Resource Clearinghouse

Healthy

Learn more about what it means to be healthy.

For a guide to the Resource Clearinghouse, please click here.

Major Reports and Books

• Healthy Bodies, Well Minds. American Association of School Administrators, 2008. (web publication) AASA shares articles and resources for school district efforts to reduce obesity and provide critical mental health services in The School Administrator magazine.
• School Foods Report Card 2007. Center for Science in the Public Interest, 2007. (PDF, 27 pgs.) A state-by-state summary and grading of school food policies.
• The Quick & Easy Guide to School Wellness. Healthy Schools Campaign and School Health Corp., 2007. (free web guide) This multimedia how-to guide is filled with comprehensive information, practical advice, tools, and resources to help you take action.
• Research-Based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning: Insights from a Neurologist and Classroom Teacher. ASCD, 2006. (book, available for purchase, 125 pgs.) The first book written by someone who is both a neurologist and a classroom teacher identifies and translates the brain research most relevant to classroom teaching.
• Student Health, Supportive Schools, and Academic Success. California Department of Education, 2005. (PDF, 89 pgs.) This report reviews original research from WestEd on the link between health and academic success, and offers suggestions on putting research into action in schools.
• The Learning Connection: The Value of Improving Nutrition and Physical Activity in our Schools. Action for Healthy Kids, 2004. (PDF, 54 pgs.) The seminal report on the connection between achievement, inactivity, and nutrition.

Articles and Briefs

• Recommendations on Helpful Ways for School Professionals and Families to Talk about Mental Health Related Concerns. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and coalition partners, 2007. (PDF, 2 pgs.) Developed by a national coalition of parents, educators, mental health professionals, and physicians, this tip sheet helps educators and families talk together about children's mental health issues.
• Choosing the Right Treatment: What Families Need to Know about Evidence-Based Practices. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 2007. (PDF, 52 pgs.) The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is a grassroots mental health organization that works with persons living with mental illness and their families. This pamphlet provides families with information about evidence-based treatment options for their children and questions to ask providers about treatment plans for children with mental illness.
• The Importance of Play. ResearchBrief, ASCD, 2007. (web article) Research shows that recess and time for free play are important elements of an academic program.
• A Supersize Problem. Education Update, ASCD, 2007. (web article) U.S. schools are increasingly adopting wellness policies to tackle the problem of overweight students.
• Adolescent Health, Wellness, and Safety. National Middle School Association, 2006. (web article) A research summary from the NMSA addressing the specific health, wellness, and safety needs of adolescents.
• School Health Policies and Programs Study 2006. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006. (PDF, 4 pgs.) A quick fact sheet from the latest School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) that identifies changes between 2000 and 2006 in school health policies and programs at the state, district, school, and classroom levels.
• Give it a Shot!: Toolkit for Nurses and other Immunization Champions working with Secondary Schools. American School Health Association (ASHA), 2006. (PDF, 67 pgs.) A tool to help schools prepare for and implement immunization requirements for adolescents. Includes tips for working with students, families, other health care providers, and the media.
• A Coordinated Approach to Health and Learning. National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), 2006. (web article) An article to help schools (and principals) better provide for the health and safety of all members of the school community by coordinating services.
• Healthy School Communities: Essential to Student Success. Is It Good For the Kids?, ASCD, 2006. (web column) ASCD Executive Director Gene R. Carter stresses the important role of health in education.
• Build Stronger Schools with ASCD's Healthy School Report Card. Education Update, ASCD, 2006. (web article) This article describes the ASCD Action Tool, Creating a Healthy School Using the Healthy School Report Card, which helps schools assess their health practices, identify needs, and incorporate appropriate changes into a school-improvement plan.
• School Wellness Policies Fact Sheet. Action for Healthy Kids, 2005. (web brief) A brief description of the local requirements for wellness policies.
• Who Cares for the Caregivers? Education Update, ASCD, 2005. (web article) This article discusses the importance of providing aid to administrators and faculty in times of crisis in schools.
• Healthy and Ready to Learn. Educational Leadership, ASCD, 2005. (web article, available for purchase) Former Surgeon General David Satcher describes the link between health and academic achievement, and urges schools to play a role in better health.
• Making the Connection: Health and Student Achievement. Society of State Directors of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (SSDHPER), 2003. (PPT, 74 slides) A presentation developed by SSDHPER and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) which presents the research supporting each aspect of a coordinated school health program in a clear and concise format.

Websites

• Healthy Youth! Coordinated School Health Program. The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion provides an informative website outlining the eight components of a coordinated school health program (CSHP) model.
• National Resource Center on AD/HD. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control Prevention and Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), this website is a clearinghouse for science-based information about all aspects of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). Content is offered in English and Spanish.
• Healthy School Communities: An ASCD Whole Child Initiative. This website contains a variety of resources designed to help schools achieve their vision of a healthy school community.