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Schools and Health

Description:

Schools are a crucial partner for public health to promote the equitable health and development of children and adolescents. Working with schools on health service delivery, health promotion and prevention programs, and research requires public health practitioners and researchers to understand the the policies, programs, and practices of public education in the United States. This course will expose students to school health frameworks and local, state, and national experts in all areas of comprehensive models of school health.

Highlights K-12 schools as public health contexts in 3 ways: as contexts for shaping youth development and behavioral outcomes, for the delivery of health information and services, and for research. Lays a foundation for the connections between health and education by discussing the reciprocal relationship between a young person’s health and their educational outcomes including the role that school health can play in addressing disparities in education and health. Explores school context using the ten-component Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) framework developed by the CDC and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.? Using the framework, explores established standards and practices for schools, opportunities for intervention in schools, and challenges to implementation, evaluation, and research in schools. Dives into the debates around school openings and COVID mitigation measures.

Learning Objectives:

Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:

1. Identify the relationship between reciprocal relationship between health and education
2. Analyze the structure and function of school health frameworks (including the Whole School, Whole Child, Whole Community framework)
3. Analyze how each of the WSCC components contributes to the health and academic outcomes of students, schools, families, and/or communities
4. Critically reflect on the integration of health and education in a local school district
5. Analyze the current debate over school reopening in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
6. Identify the methodological challenges to conducting research and program evaluation in the school context

Methods of Assessment:

This course is evaluated as follows:

• 22% Participation
• 34% Reflection
• 22% Group Presentation
• 22% Presentation(s)

Enrollment Restriction:

Auditors not permitted

Instructor Consent:

Consent required for some students

Consent Note:

Consent required for undergraduate students

For consent, contact:

bmarsha2@jhu.edu

Special Comments:

This is the virtual/online section of a course also held onsite. You are responsible for the modality in which you register.