Individual Student Health

Project AWARE grants promote youth mental health awareness among schools and communities and improve connections to services for school-age youth.

Guidance for establishing a holistic, comprehensive, and actionable strategy that integrates preventive measures and addresses environmental health issues by fostering well-maintained school buildings and grounds

Overviews of CDC’s Healthy Schools program

As summer ends, there is a lot to do to get kids ready for school. This is especially true because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn what parents can do to get ready for the new school year, too

The Department of Education has developed a Return to School Roadmap to support educators and school leaders, parents, families, and communities and lead students on a path to return to in-person learning this fall, where they are safe and supported. The goal of the Roadmap is to make sure every student has the support and opportunities they need to heal, learn, and grow in their classrooms and create an environment where they belong and can thrive.

This web page contains a variety of information and resources for teachers of grades 4-8 to use in the classroom and help students make healthier lifestyle choices.

This infographic helps illustrate how school-based physical activity benefits not only students, but the school, teachers, and community.

This article describes the purpose of school-based BMI surveillance and screening programs, examines current practices, and reviews research on BMI measurement programs. The article summarizes the recommendations of experts, identifies concerns surrounding programs, and outlines needs for future research. Guidance is provided on specific safeguards that need to be addressed before schools decide to collect BMI information.

The purpose of the staff development program, Promoting Parent Engagement in School Health, is to provide teachers and other school staff with an introduction to parent engagement and guidance on how to engage parents in school health activities. This Facilitator’s Guide provides the step-by-step procedures, activities, handout materials, resources, and PowerPoint® presentation (with facilitator narrative and notes) needed to implement this staff development program. In addition, an e-mail template to use in promoting the availability of this program to school staff — and inviting them to participate — is included.

The purpose of the Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety (Center) is to provide technical assistance to support States and districts in the implementation of social and emotional learning evidence-based (as defined in this notice) programs and practices. The Center will enhance the capacity of (1) State educational agencies (SEAs) to support their local educational agencies (LEAs) and (2) LEAs to support their schools.

The purpose of the Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety (Center) is to provide technical assistance to support States and districts in the implementation of social and emotional learning evidence-based (as defined in this notice) programs and practices. The Center will enhance the capacity of (1) State educational agencies (SEAs) to support their local educational agencies (LEAs) and (2) LEAs to support their schools.

Overview of obesity and its causes

This CDC framework provides school nutrition professionals, school health professionals, administrators, teachers, and parents detailed information on the components of a school nutrition environment and how, together, they influence a students’ access to healthy foods and beverages at school.

This guide provides schools with the step-by-step process to develop, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive school physical activity program (CSPAP). The guide can be read and utilized by an existing school health council or wellness committee, or by a new group or committee made up of physical education coordinators and teachers, classroom teachers, school administrators, recess supervisors, before- and after-school program supervisors, parents, and community members. It can be used to develop a new comprehensive school physical activity program or assess and improve an existing one.

ED recently released COVID-19 Handbook Volume 1: Strategies for Safely Reopening Elementary and Secondary Schools. To reopen safely during the COVID-19 pandemic and maximize the amount of in-person instruction, schools need sufficient resources and strong state and local public health measures. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) provide recommendations and considerations based on the most recent scientific evidence to support school and district leaders and educators in meeting these ever evolving, significant challenges.

This US Department of Education webpage is intended to provide states, communities, educators, and families with resources and flexibilities that empower students to continue pursuing their education goals during this coronavirus pandemic. This includes the ongoing development of guidance and policies related to elementary and secondary education, special education, higher education, and other essential components of lifelong learning.

Selecting the Right Interventions to Support Students’ Mental Health Needs
This document by Regional Educational Laboratories Appalachia contains additional resources on decision making and can be used to select appropriate evidence-based programs (EBPs) based on school, state, or district needs.

This playbook is a collaborative product that provides the scientific foundation for the Guiding Principles for Equitable Whole Child Design

The Training Tools for Health Schools: Promoting Health and Academic Success, eLearning series consists of five core training tools that have been converted to 1-1.5 hour modules for the ease and flexibility for online learners to have easier access to our tools. Continuing education credits are offered to most partipant forth CSPAP and SHG. All five modules have a very robust GO Further section to gain additional knowledge and resources.

