In the United States, the prevailing view of health, including the design of the U.S. healthcare system, has historically posited that to improve health one must focus on better understanding what causes poor health or disease. This emphasis on disease reduction or risk prevention, also known as a pathogenic approach to health. This article…

The release of the 2024 SHAPE America National Health Education Standards provides an updated take on the learning standards used to teach students how to become healthy and well. In this revision, the standards emphasize both individual and collective health and well-being; greater inclusion of strengths, assets, and opportunities to practice and…

Evidence supports increasing student physical activity in school, and Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs (CSPAPs) can help students meet national physical activity goals to support their physical and mental health. Although strategies and frameworks are readily available to support schools in their efforts to implement successful…

School districts determine the types of health services and health professionals needed in schools, as well as how to deliver and pay for these services. This policy brief outlines four models for delivering school-based health services and explains who is responsible for billing Medicaid under each one. Understanding the different Medicaid…

By integrating Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences (MI theory) into health and wellness education, we can honor student uniqueness, promote inclusivity in the learning space, and increase the adoption of positive health behaviors. The MI theory proposes that every individual possesses unique strengths and weaknesses for learning that…

Research shows children with poor oral health are nearly three times more likely to miss school than their healthier peers which can lead to lower academic performance and ability to succeed in school. Furthermore, poor oral health remains one of the top reasons why California students miss school, resulting in a loss of $28 million per year to…

The California Department of Education's Project Cal-Well aims to promote awareness of student mental health and improve access to mental health services for youth, families, and school communities. This brief introduces a series of Project Cal-Well Legacy Briefs that highlight successes achieved by Project Cal-Well partners. WestEd developed the…

This overview highlights Del Norte Unified School District's (DNUSD) approach to enhancing student mental health services via Project Cal-Well. DNUSD is committed to fostering positive school environments and has expanded its Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Committee to further this goal. The district has launched various mental health…

This brief outlines how the Stanislaus County Office of Education (SCOE) supports the educational and mental health needs of 25 school districts in the county. SCOE partnered with three school districts--Hughson Unified, Patterson, and Turlock--to enhance their school-based mental health programs for approximately 22,000 students. The brief…

Physical activity and healthy eating are instrumental to a child's overall healthy development, resulting in a number of positive outcomes, like better academic performance and lower risk of depression. Yet, most young people are not meeting the recommended daily amount of physical activity, are not eating enough vegetables or fruits, and are…

Typical health lessons are taught in a classroom setting, where students sit in their chairs and passively receive information. This instructional method may not be the optimal approach, as Ratey discovered in his famous experiment that the human brain is more aroused when the body is physically and actively engaged in the learning environment.…

A plethora of research has been conducted on physical activity (PA) during the school day as part of a CSPAP. Classroom activity, recess, and other school day opportunities such as active transitions, school-wide movement breaks, and drop-ins provide valuable opportunities for students to reach recommended levels of PA. In addition to the health…

Much attention has been focused on the importance of providing physical and mental health services to students in educational environments in recent years. Millions of students receive school-based health services, and for many students, schools are their first and only option to receive health care. State policymakers have a lot to consider in…

With the continued push by organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization to build healthy K-12 campuses, it is important to find ways to prepare preservice physical education teachers to successfully contribute to these whole-school models. This article shares the first-hand experience of an…

This paper presents a historical account of conceptual development at the intersection of American education and health. Beginning with early advancements from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the World Health Organization, the authors show the movement from early considerations of the codependency of health and…