Springdale School District is implementing the Coordinated School Health Initiative in cooperation with the Arkansas Department of Health and the Arkansas Department of Education. Coordinated school health plays a unique and important role in the lives of young people by improving their health knowledge attitudes and skills, healthy behaviors, educational outcomes, and social outcomes. A coordinated approach increases the likelihood that staff and students’ full ranges of needs are addressed and a full array of programs and services are provided.

Health and education go hand and hand. An unhealthy child has difficulty learning. Hunger affects children’s concentration, and many medical conditions can hinder the ability to learn. Abuse and neglect, poor health, and nutritional problems lie beneath many learning problems. Risky behavior including self inflicted injuries, tobacco, alcohol, and drug use, and sexual activity resulting in pregnancy are all linked to poor school performance. Negative student behaviors such as alcohol and substance abuse, violence, and antisocial behavior decrease as parent involvement increases. Students are more likely to succeed academically and socially when communities are economically healthy, organized, and provide opportunities for youth involvement and when schools present a positive climate and involve students and their families as well as the community partners in their organizational structure.

Coordinated School Health is consistent with Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs which proposes that children’s chances for success are greatly reduced without efforts to enhance their physical and emotional well-being. Springdale School District is working to optimize programs in our schools and community that help our children and staff learn to be healthy.

Springdale School District is implementing the Coordinated School Health Initiative in cooperation with the Arkansas Department of Health and the Arkansas Department of Education.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified eight inter-related components for affective Coordinated School Health Programs.

• School Health and Safety Policies and Environment

• Health Education

• Physical Education and Physical Activity Programs

• School Health Services

• Nutrition Environment and Services

• Counseling, Psychological, and Social Services

• Social and Emotional Climate

• Physical Environment

• Employee Wellness and Health Promotion

• Family Engagement

• Community Involvement

The idea is to address the needs of the students utilizing the components listed above. Springdale school district is committed to assessing its progress and implementing changes to address the needs of the students based on the above areas of concern. Coordinated school health plays a unique and important role in the lives of young people by improving their health knowledge attitudes and skills, healthy behaviors, educational outcomes, and social outcomes.

A coordinated approach increases the likelihood that staff and students’ full ranges of needs are addressed and a full array of programs and services are provided. Another positive impact on student health and learning outcomes is that the implementation of Coordinated School Health can result in positive impacts resulting from reduction in financial and personal costs involved in treating and/or living with behaviorally induced illness. Positive results include:

• Reduced absenteeism

• Fewer classroom behavior problems

• Improved academic performance

• Greater interest in healthy diets

• Increased participation in fitness activities

• Delayed onset of certain health risk behaviors

• Less smoking among students and staff

• Lower rates of teen pregnancy

• Meeting Dates and Locations

• Meeting Minutes and Presentations

• School Based Health Centers

• Our Wellness Policy

• Triennial Assessment