Steps to Prepare a Local School Wellness Policy (Adobe Acrobat)

Community Introduction: Local School Wellness Policy (Power Point)

Web Links

General
Obesity/Overweight Statistics
School Health Assessment
Model School Wellness Polices
North Dakota Initiatives
Initiatives from Other States
Vending Policy
Competitive Foods/Fundraising Policy
Media Marketing
Physical Activity Resources
Nutrition Education Resources

General

• USDA Team Nutrition Web site: School Wellness Policy has policy requirements and components. It includes how to create, implement, evaluate and fund a local wellness policy. This site also provides samples, tools and resources.

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Obesity/Overweight Statistics

• Childhood Obesity Fact Sheets contain results from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and School Health Profiles related to the obesity epidemic among youth. They include a fact sheet on students in North Dakota.
• Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS): national and state statistics for middle and high school students related to weight , physical activity, nutrition and other health behaviors.
• Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS): national and state statistics by year for weight, physical activity, nutrition behaviors and prevalence of chronic disease.
• Obesity trends for adults, children and adolescents (NHANES)
• Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance, a report from the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences. It includes the following fact sheets: Facts and Figures; The Role of Advertising, Marketing and the Media; The Role of Industry; The Role of Schools; The Role of Parents; The Role of Communities; The Role of Health Care; and The Role of Government.
• The Guide to Community Preventive Services from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides evidence-based recommendations for school-based programs to control overweight or obesity.

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School Health Assessment

• “Changing the Scene: Improving the School Nutrition Environment” is a kit from the USDA that provides tools to assess the school nutrition environment and identify areas needing improvement. It includes a checklist, presentations to help create awareness and a guide to local action. Copies are free from the USDA.
• School Health Index from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides tools to identify the strengths and weaknesses of school policies and programs related to health and safety and to develop plans for improvements. It includes eight modules with separate editions for elementary and middle/ high schools.
• School Foods Tool Kit from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) provides tools to improve school foods and beverages, including a vending survey. The kit includes a summary of background information and recommended nutrition standards for food sold outside the USDA meal programs, such as vending, a al carte and fundraisers.
• Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) provides state profiles related to improving the health and educational performance of children through better nutrition and physical activity in schools: school demographics; health behaviors and risks; participation in school food programs; related legislation; policies on school food and physical education/activity; national/state standards and graduation requirements; and links to state agencies. More than 40 national organizations and government agencies provide guidance and direction.
• School Health Council Guides from the National School Boards Association to support and guide school health programs and policies. (Search “school health councils”)

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Model School Wellness Policies

• Model School Wellness Policies from the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity provides wording for wellness policies related to a variety of issues: foods served within the national school lunch program; foods and beverages sold individually through various venues such as vending, a la carte, fundraisers and school stores; promoting nutrition and physical activity education and positive behaviors; and monitoring and policy review.
• Fit, Healthy and Ready to Learn from the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) includes general school health policies, plus policies to encourage healthy eating and physical activity.
• Council of State Governments: Tool Kit on Trends and Policy Solutions for Youth Obesity. Included are the following reviews: Trends and Policy Solution in Youth Obesity, Physical Activity and Nutrition; Active Bodies, Active Minds: Physical Activity and PE; Center of the Neighborhood: Schools in Communities; Resources for Further Information; Checklist for Legislators.
• Making It Happen: School Nutrition Success Stories from the USDA provides examples from 32 schools demonstrating innovative approaches to improving nutritional quality of foods and beverages [see entries for Grand Forks, N.D., (pp205-231) and Williston, N.D. (pp169-171)].

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North Dakota Initiatives

• Grand Forks Public Schools includes a Nutrition Education Practices Policy (1/27/03) and school/community surveys
• Valley City School District School Wellness Policy(3/17/06)
• North Dakota Department of Public Instruction Guidelines for establishing a “Local Wellness Policy”
• North Dakota Department of Public Instruction Requirement for Physical Education
• North Dakota Department of Public Instruction Requirement for Health
• North Dakota State Profile from Action for Healthy Kids that includes school demographics; health behaviors and risks; BMI (national); school food programs and hunger; income demographics; legislation; policy; standards and assessment; important state links; references.

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Initiatives From Other States

• Arkansas state Legislature passed Act 1220 of 2003, which created the Child Health Advisory Committee to address childhood obesity and develop statewide nutrition and physical activity standards. This includes the final recommendations of the committee.
• Arizona Healthy School Environment Model Policy
• Colorado school vending and sample school policies (Department of Education)
• Kansas School Wellness Policy Model Guidelines (July 2005)
• Michigan School Policies: (1) Policy on offering Healthy Food and Beverages in Venues Outside of the Federally Regulated Child Nutrition Programs; (2) Policy on Quality Physical Education; (3) Policy on Coordinated School Health Programs To Support Academic Achievement and Healthy Schools. Also includes a sample policy from the Mercedes Independent School District: Student Nutrition/Wellness Plan Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value.
• Mississippi Local School Wellness Policy Guide for Development is part of a comprehensive effort to improve the health and achievement of Mississippi children.
• North Carolina Eat Smart Move More materials: blueprint for changing policies and environments in support of increased physical activity; blueprint for changing policies and environments in support of healthy eating; executive summary; school foods standards; state plan; sample food policy.
• South Carolina Recommendations for Improving Student Nutrition and Physical Activity (Department of Education)
• Texas School Nutrition Policy (Department of Agriculture)

