Diabetes Prevention and Control Branch
Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Section
Division for Disease Control and Prevention Services
The four projects listed above make up the School Health Program.
School Health Program 
Vision: The DSHS School Health Program envisions a Texas where all children are healthy, ready to learn and prepared to make healthy lifelong choices.
Mission: The mission of the DSHS School Health Program is to meet the health services and health program needs of children through schools.
Goals:
1. Function as central resource to communities: develop materials, linkages and promotion.
2. Increase access to health care for all Texas children.
3. Ensure infrastructure to provide support to schools.
4. Engage in collaborative efforts: interagency, intro-agency, School Health Network
5. Reporting-internal and external
Of Special Interest within this Site:
ALERT! CALL FOR APPLICATIONS for Texas School Health Advisory Committee Membership – DEADLINE:
MAY 31, 2013
The commissioner of DSHS requests your assistance in identifying applicants for a four-year membership on the Texas School Health Advisory Committee to fill four vacancies beginning July 1, 2014. Two vacancies are in the parent category and one each additional vacancy in the organization/agency and physician categories are available. The purpose of the TSHAC is ; “…to provided assistance to the State health Services council in establishing a leadership role for DSHS in support for and delivery of coordinated school health programs and school health services.” If you wish to be considered for membership, visit the TSHAC webpage at www.dshs.state.tx.us/schoolhealth/tshac/memberlist.shtm for criteria for each category, instructions for applying, and to download an application; or, contact Ellen Smith at ellen.smith@dshs.state.tx.us.
ALERT! 2013 Awards for Excellence in Texas School Health – APPLICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE – DEADLINE: OCTOBER 4, 2013
The AFE program awards approximately $13,500.00 in CASH prizes to schools or districts that implement effective school health programs that promote lifelong student health. Sponsored by the Texas Department of State Health Services and funded by the Texas Health Institute and the Texas Pediatric Society Foundation, this initiative, now in its 24th year, grants programs just getting started with seed money and honors and rewards existing, successful programs and those that have made improvements or expansions to programs awarded in the past. To learn more and to access an application and instructions, go to www.dshs.state.tx.us/schoolhealth/awards.shtm or contact Ellen Smith at ellen.smith@dshs.state.tx.us or 512-776-2140.
NEW! Biennial Report on School-Based Health Centers, Fiscal Year 2010-2011 Texas Education Code (TEC), Chapter 38, Section 38.064, requires the Commissioner of DSHS to issue a biennial report to the legislature about the efficacy of school-based health centers (SBHC) that receive funds from DSHS. This report focuses on SBHCs that received funding from DSHS in fiscal year 2010 and fiscal year 2011. To access the report, go to www.dshs.state.tx.us/schoolhealth/healctrrole.shtm.
REVISED! Annual SHAC Progress Report to Local School Board
As a result of the 2009 81st Legislative Session, school health advisory councils (SHACs) are required to report directly to the district school board at least once annually with a detailed account of SHAC activities and recommendations. To help SHACs with this requirement, the the Texas School Health Advisory Committee developed a sample template for the required annual progress report in the form of a power point along with accompanying instructions for its use. Both are attached here for free download. The power point presentation, revised in 2013, has been developed to be customized for local use.
REVISED! Recommendation and Research on Health Education for all Texas Students K-12 Grade Revised 1-14-13 (Word 105KB)
Revisions to Recommendation and Research on Health Education for all Texas Students, Kindergarten through 12th Grade were approved by the Texas School Health Advisory Committee at their January 14, 2013 meeting. This document was prepared specifically to support local school districts in their efforts to recommend a half credit of health education as a graduation requirement for all high school students.
A sample school district resolution is also provided for School Health Advisory Councils to use if making the same recommendation to their local school board.
Sample resolution: Recommendation and Research on Health Education for all Texas Students (Word 53K)
REVISED! Coordinated School Health Resource Data Links - Revised 1-14-13 (Word 146KB)
Revisions to the Coordinated School Health Resource Data Sets were approved by the Texas School Health Advisory Committee at their January 14, 2013 meeting. The Data Sets were created to provide easy access to school health related data to assist you with identifying areas that can be addressed in your Campus Improvement Plans/ District Improvement Plans, for grant-writing purposes, and to provide data for mandatory reports.
REVISED! School Health Services Staff Roles - Revised 1-14-13 (Word 136KB)
With more children entering school with complex medical issues, schools are challenged to match the available resources and the needs of students in the development of school health services. The Texas Education Code (TEC) §38.012 outlines requirements for school boards to follow to implement or expand school health services. Although there are different models implemented throughout the state, Recommended School Health Services Staff Roles guidelines, revised and approved by the Texas School Health Advisory Committee at their January 14, 2013 meeting, outlines a local model that is reflective of state laws, professional licensing and best practices.
