Massachusetts

Massachusetts is seeking to increase the percentage of schools in which students’ family or community members have helped develop or implement HIV, STD, or teen pregnancy prevention policies and programs.

Activities

• Disseminate the AIDS Advisory Panel Position Paper to agency chiefs, relevant community-based interest groups, and decision makers.
• Disseminate the Family and Community Involvement Toolkit entitled Sense and Sexuality to all school districts.
• Conduct a listening tour with parents and students around HIV prevention education and use the findings to propose HIV prevention policy updates to the Massachusetts Board of Education.

Massachusetts is seeking to increase the percentage of schools in which the lead health education teacher received professional development during the past two years on all of the following:

• Describing how widespread HIV and other STD infections are and the consequences of these infections.
• Understanding the modes of transmission and effective prevention strategies for HIV and other STDs.
• Identifying populations of youth who are at high risk of being infected with HIV and other STDs.
• Implementing health education strategies using prevention messages that are likely to be effective in reaching youth.

Activities

• Disseminate at least 10 listserv messages, at least three local success story newsletter articles, and a full newsletter issue related to school-based strategies for HIV, STDs, and pregnancy prevention to all public school districts.
• Provide skills-based HIV, STD, and teen pregnancy prevention training for 75 school health teachers through a 3-hour workshop entitled “Condom Sense and HIV.”
• Provide sexuality education certification training for 340 school health and physical education teachers.
• Provide professional development for 35 Massachusetts school health teachers through an intensive 4-day course to deepen their skills in providing science-based sexuality education that is meaningful for a diverse range of students.
• Provide health and mental health training for school staff that addresses the unique needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning students.

Massachusetts is seeking to increase the percentage of schools that have a policy or policies that address all of the following issues:

• Attendance of students with HIV infection.
• Procedures to protect HIV-infected students and staff from discrimination.
• Maintaining confidentiality of HIV-infected students and staff.

Activities

• Disseminate the AIDS Advisory Panel Position Paper to agency chiefs, relevant community-based interest groups, and decision makers.
• Provide professional development and follow-up support for 50 school personnel on best practices for developing HIV and sexuality education policies.
• Provide professional development for 50 school psychologists, social workers, counselors, and nurses to provide high-quality health and mental health services that address the unique needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning students.
• Conduct a listening tour with parents and students around HIV prevention education and use the findings to propose HIV prevention policy updates to the Massachusetts Board of Education.

Physical Activity

Massachusetts is seeking to increase the percentage of schools in which those who teach physical education are provided with all of the following:

• Goals, objectives, and expected outcomes for physical education.
• A written physical education curriculum.
• A chart describing the annual scope and sequence of instruction for physical education.
• Plans for how to assess student performance in physical education.

Activities

• Write and disseminate guidelines for best practices in school physical education and physical activity to all districts.
• Provide a 4-day Physical Education Institute for 30 physical education teachers in high-risk urban districts.

Nutrition

Massachusetts is seeking to increase the percentage of schools in which the lead health education teacher received professional development on nutrition education and dietary behavior during the past two years.

Activities

• Develop and disseminate new state regulations and guidance concerning school nutrition, school wellness policies, and school wellness committees to all districts.
• Provide three school wellness policy trainings to 75 school staff members.

Tobacco

Massachusetts is seeking to increase the percentage of schools that follow a policy that mandates a “tobacco-free environment.” “A tobacco-free environment” is one that prohibits tobacco use by students, staff, and visitors in school buildings, at school functions, in school vehicles, on school grounds, and at off-site school events, applicable 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

Activities

• Publish revised School Tobacco Policy Guidelines.
• Provide a training and follow-up support for school staff from 12 districts to improve their school health tobacco policies.

Massachusetts is seeking to increase the percentage of schools that have a group (e.g., school health team) that helps plan and implement school health programs, with representation from 10 or more of the following:

• School administrators.
• Health education teachers.
• Physical education teachers.
• Mental health or social services staff.
• Nutrition or food service staff.
• Health services staff (e.g., school nurse).
• Maintenance and transportation staff.
• Student body.
• Parents or families of students.
• Community.
• Local health departments, agencies, or organizations.
• Faith-based organizations.
• Businesses.
• Local government.

Activities

• Implement a communications and marketing plan to reach both internal and external audiences with messages promoting coordinated school health. Communications will include at least three presentations promoting coordinated school health to external audiences.
• Disseminate three newsletter issues and at least 24 listserv messages, update Health Hints on the Massachusetts Elementary and Secondary Education Web site, and provide other resources related to strengthening school health programs to all districts.
• Develop and disseminate new state regulations and guidance concerning school nutrition, school wellness policies, and school wellness committees to all districts.
• Provide three school wellness policy trainings to 75 school staff members.

Massachusetts is seeking to increase the percentage of schools that have ever assessed their policies, activities, and programs by using the School Health Index or a similar self-assessment tool in any of the following areas:

• Physical activity.
• Nutrition.
• Tobacco-use prevention.

Activities

• Distribute the first round of School Health Wellness Awards and publicize the award system across Massachusetts to build support and recognition for school wellness achievements.
• Provide three school wellness policy trainings to 75 school staff members, including training on the School Health Index.

Massachusetts is seeking to increase the percentage of schools that follow a written health education curriculum that addresses all the following:

• Comprehending concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.
• Analyzing the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on health behaviors.
• Accessing valid information and products and services to enhance health.
• Using interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks.
• Using decision-making skills to enhance health.
• Using goal setting skills to enhance health.
• Practicing health-enhancing behaviors to avoid or reduce risks.
• Advocating for personal, family, and community health.

Activities

• Develop and disseminate reports and fact sheets based on the 2008 School Health Profiles to all districts.
• Provide three school wellness policy trainings to 75 school staff.

The Massachusetts Department of Education is working in collaboration with San Francisco Unified School District to improve the capacity of CDC/DASH-funded agencies to effectively implement their programs through national professional development events, trainings, and follow-up technical assistance.

Activities

• Implement national professional development events, trainings, and follow-up technical assistance.
• Work with the San Francisco Unified School District to develop a 5-year National Professional Development Plan based on the CDC DASH Professional Development Practices.
• Collaborate with the CDC and the San Francisco Unified School District to provide national professional development events to DASH-funded state, local, and territorial education agencies and tribal governments.
• Work with the San Francisco Unified School District to plan, implement, and evaluate professional development events aimed at building the capacity of state, local, territorial, and tribal education agency staff to prevent HIV infection, reduce asthma episodes, and promote physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco use prevention within the contact of a coordinated school health program.