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Connecticut Coordinated School Health
Position Statement on a Coordinated Approach to School Health
Reducing disparities in educational and health outcomes remains one of the major challenges facing the education and public health communities in Connecticut. In December 2008, a presentation was delivered to the Connecticut State Board of Education (SBE) on health and educational disparities, including data from the 2007 Connecticut School Health Survey (CSHS). This data highlighted a clear link between risky behaviors and grades received in school. Students who reported receiving mostly C’s, D’s, or F’s were more likely to participate in higher risk behaviors, including alcohol use, tobacco use and sexual intercourse. As a result of this presentation, the SBE committed to the development of a position statement that supports the implementation of a coordinated approach to school health and comprehensive health education in local school districts.
The SBE Position Statement on a Coordinated Approach to School Health, calls for a systematic and comprehensive delivery of services, programs and practices to meet the physical and mental health needs of students to help reduce the health and educational disparities facing students and ensure that all students have the opportunity to achieve academically and become healthy productive citizens. The document contains guidelines directed to specific stakeholders that support the implementation of a coordinated approach to school health. These stakeholders include the Connecticut State Department of Education, school districts, schools, teachers and staff, families and students. Since its adoption in September 2009, the position statement has been promoted and distributed to school superintendents, principals, health education supervisors, chairpersons of local boards of education, Connecticut parent organizations and other state and local level school health partners. It serves as a valuable tool for promoting the implementation of a coordinated school health model to local school districts. The position statement is available at http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/LIB/sde/pdf/board/csh_position_statement.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
Donna Heins, Coordinated School Health Consultant,
Connecticut State Department of Education donna.heins@ct.gov or 860-807-2082