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Vending Policy

• School Foods Tool Kit from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) provides tools to improve school foods and beverages, including a vending survey. The kit also includes reports and fact sheets related to other areas of school foods: competitive foods; snacks during and for after-school programs; and fundraising.
• The Healthy Beverage Toolkit from The Food Trust is designed to help parents, teachers, food service professionals, school administrators and community leaders promote healthy beverages sold and served to children at school.
• Nutritious School Vending: Step-By-Step Guide to Implementing Colorado Senate Bill 04-103: Describes how school districts can work with food and beverage companies to modify the offerings in vending machines to ensure that healthy options are available for students and school personnel.
• School Soda Contracts: A Sample Review of Contracts in Oregon Public School Districts
• Vending Machines in Schools, state legislation compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
• Taking the Fizz out of Soda Contracts: A Guide to Community Action provides a tool for advocacy and policy from California Project Lean.

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Competitive Foods/Fundraising Policy

• Food Choices at School: Risks to Child Nutrition and Health Call for Action prepared by the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry (May 18, 2004).
• States Competitive Foods Policies, compiled by the USDA, provides the regulations on competitive foods from each state (September 2002).
• National Consensus Panel on School Nutrition: Recommendations for Competitive Food Standards in California Schools (March 2002) from the California Center for Public Health Advocacy.
• Competitive Foods and Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value (Fostering Nutrition Integrity in a la Carte Sales and Other Foods Available at School) from Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, School Nutrition Programs.
• Creative School Fundraising Ideas: a fact sheet from California Project Lean.
• Recommended Standards for All Foods Available in Schools from North Carolina’s Eat Smart Move More campaign. Includes foods recommended for vending, school meals, a al carte, school events and after school.
• Competitive Foods and Beverages Available for Purchase in Secondary Schools - Selected Sites, United States, 2004, from the Weekly Report from Sept. 23, 2005/54(37);917-921. Selected sites include North Dakota.

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Media Marketing

• Role of the Media in Childhood Obesity: Kaiser Family Foundation Report (2004) reviews more than 40 studies to explore research findings about the role of media in childhood obesity. It makes suggestions for ways the media industry could help address the public health problem of childhood obesity.
• Guidelines for Responsible Food Marketing to Children developed by The Center for Science in the Public Interest.
• Policy Brief: Food Advertising and Marketing to Children and Youth from California Project Lean.

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Physical Activity Resources

• The National Association for Sport and Physical Education is one of six national associations under the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Resources from NASPE include “It’s Time for Your School’s Physical Education Checkup: How Are You Doing?” and “Physical Activity for Children: Guidelines”
• President’s Challenge includes: Physical Fitness Test; Health Fitness Test; Active Lifestyle Program; Presidential Champions Program; Fitness File (online tool to track student progress).
• California Department of Education: Academic Achievement and Physical Fitness. This study released in April, 2005 validates earlier studies showing positve correlation between physical fitness levels of students in grades five, seven and nine with student performance on California Department of Education academic achievement.
• P.E.4life is a nonprofit whose mission is to advocate for healthy living by advancing the development of high-quality daily physical education programs for children. P.E.4life conducts “training institutes” that occur in public schools with exemplary physical education programs.
• SPARK originally was a research project from the Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health designed to develop, implement and evaluate a physical education program. It has evolved into SPARK Programs, which includes the following: assessment/evaluation; curricula; staff development; equipment; follow-up/consultation.
• CATCH originally was a research project called “Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health” under the National Institutes of Health. It has evolved into a program called “Coordinated Approach to Child Health” and includes the following for elementary schools: hands-on training, classroom curriculum; school physical education; school food service; and family components.
• Take 10 is a classroom-based physical activity program for students in kindergarten through fifth grade that is linked to academic learning objectives. The goal is to help children develop lifetime healthy behaviors – 10 minutes at a time.

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Nutrition Education Resources

• 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (6th edition)
• MyPyramid.gov Interactive Food Guidance System developed for consumers from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans with 12 calorie levels and suggested food patterns, including the numbers of servings from each food group; tips for each food group; amount of recommended physical activity; and professional resources.
• Team Nutrition Resources for nutrition education from USDA
• The Power of Choice was developed by the Departments of Health and Human Services and USDA for after-school programs working with young adolescents. The leaders guide has 10 interactive sessions on topics such as the following: Get Up and Move!; Helpings vs. Servings; Are You Label Able?; Tastes Great, Less Fat!; Make Drinks Count!; Snacks: “Chews” for Health; Your Fast Food Order?: Urge to Splurge.
• Fruits and Vegetables Galore: Helping Kids Eat More is a tool for school food service professionals packed with tips on the use and promotion of fruits and vegetables and includes teaching tools.
• Pyramids Between the Pages is a nutrition education curriculum for children in grades K-3 that uses six children’s books to link literary skills with nutrition (includes six children’s books, leaders guide, poster, resource list) from the University of Michigan Extension Service.
• CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) has information about coordinated school health programs, health topics, data and statistics, publications and links.
• Tools for Schools from the National Dairy Council includes nutrition education materials and nutrition lessons for all grade levels.
• NDSU Extension Service Healthy Weight resources: assessment data; USDA research and Extension interventions; federal government and national initiatives; school initiatives for physical activity; community initiatives for physical activity; pedometer-based walking programs and resources; initiatives to promote bicycling; Native American health information; nutrient analysis/food composition information; community grant opportunities.

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