. This paper explores the current practices in TT by interviewing teachers who have been participating in it in elementary schools. The interviews offer insights from the different perspectives of homeroom teachers (HRTs), Japanese teachers of English (JTEs), and assistant language teachers (ALTs) to show how TT has been conducted in practice. The results imply that TT is a complicated system in which the roles of the three types of teachers are intertwined and are not necessarily clearly defined. The paper offers suggestions for optimizing educational outcomes within the system of TT. ティームティーチング(TT)は、日本の中高等学校の英語教育において30年以上大切な役割を果たしてきた(Reed, 2016)。小学校の英語教育の早期化・教科化にともない、TTはこれまで以上に重要な意味を持つと考えられる。本研究は、小学校での英語教育に携わっている小学校学級担任(HRT)、日本人英語教師(JTE)、外国語指導助手(ALT)にインタビューを行い小学校でのTTに関する実践報告を行う。インタビューの分析結果によると、TTはそれを担当する異なる教員の役割が必ずしも明確ではないため複雑なシステムになっていることが明らかになった。これらを受けてTTにおいて教育的効果を上げるための実践的示唆を提示する。


2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ženija Bērziņa

School-Based Mentoring for Professional Development of Inclusive School TeachersBecause of the importance and the complexity of inclusive education, the implementing of a new teaching method in fifteen schools of four regions of Latvia was integrated with school-based teacher mentoring in a two-year project. A new method of teaching basic concepts for children with learning disabilities was a crucial part of in-service teacher training mentoring programme. This paper illuminates mentors' and teachers-mentees' perceptions on the impact of mentoring on their teaching at the primary school level. Data collected by the means of self-evaluation includes teachers' and their mentors' views on the role of mentoring and teachers' collaboration in teachers' professional development and inclusion of children with special needs. The results of the study show that mentoring and collaboration are pre-conditions for successful teachers' professional development, which creates, in its turn, a favourable basis for enhancement of inclusive education programmes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-110
Author(s):  
Naila Sadaf ◽  
Afshan Huma

This article is based on one of the research questions in a larger study that aimed to assess the impact of the school health program at elementary schools in Punjab, Pakistan. It explores whether the school health program was helpful in enhancing teachers’ knowledge regarding major health issues among school children - anaemia, iron deficiency, malnutrition, asthma and breathing problems, and seasonal illness. The study revealed some significant findings, which are discussed with reference to the previous literature; conclusions are reached and recommendations given to improve teachers’ knowledge and skills for improving school health.


Author(s):  
Stephen S. Leff ◽  
Tracy Evian Waasdorp ◽  
Krista R. Mehari

This chapter reviews school-based programming for its impact on relational aggression, relational victimization, and/or relational bullying: specifically, 14 programs with publications between 2010–2016 that were reviewed across key areas, including: (1) mode of operation; (2) targeted population and age range; (3) implementation factors; (4) primary strategies employed; (5) materials available to conduct the program; and (6) their impact on relevant target outcomes. Review of these programs highlighted certain factors important for future research related to relational aggression and bullying prevention programming, such as employing strong designs using random assignment taking into account the complexity of relational aggression at the individual, classroom, and school level whenever possible, and examining the impact of programming on the forms of aggression separately. Generalizability and implementation integrity need to be considered when designing and implementing programming. The field of relational aggression and bullying prevention programming has grown substantially over the past decade, but much remains to be done.


2018 ◽  
Vol 65 (10) ◽  
pp. 1343-1370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica R. Fissel ◽  
Pamela Wilcox ◽  
Marie Skubak Tillyer

School crime has been a national issue for nearly 40 years and remains a concern for students, administrators, parents, and the public. Schools engage in numerous strategies aimed at curbing crime, ranging from harsh disciplinary practices to proactive strategies focused on gaining student compliance. This study examines the impact of disciplinary practices on in-school delinquency, while also considering the influence of students’ perceptions of injustice. Using student- and school-level data from the Rural Substance Abuse and Violence Project and hierarchical Poisson regression analyses, findings reveal that students’ perceptions of injustice were significantly related to in-school delinquency, while proactive and reactive discipline practices, spanning the punitiveness continuum, were not. The findings provide tentative guidance for school-based discipline management policies and practices.


