New Jersey

New Jersey 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

• Assist middle schools in three urban school districts to strengthen health education instructional practices, including HIV, STD, and adolescent pregnancy prevention, through high-quality professional development, collaborative professional learning, data-driven instruction, and aligned curriculum.
• Convene a multidisciplinary advisory group on school policies and practices that have an impact on health education instruction for gay, lesbian, bisexual, or questioning youth.
• Provide professional development for teachers, school nurses, administrators, pre-service teachers, higher education instructors, and other stakeholders on the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.

New Jersey is seeking to increase the percentage of schools that provide parents and families health information to increase parent and family knowledge of HIV prevention, STD prevention, and teen pregnancy prevention.

Activities

• Assist middle and high schools in three urban school districts to identify resources and develop strategies to educate parents about HIV, STD, and adolescent pregnancy prevention.
• Provide technical assistance and professional development to middle and high schools in three urban districts on a team-based approach that engages teachers, administrators, and parents in the review and development of school health policies, practices, and services with an emphasis on HIV, STD, and adolescent pregnancy prevention programs.

New Jersey 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 middle and high schools in three urban school districts to identify resources and develop strategies to educate parents about HIV, STD, and adolescent pregnancy prevention.
• Provide technical assistance and professional development to middle and high schools in three urban districts on a team-based approach that engages teachers, administrators, and parents in the review and development of school health policies, practices, and services with an emphasis on HIV, STD, and adolescent pregnancy prevention programs.

Physical Activity

New Jersey is seeking to increase the percentage of schools that teach about all of the following in a required course:

• Physical, psychological, or social benefits of physical activity.
• Health-related fitness (i.e., cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, and body composition).
• Phases of a workout (i.e., warm-up, workout, cool down).
• How much physical activity is enough (i.e., determining frequency, intensity, time, and type of physical activity).
• Developing an individualized physical activity plan.
• Monitoring progress toward reaching goals in an individualized physical activity plan.
• Overcoming barriers to physical activity.
• Decreasing sedentary activities such as television viewing.
• Opportunities for physical activity in the community.
• Preventing injury during physical activity.
• Weather-related safety (e.g., avoiding heat stroke, hypothermia, and sunburn while physically active).
• Dangers of using performance-enhancing drugs such as steroids.

Activities

• Provide professional development for teachers, school nurses, administrators, pre-service teachers, higher education, and other stakeholders on the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.
• Develop and post to the New Jersey Department of Education’s Web site Classroom Application Documents (CADS) and sample unit plans that are aligned to the revised standards in health education and physical education, guide local curriculum development and instruction, and integrate global thinking and 21st-century skills.
• Collaborate with the New Jersey Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance to provide training on the PE-CAT, HE-CAT, and Fitnessgram for Learning Partner Schools and other interested schools and stakeholders statewide.
• Collaborate with the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Prevention team to create a statewide plan to support schools to implement high-quality physical education and physical activity programs.

Nutrition

New Jersey 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

• Collaborate with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to review school wellness policies.
• Assist Learning Partner Schools to solicit input from parents and students on school food service policies and practices.

Tobacco

New Jersey 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

• Assist Learning Partner Schools to provide current, pertinent information about tobacco-use prevention.
• Provide links to electronic resources for tobacco-use prevention and tobacco-use cessation through the Student Health Services and Student Behavior sections of the New Jersey Department of Education’s Keeping Our Kids Safe, Healthy and In School Web site.

New Jersey 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

• Provide technical assistance and professional development to Learning Partner Schools to support the development of school wellness teams and school health action plans based on the results of a school self-assessment, either the School Health Index or Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Inventory.
• Provide opportunities at state conferences and meetings for Learning Partner Schools to network and share their experiences with other schools interested in promoting school health.

New Jersey 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

• Provide regional training to school personnel interested in administering the School Health Index.
• Distribute School Health Index materials at statewide conferences to school staff, such as health and physical education teachers and school nurses.
• Collaborate with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s New Jersey Relationship Manager to assist schools and districts to assess school health policies and practices.

New Jersey is seeking to increase the percentage of schools in which students’ family or community members have helped develop, communicate information about, or implement policies and programs on any of the following health issues:  

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

Activities

• Assist Learning Partner Schools to conduct focus groups with students and parents about healthy eating and physical activity.
• Assist Learning Partner Schools to provide current, pertinent information about tobacco-use prevention, physical activity, and healthy eating to students’ families and community members.