Michigan

Michigan is seeking to increase the percentage of schools that address all of the following in a required course taught during grades 6, 7, or 8:

• The differences between HIV and AIDS.
• How HIV and other STDs are transmitted.
• How HIV and other STDs are diagnosed and treated.
• Health consequences of HIV, other STDs, and pregnancy.
• The benefits of being sexually abstinent.
• How to prevent HIV, other STDs, and pregnancy.
• How to access valid and reliable health information, products, and services related to HIV, other STDs, and pregnancy.
• The influences of media, family, and social and cultural norms on sexual behavior.
• Communication and negotiation skills related to eliminating or reducing risk for HIV, other STDs, and pregnancy.
• Goal setting and decision making skills related to eliminating or reducing risk for HIV, other STDs, and pregnancy.
• Compassion for persons living with HIV or AIDS.

Activities

• Build the capacity of regional coordinators and trainers to provide professional development.
• Develop and disseminate model curricula and assessments.

Michigan is seeking to increase the percentage of schools that address all of the following in a required course taught during grades 9, 10, 11, or 12:

• Efficacy of condoms, that is, how well condoms work and do not work.
• The importance of using condoms consistently and correctly.
• How to correctly use a condom.

Activities

• Educate policy and decision makers, as well as parent and community stakeholders, about the importance of instruction within the context of required health education courses.
• Disseminate information, strategies, and resources that address the needs of high-risk youth and/or high-needs schools.

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

Activities

• Assist local district advisory board in recommending effective instructional policies and programs.
• Provide formal and informal professional development opportunities to educators regarding legal obligations, effective instruction, and the importance of student, parent, and community involvement.

Physical Activity

Michigan is seeking to increase the percentage of schools that offer intramural activities or physical activity clubs for all students, including those with disabilities.

Activities

• Incorporate health and wellness concepts and practices into Michigan Department of Education curricula during the revision process of K–12 teacher preparatory standards.
• Review teacher preparatory programs and make recommendations for program improvements.
• In collaboration with the Healthy Kids, Healthy Michigan coalition, continue efforts to mandate through legislation quality physical education in all Michigan schools.
• Provide resources and technical assistance through multiple funding sources and partnerships to low-income, high-priority Michigan school districts to support effective programming designed to reduce disparities and increase physical activity.

Nutrition

Michigan is seeking to increase the percentage of schools that do not sell the following foods and beverages anywhere at school outside the school food service program:

• Baked goods that are not low in fat (e.g., cookies, crackers, cakes, pastries).
• Salty snacks that are not low in fat (e.g., regular potato chips).
• Candy (i.e., chocolate or non-chocolate candy).
• Soda pop or fruit drinks that are not 100% juice.

Activities

• In collaboration with the Healthy Kids, Healthy Michigan coalition, mandate implementation of Michigan’s Nutrition Standards for all foods available in the school environment at any time of day in school buildings and on school grounds.
• Administer grants to four demonstration districts to pilot cost-neutral implementation of Michigan’s Nutrition Standards district-wide followed by development of a toolkit for use in all Michigan school districts.
• Partner with Michigan Team Nutrition to provide mini-grants to 48 selected schools to pilot-test the Michigan Nutrition Standards.
• Actively seek public comment from a wide variety of stakeholders prior to finalizing Michigan’s Nutrition Standards to ensure clarity and ease of compliance for implementing districts.

Tobacco

Michigan is seeking to increase the percentage of schools that implement a tobacco-use prevention policy in all of the following ways:

• Provide visible signage.
• Communicate the policy to students, staff, and visitors.
• Designate an individual responsible for enforcement.
• Have a process in place for addressing violations.
• Use remedial rather than punitive sanctions for violators.
• Tailor consequences to the severity and frequency of the violation.
• Communicate student violations to their parents and families.

Activities

• Partner with the Safe and Drug Free Schools program to provide mini-grants to support 24/7 Tobacco Free Schools policy implementation.
• Revise and disseminate the “Tobacco-Free Schools: A Planning Guide.”
• Communicate with all superintendents and principals regarding available tobacco resources and the importance of 24/7 Tobacco-Free Schools.
• Assess the tobacco policies in Michigan schools and provide technical assistance and resources to schools for the adoption, implementation, and enforcement of 24/7 Tobacco-Free Schools policies.

Michigan 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

• Continue to coordinate and lead efforts with the Michigan Institute, which provides intensive professional development to coordinated school health teams in Michigan and Indiana.
• Include education and technical assistance regarding coordinated school health teams in presentations, trainings, and direct work with Michigan schools.
• In partnership with the Healthy Kids, Healthy Michigan coalition, continue efforts to mandate coordinated school health councils in all Michigan school districts.

Michigan 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

• Assist successful districts with documenting impact through qualitative and quantitative methods as a model for other districts.
• Initiate an alignment workshop with the Michigan Department of Education's Educational Technology Unit to ensure that resources in the online educational resource center align with the Michigan Health Education Standards.
• Increase awareness and use of the Healthy School Action Tools (HSAT) online assessment tool through mini-grant opportunities, trainings, and information dissemination.
• Infuse completion of the HSAT assessment in all grant opportunities for Michigan schools and provide technical assistance to all schools completing the assessment.
• Provide coordinated school health-focused online resources and professional development opportunities.

Michigan is seeking to increase the percentage of schools that provide parents and families health information to increase parent and family knowledge of any of the following health issues:  

• Tobacco-use prevention.
• Physical activity.
• Nutrition and healthy eating.

Activities

• Provide resources and technical assistance through multiple funding sources and partnerships to low-income, high-priority Michigan school districts to support effective CSH-PANT-focused policies and programs that reduce disparities and include parents and families.
• Incorporate parent information into all modules of the Michigan Model for Health curriculum.