Webinar: Local School Wellness Policies Thank you everyone for attending our webinar on Local Wellness Policies. My name is Linda Fischer, I m an Educational Specialist with ESE and I will be presenting the webinar today. I m joined today by my colleague, Ebonique Faria. Ebonique will be moderating the webinar for us today. Let s get started. Confirmation of Attendance: To receive confirmation of attendance: Enter your first & last name into the webinar system. For those participating as a group (and who have not registered individually), please be sure to include the names of all participants in your group. Participation certificates will only be issued to registered and confirmed attendees. A survey will be sent via email after this webinar. Once the survey is completed, you and Secondary Education 1
will be able to print a certificate. The Power Point and handouts will be available on the security portal and the JSI website within the next week. and Secondary Education 1
Civil Rights/Non-Discrimination Statement: This Civil Rights/Non-Discrimination Statement MUST be included on any and all program materials associated with the Child Nutrition Programs. The statement must be the exact statement from USDA and can not be altered. The current statement can be found on The MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education child nutrition program website at www.doe.mass.edu/cnp or on USDA s School Meals website at http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/childnutrition-programs and Secondary Education 2
Professional Standards This webinar provides 1.5 hours toward Professional Standards training requirements. The two key areas include: 1) Program Management Topic: 3230-Evaluate and utilize resources to promote a healthy school environment 2) Communications and Marketing Topic: 4150-Communicate within the school and to the community through multiple approaches to inform and educate stakeholders and Secondary Education 3
Learning Objectives By the end of this presentation, participants will identify: 1) the required components of local school wellness policies. 2) the assessment and implementation criteria for local school wellness policies. 3) best practices and resources that may be used to strengthen local school wellness policies. and Secondary Education 4
What is a Local School Wellness Policy? A local school wellness policy ( wellness policy ) is a written document that guides a Local Educational Agency s (LEA) or school district s efforts to establish a school environment that promotes students health, well-being, and ability to learn. and Secondary Education 5
History/Background The wellness policy requirement was established by the Child Nutrition and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Reauthorization Act of 2004. It required LEAs participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and/or School Breakfast Program (SBP) to develop a wellness policy by school year 2006. and Secondary Education 6
History/Background The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 further strengthened LWPs from 2004. The final rule expands the requirements to strengthen policies and increase transparency. The responsibility for developing, implementing, and evaluating a wellness policy is placed at the local level, so the unique needs of each school under the LEA s jurisdiction can be addressed. Provisions of the Final Rule: On July 29, 2016, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) finalized regulations to create a framework and guidelines for written wellness policies established by LEAs. The final rule requires LEAs to begin developing a revised local school wellness policy during School Year 2016-2017. LEAs must fully comply with the requirements of the final rule by June 30, 2017. See USDA handout Local School Wellness Policy Implementation Under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010: Summary of the Final Rule for more information. and Secondary Education 7
History/Background In July 2010, the Massachusetts legislature passed An Act Relative to School Nutrition (MGL 223, Chapter 111, 105 CMR 215.00), which called for regulations facilitating the establishment of School Wellness Advisory Committees Regulations were passed by the Public Health Council in July 2011 and went into effect in August 2012 and Secondary Education 8
History/Background Regulations for School Wellness Advisory Committees were developed to ensure that all Massachusetts school districts have a system in place to deal effectively with school health issues. and Secondary Education 9
Local Discretion and Local Wellness Policies LEAs can determine the specific policies appropriate for the schools under their jurisdiction. Local policies may be more strict but at a minimum, must include all required elements specified in Federal and State regulations. and Secondary Education 10
Legislative Requirements of a Local School Wellness Policy Must be a group of individuals from the school/district Must be a standing committee (as opposed to a single-issue task force) The superintendent must be made aware of members of the wellness committee/team The Wellness Committee is charged with making recommendations concerning school health/wellness policies, programs, and practices
Legislative Requirements of a Local School Wellness Policy The committee must meet at least 4 times per year and keep minutes Conduct a needs assessment, and develop and implement an annual action plan Must include attention to nutrition, physical activity, obesity Build support with all stakeholders Monitor progress Write annual report and communicate
School Wellness Advisory Committee Membership At a minimum, LEAs must permit participation by: the general public and the school community including: parents students representatives of the school food authority teachers of physical education school health professionals the school board and school administrators in the wellness policy process. Membership should reflect the cultural, linguistic, and ethnic composition of the community as much as possible. and Secondary Education 13
Stakeholder Participation LEAs are required to permit stakeholders in the: Development Implementation Periodic review Update of the LWP and Secondary Education 14