The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSA), was signed into law on December 27, 2020 and provides an additional $54.3 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER II Fund). ESSER II Fund awards to SEAs are in the same proportion as each State received funds under Part A of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, in fiscal year 2020. This ESSER II Fact Sheet outlines the primary differences between ESSER Fund under the CARES Act enacted on March 27, 2020, and the ESSER II Fund under the CRRSA, Public Law 116-260 enacted on December 27, 2020.

This report explores the dynamics and barriers that stand in the way of effective family-school partnerships and outlines how to reach a more liberatory, solidarity-driven, and equity-focused family engagement practice that supports educational excellence for all children.

Guidnce help states establish and sustain environmental health programs for K-12 schools.

EXHALE is a package of six strategies that can be used individually or together to achieve better asthma control for both children and adults. The EXHALE guides explain how the strategies can be applied by different stakeholders, including people with asthma, schools, healthcare professionals, and public health professionals.

This guide is designed to help school leaders and educators use restorative approaches to build relationships and address conflict. These practices help facilitate community building and address infractions, enabling students to take responsibility for their actions and repair harm when possible.

Parents play a powerful role in helping their children prepare mentally, physically, and emotionally for the upcoming school year. Here are some ways you can give your child a healthy and active summer through activities that help them be safe, healthy, engaged, supported, and challenged.

Research shows a strong connection between healthy behaviors and academic achievement (e.g., grades, standardized tests, graduation rates, attendance).5-10 Data from the 2019 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) illustrate the prevalence of health behaviors among children and adolescents that can have a significant impact on learning and a lifetime of healthier living.

The Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT) can help school districts, schools, and others conduct a clear, complete, and consistent analysis of health education curricula based on the National Health Education Standards and CDC’s Characteristics of an Effective Health Education Curriculum.

The Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT) can help school districts, schools, and others conduct a clear, complete, and consistent analysis of health education curricula based on the National Health Education Standards and CDC’s Characteristics of Effective Health Education Curricula. The HECAT results can help schools select or develop appropriate and effective health education curricula and improve the delivery of health education. The HECAT can be customized to meet local community needs and conform to the curriculum requirements of the state or school district.

This fact sheet provides schools with guidance on how to improve educational outcomes of students by connecting them to health insurance.

EPA’s comprehensive schools website offers all the resources you need to establish, maintain, or enhance a school environmental health program.

This report is part of a series that aims to provide a definitive account of the best available evidence on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected America’s students. This research aims assess what we know about the pandemic’s effects on students’ academic progress, its effects on their mental health and social-emotional well-being, and its impact on students with disabilities.

This brief is for state education and health leaders. It defines inclusion, identifies relevant federal policies, describes the current status of inclusion in the United States, and suggests ways to promote inclusion.

1 in 5 children and adolescents do not drink any plain water during the day, and about half of school-aged children are underhydrated. Learn how to increase water access in schools.

This tool kit provides school health councils, nutrition services providers, principals, teachers, parents, and other school staff with information and tools to • Meet free drinking water requirements in NSLP and SBP programs. • Help make clean, free drinking water readily available throughout multiple points in school settings. • Promote water consumption as a healthy beverage. the easy-to-use tool kit includes background information, needs assessment tools, implementation strategies, and evaluation guidance to provide students with access to drinking water as part of a healthy nutrition environment.

Regular physical activity in childhood and adolescence is important for promoting lifelong health and well-being and preventing a variety of health conditions. Schools are in a unique position, regardless of learning mode, to help students attain the recommended 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily.

Integrating a Trauma-Informed Approach within a PBIS Framework is a guide intended to describe how to integrate trauma-informed approaches into the PBIS framework to ensure efforts are linked to student outcomes. Strategies and tools to ensure effectiveness are included.

This fact sheet focuses on the role of the school nurse in helping students manage their conditions.

