North Dakota

North Dakota is seeking to increase the percentage of schools in which the lead health education teacher received professional development during the past 2 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

• Provide professional development for the 31 members of the HIV/AIDS training cadre on HIV prevention education curricula and teaching strategies.
• Provide at least 10 leadership trainings annually focusing on delivering HIV/STD prevention education to school staff and pre-service educators.
• Collaborate with the Sources of Strength project to increase education and healthy life choices for high school youth who have shown the greatest risk behaviors according to North Dakota Youth Risk Behavior Survey results.

North Dakota is seeking to increase the percentage of schools in which the lead health education teacher received professional development on at least six of the following during the past 2 years:

• Teaching HIV prevention to students with physical, medical, or cognitive disabilities.
• Teaching HIV prevention to students of various cultural backgrounds.
• Using interactive teaching methods for HIV prevention education, such as role plays or cooperative group activities.
• Teaching essential skills for health behavior change related to HIV prevention and guiding student practice of these skills.
• Teaching about health-promoting social norms and beliefs related to HIV prevention.
• Strategies for involving parents, families, and others in student learning of HIV prevention education.
• Assessing students’ performance in HIV prevention education.
• Implementing standards-based HIV prevention education curricula and student assessment.
• Using technology to improve HIV prevention education instruction.
• Teaching HIV prevention to students with limited English proficiency.
• Addressing community concerns and challenges related to HIV prevention education.

Activities

• Provide technical assistance and at least five interactive presentations on HIV school policies; research-based, developmentally appropriate curricula; and classroom strategies.
• Conduct a minimum of 10 six-hour trainings in HIV, STD, and unintended pregnancy for school personnel, including teachers, administrators, school nurses, janitors, bus drivers, cooks, and preservice educators.
• Offer elementary, secondary, and emergent reader curricula to all training participants.

North Dakota 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

• Work with the North Dakota School Board Association (SBA) and its 187 school districts and Coordinated School Health (CSH) Core Team Plus members to review HIV and other significant contagious disease policies and work with the schools to determine how many have adopted the policy in the 436 schools.
• Contact 239 school districts that are not SBA members to determine how many have HIV and other significant contagious disease policies in place.
• Develop and disseminate model HIV policy fact sheets to all districts regarding SBA model policies.

Physical Activity

North Dakota 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

• Offer professional development in physical education-related curricula components and resources during the Roughrider Health Promotion Conference to 125 participants.
• Provide training opportunities using online teaching methods in collaboration with various partners such as Title IV Safe and Drug Free Schools, Health Education Coordinators, and higher education.
• Provide conference planning and management support for the annual Roughrider Health Promotion Conference.

Nutrition

North Dakota 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

• Provide CSH physical activity, nutrition, tobacco, and health education (PANTH) learning sessions at existing youth conferences and/or trainings to advocate for the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors and creation of supportive environments.
• Explore and convene partnerships with Konopka Institute to assist CSH in reducing health disparities among youth at highest risk for physical inactivity, unhealthy dietary habits, and tobacco use.
• Explore and convene partnerships with the Department of Public Instruction Health Education Coordinator, the Department of Health Professional Development Coordinator, and the Department of Human Services to reach 125 youth with PANTH messages, resources, and youth-centered program implementation.

North Dakota is seeking to increase the percentage of schools that use at least three of the following strategies anywhere in the school to promote healthy eating:

• Price nutritious food and beverage choices at a lower cost while increasing the price of less nutritious foods and beverages.
• Collect suggestions from students, families, and school staff on nutritious food preferences and strategies to promote healthy eating.
• Provide information on the nutrition and caloric content of foods available.
• Conduct taste tests to determine food preferences for nutritious items.
• Provide opportunities for students to visit the cafeteria to learn about food safety, food preparation, or other nutrition-related topics.

Activities

• Assess 187 district PANTH policies and practices.
• Identify, develop, disseminate, and advocate for adoption of CSH PANTH model policies.

Tobacco

North Dakota 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

• Assess 187 district PANTH policies and practices.
• Identify, develop, disseminate, and advocate for adoption of CSH PANTH model policies.

North Dakota 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

• Collaborate among 32 state programs and school health partnerships that make up North Dakota’s Core Team Plus/Extended Partners and the School Health Interagency/Community Workgroup to improve physical activity, nutrition, tobacco-use prevention, and health education and support educational achievement for students.
• Assist all 41 South East Education Cooperative school districts in the formation of school health councils and school/community improvement teams intertwining the efforts of health and academics.
• Market the lessons learned from the formation of school health councils and school/community improvement teams with the South East Education Cooperative for all North Dakota schools.

North Dakota 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

• Work with all 187 North Dakota school districts to develop PANTH policies that affect environmental change in schools.
• Facilitate evaluation design of conference action plan and make changes in CSH PANTH practices and policies throughout the follow-up process.

North Dakota 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

• Offer professional development in physical education related curricula components and resources during the Roughrider Health Promotion Conference to 125 participants.
• Provide training opportunities using online teaching methods in collaboration with various partners such as Title IV Safe and Drug Free Schools, Health Education Coordinators, and higher education.
• Provide conference planning and management support for the annual Roughrider Health Promotion Conference.