NASBE - Healthline Review: March 2012

UTAH GOVERNOR VETOES CONTROVERSIAL SEX-ED BILL???Utah Gov. Gary Herbert vetoed a bill that would have required schools to teach an abstinence-only sex education curriculum?and banned instruction about sexual intercourse and contraception.?Had the governor signed the law, Utah would have become the first state to explicitly ban instruction about contraception.?Standing law allows parents to choose where sex education is taught through an opt-in system in schools.?The proposed bill would have eliminated this decision for parents, leaving all sex education beyond abstinence to be taught in the home.?Herbert said?the bill ?simply goes too far by constricting parental options.??Opponents of the bill applauded the governor?s decision, noting existing law allows many students to receive instruction in sex education they might not get at home. Source:?Salt Lake Tribune?(3/18/12)

REJECTION ON THE PLAYGROUND MAY CONTRIBUTE TO SEDENTARY LIFESTYLES ? Ostracism by peers may be one reason overweight and obese children are less physically active than children who are relatively fit, according to a recent study published in?Pediatrics. Researchers at Kent State University used a computer simulated ball-toss game to determine if peer influence has a direct impact on physical activity. The findings revealed that children who were ostracized by their peers during the ball-toss were more likely to avoid doing any type of exercise afterward and spent more time reading books, coloring, and engaging in other sedentary activities. Earlier studies also suggest a strong correlation between peer victimization and weight gain, revealing the impact negative social experiences can have on children?s emotions and physical activity behaviors. While researchers continue to collect more data in search of a clear cause and effect relationship, the study suggests policymakers may want to consider behavioral health strategies as part of their plan to stem the childhood obesity epidemic. Source:?Seattle Times?(2/23/12), Pediatrics (2/6/12)

MARYLAND STATE BOARD OFFERS SCHOOL DISCIPLINE?PLAN ??A plan to move away from the existing zero-tolerance school discipline standards was brought to the public by the Maryland State Board of Education. The board endorsed a 36-page proposal to reduce the number of out-of-school suspensions for nonviolent offenses and offered the draft, which required a year of study before it reached this point, for public comment until March 30. In the document, the board noted that almost 10,000 students were suspended at least three times each statewide during the last school year and linked missed school time to low academic performance and dropouts. The proposal calls for new suspension definitions, as well as new codes for nonviolent wrongdoings. ?What we?re trying to do is to prompt people to think differently about discipline, with an eye toward achievement for all students,? said board President James DeGraffenreidt. The panel is expected to take final action on new discipline rules at its April meeting.?Sources: Baltimore Sun (2/28/12), Washington Post (2/28/12)

CONCUSSION AWARENESS MOVES FROM PLAYING FIELD TO CLASSROOM ? Schools need to adopt strong policies for monitoring and supporting student athletes suffering from concussions, according to a new study conducted at the University of Montreal. Because the adolescent brain is still developing, it is more vulnerable to injury than the adult brain and takes more time to recover. Further, students in this age group are more sensitive to consequences of concussions than children or adults, the study reported. However, researchers found that many student athletes return to the classroom too soon after sustaining a traumatic brain injury. Experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are raising awareness in the education community about the dangers of excessive cognitive exertion before the brain has fully recovered. Although a student?s symptoms may appear to be mild, a concussion can lead to long-term impairment affecting memory, emotions, concentration, and behavior if not treated properly. The Montreal researchers urged schools to introduce academic supports for student athletes while they recover from the side-effects of concussions, which can last from six months to a year. Sources:?Canadian Press?(3/2/12), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention press release (10/6/11), Brain Injury (3/1/12)

MINNESOTA SCHOOL DISTRICT APPROVES ?UNPRECEDENTED? SETTLEMENT IN BULLYING SUIT ??The Anoka-Hennepin School District, Minnesota?s largest, settled a lawsuit brought by six current and former students who charged the district with inadequately responding to persistent physical and verbal harassment related to real or perceived sexual orientation. The consent decree creates a five-year partnership between the district and the federal departments of Justice and Education, which had been investigating the school system, to help develop and ensure implementation of policies, programs, and procedures designed to improve school climate and ensure student safety. The district had long had a health education policy stating that ?homosexuality will not be discussed as a normal or valid lifestyle,? which in 2009 was changed to a policy requiring staff to ?remain neutral on matters regarding sexual orientation.? But in late 2009-2010 a series of suicides by six students, some of whom were gay and/or bullied, according to family and friends, embroiled the district in an onslaught of charges and counter charges and eventually led to the lawsuit and the federal investigations. A Justice Department official called the scope of the new agreement unprecedented and ?the most comprehensive and detailed school harassment agreement? in the agency?s history. The district never admitted wrong-doing, but was not prepared to continue the controversy or keep paying the legal expenses.??At the end of the day, the board would rather focus our limited resources on educating kids and keeping them safe,? the chairman of the school board said. This sentiment was echoed by the superintendent, who said that when the process is completed ?we believe we will have developed a model that all school districts can follow.? Sources:?Minneapolis Star-Tribune?(3/6/12),?Brainerd Dispatch?(3/6/12)

DIETARY UPS AND DOWNS LINKED TO PLAYING ORGANIZED SPORTS ? Children who play sports tend to eat more fruits and vegetables, and drink more milk than children who don?t play sports, but they are also more likely to eat fast food, drink soda, and consume more calories overall, according to a new study. The findings reported in Current Sports Medicine Reports are based on a comparison of 19 studies that examined weight status, physical activity, and diet among young people who participated and did not participate in sports. Though the causality is not clear, it is possible the culture of some youth sports programs is partially to blame, the report concluded. For example, many athletic events include concession stands that sell unhealthy food, many programs encourage parents to take turns providing snacks after practices and games, and many families with children who participate in sports find their schedules make it easier to stop at fast food restaurants rather than prepare food at home. Sources: Chicago Tribune?(2/24/12), Current Sports Medicine Reports (November/December 2011)

