School Health Advisory Councils

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School Health Advisory Councils

• Welcome

Clara Cáceres Contreras School Health/SDFSC 956-98
4-6125 clara.contreras_at_esconett.org www.esc1.net
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Goal and Objectives
Empower School Districts to Have an Exemplary
School Health Advisory Council
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Understanding the value of a SHAC
History and the law concerning SHACs

• Provide best practices
• Recruitment
• Organization
• Effectiveness

Provide tools, resources, and strategies
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Agenda

• History and the law concerning School
• Health Advisory Councils (SHACs) Why
• SHACs Make A Difference

2. SHAC Basics Essential Information to Get
You Started
3. Best Practices for Recruitment, Organization
and Effectiveness
4. Tools to Create an Exemplary SHAC
5. School Health Index Assessment
6. Writing Goals and Objectives
7. Affecting School health Policy Practice
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Example of Uncoordinated System
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Coordinated School Health Model
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Activity

• Coordinated School Health (CSH) Handout
• Initial your role with Coordinated School Health,
  than go find the 7 other people with different
  components of CSH. Introduce yourself, where you
  are from, and what you do. As they initial your
  card take them with you to find another person
  and do the same, until you have a full card and
  than sit down together. You should be 8 in the
  group.
• Using Obesity as the topic
• Discuss the weakness in your component that
  enables obesity trends
• Discuss the strength in your component that
  reduces obesity trends
• Write the weakness and strengths in separate
  post it notes and place on corresponding
  component on poster board.

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Youth Risk Behaviors

• Tobacco Use
• Poor Food Choices and Inappropriate Portion Sizes
• Inadequate Physical Activity
• Alcohol and Drug Use
• Sexual Behaviors That Can Transmit HIV and other
  STDs
• Unintended Pregnancy
• Intentional and Unintentional Injuries, Often Due
  to Violence

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National Trends Adults
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National Trends in Child Overweight
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Texas Health Data 2000-2002
African American
Hispanics
White/ Other
Girls
Boys
All
Body Mass Index Above the 95 percentile for age
and sex (2000-2002 Span Data)
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Rate of Childhood Overweight-Texas
 
 

• Table 2. Prevalence of overweight1 and at-risk-of
  overweight2 in Texas school-age children between
  2004 and 2005

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National Diabetes Ethnicity Trends
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Promoting Healthy Behaviors

• Refusal Skills
• Decision Making
• Goal Setting
• Communication
• Healthy Relationship Building
• Interest in Alternative Health Promotion
  Activities

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Texas and Federal Law

• Essentially divided into four parts
• The role of a SHAC
• Who should serve
• Restrictions regarding human sexuality
• Accountability

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Four Currently Approved Programs

• Texas law requires elementary, middle and junior
  high schools to adopt a coordinated school health
  program.
• Approved for elementary schools
• Bienestar
• CATCH
• Great Body Shop
• Healthy and Wise
• Approved programs for middle school and junior
  high have not been determined

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Federal Child Nutrition
The federal Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act
requires that every school district must have a
wellness policy in place.
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History of SHAC
Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Human Sexuality Only
Health Education Only
Coordinated School Health
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School Health Advisory Council
A SHAC is a group of individuals representative
of segments of the community, generally appointed
by the school district to serve at the district
level. They provide advice on coordinated
school health programming and its impact on
student health and learning. A SHAC provides
recommendations that impact the entire school
district.
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Key Duties

• The number of hours of health education
  instruction
• Curriculum appropriate for specific grade levels
• Appropriate grade levels and methods of human
  sexuality instruction
• Strategies for integrating the curriculum
  components into other elements of a school
  district

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SHAC Roles and Responsibilities

• Every school district must have a SHAC
• They should focus on the district not individual
  campuses
• The make recommendations to the school board
• They do not have legal authority
• The majority of members must be parents not
  employed by the school district
• SHACs have certain restrictions by law

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Common Responsibilities

• Most commonly includes
• Program planning
• Promotion and advocacy
• Consideration of fiscal impact
• District and state agency interaction
• School Board interaction
• Evaluation, accountability and Quality Control

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Who Makes Up A SHAC?

• Combination of parents, community leaders, and
  school personnel
• The majority must be parents not employed by the
  school district
• The law suggests but doesnt require
  representation for numerous community groups.

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Activity

• Evaluation of School Health Advisory Council
  (SHAC) handout
• Take a few minutes to assess your district SHAC
  and discuss the status of you SHAC with your
  group.
• Reflections

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Your First Step
Form a recruitment team of 3 to 5 objective
individuals whose focus is simply to identify
prospective members.
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Activity

• Refer to Worksheet 1 on page 25 of your SHAC
  Guide.
• Become familiar with the document
• List the names of people you know who might fit
  the different categories
• List the names of people you know who may know
  people who fit the different categories.

