Health Is Academic

There is a lot of concern these days about absenteeism, dropout rates, and discipline problems in our schools. But, did you know that a lot of problems are health related? A coordinated approach to school health is about more than keeping kids healthy. It’s about improving schools by supporting students’ capacity to learn. With expert contributions from over 70 leading professional associations, Health Is Academic covers the “eight components” designed to give students the knowledge and skills they need to deal with the problems they face in and out of school. The text authoritatively discusses: Health Education; Physical Education; Health Services; Nutrition Services; Counseling, Psychological, and Social Services; Healthy School Environment; Health Promotion for Staff; and Parent/Community Involvement.

Eva Marx, M.H.S.M., is associate director of the Center for School Health Programs at Education Development Center (EDC). Susan Frelick Wooley, Ph.D., C.H.E.S., is the Executive Director of the American School Health Association. Daphne Northrop, B.A., is a senior research associate and coeditor of School Health Program News at Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC).

“ Health is Academic provides a common template of practical actions that can be taken by education, health, and social service professionals as they work together to improve the health and educational performance of our young people.”
Lloyd J. Kolbe, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

“This book is long overdue. It speaks eloquently to the issue of how to help promote children’s physical and psycho-social health, thereby positively influencing their school adjustment and performance. The authors go beyond theorizing to practical examples and solutions….Program design, implementation processes, standards and evaluation, as well as the adequate preparation of staff are all critical elements in building successful school health programs and this book explores all of these….This book should be read by all of us who care deeply about the total and healthy development of all children in our schools.”
Norris M. Haynes, Yale University Child Study Center

“ Health Is Academic successfully makes the case that our children’s health status and their ability to learn are inextricably linked. Coordinated school health programs assure that the comprehensive, complex needs of our nation’s school-age children are addressed and the well-being of these children remains the focal point of our collective endeavors. These programs are a vehicle by which the educational promise of all America’s children can be realized.”
Caren Kaplan and Dianne Dulicai, National Alliance of Pupil Services Organizations