School Health Index Training Manual

The School Health Index Training Manual is a packaged set of materials for conducting trainings or presentations on the School Health Index (SHI): A Self-Assessment and Planning Guide. This manual provides detailed materials and resources on how to implement the SHI in schools. Users can select the most appropriate sections of the training manual and customize those components to best suit their needs.

Steps for Conducting a SHI Training

1. Read Background Information

Carefully read through the SHI and this SHI Training Manual.

Download the School Health Index (SHI)

2. Select Your Agenda

The SHI training can be offered in a variety of settings. Select one of the three agendas below that is most appropriate for your audience and situation.

30-Minute Pitch: This agenda will allow you to provide your audience with a short orientation to the SHI to help them gain a preliminary understanding of your intent. This agenda might be used, for example, by a parent or school staff member who wants to introduce the SHI at a school board meeting.
Half-Day Workshop: A longer agenda that can be used for a more comprehensive training on how to implement the SHI, such as for a training of school nurses conducted by a health educator from a state or local health department or education agency.
Full-Day Workshop: The most comprehensive overview, useful for those who have more time and want to provide the most in-depth training on using the SHI.

SHI Training Manual

Sections	30-Minute Pitch	Half-Day Workshop	Full-Day Training
Instructions	√	√	√
Purpose & Overview		√	√
Orientation	√	√	√
Test Your Knowledge			√
Consensus Building		√	√
Practice Module		√	√
Planning for Improvement		√	√
Tools for Schools			√
Role of SHI Coordinator			√
Trainer’s Resource Bank	√	√	√

3. Pull Out the Relevant Training Manual Sections

Once you have identified the agenda that is most appropriate for your situation, pull out those sections of the training manual to conduct your presentation/training. If you will be using several PowerPoint presentations, you may want to merge the slides into one slide show for ease of presentation.

4. Localize the Information

Spend some time reviewing the materials. Then think about any local stories, policies, or issues that you may want to include to localize your presentation/training. Consider incorporating local or regional data on adolescent health risk behaviors (perhaps findings from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey ). This manual was created to provide guidance to people using the SHI all over the country and in a variety of settings. It is important to remember that you know your audience and community best: feel free to adapt components of this manual to suit your particular situation.