The Role of Technical Assistance in School Wellness Policy Enhancement

Abstract

BACKGROUND School settings offer an opportunity to impact student health and wellness. Quality wellness policies are important in establishing strong wellness environments, but current resources to support policy development, maintenance, and dissemination are lacking. The Building Healthy Schools Program aimed to develop capacity of school districts to improve the strength and comprehensiveness of wellness policies and sustain these activities. METHODS Fifteen school districts in Pennsylvania participated in a program to facilitate the improvement of district wellness policies and practices. Program staff provided technical assistance to evaluate wellness policies before and after program implementation. Professional development and tailored training was provided for school personnel to create sustainability. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate policy improvement. RESULTS Thirteen of the 15 participating districts completed a policy revision. Median strength (p = .001) and comprehensiveness (p = .002) scores improved from baseline to post‐program and there were significant improvements in most assessment sub‐sections. Some districts were hesitant to make strong language improvements due to their limited capacity (ie, staff) for implementation. Champions (n = 13; 87%) reported confidence to revise wellness policy language independently in the future. CONCLUSIONS Technical assistance provided to districts facilitated significant improvements to wellness policy language, especially in the implementation, evaluation, and communication; critical components for policy impact on school wellness environments. In addition, participant feedback suggested an ability to sustain activities in the future. Both external (ie, technical assistance) and internal resources are needed to facilitate school districts' ongoing wellness policy improvement and implementation, including improved model wellness policy language and enforcement within schools, respectively.

Measuring Policy, Systems, and Environmental Changes at Elementary Schools Involved in SNAP-Ed New Mexico Programming, 2018–2022

“…This study was novel in its examination of changes in SPAN-ET PSE scores across 11 schools implementing evidence-based strategies of their choosing following school-specific recommendations combined with technical assistance from SNAP-Ed implementing agencies. Our findings are consistent with other research showing that identifying gaps, making recommendations, and providing technical assistance can improve adoption of new policies or practices in the school environment ( 18 ).…”

“…For each school in 2018 and 2022, we collected data on the number of students enrolled, the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch through the National School Lunch Program, the percentage of Hispanic students, and the percentage of American Indian students. We obtained these data from the New Mexico Public Education Department (16) and the National Center for Education Statistics (17).…”

Students' consumption of high and low nutrition foods and reduced plate waste by schools' wellness‐related policies and garden program participation

“…28 In Pennsylvania, HSP technical assistance has demonstrated increased policy impact on school wellness environments in five school districts. 22 Together, these studies suggest that schools can support student health with effective wellness policies and potentially garden programming. Nonetheless, it is important to note that the degree to which schools implement health promoting strategies impacts their success.…”

“…20,21 Beyond gardens, quality wellness policies can support student health; however, resource (e.g., school personnel) constraints can hinder the development, maintenance and dissemination of school wellness policies. 22 For example, school nutrition practice may not reflect written policy language. 23 In addition to inadequate policy language, lack of enforcement can limit policy implementation.…”

“…The Healthy Schools Program (HSP) is the largest program in the US aimed at school‐based obesity prevention and at its core is evidence‐based technical assistance 28 . In Pennsylvania, HSP technical assistance has demonstrated increased policy impact on school wellness environments in five school districts 22 …”