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Many Sources for Members
Government Officials
Public Media
School Personnel
Interested Parents
Law Enforcement
Colleges/Universities
Civic Organizations
Faith-based Institutions
Volunteer Health Agencies
Youth Groups
Public Health Agencies
Medical Professionals
Business/Industry
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Important Recruitment Criteria

• A SHAC is only as good as its members
• Recruitment takes time and planning but is worth
  the investment
• Key selection criteria
• A Demonstrated interest in youth
• Knowledge of the community
• Professional ability
• Commitment of time
• Representative of the population
• Credibility

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SHAC Recruitment Process
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
Identify
Recruit
Orient
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Steps In Forming A SHAC

• Develop bylaws or guidelines for how the group
  will function.
• Establish a statement of philosophy often called
  a Vision

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School Health Index
Developed by the CDC, this excellent tool helps
to assess a school systems school health
strengths and areas for improvement. It is free
and available in printed or on line versions.
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Activity

• Divide into groups of two
• Partners of two will work on a different module
  and score it.

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Our School Districts Results
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Qualities of S.M.A.R.T. Objective
Specific What kind of, or which problem is to be
addressed? Measurable. How much, how many, and
how well the problem will be resolved. Action-Orie
nted. Uses action verbs Reasonable. Result you
can expect to achieve. Time-bound. Gives specific
data for its own achievement.
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Measurable Objectives
Easy As ABCDE
A Audience Who will be affected (target group)
B Behavior The observable change (knowledge,
attitude, behavior, process) that will occur in
the target group because of your project. C
Conditions How the behaviors will be observed
or measured, including the instruments to be
used. D Data Levels of attainment that must
be met in order for your project to be called a
success (your definition). E Era Identifies
when the effects of your program will be measured
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Activity

• Stay in your groups of two
• Using your handout Complimentary Actions
  Worksheet, write down three objectives to
  address.
• Next, each pair will discuss specific actions
  that both a SHAC and an ISD leadership team can
  take

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Complimentary Actions

• Actions
• Assign representative from each dept. to project
  team
• Distributes survey to faculty
• Summarize results and draft report

• Actions
• Assign member to project team
• Get PTA to survey parents
• Analyze results
• Present report to school board

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Activity

• Still in your pairs, use the Complimentary
  Actions Strategic Planning Worksheet
• Write your specific goal and two objectives you
  want to achieve.
• Include specific actions both the SHAC and CSH
  Leadership Team can achieve.

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Affecting School Policy and Practice
A SHAC should always keep in mind that their
major objective is to develop recommendations for
improving coordinated school health policies and
practices for their school board to consider.
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The Ultimate Objective
By affecting school policies, a SHAC can ensure
that school health practices are improved and are
sustained so that all children who attend school
in that district receive the benefits of
coordinated school health. The only legal
authority to adopt a local school policy is the
school board. SHACs can only make
recommendations.
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Lay the Groundwork

• Clarify the need
• Clarify the objective
• Review the policy development process for your
  school district
• Collect information
• Brainstorm concrete activities or programs
• Write a policy proposal
• Become familiar with local dynamics
• Devise an appropriate strategy
• Respect the hierarchy
• Do not expect quick or easy victories

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Build Awareness and Support

• Involve those affected by the policy
• Involve school health supporting organizations in
  the community
• Involve people from a variety of community
  groups.
• Anticipate, respond to, and involve critics
• Apply communication strategies as needed

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Draft the Policy

• Bring the policy proposal to the attention of the
  decision-making body.
• Review policy options and legal parameters.
• Stay focused on the big picture.
• Draft the policy language that is simple, clear,
  specific, and accurate.

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Adopt the Policy

• Present the policy recommendations to the school
  board.
• Use a well respected and known person to present
  a persuasive case.
• Support the school board in the decision-making
  process.

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Administer the Policy

• This is largely the role of administration,
  however, SHACs can assist in developing
  implementation guidelines.
• Support the administration by providing positive
  community support.
• Ensure that the effort is maintained.

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What happens when critical pieces are missing?
WHATS NEEDED FOR CHANGE TO OCCUR?
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Elements of Excellence
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Active Leadership
Coordinated And Collaborative Approach
Safe and Nurturing Learning Environment
Commitment Of Time, Personnel, Resources
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Continuous Quality Improvement
The Journey Starts Here
Recruit
Organize
Evaluate
SHAC Cycle
Assess
Plan
Implement
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Teambuilding Lessons We Can Learn from Geese

• FACT 1
• As each goose flaps its wings it creates an
  uplift for the birds that follow.
• By flying in a V formation, the whole flock
  adds 71 greater flying range.
• Than if each bird flew alone.
• LESSON
• People who share a common direction and sense of
  community can get where they are going quicker
  and easier because they are traveling on the
  thrust of one another.
• FACT 2
• When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly
  feels the drag and resistance of flying alone.
  It quickly moves back into formation to take
  advantage of the lifting power of the bird
  immediately in front of it.
• LESSON
• If we have as much sense as a goose we stay in
  formation with those headed where we want to go.
  We are willing to accept their help and give our
  help to others.
• FACT 3
• When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into
  formation and another goose flies to the point
  position.
• LESSON
• It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and
  sharing leadership. As with geese, people are
  interdependent on each others skills,
  capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts,
  talents or resources.
• FACT 4
• The geese flying in formation honk to encourage
  those up front to keep up their speed.
• LESSON
• We need to make sure our honking is encouraging.
  In groups where there is encouragement, the
  production is much greater. The power of
  encouragement (to stand by ones heart or core
  values and encourage the heart and core of
  others) is the quality of honking we seek.
• FACT 5