Elements of a Written Local School Wellness Policy At a minimum, policies are required to include specific goals for: Nutrition education and promotion Physical activity Other school-based activities that promote student wellness including: Bullying Prevention Policies and Plans Tobacco-Free Schools Indoor Air Quality Sex Education Stress Reduction School district will provide a clean, safe, enjoyable meal environment for students. School district will schedule lunch time as near the middle of the school day as possible. School district will prohibit the use of food as a reward or punishment in schools. Food or physical activity is not used as a reward or punishment. School district will make efforts to keep school or district-owned physical activity facilities open for use by students outside school hours. Nutrition guidelines for all foods available or for sale on school campus and Secondary Education 15
Elements of a Written Local School Wellness Policy At a minimum, must include goals for: Policies for other foods and beverages available during the school day (e.g., in classroom parties, classroom snacks brought by parents, or other foods given as incentives) Special attention should be paid to students with food allergies and special dietary needs. Policies that allow marketing and advertising of only those foods and beverages that meet nutrition standards and Secondary Education 16
Elements of a Written Local School Wellness Policy LEAs should make information available describing how the wellness committee is going to operate. The description should include information on public involvement, public updates, policy leadership and the evaluation plan for LWPs. LEAs are required to review and consider evidence-based strategies in determining these goals. and Secondary Education 17
Annual Needs Assessment and Action Plan A needs assessment of LWPs must be conducted annually. Develop and implement an annual action plan with measurable goals and objective based on the needs assessment
Annual Action Plan Develop an annual action plan with measurable and observable goals and objectives to promote student wellness based on your LWP Objectives should be SMART: S Specific M Measureable A Appropriate R Realistic T Time-linked
SMART Goal Examples 1) Over the current school year, Wilson Elementary School will increase physical education from 45 minutes/week to 90 minutes/week. 2) During the 2016-17 school year, Kennedy High School will increase the number of nutrition education instruction hours from 4 hours/semester to 8 hours/semester. 3) Over the year, increase fruit and vegetable consumption in the district by 20% for students participating in the NSLP.
Wellness Policy Documentation LEAs/schools must make the following documentation available to the State Agency for an Administrative Review, including: a copy or appropriate web address of the current LWP the most recent assessment of implementation of the policy and Secondary Education 21
Wellness Policy Documentation documentation on how the policy and assessments are made available to the public documentation of efforts to review and update the policy, including who was involved in the process and how stakeholders were made aware of their ability to participate and Secondary Education 22
State Agency Assessment During an Administrative Review, the State Agency (SA) will examine and assess the LWP for compliance with all regulations Any other working documents that go along with the main policy should be provided to the SA for review (if applicable) For example, We have several school districts that set up vague policies with another more detailed procedural document so they don t have to constantly go to school committee every time a change is made. This is acceptable. However, when it comes time for an administrative review, we (ESE) need(s) to see all relevant documents so we can assess/review what is actually happening within the school district. and Secondary Education 23
Public Notification LEAs are required to measure and make available to the public an assessment on the implementation of LWP Information should be made available to parents, students, and others in the community and Secondary Education 24
Public Notification Examples of notification include: School website Newsletters Social media Press releases Email Parent nights Success stories and Secondary Education 25
Wellness Leadership LEAs must establish wellness policy leadership of one or more LEA and/or school official(s) who have the authority and responsibility to ensure each school complies with the policy. and Secondary Education 26
2015 MA School Wellness Policy Review In June 2015, the and Secondary Education contracted with John Snow Research & Training Institute, (JSI) to conduct an independent review of school wellness policies submitted in 2014 and 2015. and Secondary Education 27
2015 MA School Wellness Policy Review Schools submitted these policies in compliance with the USDA Administrative Review and in accordance with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. JSI used the WellSAT 2.0 tool developed by the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. and Secondary Education 28
WellSAT 2.0 The WellSAT 2.0 reflects new USDA school food requirements and current best practices in all areas of school wellness. By completing the updated Wellness School Assessment Tool, WellSAT 2.0 users will be able to assess the quality of their school district s wellness policy*, and will be provided with personalized guidance and resources for making improvements, based on the assessment. and Secondary Education 29
2015 MA School Wellness Policy Review The tool addresses 78 items, which are categorized into six sections: 1) nutrition education 2) school meals 3) competitive foods 4) physical education and physical activity 5) wellness promotion and marketing 6) implementation, evaluation, and communication and Secondary Education 30
Results of Wellness Policy Review 216 school wellness policies were reviewed and scored in June 2015 Each policy item was assessed for both strength and comprehensiveness Results of the assessment indicated that while many MA school districts have developed and adopted wellness policies, their strength and comprehensiveness can be improved and Secondary Education 31
STRENGTH Scores of Policies The average strength score of policies was 17.9 out of a range of 0-55 and Secondary Education 32
