School Health Policy Resources
Resources and guidance documents to support effective school health programs.
HIV, STDs & Teen Pregnancy
- Healthy People 2020: Adolescent Healthexternal icon
Healthy People provides science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans. The adolescent health goal is to improve the healthy development, health, safety, and well-being of adolescents and young adults (AYAs). - National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Updated to 2020 external icon
This updated Strategy reflects the work accomplished and the lessons learned since the original Strategy was released in 2010. It incorporates the scientific advances that could one day bring the United States, and the world, closer to virtually eliminating new HIV infections, effectively supporting all people with HIV to lead long and healthy lives, and eliminating the disparities that persist among some populations. - 2017 Progress Report — National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Updated to 2020pdf iconexternal icon
- Laws, Policies, & Legal Review Tools for TB, HIV, & STD Prevention Programs
Regulations can serve as facilitators or even barriers to public health goals. CDC has various legal and policy resources, assessments, public health research, and policy reviews regarding TB, HIV, and other STDs. - The Sexually Transmitted Infections National Strategic Plan – PDFpdf iconexternal icon
The STI Plan aims to provide a roadmap for a broad range of stakeholders—including public health, health care, government, community-based organizations, educational institutions, researchers, private industry, and academia—to develop, enhance and expand STI prevention and care programs at the local, state, tribal and national levels.
General Prevention Resources
- CDC Prevention Checklist
Preventive care includes health services like screenings, check-ups, and patient counseling that are used to prevent illnesses, disease, and other health problems, or to detect illness at an early stage when treatment is likely to work best. Preventive health helps people stay healthier throughout your life. - Health Impact in 5 Years
The Health Impact in 5 Years (HI-5) initiative highlights non-clinical, community-wide approaches that have evidence reporting 1) positive health impacts, 2) results within five years, and 3) cost effectiveness and/or cost savings over the lifetime of the population or earlier. - Adolescent Health: Think, Act, Grow 2018 Playbookpdf iconexternal icon
Adolescent Health: Think, Act, Grow (TAG) is a national call to action to improve health, to reduce risky behavior, and to promote engagement and healthy development among young people. TAG using a strength-based, positive youth development framework to encourage youth-serving professionals, families, and youth themselves to take steps toward promoting better adolescent health. This playbook provides action steps built on research findings, best practices, and experiences from previous initiatives aimed at improving adolescent health.
School Health Policy Resources
- Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)external icon
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is the nation’s education law that governs many educational activities for all students in the United States. The law requires states to help ensure that all students have access to excellent teachers and positive, safe learning environments with necessary supports to prepare students for success. - Bullying Policies and Laws, U.S. Department of Health and Human Servicesexternal icon
State and local lawmakers have acted to prevent bullying and protect children. Each jurisdiction, including all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories (state), addresses bullying differently. The U.S. Department of Education developed a framework of common components found in state laws, policies, and regulations focused on bullying. - Practices That Support and Sustain Health in Schools: An Analysis of SHPPS Dataexternal icon
The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model provides an organizing framework for schools to develop and implement school health policies, practices, and programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the presence of practices that support school health for each component of the WSCC model in US schools. - State School-Based Health Education Law Summary Reports
To assist education agencies understand the context in their state, the Division of Adolescent and School Health conducted a legislative analysis among all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The analysis identified and systematically coded specific characteristics of state laws and regulations related to school-based education on sexual health, HIV prevention, and STD prevention as of April 2016. - State-Level School Health Policies Databaseexternal icon
Searchable database from the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) allows users to search state education laws and practices on issues such as school health curriculum and instruction, staff education requirements, and crisis management and emergency response. The database also provides access to federal laws. - School Health Profiles
The School Health Profiles (Profiles) is a system of surveys assessing school health policies and practices in states, large urban school districts, and territories. These data can help education and health officials identify professional development needs, plan and monitor program success, support health-related polices, and other activities.
Page last reviewed: June 14, 2021