(An item from the ISHN Member information service) An article in Issue #4, 2015 of The Journal of Primary Prevention describes how adding a food co-op component to a healthy nutrition and physical activity program in schools serving disadvantaged communities can be effective. "The purpose of this study was to conduct a pilot feasibility evaluation of Brighter Bites, a school-based food co-op to provide access to fresh F&V and nutrition education to low-income children and their families. Brighter Bites is a 16-week school-based food co-op consisting of: (1) Weekly distribution of 50–60 servings of fresh F&V; (2) Weekly bilingual parent handouts and recipe demonstrations; and (3) implementing CATCH, a coordinated school health program in schools. Process data using parent surveys, teacher surveys, attendance logs, and produce cost data were used to determine feasibility and acceptability of program. Participants received on average 61 servings of F&V weekly for 16 weeks at the cost of $4.31/family/week. Results showed significant increases in child reported self-efficacy, outcome expectations and attitudes towards consuming F&V (p < 0.05). We found significant increases in child exposure to F&V and child preference of various F&V from baseline to post-intervention (p < 0.05). Parent surveys showed significant improvements in mealtime practices at home: decrease in children eating while watching TV, increase in eating dinner with the family, less fast food, less sugary drinks with meals, more children asking for F&V as snacks. Process data showed 98 % retention rate and high parent acceptability of program components. Brighter Bites is a promising strategy to increase F&V access and education in low-income populations using existing infrastructure of schools and food banks." Read more>>

(An item from the ISHN Member information service)  Asset based youth development approaches are well-recognized in the research and program literature. More recently, attention has been paid to the accumulation of adverse life experiences in childhood and adolescence. It looks like the weight of negative experiences is as powerful as the support of multiple positive factors or assets. An article in Volume 43, 2015 of Journal of Adolescence discusses cumulative experiences with life adversity with a view to iIdentifying critical levels for targeting prevention efforts. The authors note that "This paper aims to assess the role of individual types and cumulative life adversity for understanding depressive symptomatology and aggressive behavior. Data were collected in 2011 as part of the Teen Life Online and in Schools Study from 916 ethnically-diverse students from 12 middle, K–8, 6–12 and high schools in the Midwest United States. Youth reported an average of 4.1 non-victimization adversities and chronic stressors in their lifetimes. There was a linear relationship between number of adversities and depression and aggression scores. Youth reporting the highest number of adversities (7 or more) had significantly higher depression and aggression scores than youth reporting any other number of adversities suggesting exposure at this level is a critical tipping point for mental health concerns. Findings underscore an urgent need to support youth as they attempt to negotiate, manage, and cope with adversity in their social worlds. Read more>>

(From UCLA School Mental Health Project) A new book in January 2015 by the UCLA School Mental Health Project makes a cogent argument for transforming the fragmented delivery of various support services so that they truly support student learning and equitable educational opportunity. The authors begin with this " external and internal barriers to learning and teaching have continued to pose some of the most pervasive and entrenched challenges to educators across the country, particularly in chronically low performing schools. Failure to directly address these barriers ensures that (a) too many children and youth will continue to struggle in school, and (b) teachers will continue to divert precious instructional time to dealing with behavior and other problems...Transforming student and learning supports is key to school improvement. To this end, this book incorporates years of research and prototype development and a variety of examples from trailblazing efforts"  They go on to say "Mapping a school district’s existing efforts to address problems yields a consistent picture of many practices and fragmented, piecemeal, and usually disorganized activity (as illustrated below). The range of such learning and student supports generally is extensive and expensive".  They also go on to describe the cause and this is where we might disagree: "Underlying the fragmentation is a fundamental policy problem, namely the long-standing marginalization of student and learning supports in school improvement policy and practice. Thus, most efforts to directly use student and learning supports to address barriers to learning and teaching and re-engage disconnected students are not a primary focus in school improvement planning. " In our view, a major cause of the fragmentation is that the mandates and funding of the various health, social and other services is done in a sporadic, competitive and disjointed manner. Part of the transformation will require that health and other ministries re-organize their work so that they are accountable for providing consistent support for students most at risk, rather than always worrying about the optimal health of all students in universal programs. There have often been attempts to insert health outputs and outcomes into school system accountability. In our view, this should be a two-way street, with health and other systems being accountable for a reasonable number of educational outputs, particularly for more vulnerable students. Read more>>

