Adriane Tasco
In previous articles, we have discussed two components of achieving change in schools: theoretical change models and research and best practices in school health and improvement. The third part of the process is data-driven strategies or decision making (Hoyle, 2007). To successfully implement data-driven strategies, school health team members who conducted the initial assessment need to prioritize, plan, and track the progress of changes. Using data from the initial assessment to plan changes in school health helps create systemic change, as opposed to offering a once-a-year health promotion event.
After presenting a summary of the data to the designated authorities (i.e., administrators, school board members, or community partners), the school health team must decide to either incorporate the authorities' recommendations into the current school improvement plan or to develop a healthy school improvement plan (Lohrmann, 2007). Taking this step before beginning your planning will allow the authorities to clarify the level of support they may be able to provide, in terms of both people and financial resources, that could affect the implementation of the plan (Hoyle, 2007). They may also have insight about goals you may need to incorporate into your plan to garner district or state mandates or goals for not only health programming but also for overall school improvement (Hoyle, 2007).
ASCD's Healthy School Report Card (HSRC) action tool can assist schools with the challenge of prioritizing recommended changes in school health. Based on the data entered, the Web-based tool generates a report for the health team that prioritizes their results according to what issues or items can be addressed in the short- or long-term with
- little effort
- some or a lot of effort
- overwhelming effort
- a lot of overwhelming effort
An example of prioritizing
Iroquois Ridge High School in Oakville, Ontario, discovered that it was not meeting the student needs listed in "Characteristic 3: Healthy Emotional and Social Environment" of the Creating a Healthy School Using the Healthy School Report Card—Canadian Edition. This characteristic is described as, "The culture in my school is conducive to making students, families, and staff members feel safe secure, accepted, and valued" (Lohrmann & Vamos, 2008). The indicator the school was not meeting was, "teachers reinforce prosocial behavior."
For help, the school turned to the HSRC action tool, and it prioritized this item as one that the health team could change with little effort and in the short term with positive results. The health team at Iroquois Ridge then created an action plan to satisfy this area, focusing on building a program around events that were already working. They used the Ontario Principals' Council Bullying Survey, support programs for substance use, interventions, and transition programs and participated in the Relay For Life.
Once you have determined your priorities, you can begin planning. First, identify the health team's objectives or desired outcomes. Then, work backward to design the strategy or action plan, which can include planning activities and events. In this way, you will achieve the desired outcomes of the prioritized objectives you determined. This process will help the health team foresee barriers to implementation or progress and will require regular review of the action plan for further problem solving (Schaughency & Ervin, 2006).
An example of planning
After completing the HSRC, the Barclay Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore, Maryland, discovered that it was lacking in areas of student voice and leadership. Their objective was to increase students' leadership within the school. The health team discussed how students could be involved and realized they had to create those opportunities for students. As a result, they started with student government members, giving them support in the nominations and elections process to foster learning about organizing and running their meetings and public speaking. Over the past year, these student leaders have been involved in the peer court and have been instrumental in bringing about the changes within their classmates' behavior and increasing their participation in health and wellness activities.
The HSRC recommends using two sets of objectives—one short-term set and one long-term set—when planning. Short-term objectives can be easily completed. The long-term objectives will require more time, resources, effort, and coordination to complete (Lohrmann, 2007). By having two different sets, volunteers and team members can help when and where they are able. The health team should plan both sets of objectives with specific steps to complete them, a reasonable time line, and a list of required resources with potential sources.
It is important to monitor your school's progress once you begin implementing the health team's plan. Regular tracking will help you determine if the school is meeting objectives according to the set time line, and the health team and those responsible for the various action plans should meet periodically.
For systemic change to continue, you should repeat the assessment process at a frequency determined by the health team. Over time, areas first assessed as needing improvement or change should show evidence of improvement. Be sure to share these successes with the entire school community and the public (Lohrmann, 2007). As the needs of the students, staff, and community change over the years, so should the objectives of the health improvement plan.
An example of tracking
The Thomas Carr Howe Community High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, has a useful tracking system. Attendees take detailed minutes during the monthly meetings and allocate space for the team's decision on each agenda item. The minutes also include discussion notes that list the person responsible for carrying out the item and a due date. All members receive copies of the meeting minutes, which include updates about previous agenda items.
Prioritization, planning, and tracking are integral parts of making data-driven change within schools. These steps allow health teams to see not only where they are going in the future, but also the reasons for change. By using the data from an assessment, health team members can plan strategies that meet their objectives for students and staff and realize a sustained change within the school and community. Creating a Healthy School Using the Healthy School Report Card includes a section on how the team can best use the results from its assessment.
Hoyle, T. B. (2007). The mariner model: Charting the course for health-promoting school communities. Kent, Ohio: American School Health Association.
Lohrmann, D. K. (2007). Creating a healthy school using the healthy school report card: An ASCD action tool. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Lohrmann, D. K., & Vamos, S. (2008). Creating a healthy school using the healthy school report card: An ASCD action tool. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Schaughency, E., & Ervin, R. (2006, June). Building capacity to implement and sustain effective practices to better serve children. School Psychology Review, 35(2), 155.