Federal Resources

Based on the lessons learned from the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative, the toolkit cultivates an approach that has left a legacy of success in schools and communities. This toolkit will show you how partnerships with representatives from sectors including education, law enforcement, mental health, juvenile justice, children’s services, families, and faith-based associations can take Three Bold Steps to create positive lasting change among our nation’s students.

These national standards represent the best evidence, expertise, and experience in the country on quality health and safety practices and policies that should be followed in today's early care and education settings. This is the fourth edition of this report (PDF; 626 pages). 

The Bureau of Indian Education provides quality education opportunities from early childhood through life in accordance with the tribes' needs to cultural and economic well being in keeping with the wide diversity of Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages as distinct cultural and governmental entities. The Bureau considers the whole person (spiritual, mental, physical and cultural aspects.)"

This site describes looking to the future, The Bureau of Land Management's youth initiatives. These initiatives feature a variety of programs that engage, educate, and inspire and focus on youth from early childhood through young adulthood. The aim of the youth programs is to build on the spark of childhood wonder about the natural world, sustain interest through hands-on education and volunteer experiences during the school-age years, and develop into long-term engagement and stewardship, as well as pursuit of natural resource careers.

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.

College Drinking: Changing the Culture, created by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). CollegeDrinkingPrevention.gov is your one-stop resource for comprehensive research-based information on issues related to alcohol abuse and binge drinking among college students.

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.

Developed by the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, which is funded by the Department of Education's Office of Safe and Healthy Students and the Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Compendium of School Discipline State Laws and Regulations provides information on school discipline laws and regulations for each of the 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. Users can search by state or category and can also download the full Compendium in PDF format. 

In response to data reflecting low graduation rates among some racial and ethnic minorities, the Institute for Research and Reform in Education developed First Things First (FTF) a comprehensive school reform initiative. FTF  aims to engage students intellectually and emotionally in their schools through instructional improvement, small learning communities, and family and student advocacy systems. FTF is currently implemented in schools throughout the country, reaching over 60,000 students, and successfully increasing high school graduation rates. 

A report from America’s Promise Alliance encourages readers to think differently about youth who have left school, suggesting a change in terminology, from “dropouts” to “nongraduates” or students who have had “interrupted enrollment.” As this article explains, youth voices are featured prominently in the report, which also highlights factors that influence students to leave school and the supports that can help them to return to and remain in school. 

This report presents the findings from a national cross-site evaluation of the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative, a collaboration by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, and Justice that aims to help students feel safe at school, avoid drug use and violence, and access mental health services.

This resource from the CDC provides articles and other resources for parents and educators dealing with H1N1.

Project LAUNCH is a grant program of the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) which seeks to promote the wellness of young children birth to age eight. Using a public health approach, Project LAUNCH focuses on improving the systems that serve young children and address their physical, emotional, social, cognitive and behavioral growth. The goal: for all children to reach physical, social, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive milestones.

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.

The SS/HS Initiative is a unique Federal grant-making program designed to prevent violence and substance abuse among our nation's youth, School, and communities.

This resource provides technical assistance to runaway and homeless youth programs.

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 Community Preventive Services Task Force offers recommendations, findings, and other materials on a variety of programs related to academic success, health, and well-being of children and teens. Intended for center-based, full-day kindergarten, high school completion, and out-of-school time academic programs, recommendations are based on a systematic review of the scientific literature. 

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.

The National Center of Safe Supportive Learning Environments' (NCSSLE) website contains information for an expanded audience, and includes new Center product lines, updated information, and resources from and for the field.

This article highlights the work of two researchers who are pioneering changes in sex education that bridge the gap between sex education and trauma-informed care by better understanding how sex education could be more sensitive to students’ traumatic experiences. This article also offers tips, based on this research, for implementing a trauma informed approach to sex education. 

For some students, test anxiety can be so great that it affects their ability to perform their best. This resource can help parents as they discuss testing with their child and create a home environment that is conducive to academic success.

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.

This article explains the guidance provided in a recent “Dear Colleague” letter (PDF, 4 pages) issued by the Department of Education which explains how school districts can use Title I funds to help children and youth experiencing homelessness. Some examples of ways districts can use the funds are to transport homeless students to and from school, pay the salaries of staff who work with homeless youth, and to generally meet the needs of these students. 

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.