(From the ISHN Member information service)   An August 19, 2014 posting to the Teachers Blog from Education Week discusses the "the Unwritten Job Descriptions of Teachers in High-Needs Schools" and thereby underlines one of the challenges and dilemmas of their daily work and professional careers. The author, a woman, discusses her "worst class" and how the pre-dominantly male students in a class in a high needs, ubran school in a poor neighbourhood challenged her, her female co-teacher an dmost other authority figures in the school. She adds "  A couple of the guys had terrible tempers, and managing their angry and unpredictable outbursts made me feel like I was walking on eggshells in my own classroom. When the principal and other higher-ups from the Board of Education would come in, instead of feigning interest in the class-work (as most groups of students would have, under those circumstances), they'd ask, "Why are these people here? Tell them to leave," as though we all spoke some other language that our visitors would not understand."  She then describes the dramatic changes to their behaviours when a male teacher replaced her female colleague in the team teaching assignment. " In some way, we had become "mom and dad" (albeit, extremely hetero-normatively) for these guys. It was not only evident in their antics of trying to play one of us off the other; the young men in our class could sometimes be calmed down by "man-to-man" talks in the hallway with my team teacher, after which they'd come to me for hugs, band-aids, snacks, what-have-you."Years later, reflecting on that year, the female teacher realized that the students in that class had needed them as surrogate parents and that the real needs of those students were based on the need for secure social attachments with adults. She then briefly cites some of the recent research on this and criticizes the current efforts in the US to see education as a business, as a competition and as a workplace for students rather than a home away from home. Read the blog article here. 
All this is not very new, any teacher can tell you about the kids in their class with the same needs. What was significant to me in reading the blog commentary was how the writer argues that " For teachers, this represents an added layer of responsibility, one for which we can't expect recognition within our formal evaluations, but which is nonetheless a vital component of doing our jobs well...particularly in high-needs schools in poor areas, where children are often coming from unsteady home lives.'  While respecting and even agreeing that view as a former teacher, I am struck by the constant barrage of attacks on teachers these days. More testing, more accountability for students progress regardless of their effort or their families contribution, introduction of term-limited teacher licenses, unilateral legislative attacks on their bargaining agents, reductions in their pensions and so on. In what other profession, in what other industry, in what other corporation would the authorities really expect their employees to stay faithful to their altruistic, additional, uncompensated roles and additional unrecognized responsibilities, especially when assigned to the worst assignments?. Really. And then we have the well-meant, checklists, teacher-proof instructional programs and the fix-the-teacher "professional" development programs from the health and social program advocates constantly knocking on the school door.... This article and our additional comments here present one of the aspects of our global discussion of why the health and social sectors need to step back from their current appeals to schools and seek a new path that can lead to a systematic and teacher aware approach to the integration of these programs within the constraints, concerns and core mandates of education systems. Join us in our on-going, International Discussion Group and series of global symposiums. 

(An item from the ISHN Member information service)  In 2013, up to $75 billion dollars was invested by the governments of 169 countries into school feeding programmes. It is estimated that for every $1 spent feeding school children, $3 are generated for the local economy. On January 22, a special meeting of global leaders in school feeding met in the UK parliament to discuss how governments are increasingly using school feeding programmes as a means to both improve educational outcomes and at the same time improve agricultural economies. The real impact that a successful HGSF programme can have was provided by keynote speaker, H.E Raul Argebesola, Governor of Osun State in Nigeria who said that since the launch of his State’s school meals programme (known as O’Meals) which feeds over 250,000 children every school day, enrolment has increased by 24%. The O’Meals programme provides employment to over 3,000 women and purchases food from over 1000 local farmers. Key resources published as part of this parliamentary event include: Rethinking school feeding executive summary, State of School Feeding Worldwide 2013 and a HGSF Working Paper Series #1
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(From the Education Commission of the US) Do state education agencies (SEAs) have the capacity to deepen their work improving outcomes for students? The answer from a long list of policy advocates and observers is “no”—or at least not without significant changes to the way they currently function. This project sought to more systematically examine SEAs’ existing capacities to understand the seriousness of the problem and the strategies state chiefs are using to confront it. The 10 states we analyzed represent a variety of approaches and political contexts for the work of reform, as well as varied records on student achievement. For each of these states, we asked: • What are the primary obstacles that inhibit SEAs from supporting school and district improvement? and • What levers can chiefs utilize to transform their agencies into more effective drivers of reform?  Read More>>

