WellSpot Benchmarks for Schools
Healthy Improvements in K-12 Schools for Employees and Students
Because children and staff spend the majority of their weekdays at school, your school is in a unique position to have a huge impact on the conversation around health. By implementing small changes to improve the health environment of your school, you can help your employees thrive and ensure that your students develop healthy habits for their future.
By implementing changes to improve the health of your employees and students through our WellSpot Designation program, schools can play a role in positively impacting the health of the community. We support Louisiana schools by providing the resources and tools you need to encourage healthy habits like physical activity, healthy eating, stress management and quitting tobacco.
John Stewart, Athletics manager and teacher at Louisiana Key Academy, is one of the many school professionals in Louisiana who has taken the lead in moving the health of his community forward. Learn how John worked to implement healthy changes at his school to become a WellSpot! Like John, change can begin with you—take the lead in your community today!
Level-up Your School
Schools that meet certain benchmarks can be designated as a Level 1, 2 or 3 WellSpot, with Level 1 being the highest.
Level 3
- Tobacco-free Policy
- Promotion of Quit With Us, Louisiana
- Build Support: Establish a Wellness Committee
- School Health Index: take assessment
- Two additional benchmarks of choice
Level 2
- Tobacco-free Policy
- Tobacco prevention education
- School Health Index: create plan
- Four additional benchmarks of choice
Level 1
- Tobacco-free Policy
- All benchmarks met
WellSpot Benchmarks for a Healthier School
Well-Ahead is here to help educators and administrators be leaders by becoming a WellSpot. Our school WellSpot benchmarks are centered on an established school wellness program that includes physical activity and nutrition components for students and staff.
All school WellSpots must be designated as tobacco-free locations, promote Quit With Us, Louisiana, establish a wellness committee and assess one module through the CDC’s School Health Index (SHI) platform. In addition to these four wellness benchmarks, schools may meet additional benchmarks to achieve the desired designation level. When you implement these evidence-based benchmarks, you will improve the health of your staff and move Louisiana’s health forward!
You can register to become a WellSpot. Take the assessment to begin.
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Comprehensive Tobacco-Free Policy
Schools and school districts across the country are going tobacco-free on their campuses, including many schools here in Louisiana. Going 100% tobacco-free protects both school-aged youth and school staff from exposure to secondhand smoke.
A Tobacco-Free Policy prohibits the use of all forms of tobacco products on school property and provides a tool for enforcement with students, employees and visitors.
Required Documentation:
Copy of policy.
Resources:
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Tobacco Cessation Coverage within Employee Health Plans
By providing your employees with the tools they need to geaux tobacco-free, you are helping communities across the state take a major step toward a healthier Louisiana.
Tobacco cessation is a preventive service, and federal guidance suggests the following coverage:
- Four sessions of individual, group and phone counseling
- 90 days of all FDA-approved smoking cessation medications
- Two quit attempts per year
- No prior authorization for treatments
- No cost-sharing
Research has shown that most smokers benefit from counseling, medications and social support to help quit.1 To meet this benchmark, you are required, at a minimum, to provide coverage for counseling and smoking cessation medications.
Required Documentation:
Copy of health plan benefits or health plan promotional materials.
Resources:
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Promotion of Quit With Us, Louisiana or Another Approved Cessation Service Organization
By promoting free cessation services to your employees, you are doing your part to help fight the leading cause of preventable death and the source of many chronic diseases and conditions that cause long-term suffering.2,3
You can promote your in-house cessation programs (if applicable) or Quit With Us, Louisiana. This free cessation resource links individuals who want to quit using tobacco with trained specialists through phone counseling, web support or both.
Required Documentation:
Written description or pictures of ways in which Quit With Us, Louisiana or other service is promoted to employees and students.
