DRAFTING AND REVISING SCHOOL POLICIES

B. THE SCHOOL HEALTH POLICIES AND PROGRAMS STUDY

1. What Is the School Health Policies and Programs Study?

The School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) was first conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Adolescent and School Health March - June 1994. The SHPPS project, which is a national survey of school policies and programs at the state, district, and school levels was repeated in 2000. Data from SHPPS provide information about the extent to which school policies and programs address the leading causes of morbidity, mortality, and social problems among youth and adults. The 6 behaviors that cause almost two thirds of morbidity and mortality include are as follows:

• Behaviors that contribute to unintentional and intentional injuries.
• Tobacco use.
• Alcohol and other drug use.
• Sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection.
• Dietary behaviors.
• Physical inactivity.

The SHPPS includes surveys of state and local education agency policies related to school health in elementary and secondary grades and is a nationally representative sample of school districts. The study also includes on-site, structured interviews conducted with school principals, health education teachers, physical education teachers, school food service directors, school nurses, counselors, and other appropriate personnel.

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2. Why Is the School Health Policies and Programs Study Important?

The SHPPS is important because it is the primary data source on the type and prevalence of health-related school policies. The SHPPS data show that among all middle and junior and senior high schools, written policies are available in:

• 97.3% to prohibit tobacco use
• 49.1% to create a smoke-free environment
• 97.2% to prohibit alcohol and other drug use
• 90.7% to prohibit violence
• 77.2% on HIV infection
• 89.4% to require written documentation before administering medications