A National Snapshot of Local School Wellness Policies

Autor/inn/en	Moag-Stahlberg, Alicia; Howley, Nora; Luscri, Lorry
Titel	A National Snapshot of Local School Wellness Policies
Quelle	In: Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 78 (2008) 10, S.562-568 (7 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1092-4388
DOI	10.1111/j.1746-1561.2008.00344.x
Schlagwörter	Physical Education; Physical Activities; Nutrition; Wellness; Enrollment; Academic Achievement; Obesity; Professional Development + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Körpererziehung; Sportunterricht; Ernährung; Well being; Well-being; Wohlbefinden; Einschulung; Schulleistung; Adipositas
Abstract	Background: The federal mandate for local wellness policies (LWP) provides an unprecedented opportunity to improve schools' practices that support student health, which, in turn, supports academic achievement. With a full agenda and budget challenges, districts need resources and support to turn policies into sustainable practices. The purpose of this study was to assess district policy goals and compare them to the federal mandate and benchmarks of best practices. It is hoped that this information will lead to development of specific assistance in the areas of policy implementation, evaluation, and revision. Methods: Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) collected a convenience sample of 256 approved LWP. The sample included districts with small, medium, and large student enrollment from every state (except Hawaii). Policies were compared to federal requirements and the AFHK Wellness Policy Fundamentals, a tool which documents best practices for nutrition and physical activity in schools. Results: Sixty-eight percent of policies sampled were consistent with the mandates set forth in the law. Thirty-two percent did not address 1 or more goal areas set by the federal mandate with 15% not addressing goals for evaluation and monitoring. None of the policies addressed all components of AFHK's Fundamentals. Less than 1% addressed all 4 of the evaluation components. Teacher requirements and training for nutrition and physical education were addressed by 43% and 45% of policies, respectively. Conclusions: This study's findings indicate schools will need assistance to meet each of the mandates provided by the federal mandate. Areas lacking attention in policies, yet essential for sustaining wellness practices, include assurances of qualified staff, opportunities for staff development, and implementation, evaluation, and revision of the policy. (Contains 2 tables.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). 10801 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. Tel: 800-638-8255; Fax: 301-571-0457; e-mail: subscribe@asha.org; Web site: http://www.asha.org/about/publications/journal-abstracts/jslhr/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10