Resources:
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Tobacco Prevention Education for Students
Youth are particularly vulnerable to nicotine dependency and tobacco industry marketing tactics. Early use of any tobacco product (cigarettes, chew/dip/snuff, little cigars, or e-cigarettes) among youth disrupts brain development, increases the risk of long-term addiction and may cause irreversible health effects before leaving school or reaching adulthood.4
School-based education programs are an effective way to address all aspects of tobacco use, including education on health effects, social influences, peer pressure, refusal skills and media literacy as it relates to tobacco marketing and advertising.5
Tobacco prevention education recommendations:
- Annual education to students from kindergarten to 12th grade.
- Intensive instructional programs for students sixth through eighth grade.
- Additional focus on students entering junior high or middle school since they are exposed to older students who use tobacco at higher rates.
- Continued reinforcement throughout high school.
Required Documentation:
Copy of program content, lesson plans, presentations or activity description.
Resources:
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Designation as a Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplace Champion
Federal law requires employers to provide breastfeeding employees with time and a space to express milk. Implementing this benchmark enables you to comply with this law. It can also lead to savings through the retention of your valued employees, reduction of sick time taken, and lower health care and insurance costs.6
Even better, providing lactation accommodations in schools doesn’t require many resources. Employees simply need reasonable break times, a private space and employer support.
Required Documentation:
Well-Ahead Louisiana will verify this benchmark is met with the Louisiana Breastfeeding Coalition.
Resources:
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Promotion of Self-Assessment Tools for Prediabetes and Heart Health Among Employees
By promoting self-assessment tools, you can help your employees better understand their health and reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease. As a result, your employees will miss less work due to illness or hospitalization and have lower healthcare costs.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 108 million Americans have high blood pressure, and more than 30 million Americans have diabetes.7,8 Encourage your employees to take the self-assessments to better understand their health.
Please note that these evidence-based self-assessments have been developed by national partners and should not be used in place of a visit to a healthcare provider.
Self-Assessment Tools for Heart Health:
- My Life Check by American Heart Association
- Sample Communication to Promote Heart Health Self-Assessments
Self-Assessment Tools for Prediabetes:
Required Documentation:
Copy of employee assessment and copy of employee wellness work plan or calendar of events specific to the school, including activity descriptions related to nutrition, physical activity, tobacco cessation and mental health
Resources:
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Implementation of an Employee Wellness Program Available to All Teachers and Staff that Covers Nutrition, Physical Activity, Tobacco Cessation and Mental Health
Healthy employees are more productive, have more energy, are better able to manage stress, and are more likely to model healthy behaviors. By prioritizing employee wellness, schools can empower staff to feel their best while further supporting students’ well-being. Wellness programs can be implemented at little to no cost while creating an environment that supports health.
Healthy employees are more productive, have more energy, are better able to manage stress and are more likely to model healthy behaviors. By prioritizing employee wellness, schools can empower staff to feel their best while supporting students’ well-being. Wellness programs can be implemented at little to no cost while creating an environment that supports good health.
Wellness programs include a coordinated and comprehensive set of strategies that promote and support overall health and safety for all employees, such as healthy eating, physical activity, mental health (including stress management) and tobacco cessation. Strategies may include, but are not limited to:
- Wellness policies
- Preventative health screenings
- Access to healthy foods
- Fitness programs
- Tobacco-cessation programs
- Educational seminars
Offering wellness activities gives employees the opportunity to improve their health and reduce their risk of chronic disease. This leads to reduced stress, improved morale and productivity, and reduced costs associated with staff healthcare and absenteeism.
Required Documentation:
Copy of employee assessment and copy of employee wellness work plan or calendar of events specific to the school, including activity descriptions related to nutrition, physical activity, tobacco cessation and mental health
Resources:
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Full Implementation of USDA’s Smart Snacks in School Nutrition Standards
Smart Snacks in School refers to the national nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold outside of the federally reimbursable school meal programs during the school day. These items are called “competitive foods” because they can compete with participation in school meal programs.
As of the 2014-15 school year, all competitive foods and beverages sold during the school day must meet or exceed Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards, which include limits on fat, sugar and calorie content. These standards are the minimum requirement for schools, but states and local education agencies can continue to implement stronger nutrition standards for all competitive foods in schools.
