Health promotion includes those strategies that reinforce the maintenance of healthy lifestyle behaviors and discourage the use of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. Health promotion strategies are gaining momentum in the United States. Three of the six "America 2000" education goals have health-related implications, specifically the goals relating to all children starting school ready to learn, increasing the high school graduation rate to 90 percent, and freeing every school of drugs and violence. The establishment of these goals, combined with the Healthy Students-Healthy Schools Act (1992) and increased funding sources, provides strong initiatives to bring about change. These initiatives call for development of a comprehensive school health program that complements the more traditional education and training mission. A comprehensive school health program would include all the policies, procedures, activities, and resources designed to protect and promote the health and well-being of students, teachers, administrators, and support staff. Such a program would include health education, health services, and maintenance of a healthy school environment. A checklist for evaluating the quality of a school's health program is provided. Barriers to achieving the vision of a comprehensive program are identified, with potential solutions. (Contains 10 references.) (JDD)