• The only state with a legislative mandate

and state funding to implement CSH in

all school systems statewide:

TENNESSEE

• The state where school health

coordinators have secured $50 million in

grants and in-kind gifts for their schools:

TENNESSEE

• The state that in two years went from

having one of the worst school nutrition

environments in the Nation to having one

of the best:

TENNESSEE

• The state where districts implementing

CSH have consistently outperformed state

averages in high school graduation and

drop-out rates:

TENNESSEE

Overview

• A Missing Link in School Reform

• A Coordinated Approach to School Health

• The Need for Coordinated School Health in Tennessee

• The Future of Our Nation

Strategies to Close the Educational Achievement Gap

• Standards and assessments

• Data systems

• Effective teachers and principals

• Charter schools

• Reducing educationally relevant health

disparities

“No matter how well teachers are

prepared to teach, no matter what

accountability measures are put in

place, no matter what governing

structures are established for schools,

educational progress will be

profoundly limited if students are not

motivated and able to learn. Health

related problems play a major role in

limiting the motivation and ability to

learn...”

Health is Academic Because…

• School health programs can help improve students’ educational outcomes• Helping young

people stay healthy is a fundamental part of the mission of our schools

Percentage of U.S. High School Students Getting Mostly A’s, Mostly B’s, Mostly C’s, or Mostly D/F’s* Who Engage in Selected Health Risk

Behaviors

Source: CDC, National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2009

*As reported by students

Percentage of U.S. High School Students Getting Mostly A’s, Mostly B’s, Mostly C’s, or Mostly D/F’s* Who Engage in Selected Health Risk

Behaviors

24 22

32 29

39 36

49 47

0

25

50

75

100

Watched TV 3 or more hours/day Drank soda or pop at least 1 time/day

% o

f stu

dent

s

Mostly A's Mostly B's Mostly C's Mostly D/F's

Source: CDC, National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2009*As reported by students

www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/health_ and_academics/pdf/pa-

pe_paper.pdf

Physical Activity Contexts

• Physical education

• Recess

• Classroom-based

• Extracurricular

Academic Outcomes

• Achievement (grades, test scores)

• Behavior (time on-task, attendance, conduct)

• Cognitive skills and attitudes (concentration, memory, mood)