Required Documentation:
Copy of policy on competitive foods and list of food items available in all venues outside the cafeteria.
Resources:
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Build Support: Establish or Reconvene a Wellness Committee at the School Level that Meets at Least Four Times a Year
Each school within a school district should develop a wellness committee. A school wellness committee is an advisory group whose role is to implement programs and practices that reflect the needs of their students and staff. Wellness committees should have representation from school staff, students, family members and community members.
Partners
Required Documentation:
Copy of the recent meeting agenda(s), the roster showing representation from family members, community members, and school staff, and a schedule of quarterly meetings to be held.
Resources:
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School Health Index: Take Assessment, Use the School Health Index to Assess Current Practices
The CDC School Health Index (SHI) is an online self-assessment and planning tool that schools can use to improve their health and safety policies and programs. The SHI aligns with the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model. The SHI enables schools to identify strengths and weaknesses of health and safety policies and programs, develop an action place for improving student health, and engage all education stakeholders in promoting health-enhancing behaviors and better health. Participation in the SHI should be a group effort. The strength of the process comes from having individuals from different parts of the school community working together to improve school policies, programs and practices.
To implement this benchmark, schools must complete at least one module from the School Health Index platform.
Required Documentation:
Copy of scorecard for at least one module from the CDC School Health Index platform.
Resources:
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School Health Index: Create a Plan, Use the School Health Index Scorecard to Create a Plan for Improvement
The CDC School Health Index (SHI) is an online self-assessment and planning tool that schools can use to improve their health and safety policies and programs. The SHI aligns with the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model. The SHI enables schools to identify strengths and weaknesses of health and safety policies and programs, develop an action place for improving student health, and engages all education stakeholders in promoting health-enhancing behaviors and better health. Participation in the SHI should be a group effort. The strength of the process comes from having individuals from different parts of the school community working together and strategizing to improve school policies, programs and practices.
To implement this benchmark, schools must create a plan of improvement developed from the School Health Index Scorecard.
Required Documentation:
Copy of the plan for improvement for the module used for the “Take Assessment” benchmark from the CDC School Health Index platform.
Resources:
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Implementation of at Least Two Physical Activity-Based Practices
Physical activity helps boost academic performance, improve classroom behavior and strengthen cognitive skills and attitudes. Opportunities for physical activity occur before and after school, during the school day and in physical education classes. Schools that take advantage of these opportunities can help their students meet the nationally-recommended 60 minutes of physical activity each day and help them develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to be physically active for a lifetime.9
To achieve this benchmark, schools need to implement at least two of the following physical-based activities:
- 150 minutes of physical education per week*
- Students active at least 50% during physical education class
- Certified physical education teachers
- Classroom physical activity energizers
- 20 minutes of recess provided each day*
- Before- and after-school physical activity opportunities are offered
The School Health Index (SHI) is an online self-assessment and planning tool for schools. The SHI is built on the CDC research-based guidelines for school health programs that identify the policies and practices most likely to be effective in reducing youth health risks behaviors. The SHI aligns with the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model.
*These benchmarks meet or exceed Louisiana’s laws impacting school health. The Louisiana State Legislature has laws around school health, including physical activity, physical education, nutrition, school health advisory councils and more. You can do a complete search at the Louisiana State Legislature website.
Required Documentation:
Copy of policies, lesson plans and/or photos of ways in which two physical activity-based practices are implemented OR the CDC School Health Index scorecard and plan for improvement for Module 3 may be used as documentation.
Resources:
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Implementation of at Least Two Nutrition-Based Practices
School nutrition plays a key role in a child’s academic achievement. Students who do not eat breakfast or do not consume enough food or nutrients have lower grades, are absent from school more often, struggle with focusing and have decreased cognitive performance. The good news is that there are numerous opportunities to improve the school nutrition environment in the cafeteria, classroom and at school and community events. School Wellness Committees should work together to improve school nutrition.9
To achieve this benchmark, schools need to implement at least two of the following nutrition-based practices:
- Food and beverages for sale to students during extended school day include healthy options*
- Strategies are used to maximize participation in the lunch and breakfast program
- Collaboration between school nutrition staff and teachers
- Farm-to-School activities are implemented
- Marketing techniques are used to promote healthy choices
- Healthy foods and beverages are included at celebrations/events, and nonfood items are offered for rewards*
The School Health Index (SHI) is an online self-assessment and planning tool for schools. The SHI is built on the CDC research-based guidelines for school health programs that identify the policies and practices most likely to be effective in reducing youth health risks behaviors. The SHI aligns with the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model.