BRIEF CONCLUDES PHYSICAL ACTIVITY VIA RECESS IMPROVES ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE ? A research brief from Active Living Research concluded that even though recess can have significant positive health implications for children, most states and districts to not require free time to be built into a daily school schedule. The brief found that since the first such survey was completed in 2006, the percentage of districts that required recess declined from 57 percent to 20 percent only three years later, and the number of districts that just recommend recess declined from 33 percent to 18 percent. In addition, the researchers concluded that children at the greatest risk for obesity are the least likely to have recess. The brief also included suggestions for developing strategies and health policies that encourage the inclusion of recess in a school day. Source: Increasing Physical Activity Through Recess (January 2012)

NEW REPORT FINDS MOST ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ADVANCE HEALTHY EATING, BUT NOT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ? A report from the Bridging the Gap initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that even as most public and private elementary schools nationwide have made changes to support healthy eating, few have physical activity programs aligned with minimum national recommendations. The report, School Policies and Practices to Improve Health and Prevent Obesity: National Elementary School Survey Results,?tracked data that provides updated results from Bridging the Gap?s surveys of health-related policies and practices in elementary schools that began in 2006. Topics covered in the report include school meals, competitive foods and beverages, physical education, and physical activity during and after school. Source: School Policies and Practices to Improve Health and Prevent Obesity: National Elementary School Survey Results (January 2012)

NEW RESEARCH FINDS OBESITY RATE INCREASE SLOWING IN CALIFORNIA????Research from the University of California Davis suggests that the increasing rate of obesity among California students is slowing. The study examined results from the state-mandated physical fitness exam for 6.3 million 5th, 7th, and 9th grade students over six years. The findings revealed a 6 percent increase in students achieving healthy fitness in all categories from 2003 to 2008. However, of the three grades tested, children aged 10 and younger, or those who had not yet started 5th grade, were found to be of greatest concern, thus indicating the need for earlier implementation of obesity prevention interventions.?Sources:?California Watch (3/5/12), American Heart Journal (February 2012), UC Davis Health System website (3/21/12)

EPI-PEN BILLS CLEAR HOUSE AND SENATE IN VIRGINIA ??The Virginia House and Senate passed two bills that will help support school officials in providing proper medical treatment to students suffering from allergic reactions. The ?EpiPen bills? would require local school boards to create policies for schools to keep epinephrine pens on campus and accessible to school officials if a student suffers an anaphylaxis. The measures also seek to protect school officials by not holding them liable in civil suits over the use of an epinephrine pen as long as administering the medication were done in good faith.?Source:?Washington Post (2/13/12)

WISCONSIN LEGISLATURE SENDS NEW SEX ED BILL TO GOV.???Lawmakers in Wisconsin passed a sex education bill that largely overturns current law?passed in 2010?that specifies districts must teach comprehensive sex ed or nothing. The new measure would require schools with sex ed courses to teach abstinence is the only sure way to prevent pregnancy and avoid STDs. Sex education courses also would have to discuss parental responsibility and the socioeconomic benefits of marriage and explain pregnancy, prenatal development, and childbirth. The rest of the curriculum would be left to the discretion of local school districts. Source:?Milwaukee Journal Sentinel?(3/14/12)

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NATIONAL DATA RELEASED ON STATUS OF STUDENT AND SCHOOL SAFETY ? The latest Indicators of School Crime and Safety from the Institute for Education Sciences finds a greater percentage of secondary school teachers than elementary school teachers report being threatened by students, but a greater percentage of elementary school teachers report being actually attacked by students. The annual report presents data (but no conclusions) on the status of school crime and student safety drawn from a wide range of sources. Follow this link for more information.

PROPOSED RULE FOR FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PROGRAM OPEN FOR COMMENT ? A proposed rule for the U.S. Department of Agriculture?s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) is open for public comment until April 24, 2012. The FFVP is operated by state agencies in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. It provides fresh fruit and vegetable snacks to all students in participating elementary schools that are eligible due to serving high numbers of students who qualify for free and reduced price lunch. The proposed rule was prompted by changes directed by the 2008 Farm Bill and will create requirements for administration of the program consistent with the section of the National School Lunch Act that directs its implementation. The proposed rule and directions for submitting comments can be found in the Feb. 24 issue of the?Federal Register.

SPECIAL ISSUE OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY CELEBRATES LET?S MOVE! CAMPAIGN ? In recognition of the 2nd anniversary of First Lady Michelle Obama?s Let?s Move! campaign, Childhood Obesity published a fully accessible?special issue?of the journal to examine the different elements of the campaign. The First Lady wrote the forward and national leaders in health and child obesity prevention contributed articles.

THE 10TH ANNUAL HEALTHY SCHOOLS DAY, focused on the promotion of healthy and green indoor learning environments in schools, is coming up April 24. To find out more about the day or to plan and register an event as part of the occasion, go to http://www.nationalhealthyschoolsday.org/.

USDA FARM-TO-SCHOOL IMPLEMENTATION RESOURCES AVAILABLE ? USDA?s Farm-to-School?website?is a resource for state leaders trying to encourage the implementation of Farm to School programs in their states. It provides links to information about funding sources,?state contacts, and guidance about?procurement?policies.

NEW CDC RESOURCE FOR ENGAGING PARENTS IN SCHOOL HEALTH ? Parent Engagement: Strategies for Involving Parents in School Health is a new CDC resource that identifies strategies and actions schools can take to increase parent engagement in school health. The strategies are focused on connecting and engaging parents as well as sustaining their involvement.

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