Wellness Policies in Schools: Implementation, Measurement and Evaluation

Wellness Policies in Schools: Implementation,

Measurement and Evaluation

Presented by:

• Iowa Partners: Action For Healthy Kids• Bureau of Nutrition Programs and School Transportation/Department of Education

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 PL 108-265 enacted June 30, 2004

Section 204 – Local Wellness Policies -

“Not later than the first day of the school year beginning after June 30, 2006, each local educational agency … shall establish a local school wellness policy”

It’s here!

The law requires the District to develop a wellness policy that -

•includes goals for nutrition education, physical activity and other school-based activities to promote student wellness

•includes nutrition standards for all food available on school campuses

•provides assurance that meals meet federal standards

•establishes a plan for monitoring including designation of one or more persons charged with operational responsibility for the local wellness policy

• involves a variety of people

Many policies are complete.

Drafted Reviewed Adopted

Good job!

Now what?

You mean we’re not done?

Successful creation of a local wellness policy consists of eight steps:

Conduct the Initial Homework Form the Development Team Assess the District’s Needs Draft a Policy Build Awareness and Support Adopt the Policy Implement the Policy Maintain, Measure, Evaluate

Teamwork

Coming together is a beginning.

Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.

Henry Ford

School Teams

Team Nutrition

Coordinated School Health Councils

Involve those who know Committee to develop

policy Implementation Measurement

Teachers Students Food Service Staff Administrators Students Researchers Community/Business

Implementing the Policy

Implementation requires good planning and management skills, the necessary resources, consistent oversight, and widespread buy-in by school staff.

Keys to Successful Implementation

Leadership Commitment Communication Support

Implementation – share the picture

Review the policy. What goals were set? Who is responsible? Who can help? When are the goals

to be accomplished?

Implementation

What has already been implemented?

What will be easy to implement?

What do you expect to be difficult to implement?

Implementation Challenges Why will it be

challenging?

What do you know about it already?

Who can help?

How will it be communicated?

Can it be in smaller goals?

When do you want it done by?

Timeline

All at once Phased in over time

Implementation Resources

Team Nutrition – Iowa http://www.state.ia.us/educate/ecese/fn/tn/

Coordinated School Health http://www.cdc.gov/oess/schoolhealth/ http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/

healthtopics/ wellness.htm

Action for Healthy Kids http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/

Team Nutrition for Educators

www.teamnutrition.usda.gov/educators.html

Available Resources for K-12 School Available Resources for Elementary Schools Available Resources for Middle and High

Schools

USDA – Changing the Scene

Available from from USDA websitehttp://www.teamnutrition.usda.gov/

Resources/ changing.html

Idaho Implementation Tool

www.idahodairycouncil.org/pdfs/afhkwellnesspolicyfinal.pdf

AFHK Implementation Tool

Advice and resources specific to an issue that has arisen during implementation.

Select a challenge from the drop down list

Building awareness and support Time to eat/schedule conflicts Physical education http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/wellnesstool/

ImpTool/index.php

Making It Happen! School Nutrition

Success Stories

Measuring Success

The policy must “establish a plan for measuring implementation of the local wellness policy, including designation of 1 or more persons within the local educational agency or at each school, as appropriate, charged with operational responsibility for ensuring that the school meets the local wellness policy.”

Measurement

Involve the team Write/Plan based on the goals Ask for additional ideas Check the reading level Involve students, parents, staff

and community

Develop SMART objectives

Specific-what will be accomplished Measurable-how much change is

expected Achievable-what can be accomplished Realistic-reasonable steps Time-phased-when the objective will

be met

How will you measure?Who? When? Where?

1. What will be measured?2. How will it be measured?3. Who will measure?4. When will it be measured?5. Where will it be measured?

Local Measurement List a part of the

policy you want to measure:

Examples:Increase

participation in breakfast walking program

What measurements exist at your agency already?

Examples:Participants in breakfast walking program

Measurement: Supporting Data and Information

Existing Measurement Pre-implementation information. What do we know so far? What can we measure now?

Other data/information examples Number eating meals Vending dollars, choices, machines Minutes of physical activity

Iowa’s Local School Wellness Assessment Tool

http://www.fshn.hs.iastate.edu/schoolnutrition/

Evaluation Planning When will

evaluation take place? Establish procedure for review (e.g. in conjunction with parent/teacher conference).

Who is responsible

Who will be involved?

What steps have been taken?

How will we review the measurements?

Steps for Evaluating the Wellness Policy: Establish a plan for measuring

implementation of the local wellness policy Periodically assess how well the policy is

being managed and enforced Update or amend the policy as the process

moves on Document any financial impact to the

school foodservice program, school stores, or vending machine revenues

Assess student, parent, teacher, and administration satisfaction with the policies

3 = Fully in Place

2 = Partially in Place

1 = Under Development

0 = Not in place

Fundraising efforts supportive of healthy eating

3 2 1 0

Evaluation questions follow the policy goals

Sample policy goal: Fundraising drives will sell foods that are healthy or non-food related.