COMPREHENSIVENESS Scores of Policies The average comprehensiveness score of policies was 35.7 out of a range of 0-75 and Secondary Education 33
Working Together for Student Success In 2014, ASCD (formally know as the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to release the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model as the next evolution of the CDC s coordinated school health approach. The WSCC Model is a 10-component model organized around the tenets of a Whole Child approach to education. and Secondary Education 34
The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model: The model provides a framework that stakeholders including schools, districts, state boards of education, school and public health professionals, and community organizations can use to coordinate the educational and health policies, processes, and practices that serve each child. Alignment, integration and collaboration improve each student s cognitive, physical, social and emotional development. and Secondary Education 35
Compliance with LWP Regulations: Where does your LEA stand? Does your wellness committee have the members required by legislation? Is the wellness committee meeting at least 4 times per year and keeping meeting minutes? How are potential stakeholders made aware of their ability to participate in the development, review, update, and implementation of the LWP? and Secondary Education 36
Compliance with LWP Regulations: Where does your LEA stand? Does the committee conduct an annual needs assessment review of current school programs? Has the committee implemented an annual action plan with measurable goals and objectives? How is your LEA working together to promote student success? and Secondary Education 37
Compliance with LWP Regulations: Where does your LEA stand? How does the public know about the results of the most recent assessment on the implementation of the LWP? If applicable, what needs to happen to bring the LWP into compliance with regulations? and Secondary Education 38
Resources: The Wellness Solution for Massachusetts An updated resource to support and strengthen wellness policies specifically in Massachusetts schools. The site summarizes state and federal regulations to clarify all requirements and help schools streamline policy development and monitoring. and Secondary Education 39
Resources: School Nutrition Environment and Wellness Resources This Web site is dedicated to helping local educational agencies find the resources they need to meet recommendations for Local School Wellness Policies. and Secondary Education 40
Resources: USDA s Team Nutrition and the Healthy Meals Resource System A Web site developed to help local educational agencies meet the local school wellness policy requirements and establish a healthier school nutrition environment. The recently updated School Nutrition Environment and Wellness Resources Web site provides information and resources on: Local School Wellness Policy Process steps to build, implement, and monitor your policy. Wellness Policy Elements to meet the federal requirements Success Stories Grants/Funding Opportunities related to child nutrition and physical activity Trainings and Secondary Education 41
Resources: USDA Local School Wellness Policy Outreach Toolkit Share news about your LWP and engage school staff and parents in school wellness using USDA s ready-to-go communication tools in USDA s Local School Wellness Policy Outreach Toolkit. The toolkit includes: flyers, presentations, newsletter articles, and social media posts. Your school can personalize them to make them specific to your Local School Wellness Policy activities. and Secondary Education 42
Resources: Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) was founded in 2002 by former Surgeon General David Satcher. Today, AFHK has more than 80,000 members and constituents in our network. They also partner with dozens of professional associations, government agencies and corporations at the national and local level. The goal of AFHK is to fight childhood obesity, undernourishment and physical inactivity by helping schools become healthier places so kids can live healthier lives. To assist schools, AFHK provides: Funding; School Wellness Team Trainings; Tools/Resources Action for Healthy Kids offers a wide variety of virtual learning opportunities from school breakfast programs and recess before lunch to wellness policy implementation and more. Most sessions are of no cost and are open to any interested individual or group. Go to the AFHK website to register for all webinars. Webinar Today! Wednesday, December 14, 2016 at 4:00pm-4:30pm ET - Wellness Wednesday: Nudge Kids to Eat Better at School: Smarter Lunchroom Strategies that Work and Secondary Education 43
Resources: The Alliance for a Healthier Generation provides a model policy template that is in compliance with the requirements set forth in USDA s Food and Nutrition Service proposed rule and will be updated per the final rule. and Secondary Education 44
Resources: ASCD's Whole Child approach is an effort to transition from a focus on narrowly defined academic achievement to one that promotes the long-term development and success of all children. They assist educators, families, community members, and policymakers move from a vision about educating the whole child to sustainable, collaborative action. and Secondary Education 45
Resources: ADCD compiled this WSCC implementation resource (which includes information from more than a dozen states, two dozen large school districts, community-based groups, and many organizations across the fields of education, public health, and school health) that have put the model into practice and how they are using it to ensure the wellbeing of each child. and Secondary Education 46
Resources: The Wellness School Assessment Tool (WellSAT) 2.0 provides a standard method for the quantitative assessment of school wellness policies. This tool offers a consistent and reliable means of assessing the comprehensiveness and strength of school wellness policies within or among states. It was developed in 2010 and updated in 2014 by researchers funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. and Secondary Education 47
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