Supporting the whole child through coordinated policies, processes, and practices

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Education Policy
• Child Development

Background:

• The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model promotes integration of health and education for holistic student development.
• It offers a framework for creating supportive, challenging, and safe learning environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• Examine the roles of school districts and schools in implementing WSCC.
• Identify key factors for aligning policies, processes, and practices to support the whole child.

Main Methods:

• Policy analysis
• Examination of school and district-level practices
• Review of collaborative strategies

Main Results:

• Hiring coordinators at district and school levels is crucial.
• Establishing collaborative teams for health and learning is essential.
• Utilizing data for decision-making and accountability improves health outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Coordinators, collaborative teams, and data-driven accountability are key to WSCC implementation.
• Further research is needed on the impact of these factors on student health and academic achievement.