New School Health Index Training Manual
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Adolescent and School Health recently released the School Health Index Training Manual – a packaged set of materials for conducting trainings or presentations on the School Health Index: A Self-Assessment and Planning Guide (SHI).
The SHI is a self-assessment and planning guide that enables schools to identify the strengths and weaknesses of policies and programs for promoting health and safety; develop an action plan for improving student health and safety; and involve teachers, parents, students, and the community in improving school policies, programs, and services.
The new SHI Training Manual provides detailed materials and resources on how to implement the SHI in schools. Users can select the most appropriate sections of the manual and customize those components to best suit their needs. Each section of the manual begins with an activity plan. Directly following the activity plan are PowerPoint slides with notes and corresponding handouts.
Before the training is initiated, it is necessary to carefully read the SHI and the training manual. Following that, an agenda which is appropriate to a specific audience and timeframe should be selected including: the pitch (30 minutes), a workshop (1/2 day) and training (full day). Once an agenda has been identified, it is important to localize the information, that is, customize the information to the community implementing the SHI by sharing local stories, policies or issues in the presentation or training.
The manual includes information on the purpose and overview of the training and reasons to use the SHI; provides a section which tests one’s knowledge of the SHI; and lists steps in building consensus. It also includes a practice module which gives examples of a school health team and explains the process of completing a SHI module, an explanation of the process of planning for improvement and examples of school health tools and the six key functions of the SHI coordinator. Each section provides: activity objectives, the total estimated time for the training, materials needed, and what should be used for the preparation. Additional resources in the manual include: tips on how to form a school health team; frequently asked questions (FAQs); a draft letter of support; sample training agendas; trainer’s checklist; and presentation tips.
For additional information on the SHI Training Manual and/or the SHI, please contact 1-800-CDC-INFO or CDC-INFO@cdc.gov.
Source: School Health Index Training Manual, CDC's Website, 2006.