(From USAID) At USAID, we recognize that – for the first time in history – a world without extreme poverty is possible. This is an ambitious challenge: to lift more than 1 billion people out of extreme poverty. But we have built a solid foundation. USAID and the international community have improved economic opportunity, health, food security, education, equality, stability, and accountable governance for millions of people. In fact, nearly 700 million people have moved above the $1.25 per day poverty line since 1990. If we continue on this trajectory, we could reach zero by 2030. Read more>>

(An item from the ISHN Member information service)  An article in Issue #4, 2013 of Educational Administration Quarterly describes the new and different kinds of leadership skills needed by school principals who are assigned to schools in disadvantaged or tribal communities. The article "examined how the federal Promise Neighborhoods program shapes leadership networks and objectives in diverse tribal and urban settings. The program calls for diverse stakeholders to provide families with resources such as parenting workshops, childcare, preschool, health clinics, and other social services that affect learning and development. We focused particularly upon how Promise Neighborhoods planning and development creates new “frontiers of educational leadership." The "Promise Neighborhoods planning grant applications in the USA —21 that were funded and 21 from tribal settings—as well as interview data and program and community-specific archival data were analyzed to learn about applicants’ purposes and compositions of partners. These data were analyzed with insights from Burt’s notion of structural holes, which suggests that leadership in “social frontier” spaces is often dependent upon negotiation, entrepreneurship, and relationship brokering." The authors suggest that " As Promise Neighborhoods and other place-based initiatives are developed, diverse networks of leaders will be called to bridge organizational boundaries, cultural differences, socioeconomic differences, and physical distances to develop coherent plans of action for collective “Neighborhoods.”  Read more>>

(An item from the ISHN Member information service)  We have noted several recent articles in several journals discussing how adversity in childhood "acculmulates" within those children and gradually shows up in various risk behaviours and conditions. A special issue containing several articles in Issue #5, 2013 of School Psychology International follows this trend and examines adversity, protection, and resilience.The articles all support the idea of formulating an international research agenda on how to improve child protection and nurture resilience among these children and youth.  Read more>>

(An item from the ISHN Member information service) An article in Issue #3, 2013 of the Journal on Emotional and Behavioral Disorders delves into the impact of lower socio-economic status (SES) on child development. The authors identify small but significant, and likely modifiable facts that affect literacy and language, aggression, and internalizing behaviours including depression. They suggest that "Given the small observed associations, policy makers and programmers may focus interventions on family and community factors that contribute to child and adolescent developmental outcomes across the socioeconomic spectrum". Read more>>

(An item from the ISHN Member information service) The Transition Year (TY) program in Ireland is an optional one-year program that can be taken in the year after the Junior Certificate in Ireland and is intended to make the senior cycle a three year program encompassing both Transition Year and Leaving Certificate.[The mission statement of the Transition Year is to promote the personal, social, educational and vocational development of pupils and to prepare them for their role as autonomous, participative and responsible members of society.. The TY was introduced as a pilot project in September 1974 and was introduced as a mainstream option in 1994. Students in the TY do not have exams but are assessed, The program s intended to be a broad educational experience which assists in the transition from the school environment by encouraging creativity and responsibility for oneself. Approximately 75% of second-level schools offer TY. It consists of both education and work experience. Schools generally set admissions criteria and design the program based on local needs in accordance with departmental guidelines. The year focuses on many non-academic subjects, such as life skills including: First Aid, cooking, self-defense, driving and typing. A lot of sport goes on, with many different types including: rock-climbing, hill-walking, horse-riding, kayaking and orienteering. Voluntary Work is a requirement in many schools, with students helping out in local communities and charities. It is not possible to fail Transition Year overall: all students continue to their next year of education no matter what their results. However, if a student does not do the set work or is absent for a large amount of time, there is a chance that the school will request that they leave. An article in Issue #2, 2013 of Irish Educational Studies documents the development of the program since its inception.The use of the TY to offset economic or other disadvantages is also discussed.  Read more>>

