Breadcrumb
- Federal Resources
Federal Resources
CDC Preparedness Resources for Schools
Schools and education agencies cannot prevent natural disasters, or even many man-made crises, but they can help students prepare for and plan to respond to such emergencies. Resources are available to help schools, education agencies, and institutions of higher education develop such plans, usually in collaboration with public health and first responder agencies.
Coordinated School Health Program
Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Student (WSCC), is recommended by CDC as a strategy for improving students' health and learning in our nation’s schools. These site outline the rationale and goals for WSCC, provide a model framework for planning and implementing WSCC, and offer resources to help schools, districts, and states improve their school health programs.
H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu): Resources for Child Care and Early Childhood Programs
This resource from the CDC provides articles and other resources for parents and educators dealing with H1N1.
School Health Index (SHI)
Habits and practices related to health and safety are influenced by the entire school environment. Schools can use this self-assessment and planning tool to improve their health and safety policies and programs. The SHI has eight different modules including School Health and Safety Policies and Environment; Counseling, Psychological, and Social Services; and Family and Community Involvement.
School-Located Vaccination Planning Materials and Templates
These documents were designed to provide information for planning and conducting school-located 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccination clinics that target school-aged children enrolled in school and potentially other groups in the community. The page also includes a link to CDC's seasonal flu information.
The Association Between School-Based Physical Activity, Including Physical Education, and Academic Performance
The report indicates that school-based physical activity may help improve students' grades and test scores and positively affect other factors that influence academic achievement. The report also concludes that adding time during the school day for physical activity does not appear to take away from academic performance.
Report: School-Level Practices to Increase Availability of Fruits, Vegetables, and Whole Grains, and Reduce Sodium in School Meals — United States, 2000, 2006, and 2014
CDC researchers analyzed school-level implementation of the Department of Agriculture’s school nutrition standards, specifically on practices related to fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and sodium. Results show almost all schools offer whole grain foods, vegetables, and fruits during the school day, and the percentage of schools making efforts to increase the availability of these foods and decrease sodium increased from 2000 to 2014.
Resource: Healthy Schools Website
CDC’s School Health Branch launched the Healthy Schools website. The site will serve as the main resource for information on school-based physical activity and management of chronic conditions. It also contains information on school health guidelines, local school wellness policy, and related resources and tools.
Report: 2014 School Health Policies and Practices Study
CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health released the 2014 School Health Policies and Practices Study (SHPPS). SHPPS is a national survey periodically conducted to assess school health policies and practices at the state, district, school, and classroom levels. Two additional resources accompany the report: 2014 Overview (PDF 4 pages) and Trends Over Time: 2000-2014 (PDF, 6 pages).
Resource: Zika Guidance for Schools
This interim guidance addresses concerns about the risk for Zika virus infections in schools, provides recommendations for prevention measures schools can take to reduce the potential risk for Zika transmission on school premises and among students, and shares information on responding to a confirmed case of Zika virus.
Report: Physical Education Attendance Among U.S. High School Students
This report analyzes long-term trends in physical education attendance among high school students in the United States over the past 20 years. The report shows that half of high school students do not attend physical education classes and attendance in these classes steadily declines as students move through high school.
Share with Youth: Advice for Safe and Healthy Travel for Students
This webpage provides information that can assist students in staying healthy while studying abroad. It contains advice and resources that can help students prepare to travel, protect their health abroad, and safely return home.
Resource: Increasing Physical Education and Physical Activity: A Framework for Schools
This framework (PDF, 8 pages) from the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion can help schools plan and organize physical education and activity before, during, and after school to increase students’ overall physical activity and health.
Report: 2016 School Health Policies and Practices Study
This report describes the findings of the 2016 School Health Policies and Practices Study (SHPPS), a national study periodically conducted to assess school health policies and practices at the state, district, school, and classroom levels. SHPPS addresses health education, physical education and physical activity, nutrition environment and services, and other tenets of the whole child approach.
Resource: Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT) E-Learning Module
This self-paced, online training module provides an overview of the HECAT, describes how to use the HECAT to develop or select a curriculum, and shares information and examples to ensure curriculum decisions meet student needs. School districts and schools can use the HECAT to select or develop appropriate and effective health education curricula and improve the delivery of health education.
Resource: Parent Engagement
This webpage provides an overview of parent engagement in schools, a promising protective factor that has been linked to better student behavior, higher academic achievement, and enhanced social skills. It also features fact sheets and other resources on parent engagement for school districts, school administrators, teachers, other school staff, parents, and families.
Youth Advisory Councils
Youth Advisory Councils (YACs) provide ongoing advice and support to school districts on policies and practices that affect students. This webpage provides a detailed overview of Youth Advisory Councils (YACs). It describes the role YACs play in improving the schools and communities they serve, discusses how they can use data to make decisions and create action plans, and outlines the structure of a YAC.
Resource: Combatting Discrimination Against AANHPI and MASSA Students
This policy fact sheet (PDF, 1 page) supports educators and community leaders as they work to protect all students, including Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) and Muslim, Arab, Sikh, and South Asian (MASSA) students, from discrimination and to create safe and supportive learning environments.
Resource: Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) Guidance for Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS)-Accredited Schools
This resource informs colleges and universities that SEVP can no longer accept ACICS accreditation for certification purposes. Schools accredited by ACICS can use this information to take the appropriate steps to find a new accreditor or provide SEVP with additional evidence in lieu of accreditation.
Report: SEVIS by the Numbers
This biannual report (PDF, 17 pages) highlights key Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) data to illustrate trends, values, and information on international students studying in the U.S. The report provides information on students who come to the U.S. to study, SEVP-certified schools that enroll these students, and international student demographics within individual U.S. states.
Webcast Archive: Make the Connection: How Positive Youth Development Offers Promise for Teen Health and Teen Pregnancy Prevention
The archive of this OAH webcast, which highlighted the role of positive youth development in the prevention of teen pregnancy and other risky behaviors, is now available for viewing. A resource list (PDF, 4 pages) of suggested readings from the webcast speakers is also available, as well as the archived #TeenPYD Twitter conversation.
Positive Youth Development
This webpage provides a definition of positive youth development, information on the eight key practices organizations can consider when implementing the approach, and resources communities or programs can use to incorporate positive youth development into their work.
Promise Neighborhoods
To address the challenges faced by students living in communities of concentrated poverty, Promise Neighborhoods grantees and their partner organizations will plan to provide services from early learning to college and career, including programs to improve the health, safety, and stability of neighborhoods, and boost family engagement in student learning.
Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice: Schools and Special Education
Resources on how to foster collaboration and implement best practices in school and special education settings.
Department of Education "Dear Colleague" Letter on Braille
The Department of Education released a Dear Colleague Letter to provide information to states and agencies about the importance of Braille instruction, clarify when these services should be provided to students, help school teams understand the evaluation required to guide decisions about services, and highlight available resources that can help personnel meet the needs of students who are blind or visually impaired (PDF, 6 pages).