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Building a Healthy District


Director, Office of Healthy Schools
Florida Department of Education
325 W. Gaines Street, Suite 444
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
Phone: (850) 245-9522



Introduction

The Office of Healthy Schools provides support to districts in their efforts to help students develop positive habits that will remain with them throughout adulthood, and in their efforts to create healthy teaching and learning environments which support healthy habits for students and staff. The Coordinated School Health (CSH) model is a system designed to connect health (physical, emotional, and social) with education. This coordinated approach employs the support of families, communities, and schools working together to improve student health and to increase learning capacity.

By definition all Coordinated School Health components work together to improve the lives of students and their families. Although these components are listed separately, it is their continuous merging that allows CSH to have significant impact.

Eight Components of Coordinated School Health

The CSH approach consists of eight major components:
  • Health Education
  • Physical Education
  • Health Services
  • Nutrition Services
  • Counseling, Psychological, and Social Services
  • Healthy School Environment
  • Health Promotion for Staff
  • Parent and Community Involvement

Effective policies and practices in the eight component areas of the CSH model lead to sustainability and success in the area of school health and wellness. Intra and interagency collaboration, school district administration leadership, School Health Advisory Committees (SHACs), and Healthy School Teams (on the school level) create an effective support system.

Many positive changes are occurring in Florida districts. Below you will find exciting information about Florida’s awarded healthy districts, the Healthy District Self-Assessment Tool, and the Healthy District Collaborative.

School Districts Recognized as Florida Healthy School Districts

The Florida Coordinated School Health Partnership and Florida Action for Healthy Kids recognize the following 19 school districts as Florida Healthy School Districts. This recognition was determined by submission of the Florida Healthy District Self Assessment and a score rating at the bronze, silver or gold level.

The Florida Healthy School Districts are districts that have made a high level commitment to meeting the health needs of students and staff in order to remove barriers to learning and maximize district resources.

The criterion for recognition as a Florida Healthy School District is the Florida Healthy School District (FHSD) Self-Assessment Tool that focuses on district infrastructure, policy, programs, and practices identified from national and state guidelines, best practices, and Florida statutes.

Awarded Florida Healthy School Districts

Recognition Level* District Name District Strengths Designation Period
Gold Nassau District Infrastructure, Health Education, Health Services, Healthy School Environment, and Family and Community Involvement 2012-2014
Gold Palm Beach District Infrastructure, Health Education, Health Services, Healthy School Environment, Health Promotion for Staff, and Family and Community Involvement 2012-2014
Gold Santa Rosa District Infrastructure, Health Education, Health Services, Nutrition Services and Education, Healthy School Environment, Health Promotion for Staff, and Family and Community Involvement 2012-2014
Silver Brevard District Infrastructure, Physical Education, Health Services, Health Promotion or Staff, and Healthy School Environment 2012-2014
Silver Broward Health Education and Healthy School Environment 2012-2014
Silver Escambia Health Education, Healthy School Environment, and Family and Community Involvement 2012-2014
Silver Highlands Health Services, Counseling, Psychological and Social Services, and Healthy School Environment 2012-2014
Silver Lee Health Services and Family and Community Involvement 2012-2014
Silver Leon Health Education, Healthy School Environment, and Family and Community Involvement 2012-2014
Silver Okaloosa Health Education, Health Services, Healthy School Environment, and Family and Community Involvement 2012-2014
Silver Orange Health Services; Employee Wellness; and Family and Community Environment 2011-2013
Silver Osceola Health Services, Nutrition Services and Education, Healthy School Environment, Health Promotion for Staff, and Family and Community Involvement 2012-2014
Silver Pinellas Health Education, Physical Education, Health Services, Healthy School Environment, Health Promotion for Staff, and Family and Community Involvement 2012-2014
Silver Pasco Health Services, Counseling, Psychological and Social Services, and Health Promotion for Staff 2012-2014
Silver Polk Health Services, Healthy School Environment, Health Promotion for Staff, and Family and Community Involvement 2012-2014
Silver Putnam Nutrition Services and Education, Counseling, Psychological and Social Services; Healthy School Environment, Health Promotion for Staff, and Family and Community Environment 2012-2014
Silver Sarasota Health Education; School Nutrition Services and Education; Healthy School Environment; and School Health Services 2012-2014
Bronze Indian River Health Services and Family and Community Involvement 2012-2014
Bronze Manatee Nutrition Services and Education, Health Promotion for Staff, Family and Community Involvement 2012-2014
*Refer to Self-Assessment Tool for award criteria.

Florida Healthy District Self-Assessment Tool

This self-assessment is based on district infrastructure, policy, programs, and practices identified from national and state guidelines, best practices, and Florida statutes. The tool will help school districts assess existing policies and practices and guide them toward achieving the highest standards. Districts are encouraged to include school superintendents, school boards, school administrators, component area experts, parents, and the School Health Advisory Committee in the assessment process.

Florida Healthy District Self-Assessment Tool

The Healthy District Collaborative

School district policies and administrative support are essential to sustaining programs and activities that remove barriers to learning. A review of school wellness policies from around the state allowed Florida’s Coordinated School Health Program to identify school districts that have committed to using a coordinated school health (CSH) approach and to having a healthy school or wellness team in every school. Currently, there are 21 participating districts in what has become the Healthy District Collaborative, including Baker, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Hillsborough, Leon, Manatee, Marion, Nassau, Okaloosa, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa and Sarasota. To learn more about how to develop a healthy school district, visit the Florida Healthy Districts website.