ALERT! Call for Best Practice Programs and Resources
School districts, agencies and organizations continue to move toward accountability to develop effective and efficient programs that meet the needs of students and their families. Pressure to document impact, effectiveness, and efficiency generates concern over “what works?” The Texas School Health Advisory Committee (TSHAC) is committed to helping schools locate “best practice” programs and resources and sharing them via the TSHAC Web site. This is a call for “best practice” programs in an effort to share them with other school staff from around the state. There is no deadline by which to submit your application. This is an ongoing opportunity. You will be notified within 8 weeks if your program is accepted for posting. To access the Guidelines for Submission of a Best Practice on the TSHAC website and to download an application, go to www.dshs.state.tx.us/schoolhealth/shadviseresources.shtm.
Recommendations and Research on Student Consumption of Regular and Diet Sodas in High Schools (Word 74K)
REVISED! November 12, 2012 - The school environment has a strong impact on influencing the consumption of nutrient rich foods of our school children. It is important to establish regulations that create a healthier environment and promote healthy foods and beverages. It has also been a concern that sweetened and unsweetened carbonated beverages displaces the consumption of healthier beverages. Linked here are revised research and the subsequent recommendations on the availability of sodas in Texas high schools as originally developed and approved by the TSHAC membership at their March 3, 2008, meeting. The recommendations relating to beverages sold or served to students are to provide support and recommendations to the Texas Department of Agriculture in order to provide assistance in implementing Texas Public School Policy regulations in an effort to create a healthy school environment.
REVISED! November 12, 2012 School Health Advisory Council Self Assessment Tool
It is important for a district School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) to periodically assess how well it works. SHAC members should ask themselves whether the SHAC does what it is supposed to do; is it meeting its objectives, and if so, to what extent will the objectives be accomplished by the target date? Here are some questions to help evaluate how well the SHAC is functioning. An effective SHAC should be able to answer “yes” to each question. The SHAC may consider including the results of the self-assessment in their annual report to the school board.
NEW! Recommendations for Sodium Reduction in Schools
The Texas Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke Partnership of the Texas Department of State Health Services has developed a document that addresses the reduction of sodium intake as outlined in the United States Department of Agriculture 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans as it relates to schools. The Goal II Workgroup of the Partnership, in collaboration with the Texas School Health Advisory Committee, created “Recommendations for Reducing Sodium Intake in the School Setting (2012)” to provide recommended strategies for sodium reduction to school districts and school nutrition practitioners.
NEW! Guidelines for the Care of Students with Food Allergies At-Risk for Anaphylaxis
In response to the increase in students with diagnosed food allergies at-risk for anaphylaxis, Senate Bill 27 (2011, 82nd Legislative Session) amends Chapter 38 of the Texas Education Code by adding Section 38.0151. This section requires the Board of Trustees of each school district and the governing body or appropriate officers of open-enrollment charter schools to adopt and administer a policy for the care of students with diagnosed food allergy at risk for anaphylaxis.
This document is intended to serve as a reference and illustrative guide for local school boards or charter school leadership to utilize in creating and implementing school district policies and administrative regulations. Any portion of this document may be reproduced for educational purposes or policy development.
NEW! Bullying Prevention Toolkit
In response to national and state concern about the impact of bullying on students, recent Texas legislation has addressed the need for districts to develop anti-bullying policies and interventions. Further, the Texas legislature directed the Department of State Health Services, in collaboration with the Texas Education Agency, to provide and annually update a list of best practice-based early mental health intervention and suicide prevention programs for implementation in general education settings.
The Bullying Prevention Toolkit was compiled and approved by the Texas School Health Advisory Committee at their May 14, 2012, committee meeting to support schools in their efforts to find effective anti-bullying resources to develop anti-bullying policies and interventions.
UPDATED! Selected State and Federal School Health Laws This document reflects the 82nd legislative session, 2011 legislation and is meant as a resource tool in assisting school nurses or other school health personnel in locating selected laws that relate to school health. It is not a full list, but a snapshot of the most frequently requested citations.
NEW! Friday Beat Promotional Flyer
The Friday Beat is an excellent vehicle for delivering the latest news and information regarding school health issues and topics. Many of you that read the Friday Beat forward it to interested parties who may “need to know” or want to add value to their efforts in school health education or services. Once a new stakeholder sees benefit in the Friday Beat, it is easy for them to be a subscriber, too.
In order to assist you in “getting the word out” to interested parties about the Friday Beat, a flyer has been developed outlining benefits of and access to the publication. Feel free to download the flyer and distribute to colleagues and groups or simply forward it to those you feel would benefit from knowing.