School Health Servics Grant

Determining the Status of Wisconsin School Health Services

Survey

If you are interested in taking the survey for SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, please click here.

Background

A grant was written in 2006 with the purpose of assessing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the current health services infrastructure in Wisconsin public schools using collaborative leadership strategies. The result of the project will be a unique and crucial public health system product -- a comprehensive policy paper that delineates the results of the assessment, strategic and systemic policy recommendations, and next steps. The report will serve as a comprehensive “call to action” to strengthen systemic linkages between the educational and public health sectors and Wisconsin stakeholders from government, the public, private, nonprofit, and voluntary sectors to a take collective action to protect the health and safety of school age children and youth and assure conditions in which children and youth can be healthy.

To achieve the purpose of the grant, a multi-tiered approach will be used: (1) convene an interdisciplinary and multi-sector advisory committee; (2) assess required and permissive authorities for school health in Wisconsin statutes and administrative rules and compare them to national standards and best practices; (3) survey a representative sample of school officials, health department officials, and parents/guardians regarding the level of school health services that are provided; and (4) conduct at least four formal focus groups comprised of local school nurses and public health nurses to determine their perception of the capacity of the current service delivery system to meet the current and emerging needs of school age children and youth; (5) self-monitoring and accountability of the partnership through a self-assessment tool.

Partners on the project include: Department of Public Instruction, Division of Public Health, Wisconsin Association of School Nurses, Medical College of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Association of Local Health Departments and Boards, and the Wisconsin Public Health Association.

Policy Report

If you would like to receive a copy of the policy report once it’s completed (early Fall 2008), please sign up here.

Updates

November 2007:
The advisory committee met for the first time and produced some exciting information. One hundred percent (100%) of those who said they could attend did.

December 2007/January 2008:
The surveys for superintendents, school nurses, school board members, pupil services directors and parents were finalized.

February/March 2008:
We anticipate distributing the surveys in February/March. In addition, plans for the focus groups will start to take place.

March/April 2008:
Preliminary results from the surveys will be posted here. Focus groups will be conducted.

May 2008:
The advisory committee will meet for the second time.

Summer 2008:
The policy report will be drafted and circulated for review.

August/September 2008:
The policy report will be finalized and distributed. Decisions on next steps will be made.