This toolkit, based on the voluntary food allergy guidelines, includes numerous tip sheets for specific audiences such as school transportation staff, classroom teachers, school administrators, superintendents, and school nutrition staff. It also includes public use PowerPoint slides and podcasts.

This research brief looks at what currently known about the impacts of school-based mindfulness programs (SBMPs) on student outcomes. The analysis examines 54 research studies conducted between 2000 and 2019.

CDC combined the research and best practices for promoting healthy eating and physical activity in schools into nine guidelines. The guidelines serve as the foundation for developing, implementing, and evaluating school-based healthy eating and physical activity policies and practices for students.

National Center on Safe and Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE), provides training and technical assistance to schools, school districts, and educational agencies to support efforts aimed at creating and nurturing safe and supportive learning environments. The national center addresses a wide variety of topics that impact school climate, ranging from bullying and violence prevention to tools for measuring and identifying needs for school climate.

Website containing a variety of documents, including speakers’ slides, from each annual meeting of NCCSHS

This in-depth guide to 33 evidence-based SEL programs — aimed at elementary schools and Out of School Time (OST) providers — offers information about curricular content and programmatic features that practitioners can use to make informed choices about their SEL programs.

This publication defines and describes parent engagement and identifies specific strategies and actions that schools can take to increase parent engagement in schools’ health promotion activities. The audiences for this publication include school administrators, teachers, support staff, parents, and others interested in promoting parent engagement. Each of these audiences has different but important roles and responsibilities related to garnering support for, and implementing, these strategies and actions.

A set of resources containing a guide, PPT presentation, and idea sheets to help schools and school groups (e.g., parent teacher associations (PTA), parent teacher organizations (PTO), school wellness committees) engage parents to create healthy school environments.

This web page provides information on physical activity guidelines and recommendations for children ages 6 through 17 years found in Chapter 3 of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition.

The Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (PECAT) will help school districts conduct a clear, complete, and consistent analysis of written physical education curricula, based on national physical education standards. The PECAT is customizable to include local standards. The results from the analysis can help school districts enhance existing curricula, develop their own curricula, or select a published curriculum for delivering quality physical education in schools. The online PECAT will guide you through completing the entire PECAT, allow you to enter your scores for all PECAT analyses, calculate your overall scores, help you to identify strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum being considered, and guide you through establishing a curriculum improvement plan.

This playbook was developed to help K–12 and postsecondary leadership and nonprofits that work with those institutions implement and adapt strategies, tools, and metrics that build and strengthen their students’ networks in support of their well-being and with the aim of expanding their postsecondary and career options.

Policy Brief: SEL and Racial Equity. This brief reviews education-focused, evidence-based racial equity strategies and discusses how they might overlap with SEL. The brief identifies five key policy areas. The brief identifies the following policy areas to promote racial equity in K–12 education and provides analysis of how SEL is implicated.

This technical package represents a select group of strategies based on the best available evidence to help prevent child abuse and neglect. These strategies include strengthening economic supports to families; changing social norms to support parents and positive parenting; providing quality care and education early in life; enhancing parenting skills to promote healthy child development; and intervening to lessen harms and prevent future risk. These strategies range from a focus on individuals, families, and relationships to broader community and societal change. This range of strategies is needed to better address the interplay between individual-family behavior and broader
neighborhood, community, and cultural contexts. This package supports CDC’s Essentials for Childhood framework for preventing child abuse and neglect. Commitment, cooperation, and leadership from numerous sectors, including public health, education, justice, healthcare, social services, business/labor, and government can bring about successful implementation of this package.

The ultimate goal of professional development (PD) is the effective implementation of skills and strategies that enhance knowledge and transfer of learning. This guides list Professional Development Practices based on research and best practice and provide the best conditions for implementation to occur. They encompass the delivery of PD in a group setting (trainings, presentations, meetings) and one‐on‐one (general technical assistance, coaching/mentoring).

This publication is a compilation of 11 stories that provide examples of steps and strategies used to implement wellness policies, including activities in key areas such as improving school meals and increasing physical activity levels among students.

Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center, The REMSTA Center is the nation’s higher ed and K-12 school safety, security, and emergency management and preparedness hub for information and services (e.g., guidance, training, tools, resources). The REMS TA Center serves K-12 schools and institutions of higher education (IHEs), public and private, as well as their local, state, and Federal partners with shared school safety responsibilities.  They develop and maintain comprehensive, all-hazard, and high-quality campus and school Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs).  These plans focus on continually protecting the whole school community before, during, and after possible emergencies. In addition to its free virtual trainings, the REMS TA Center offers numerous interactive tools such as its EOP Assist software, which helps generate customized plans and its SITE ASSESS app which facilitate the walk-through and safety inspection of campus and buildings

This toolkit provides leaders with a realistic, inclusive, and rapid process for making targeted improvement toward more equitable and resilient teaching and learning through a series of guided activities paired with examples from real schools.

designed to help schools develop a school recess plan. A school recess plan identifies the strategies a school will use to organize and implement recess at the school. This plan should be a written document that can be shared with all school staff, students, and parents.

This blueprint — designed with input from in-person and remote educators, leaders, researchers, professional learning providers, and technical assistance providers — strives to detail the indicators of learning programs that successfully integrate equity, well-being, and academics.

This brief summarizes current scientific knowledge from a systematic literature review on the relationship between the role of school health services in the health and academic outcomes of students with chronic health conditions.11 It also reflects position statements and guidelines from national organizations with expertise in school health, and the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) approach for comprehensive school health.12 School districts and schools can use the following strategies and activities to address the needs of students with chronic health conditions

This brief describes the relationship between certain chronic health conditions and academic achievement, based on a review of the scientific literature. These include seizure disorders/epilepsy, asthma, diabetes, poor oral health conditions, and food allergies. These are examples of chronic health conditions that are commonly observed among school-aged youth, possibly affect academic achievement, or use significant resources when addressed at school. Academic achievement refers to academic performance, educational behaviors, and cognitive skills. This brief also makes recommendations for future research.

Summarizes the current state of the physical activity and the physical education policies and practices of secondary schools (e.g., middle schools, high schools) across 26 jurisdictions (18 states, 6 large urban school districts, 1 territory, and 1 tribe)

An online self-assessment and planning tool (also available  in a downloadable, printable version) that schools can use to improve their health and safety policies and programs. It’s easy to use and completely confidential.

The School Health Profiles (Profiles) is a system of surveys assessing school health policies and practices in states, large urban school districts, territories, and tribal governments. Profile surveys are conducted every 2 years by education and health agencies among middle and high school principals and lead health education teachers.

In 1902, the first-ever school nurse, Lina Rogers, reduced absenteeism by helping students and their families manage contagious diseases. Learn how school nurses continue to care for students over a century later.

Guidance which helps school districts evaluate the environmental factors to make the best possible school siting decisions.

Seizing the Moment: Race Equity Mindsets, Social and Emotional Well-Being, and Outcomes for Students is a webinar and panel discussion that addresses the interrelationships among race equity mindsets, social and emotional well-being, and outcomes for Black, Latinx, and other students of color.

Seizing the Moment: Race Equity Mindsets, Social and Emotional Well-Being, and Outcomes for Students is a webinar and panel discussion that addresses the interrelationships among race equity mindsets, social and emotional well-being, and outcomes for Black, Latinx, and other students of color.

An overview of how to avoid key environmental health hazards and ways to minimize children’s exposures as they prepare for and undergo renovations

Guidance which provides information on the most cost-effective, affordable measures school districts can take to protect the health of students and staff.

This Alignment and Coherence Guide’s central purpose is to help local education agency (LEA) leaders implement conditions for equitable learning and development for students, families, and educators, through their work to improve the alignment and coherence of their whole-person initiatives.

This Alignment and Coherence Guide’s central purpose is to help state education agency (SEA) leaders implement conditions for equitable learning and development for students, families, and educators, through their work to improve the alignment and coherence of their whole-person initiatives.

SHPPS is a national survey periodically conducted to assess school health policies and practices at the state, district, school, and classroom levels. This fact sheet reports data from the 2014 study, which collected data at the school and classroom levels.