(An item from the ISHN Member information service) Several articles in a Supplementary Issue of Public Health Reports provide a comprehensive reframing of sexual health promotion, moving away from disease-focused, preventive strategies towards a holistic and health promoting approach. One article in the issue presents an excellent ecological analysis and then presents the principles that could underlie ecology-based actions. These principles include contextualizing the issues, using systemic thinking, focusing on relationships, acknowledging sexuality and emphasizing wellness. Another article reports on how the state or Oregon is shifting from a teen pregnancy strategy to a sexual health promotion approach. Two articles present indicators for monitoring progress in the US and Canada. Two articles discuss the impact of socio-economic status on teen pregnancy and early initiation of sexual activity. Read more>>

(An item from the ISHN Member information service) An article in the May 2013 issue of MBC Public Health may suggest that school health promotion efforts be more focused on students in vocational courses and alternative schools. This study aimed at investigating hazardous drinking, tobacco smoking and physical inactivity as well as their associations and demographic predictors in vocational school students.Out of 57 contacted vocational schools in Switzerland, a total of 24 schools participated in a survey assessing gender, age, immigrant background, educational attainment and vocational field as well as the their smoking, drinking and other behaviours. The authors report that "Of the surveyed students, 79.4% showed at least one risk factor, 43.6% showed two or more and 9.6% showed all three health risk factors. Hazardous drinking was more prevalent in male, physical inactivity was more prevalent in female vocational school students. The proportion of students with low physical activity and tobacco smoking increased with increasing age. While the combination of hazardous drinking and tobacco smoking was higher in males, the other risk factor combinations were observed particularly among females. Read more>>

As part of the UNICEF and UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) Global Initiative on Out-of-School Children, Romania has published its country report. The report notes that "most of the children out of school in Romania had a prior experience of attending school. This situation is indicated by the rather high enrolment rates in pre-primary and primary level and also by the drop-out rates registered in primary and lower secondary levels.Therefore, the focus of our study is mainly ondropouts and non-attendance, rather than children who have never gone to school". 

(An item from ISHN Member information service) Adequately preparing teachers to teach in urban schools is an ageless challenge for teacher education programs. An article in Issue #1, 2013 of Education & Urban Society offers some insights into the qualities that need to be promoted among teachers aspiring or assigned to work in those schools. The fact that a minority of these new teachers felt ready to "make it their own" practice is revealing. The authors note that "This replication study represents an analysis of 47 exit portfolios of students enrolled in an urban teacher education program. Portfolios were analyzed to determine the degree to which students integrated concepts related to teaching in urban schools: asset/deficit perspectives, connections with families, social justice, high expectations for student learning, and contextualized teaching and learning. The portfolios fall into three groups along a continuum from “awareness” to “trying things out” to “making it their own.” With 30%, 51%, and 19% falling into each group respectively, the data are interpreted in relationship to faculty development and the challenges of scaffolding preservice teachers" Read more>

(An item from ISHN Member information service) Several articles in Issue #2, 2012 of The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education examine the challenges faced in educating indigenous students. The articles include a blunt assessment of the lack of progress in reducing their educational disadvantage, moving beyond a deficit-based discourse to discuss power, the controversial academy approach, the principles underlying a decolonized approach, providing resources to teachers so that they can truly consult with their communities, the benefits of reflective teaching practice when working with indigenous students, tribal leadership, using interactive media and professional training in culturally appropriate ways, practices that can help indigenous students make the transition between band elementary schools and public high schools, student retention and remediation. Read more. 

