An article in Issue #4, 2015 of Journal of School Violence reports on teacher ability and willingness to implement the many different components of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program . As with many other such multi-component approaches and programs, the evaluation shows that "among 2,022 teachers, 88.5% female, from 88 elementary schools located in Pennsylvania, results indicated that the majority of respondents had attended the school kick-off event, posted the rules in the classroom, and explained the rules to students. Receiving booster sessions and activities involving parental involvement were the least likely elements to have been performed. Logistic regression analyses revealed that teachers with confidence in their ability to implement the OBPP had completed all of the OBPP programmatic activities. Similarly, multiple regression analysis results revealed that teachers with self-efficacy to implement the OBPP implemented more components than respondents without self-efficacy. In addition, teachers with more OBPP experience were more likely to have completed individual-level activities. Our findings reveal that certain OBPP components are easier to perform than others and that implementer characteristics matter." This study examined the eight activities within the program that teachers are expected to implement. We would expect the same or even more challenges in implementing and especially maintaining the community, school and other components. Read more>> (An item from the ISHN Member information service)
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(An item from the ISHN Member information service) An article in Issue #3, 2013 of Health Education Research suggests five ways to improve school-based physical activity promotion. Based on a narrative review of the available research evidence, the authors " identified several promising strategies and grouped into five broad intervention guidelines. These guidelines are as follows: (i) design multi-component interventions that foster the empowerment of members of the school community; (ii) develop improvements to Physical Education curricula as a strategy to promote physical activity to adolescents; (iii) design and implement non-curricular programmes and activities to promote physical activity; (iv) include computer-tailored interventions during the implementation and monitoring of physical activity promotion programmes and (v) design and implement specific strategies that respond to the interests and needs of girls." Read more>>
(An item from ISHN Member information service) Mark Dooris, a pioneer and leading expert in settings-based health promotion, reviews the potential and enduring challenges facing this strategy in an article in Volume 20 of Place and Health."This paper reports on a qualitative study undertaken through in-depth interviews with key individuals widely acknowledged to have been the architects and pilots of the settings movement. Exploring the development of the settings approach, policy and practice integration, and connectedness ‘outwards’, ‘upwards’ and ‘beyond health’, it concludes that the settings approach has much to offer—but will only realise its potential impact on the wellbeing of people, places and the planet if it builds bridges between silos and reconfigures itself for the globalised 21st century. Read more>
An update of a Cochrane Systematic Review of school-based physical activity programs expresses caution about the impact of such programs on the levels of activity during the school day as well as longer term effects on cholesterol and body mass. The review (at least its abstract), also illustrates the limited nature of systematic reviews that do not clearly differentiate between different types of interventions (multi-intervention approaches vs instructional programs) as well as those that do not clearly establish reasonable expectations for school programs. In this case, the review looks for increased PA during the school day (too little) or long term changes to blood pressure, body mass or cholesterol (too much), when a more realistic expectation might be that the children become more active after school.
(From UCLA School Mental Health Project) Educating the whole child" is a phrase that has been in and out of style for over 100 years, but as the engines rev up for the re-authorization of ESEA ... At the core of the "whole child" concept is the understanding that children grow physically, emotionally, and intellectually; therefore, school should attend to all of these areas of growth.(Center for Inspired Teaching). A whole school has three primary, essential, and overlapping primary components: (1) curriculum and teaching, (2) a learning supports system
to address factors that interfere with learning and teaching, and (3) school governance/management. While every school pursues functions related to all three, each component continues to be the focus of what often are controversial school improvement efforts. Given available findings, the consensus is that schools are more effectiveand caring places when they have family engagement and are an integral and positive part of the community. State and local education agencies all over the country have recognized the importance of school, family, and community collaboration. The aim is to sustain formal connections and strong engagement over time. The frequent calls for enhancing parent and community engagement with schools, however, often are not accompanied by effective action. This undercuts efforts to focus on whole student and whole school development. Read more. (An item from ISHN Member information service) An article in Issue #3, 2012 of Pastoral care in Education examines the support available for teachers of students with life-limiting diseases and conditions. The authors state that: An international literature search produced 23 papers published between 2005 and July 2010 that concerned children with life-limiting illness in relation to education in mainstream schools. The analysis identified that the needs of children with life-limiting illnesses are not being well met, and there appears to be little evidence of educational support for teachers. The paper concludes that schools need to work with both the medical and social models of health/disability in order to meet the needs of children with life-limiting illness. There is some consensus that the way forward needs to include multidisciplinary working within an ecological approach that supports home, schools and the health services working together. Only one paper reported an evaluation of such an intervention. There is a need for more research, evaluation and dissemination about the experience of living with a life-limiting illness in mainstream schools and related interventions, and for this to inform professional education and the coordination of education, health and home systems. Read more..
(An item taken from the daily/weekly/monthly ISHN Member information service) Sarah Stewart-Brown, a prolific writer of systematic reviews has ignited a debate about the appropriateness of using Random Controlled Trials as the methodology to evaluate multi-intervention approaches and strategies that seek to modify complex, adaptive, loosely-coupled systems such as schools and public health. She argues that "Randomised controlled trials are likely to be at their best in the evaluation of interventions that do not require the active engagement and personal development of participants. The latter may depend on a series of interventions and events that potentiate each other over time. Randomised controlled trials are likely to be least valuable in evaluating universal level interventions that aim to change population norms. Because of the challenges involved in conducting RCTs in this setting they cannot be relied upon to give accurate estimates of programme effect and therefore do not deserve the privileged position that has been accorded them in the hierarchy of evidence". For a listing of the articles in the debate, go to Issue #4, 2011 and Issue #2, 2012 of the Journal of Children's Servies.
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