The School Health Policies and Practices Study (SHPPS) is a national survey periodically conducted to assess school health policies and practices at the state, district, school, and classroom levels.

EPA developed the Smart School Siting Tool under its Smart Growth Implementation Assistance Program to help school agencies and other local government agencies work together to better align school siting and other community development decisions.

A blog series, Spotlight on School-based Mental Health by the National Center for Education Research (NCER) was launched to unpack the why, what, when, who, and where of providing mental health services in schools. This first blog in the series focuses on the why by discussing three IES-funded projects that highlight the importance of these services.

This guide provides evidence-based strategies for planning and providing recess in schools to increase physical activity participation and improve academic achievement (e.g., performance, behavior, attention).

The Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) supports schools, districts, and states to build systems capacity for implementing a multi-tiered approach to social, emotional and behavior support. The broad purpose of PBIS is to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and equity of schools and other agencies. PBIS improves social, emotional and academic outcomes for all students, including students with disabilities and students from underrepresented groups.

This podcast series from The Wallace Foundation shares findings and early lessons from a RAND Corporation study of the PSELI initiative. The five episodes feature in-depth conversations with practitioners in schools and afterschool programs, and leaders in districts and out-of-school time intermediary organizations, about their experiences working together to help children develop social and emotional skills

This guide, The Role of Districts in Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (District Guide), complements the earlier School Guide by recommending specific roles and responsibilities for district-level administrators and staff.

You can have an employee wellness program and follow CDC Guidelines for Operating Schools During COVID-19.

This tip sheet provides both evidence-based tips and resources for teachers to promote healthy eating and physical activity in the classroom. All of the tips are based on the School Health Guidelines to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity.

Data from the 2019 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) show that students with higher grades are less likely to use tobacco products compared to students with lower grades. It is important to remember that these associations do not prove causation. School health professionals, school officials, and other decision makers can use this fact sheet to better understand the connection between tobacco product use and grades and reinforce policies and practices that discourage tobacco product use in schools.

This brief examines how trauma-sensitive schools (TSS) and SEL can be integrated and expanded — through shared understanding and vision, a readiness to integrate approaches, a shift in mindsets, joint implementation and evaluation, support of adult SEL, and an enhanced equity lens — to create safe, supportive, and culturally responsive schools that prevent school-related trauma and foster thriving, robust equity, and transformative learning.

Results from research study which evaluated the relationship between school location, travel choices, and the environment.

The Turnaround for Children Toolbox is an online hub for science-grounded ideas and resources that empower educators — including teachers, school and district leaders, student support staff, and many others — to embed an equitable, whole-child purpose into our education system. 

This overview provides basic definitions for the following PD terms: training, workshop, technical assistance, presentation, and information session.

This brief helps those who are in charge of state and district-wide trainings to further their understanding of a the ToT model. The Training of Trainers (ToT) model is intended to engage master trainers in coaching new trainers that are less experienced with a particular topic or skill, or with training overall. A ToT workshop can build a pool of competent instructors who can then teach the material to other people. Instead of having just one trainer who teaches a course for a long time, there are multiple trainers teaching the same course at the same time in the ToT model, thus creating a broader reach; sustainability; and is much more cost and time efficient.

The Virtual Healthy Schools is an interactive learning tool that shows how schools can use the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model to support Health school environments.

This set of guidelines describes evidence- and practice-based strategies to address and manage food allergies within schools and early care and education programs.

These short video training modules guide schools on steps to take to help students drink more water during the day. School staff will learn what can be done to ensure water is available, safe, and promoted as an ideal beverage choice.

School meals are free for all children through June 30, 2022. Visit your school district’s website for more information.

This document describes the Whole School Whole Community Whole Child (WSCC) framework, a collaborative approach designed to improve learning and health in our nation’s schools.

The Toolkit provides you with the resources, materials, and guidance necessary to inform other adults who work with and care for youth about the importance of regular physical current physical activity guidelines, and how to encourage physical activity among youth. Toolkit activity, materials highlight specific strategies that schools, families, and communities can use to support youth physical activity.

Monitors six types of Health risk behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death and disability among youth and adults.