(An item from ISHN Member information service) A blog post in Education Week underlines the need to address health and social issues that cause students to miss event a few days of school. These would include problems such as asthma, bullying, head lice, pregnancy and other issues. Missing even a few days of school seems to make a difference in whether 8th graders perform at the top of their game, according to a new analysis of results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The report, the first of a planned series of analyses of NAEP's background-survey data, looks at how 4th and 8th graders use existing school time, including their attendance, instructional time, and homework.Fifty-six percent of 8th graders who performed at the advanced level in NAEP reading in 2011 had perfect attendance in the month before the test, compared with only 39 percent of students who performed below the basic level. In comparison, nearly one in five 8th graders at the basic level and more than one in four below basic in reading had missed three or more days in the past month. Read more. 

(An item from ISHN Member information service) The issue of transient or homeless families is part of a series of topics addressed in our ISHN International Discussion Group on Equity, Disadvantage & Disparities. Several articles in Issue #9, 2012 of the Educational Researcher examine the challenges facing these students and families. The introductory article summaries the risks and potential ways to promote resilience among these students. Other articles examine the impact of transience on the children's exucutiive functioning and reading skills. Two other articles focus on the long-term effects on development and educational achievement. The closing commentary calls for greater clarity in our shared terminology, underlying concepts and measurement. Read more. 

An item from ISHN Member information service) An article in Issue #2, 2012 of The School Community Journal helps us to shed misconceptions about the service needs of high risk families living in small, rural towns. The study "examines the process of planning and implementing a needs assessment for a rural school serving low-income students. It illustrates how needs assessments necessarily reflect the planners’ assumptions about at-risk families. Caseworkers interviewed 13 at-risk and 16 not-at-risk families. Rather than finding the need for improved delivery of services that is commonly reported, especially in urban areas, what families most sought was respect. In addition, teachers and parents held different perspectives on many issues, and a successful project would need to address those differences directly. Read more. 

(An item from ISHN Member information service) An in-depth report from the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada on their regular national report on student achievement in mathematics reveals that student and school characteristics account for 78% of the variance between student scores. Student characteristics include socio-economic status, support at home for learning, gender, aboriginal status, after school activities, student use of technology etc). School characteristics include size, demographics, presence of special needs students and teacher experience/qualifications). The report suggests that the other factors including the liking school, having friends at school, curriculum, teaching methods, student assessment practices and staff attitudes towards testing can make the learning more equitable and more effective. One of the interesting items is that playing with computer games after school helps math learning (but may not be so good for physical activity). The high quality of the report makes it good reading for advocates of health and social development advocates in that it demonstrates the need for a "whole child" approach to learning. It also may prompt the question as to why educational authorities are not issuing similar reports on the social role of schooling and student learning on health, social development and safety. Read more.    

(An item taken from the daily/weekly/monthly ISHN Member information service)  An article in August 2012 Issue of the International Journal for Equity in Health examines the "healthy living" strategies in tow Canadian provinces using several policy documents for the analysis. The authors report that " Initiatives active between January 1, 2006 and September 1, 2011 were found using provincial policy documents, web searches, health organization and government websites, and databases of initiatives that attempted to influence to nutrition and physical activity in order to prevent chronic diseases or improve overall health. Initiatives were reviewed, analyzed and grouped using the descriptive codes: lifestyle-based, environment-based or structure-based. Initiatives were also classified according to the mechanism by which they were administered: as direct programs (e.g. directly delivered), blueprints (or frameworks to tailor developed programs), and building blocks (resources to develop programs) 60 initiatives were identified in Ontario and 61 were identified in British Columbia. In British Columbia, 11.5 % of initiatives were structure-based. In Ontario, of 60 provincial initiatives identified, 15 % were structure-based (ie addressed social determinants). Ontario had a higher proportion of direct interventions than British Columbia for all intervention types. However, in both provinces, as the intervention became more upstream and attempted to target the social determinants of health more directly, the level of direct support for the intervention lessened. Read more..