Evaluation: What have we accomplished?

Look at policy goals and objectives

Look at steps taken Look at

measurements, data, and information

Evaluation Resources

School Health Index http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/shi/default.aspx

Team Nutrition's Changing the Scene NASBE’s Fit, Healthy, and Ready to

Learn Action for Healthy Kids

http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/

Evaluation Resources

Iowa’s Local School Wellness Assessment Toolhttp://www.fshn.hs.iastate.edu/

schoolnutrition/

Use Evaluation findings to plan improvements Have program activities been

successful or fallen short of goals? Are further resources needed to

be more successful or improve the outcome?

Is the policy making a difference? What is working? What is not?

How can the impact of the policy be increased?

Determine the effect on student health and academic learning.

Keep key stakeholders informed about results. This communication can make the case for future program improvements.

Ex: Area of concern: Revenue

Revenue will be lost if more healthy products are provided in vending machines.

Student and other school-based clubs will not be able to raise the funds they need if they cannot sell unhealthy items.

A la carte sales help keep food services in the black-changes will result in lost revenues.

Listen to the experts

Wellness Policy Tool has audio response to questions asked and additional resources are listed.

http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/ wellnesstool/ImpTool/index.php

Accomplishments

Celebrate successes

Publicize Recognize

contributions

Getting Your Message Out

“Getting Your Message Out”

• teamnutrition.usda.gov/library.html

• Can order up to 10 copies

• Can read on line

Next Steps Revise or refine Proceed

Communicate Implement Measure Evaluate

Communicate Implement

Communication

At implementation Who What When Where How Why

After evaluation Who What When Where How Why

NASBE Fit, Healthy &

Ready to Learn Download

PowerPoints from Calories In-Calories Out Conference

ASBO, International

Journal article February 2003:

www.asbointl.org/asbo/files/ccPageContentDOCFILENAME001052705546SBA_Feb_03_article_TakingActionForHealthyKids.pdf

Resources – Coordinated School Health (DOE)

YRBS – Youth Risk Behavior Survey School Health Profile CDC’s School Health Index  NASBE’s Fit, Healthy, Ready to

Learn

More Wellness Resource Sites

Action for Healthy Kids www.actionforhealthykids.org/

www.aahperd.org/ www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/ www.healthysd.gov/ www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/20_04/

well204.shtml

Any search engine: “Wellness Policy”

Monitoring by State Agency

Policy not required to be approved by State Agency.

Policy not collected by State Agency.

Policy existence checked during NSLP program review and CSIP review.

Monitoring by State Agency

Is part of the checklist for School Districts 2006-07 Comprehensive Site Visits – Item 36 (final version 8/3/06)

Is part of the National School Lunch Program review

CSIP Checklist items:

Item 36. A local school wellness policy for schools under the local educational agency has been established as required under the 2004 Reauthorization of the USDA Child Nutrition Programs which includes the following:

36. a. Documentation that parents, students, representatives of the school food authority, the school board, school administrators, and the public were involved in the development of the school wellness policy.

36.b. Documentation that the Board has adopted a wellness policy prior to the start of the first day of the school yaer beginning after June 30, 2006, and includes goals for:

Nutrition education Physical Activity Other school-based activities

36.c. Documentation that the wellness policy includes guidelines selected by the local educational agency for all foods available on each school campus under the local education agency during the school day with the objectives of promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity.

36.d. Documentation that guidelines for reimbursable school meals shall not be less restrictive than regulations and guidance issued by the Secretary of Agriculture pursuant toe subsections (a) and (b) of the section 10 of the Child Nutrition Act (42 U.S.C. 1779) and sections 9 (f)(1) and 17(a) of the Richard B Russell National School Lunch Act.

36.e. Documentation that the wellness policy establishes a plan for measuring implementation of the local wellness policy.

36.f. Documentation that the wellness policy includes a designation of one or more person(s) within the local education agency charged with the operational responsibility for ensuring that the school meets the local wellness policy.

Your turn to evaluate policy examples.

School 1School 2School 3Answer the following questions:

  a. goals for nutrition education, physical activity, and other school based activities;                            

  b. nutrition guidelines for all foods available on each school campus;       

  c. assurance that School Lunch Program shall not be less restrictive than current regulations;               

d. has a plan for measuring implementation and a person identified to measure implementation;                

e. involves parents, students, school food authority, school board, administrators, and the public in the development of the policies.

Questions?Comments?Success Stories?

TEAM Effort Together Everyone Achieves More

Together Everyone helps

children Achieve Maximum health

and ability to learn