2017 ◽  
Vol 132 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 24S-32S ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayley A. Braun ◽  
Christi M. Kay ◽  
Patricia Cheung ◽  
Paul S. Weiss ◽  
Julie A. Gazmararian

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the impact of a 1-year elementary school physical activity intervention on changes in teacher-reported school-based physical activity time and (2) assess the relationship between these changes and changes in student aerobic capacity. Methods: HealthMPowers, a nonprofit organization, provided a multicomponent physical activity intervention to 3479 students in 39 schools in Georgia during 2013-2014. HealthMPowers administered a survey to faculty members before (August 2013) and after (May 2014) the intervention to measure student physical activity times. The organization collected pre- and post-intervention Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) laps (a measure of aerobic capacity that awards 1 lap for each completed 20-meter lap) for 2342 fourth-grade students. We performed linear regression to determine the relationship between school-level changes in teacher-reported school-based physical activity time and student aerobic capacity. Results: The weekly estimated teacher-reported time in physical activity increased by 39 minutes from pre- to post-intervention: 21 minutes for recess, 17 minutes for classroom, and 1 minute for physical education. The mean number of student PACER laps increased by 3 laps from pre- to post-intervention, and 1515 of 2342 (65%) students increased the number of PACER laps completed. We observed a positive association between school-level changes in school-based physical activity time and school-level changes in PACER laps ( r = 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.29-0.46). Conclusions: These findings highlight the need for more prospective research into multicomponent physical activity interventions. Rigorous testing, including randomized controlled trials of large-scale implementations, is needed to examine how these school-based interventions might be used to improve the physical activity and fitness of larger populations of children.


2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kapil Sayal ◽  
Christine Merrell ◽  
Peter Tymms ◽  
Adetayo Kasim

Objective: For children with high levels of ADHD symptoms, to investigate the impact of early school-based interventions on academic outcomes in mid-childhood. Method: A 6-year follow-up of 4- to 5-year-olds ( N = 52,075) whose schools participated in a cluster randomized controlled trial for children at risk of ADHD. School-level interventions involved the provision of a booklet with evidence-based information (book) and/or feedback of names (identification) of children with high levels of ADHD symptoms. At ages 10 to 11 years, outcome measures were scores in English and mathematics tests. Results: For children with high levels of ADHD symptoms, the interventions had no impact on academic outcomes. When all children were analyzed, the book intervention had a positive impact on mathematics. Baseline inattention was associated with poorer academic outcomes, whereas impulsiveness was associated with better academic outcomes. Conclusion: The provision of evidence-based information about helping children with ADHD at school may have wider academic benefits.


2017 ◽  
Vol 132 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 81S-87S ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon L. Barrett-Williams ◽  
Padra Franks ◽  
Christi Kay ◽  
Adria Meyer ◽  
Kelly Cornett ◽  
...  

Objective: Power Up for 30 (PU30) is a schoolwide intervention that encourages schools to provide an additional 30 minutes of physical activity during the school day, beyond physical education. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of PU30 on Georgia public elementary schools and their students. Methods: A total of 719 of 1320 public elementary schools in Georgia that were sent a baseline survey about school physical activity during October 2013 to September 2014 completed the survey, 160 of which were asked to complete a second survey. In the interim (March to June 2015), half (80) of these schools implemented the PU30 program. The interim surveys, which were completed during March to June 2015, assessed opportunities for student physical activity and staff member professional development focused on student physical activity. Results: Compared with schools that had not implemented the program, more schools using the PU30 program reported offering before- and after-school physical activity programs. Forty-four of 78 (57%) PU30 schools compared with 20 of 53 (38%) non-PU30 schools offered before-school physical activity programs. Likewise, more PU30 schools than non-PU30 schools offered after-school physical activity programs (35% vs 16%), and a greater proportion of students at PU30 schools compared with non-PU30 schools met fitness benchmarks: recess 5 days per week (91% [288 of 323] vs 80% [273 of 341]), offering ≥11 minutes per day of classroom-based physical activity (39% [53 of 136] vs 25% [47 of 189] for kindergarten through second grade; 20% [37 of 187] vs 6% [9 of 152] for grades 3 through 5), and receiving physical activity–related professional development time (42% [136 of 323] vs 14% [48 of 341]). Conclusions: The surveys provided a statewide picture of the physical activity opportunities offered to students and staff members in Georgia elementary schools and demonstrated the effective use of a comprehensive, multicomponent program to offer more school-based physical activity opportunities and to improve student fitness.


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