These five steps can be followed as Local School Wellness Policies (LSWP) are developed. Each section features related links, documents, and sample timelines for policy planning.
- Build Momentum and Create a Team
- Check for Existing Policies
- Assess the School Environment
- Develop Policies
- Additional Resources for Developing Policies
1 – Build Momentum and Create a Team
Pulling together a team of committed individuals to develop your Local School Wellness Policy (LSWP) is a vital step. The federal law requires that LSWP development involve parents, students, food service personnel, school board members, school administrators, and community members.
Your district may already have a team, usually called a School Health Council (SHC), consisting of health and physical education teachers, school nurses, and a variety of community members including local health care professionals. SHCs are instrumental in addressing all aspects of student health and can assist with developing the LSWP. Your SHC should include members from each area of the Coordinated School Health System (described below). Whether you are creating a new or strengthening an existing SHC the following resources will help you get started:
American Cancer Society – School Health Councils.
Find a description of School Halth Councils and a guide for starting one in your school or district.
Effective School Health Advisory Councils: Moving from Policy to Action, Public Schools of North Carolina (PDF file)
Coordinated School Health Systems
A coordinated approach to school health improves students’ health and their capacity to learn through the support of families, schools, and communities. As described in the Health Framework for California Public Schools, coordinated school health is a school-wide approach and commitment that support and integrates eight components: health education, physical education, parent/community involvement, nutrition services, health services, psychological and counseling services, safe and health school environment, and health promotion for staff
California Department of Education – Coordinated School Health Definitions, guidance, and presentations about coordinated school health.
Health Framework for California Public Schools (PDF file)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Coordinated School Health Programs Descriptions of the eight components of coordinated school health.
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2 – Check for Existing Policies
Check whether your school district or school already has a policy in place. If so, compare it to the required components outlined in Section 204 of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. If it doesn’t meet the requirements or there are no written policies, move on to the next step.
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3 – Assess the School Environment
To develop meaningful policies the SHC should begin by assessing the school environment. The following resources provide tools and information to conduct this assessment. In addition, the California Healthy Kids Survey and the Physical Fitness Test provide valuable local data on student health behaviors and issues that can be addressed through school nutrition and physical activity policies. While assessing needs learn about your district’s School Board process for adopting policies.
School Health Index
The Centers for Disease Control created the STET self-assessment and planning guide for schools to identify strengths and weaknesses of their health policies and programs, develop action plans for improving student health, and involve the school community in improving policies, programs, and services. A training module is also available. Order or download a copy or borrow it from the CHKRC.
Changing the Scene
This USDA Team Nutrition tool kit aids assessing and making improvements to the school nutrition environment. Order or download a copy or borrow it from the CHKRC.
Keys to Excellence: Standards of Performance
The School Nutrition Association (formerly ASFSA) offers this self-assessment tool for school nutrition programs. It includes administration, communication, marketing, operations, nutrition and nutrition education assessments. Order or download a copy or borrow it from the CHKRC.
Additional sources for district health data:
California Healthy Kids Survey
A comprehensive youth health, risk, and resiliency survey sponsored by the California Department of Education.
California Physical Fitness Test
This site provides summaries of recent test results and a searchable database to find scores by district and county. Directions for administering and obtaining results and summaries of the Fitness Test for California schools, districts, and counties.
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4 – Develop Policy
The process of moving your district from creating a School Health Council to adopting a Local School Wellness Policy takes time and planning in order to meet the September 2006 goal. These sample timelines provide useful benchmarks, dates, and timeframes for planning. Choose from the links below to view timelines developed by districts and agencies around the state:
Central Valley Health and Nutrition Collaborative (.doc) – Local School Wellness Policy Adoption Timeline
Road Map for Creating a Local School Wellness Policy (.xls)
San Diego County Office of Education (.doc) – Local Wellness Policy Adoption Timeline
Washington Unified School District (.doc) – Local School Wellness General Timeline
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5 – Additional Resources for Developing Policies
California School Boards Association – Student Wellness Policy Brief (PDF file) This brief furnishes background, nutritional standards, resources, and other considerations for school boards developing Local School Wellness Policy.
Guidance for the Development of California School Wellness Policies (PDF file) was created by the Local School Wellness Policy (LSWP) collaborative group that included the California Department of Education and other state and local agencies. This resource provides recommendations for meeting LSWP requirements.
Taking Action for Healthy School Environments: Linking Education, Activity, and Food in California Secondary Schools (PDF file) This publication illustrates promising practices in nutrition and physical activity policy development and implementation that have been field-tested and found successful in over 18 California middle and high schools.
Date: 07/31/2010
