DRAFTING AND REVISING SCHOOL POLICIES

C. THE PEDIATRICIAN'S ROLE IN INFLUENCING SCHOOL POLICY

1. How Expertise of Pediatricians Can Influence School Policy

Pediatricians should become familiar with all the health-related policies in their local schools. Some policies "on the books" may be for situations that no longer exist. Pediatrician can offer to help the school district revise its policies eliminating those that are not medically or legally sound and developing new policies relevant to today's children and adolescents and appropriate for the community at large. Most school boards will be delighted and welcome the input.

Most important, pediatricians can influence the development of school policy. Pediatricians need to remember that they are respected community members and often parents themselves, that their American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) chapter can set standards and advocate for statewide changes, and that the national AAP develops policy statements that can be used to inform the local community.

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2. Steps Pediatricians Can Take to Influence School Policy

Pediatricians individually, or by groups, can recommend how school policies could be changed to improve the health of school children. A first step is to collect background information on the state of the particular health issue.. To do this, the pediatrician can:

• Talk to patients and parents about their experiences with the school system.
• Visit schools when in session.
• Attend school board meetings.
• Read local newspapers for reports on health-related school issues.

Armed with information, the pediatrician must establish a communication link with the school to encourage a review of the relevant policy or development of a new policy. The pediatrician can make contact by:

• Speaking to a teacher or a principal
• Discussing the situation with the school superintendent
• Seeking approval of the local school board.

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3. Resources for Pediatricians Seeking to Change School Policy

The pediatrician has many resources available when promoting changes that require school board approval. Pediatricians can

• Draw on their respected position within the community and benefit from the careful consideration that citizens will give their suggestions.
• Use the media to gather support for proposed changes.
• Seek assistance their AAP chapter leadership in promoting relevant issues.
• Form coalitions with others interested in health-related school issues.

When discussing a change in policy with school officials, pediatricians can present the following documentation to support their case:

• Results of literature searches for current articles on relevant topics
• Current data from resources such as the CDC or other federal agencies
• Policy statements of the AAP, the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), or other organizations
• Sample school policies that might be available from organizations such as the National School Boards Association (NSBA) or the National Association of State School Nurse Consultants

Some particularly useful resources might include the following:

• The National Association of State Boards of Education's document Someone at School Has AIDS presents a complete set of policies for the educational system concerning children with HIV infection and AIDS.
• AIDS. Their document entitled, Fit, Healthy and Ready to Learn, provides policy guidelines on physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco.
  
• State education agencies can provide technical assistance for assessing the level of implementation of adopted policies using The Handbook for Evaluation of HIV Education.
  
• The CDC recently produced guidelines on physical activity, nutrition, and the prevention of tobacco use as well as a self assessment document for local schools.

Finally, pediatricians can use the comprehensive School Health Policy Checklist (see separate handout at end of Section III) to determine how their school districts measure up.

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