Project Abstract Summary
Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) seeks funding for Healthy Students, Stronger Learners Tennessee (HSSLT), under NOFO 0002: School-Based Interventions to Promote Equity and Improve Health, Academic Achievement, and Well-Being of Students Funding Opportunity Announcement. Through this proposal, TDOE will apply successes and learned skills in coordinated school health. This knowledge and skill will be used to support implementation and evaluation of evidence-based strategies and activities to improve students health and well-being through the lens of health equity.
Targeted strategies during HSSLT will result in measurable impacts to improve student health and academic achievement throughout the state. These effort are supported by core school and public health activities like: implementing evidence-based school health policies, practices and programs that increase opportunities for healthy eating, physical activity, management of chronic health conditions during the school day, as well as, during out-of-school time.
Through systematic collaborations currently in place with the identified priority local education agency, the Tennessee Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, the Tennessee Association for School Nurses, and the Tennessee After-School Network, and many other key state and local community partners, are the foundation of HSSLT.
The following outcomes will be addressed throughout the five year project in the proposal. Using YRBS, School Health Profiles, and other data sources, TDOE will demonstrate improved outcomes of increased implementation of CSPAP, increased implementation of school nutrition and food security evidence-based policies and practices, increased implementation of health services policies and practices that support students with chronic health conditions, by 5-9%. Within the identified priority LEA we will demonstrate improved outcomes of increased physical activity among students, increased healthy dietary behaviors among students, and increase the self-management of chronic health conditions among students, by 5%.
The work of Tennessee’s Coordinated School Health program over the past fifteen years has resulted in statewide improvements that address state specific needs and reflect the efforts of the LEAs. There has been substantial effort to foster collaboration and coordination among schools to leverage resources and align goals and objectives. Moving forward our goals will be focused on the clear and achievable outcomes aligned to the HSSLT project.
HSSLT guarantees school health stakeholders direction and support in developing policies, practices and programs to address improving health, academic, and the well-being of all children and adolescents in Tennessee.