*These benchmarks meet or exceed Louisiana’s laws impacting school health. The Louisiana State Legislature has laws around school health, including physical activity, physical education, nutrition, school health advisory councils and more. You can do a complete search at the Louisiana State Legislature website.
Required Documentation:
Copy of policies, lesson plans and/or photos of ways in which two nutrition-based practices are implemented OR the CDC School Health Index scorecard and plan for improvement for Module 4 may be used as documentation.
Resources:
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Implementation of at Least Two Health Services-Based Practices
School health services intervene with actual and potential health problems, including providing first aid, emergency care, and assessment and planning for managing of chronic conditions (such as asthma or diabetes). In addition, wellness promotion, preventive services, staff, student and parent education complement the provision of care coordination services. Health services connect school staff, students, families, community and healthcare providers to promote the healthcare of students and a healthy, safe school environment.
For students with chronic health conditions, school nurses and other healthcare providers play a large role in the daily management of their conditions. School health services staff also are responsible for coordinating care by communicating with the student’s family and healthcare providers so that they can stay healthy and ready to learn.
To achieve this benchmark, schools need to implement at least two of the following services-based practices:
- Implement a referral system
- Health emergency response plans
- School food allergy management plan
- Identify and track students with chronic health conditions*
- Care coordination for students with chronic health conditions
- Disease education for students with chronic health conditions
The School Health Index (SHI) is an online self-assessment and planning tool for schools. The SHI is built on the CDC research-based guidelines for school health programs that identify the policies and practices most likely to be effective in reducing youth health risks behaviors. The SHI aligns with the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model.
*These benchmarks meet or exceed Louisiana’s laws impacting school health. The Louisiana State Legislature has laws around school health, including physical activity, physical education, nutrition, school health advisory councils and more. You can do a complete search at the Louisiana State Legislature website.
Required Documentation:
Copy of policies, lesson plans and/or photos of ways in which two health services-based practices are implemented OR the CDC School Health Index scorecard and plan for improvement for Module 5 may be used as documentation.
Resources:
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School Health Index: Keep It Up*
The CDC School Health Index (SHI) is an online self-assessment and planning tool that schools can use to improve their health and safety policies and programs. The SHI aligns with the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model. The SHI enables schools to identify strengths and weaknesses of health and safety policies and programs, develop an action place for improving student health, and engage all education stakeholders in promoting health-enhancing behaviors and better health. Participation in the SHI should be a group effort. The strength of the process comes from having individuals from different parts of the school community working together to improve school policies, programs and practices.
To implement this benchmark, schools must complete at least three additional modules from the CDC School Health Index platform for a total of four assessments and plans for improvement.
*These benchmarks meet or exceed Louisiana’s laws impacting school health. The Louisiana State Legislature has laws around school health, including physical activity, physical education, nutrition, school health advisory councils and more. You can do a complete search at the Louisiana State Legislature website.
Required Documentation:
Copy of scorecards and plans for improvement for at least three additional modules from the CDC School Health Index platform for a total of four assessments and plans for improvement.
Resources:
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Professional Development
Implementing changes in your school community can be intimidating. Training and professional development are great ways to gain new skills and strategies for implementing healthy changes. Professional development is a consciously designed, systematic process that strengthens how staff obtain, develop, retain and apply knowledge, skills and attitudes. It is an ongoing process that prepares educators to create and support healthy school environments, improving learning and health for the students they serve.
Required Documentation:
Copy of agenda and attendance list or certificate from CDC Healthy Schools best practices modules.
Resources: