Reviews federal and state activities over the course of the two years since CHIPRA was enacted to bring the nation closer to ensuring that all children in America have health coverage and notes some of the plans for continued and enhanced activities in 2011.

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Provides evidence-based nutrition information and advice for people age 2 and older. Serves as the basis for Federal food and nutrition education programs.

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Provides information on the implementation of PEP (the Carol M. White Physical Education Program), focused on developing high-quality physical education programs, creating an environment supportive of physical activity, and encouraging healthy eating habits and good nutrition.

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Helps schools identify gaps in food safety and develop an action plan for becoming food-safe; includes individual critical recommendations on what key school staff and community members can do to prevent food borne illness.

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Provides tips on planning, purchasing, preparing, presenting, and promoting fruits and vegetables along with suggestions for working with teachers.

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Outlines the evidence-based, financial implications of schools that have implemented strong nutrition standards to address childhood obesity.

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Tells the stories of schools and districts that have used innovative strategies to improve the nutritional quality of foods and beverages sold outside of federal meal programs.

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Reviews the science and make recommendations about nutrition standards for foods and beverages offered in direct competition with school-provided meals and snacks. Includes a set of four audience-specific fact sheets as a resource for school staff, parents, and youth to answer commonly asked questions about the report and provide recommendations for implementing the nutrition standards.

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Defines and describes parent engagement and identifies specific strategies and actions that schools can take to increase parent engagement in schools’ health promotion activities.

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Discusses the many ways in which health departments can be of support to education departments, schools, and community leaders.

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Offers nine guidelines for schools related to promoting healthy eating and physical activity in schools based on research and best practices.
 

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Assesses school health policies and practices at the state, district, school, and classroom levels.

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Offers recognized physical activity and healthy eating, strategies, undertaken by states, that have shown promise in helping schools address and prevent childhood obesity.

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Outlines key strategies for increasing the amount of time that students are engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity while in physical education class.

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Reports on the health and well-being of children, as well as the factors in the family environment and aspects of the neighborhood that may support or undermine the health of children and their families based on data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health.

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Compiles secondary data for many health status indicators, and provides both graphical and textual summaries of data and addresses long-term trends.

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Maps the geographic variability of obesity across the nation by drawing on state-level collected through the Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System (PedNSS).

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Describes the percentage of secondary schools that have adopted policies and practices for student wellness, physical education, food service, and nutrition education across the seven jurisdictions in the Pacific Region.

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Reports that nearly 17% of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years of age are obese; covers trends and racial/ethnic disparities in obesity among young people.

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Presents the most recent national data on obesity prevalence among U.S. adults, adolescents, and children based on measured weight and height.

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Customizable tool that can be used to conduct an analysis of health education curricula based on the National Health Education Standards and CDC’s Characteristics of Effective Health Education Curricula; results can help schools select or develop appropriate and effective health education curricula and improve the delivery of health education.

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Helps school districts conduct a clear, complete, and consistent analysis of written physical education curricula, based upon national physical education standards; results from the analysis can help school districts enhance existing curricula, develop their own curricula, or select a published curriculum, for the delivery of quality physical education in schools.

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Searchable database that provides access to all the educational resources relevant to school health that are available from CDC, such as curriculum, factsheets, and teacher instructional materials on various topics like alcoholo and drug abuse, mental health, and nutrition.

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Self-assessment and planning tool that enables a school to identify the strengths and weaknesses of its health and safety policies and programs; develop an action plan for improving student health and safety; and involve teachers, parents, students, and the community in improving school services.  

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Searchable database that provides access to all the resources relevant to school health services that are available from CDC, such as child and adolescent immunization schedules, guidance on vaccines and preventable diseases, guidance on taking accurate height and weight measurements, and tips and tools for asthma management programs.

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Allows user to select year to compare physical activity statistics and demographics (age, race/ethnicity, gender, education) in two or more states.

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Examines the importance and value of providing school health services to students, the impact on attendance and academic achievement, and a few models of school health services provision that have been able to enhance sustainability by combining their funding from a variety of sources. 

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Shares how to create programs that are integrated into and beyond schools and increase the number of minutes students are physically active and the amount of fruits and vegetables students consume, such as Project Educate, Act, Thrive (EAT) which has integrated physical education and garden-based nutrition education into more than 50 under-resourced schools.

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Documents descriptions and links to a variety of guides, briefs, tools, and websites by the school climate content areas of programmatic intervention, measures, school climate (engagement, environment, and safety), and special populations.

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Cites programs and measurement resources for the content areas of bullying, challenging behavior, character education, health, school climate, school safety, student engagement, and mental health.

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Works to improve societal and community responses to domestic violence and, ultimately, prevent its occurrence.  Offers resources like online publications and links to other key resources.

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Houses free products and tools on topic it calls "Safe, Orderly and Healthy Schools" and serves as a membership organization for teachers, providing members a wealth of resources on teaching, including periodicals and videos.

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Encourages healthy habits for girls to develop strong bone health.  Offers bone-healthy recipes and guides for parents and teachers who want to encourage activities around bone-health.

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Information resource of the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services serving FYSB grantees and others working with at-risk youth and families. Offers articles, publications, podcasts and other tools on topics like Cultural Competence, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Permanent Connections, Positive Youth Development, Relationship Violence and Sexual Exploitation, Runaway and Homeless Youth, and Well-Being.

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Provides information on programs, grants, and policies addressing drug and violence prevention, character and civic education, and physical education.

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Serves as a gateway to reliable information on nutrition, healthy eating, physical activity, and food safety for consumers by providing easy access to vetted food and nutrition information from across the federal government. Information includes science-based dietary guidance for infants, children, teens, adult women and men, and seniors and practical information on healthy eating, dietary supplements, fitness and how to keep food safe. 

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Provides information about the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs, which are sustained efforts by parents, schools, community leaders and local, state, and federal governments to improve the health and well-being of children by enabling and encouraging them to walk and bicycle to school.

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Serves as a national resource for adolescent health information, including fact sheets, briefs, and monographs on topics relevant to adolescent health, development, safety and well-being.

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Has resources on a wide range of health topics selected from over 1,600 government and non-profit organizations to bring users the best, most reliable health information on the Internet.

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Provides information on and links to school health strategies, research and evaluation tools, Youth Risk Behavior Survey data, evidence-based guidelines for school health programs, and adolescent and school health program resources and tools.

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Is the primary Federal agency for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated or medically vulnerable.

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Summarizes what is known about the effectiveness, economic efficiency, and feasibility of interventions to promote community health and prevent disease.

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Provides information and resources on youth engagement; youth development, mental health, safety, transportation, housing and employment.

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Offers links-based libraries on school-based health promotion with connections to the worldwide Comprehensive School Health/Health Promoting Schools movement. Site includes tools such as lesson plans, webquests, sample policies, evaluation tools and practical advice.

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Several California school districts—including Los Angeles Unified—have been illegally diverting tens of millions of dollars in federal and state funds meant to pay for school meals programs for low-income students, a new investigation by the California State Senate has found. The report also says that districts cut corners to save money from their cafeteria budgets by serving more processed foods rather than fresh, shortening lunch periods so not all students could be served, and not hiring enough staff to provide an appealing meals program to students who need it. The problem has been especially acute at the secondary level, they found. Read Story

School vending machines, a la carte lunch lines, and other snacks sold to students at school are facing their first new regulations in more than 30 years—standards heralded by nutrition experts but ones that may be subjected to a battle from the food industry. Among other things, the rules would give a boost to healthy snack foods made with with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and sources of protein as their main ingredients, and require that these items be lower in fat, sugar, and sodium. Read Story

A rough flu season is prompting schools around the country to shut down briefly because dozens of students, in some cases, have the illness or something like it. While no one tracks how many schools close because of the flu—or, in public-health parlance, "influenza-like illness"—stories of closures are cropping up nationwide. And flu season is only at about its midpoint.

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A recent study found that taking daily physical-education courses in school, taking physical activity breaks in the classroom and encouraging students to bike and walk to school would benefit students. Federal recommendations call for children ages 6 to 17 to get 60 minutes of physical activity each day. A Colorado elementary school, which has been recognized nationally, offers students options for activity breaks such as dancing, jumping rope, relay races and power walking. Read Story

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is on a mission to end childhood hunger in the state by 2015. He has proposed spending an additional $1.8 million to serve breakfast in the classroom at qualifying schools. The additional funding would allow the state to more than double the size of the program and serve 89,896 students in 407 schools. Read Story

Lawmakers in Minnesota are considering legislation that would make more school meals available to students for free. Under the bill, meals now served at a reduced price would become free. "If we increase participation in the program because those kids who qualify for reduced will now start eating, then of course getting more kids to eat is always a good thing," said Tom Fish, food coordinator for St. Peter Public School. Read Story

In many school districts, more than 90 percent of schools that serve lunch through the National School Lunch Program now serve breakfast at school, too, new data from the Food Research and Action Center show. Read Story

Among elementary school-aged children, active video games ("e-games") can have similar benefits as traditional physical education, suggests a study published online Wednesday in the journal Games for Health. Read Story

When the USDA passed new nutrition requirements for school lunches in January, more U.S. students gained access to healthier foods—like it or not. Read Story

Withholding recess time as a form of punishment or for academic reasons may be detrimental to child development, according to an American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement. Read Story

Officials in an Ill. district say that teachers and other school staff should be models for healthy living, which they encourage among students. To help accomplish that goal, the city council has agreed to offer in-district rates at its fitness center to school staff that live outside of the district. The district also launched a Fit Together Program this year, in which school staff earn points for eating healthy and exercising and are eligible for prizes. 

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Concerns that high-school students are not getting enough sleep have led officials in Fairfax County, Va., and Montgomery County, Md., to consider plans to push back high schools' start time. One proposal in Montgomery County calls for high school to start no earlier than 8:15 a.m., rather than the current 7:25 a.m. However, the moves have raised questions over scheduling and bus routes that could make the changes problematic for schools. Read Story

The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education voted this week to further strengthen what is regarded as one of the leading school nutrition programs in the nation. In a resolution passed without opposition, board members directed the district to create a plan to incorporate nutrition education into the curriculum, give students more say in school meal planning and allow them at least 20 minutes to actually eat. Some students say they end up with as little as five minutes for meals because of long cafeteria lines. Read Story

Fifth- and eighth graders in the District are pretty well-versed in emotional-health issues but have a lot to learn about the human body, according to results from the city’s (and the nation’s) first-ever standardized test on health, physical education and sex ed. High school students, meanwhile, correctly answered an average of three out of four questions about sexuality and reproduction — but knew far less about how to locate health information and assistance.

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The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) announced the 10 semifinalists of its "End Childhood Obesity Innovation Challenge" today, and it's now up to America to decide on the finalists. PHA launched the challenge back in October to cultivate ideas regarding childhood-obesity prevention from the general public. Anyone interested in submitting an idea was invited to complete an online application and submit a two-minute video detailing how it would help in the fight against childhood obesity.

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Caps on the amount of grain and protein in school meals—put in place just this school year—have been lifted for now. In a letter Friday to Republican U.S. Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said that because schools have found limits on servings of grains and proteins "the top operational challenge" of new school meal requirements, schools don't have to follow them for the rest of the school year.

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Middle school students in prime physical shape outperform their overweight and obese peers both on tests and grades, according to new research from Michigan State University. Cardiorespiratory fitness (tested by a 20-meter shuttle run) and muscular strength and endurance (tested by pull-ups and curl-ups) were the health-related fitness components most strongly associated with academic achievement, according to the study. However, the researchers found no significant correlation between a student's body-fat percentage or flexibility and academic achievement.

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Some schools are taking steps to address the problem of overscheduled students by setting homework-free days, teaching relaxation techniques in physical-education classes, among other efforts. Officials said a growing number of students are reporting anxiety, depression and issues related to insomnia -- problems believed to be connected to their schedules, which include jobs, sports and other activities besides school. 

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About 1 in 15 people living in the United States who has HIV is 13 to 24 years old—and more than half of these young people don't know they have the disease, new estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show, and the agency says schools must work harder to prevent HIV's spread. The agency wants more effective school- and community-based interventions that can help ensure young people know their risk for HIV, delay their first sexual activity, increase condom use for those who are sexually active, and decreases other behaviors that contribute to HIV risk.

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A new collaborative effort between the American Heart Association (AHA) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) aims to turn around the nation's childhood-obesity epidemic within the next three years. The RWJF will head up the efforts surrounding physical activity, including helping schools and other youth programs increase the amount of physical activity for their students. While the AHA will largely be responsible for funding efforts regarding nutrition, the RWJF will help underwrite initiatives that increase students' access to healthy food.

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A proposed change to the federal Farm Bill could result in 280,000 students nationwide no longer being eligible for free school lunches because some families no longer would be eligible for food stamps if they owned small assets, such as a car. Failure to enact a new Farm Bill before January also could result in higher milk prices, which would stretch already-thin school budgets. Read Story

If childhood obesity remains unchecked in Maine, it's expected to cost the state roughly $1.2 billion in medical costs over the next 20 years, according to a new study. Currently, 7.8 percent of Maine children and adolescents are obese, according to data from schools in the state and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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In a new report, researchers at the Kids' Safe & Healthful Foods Project find that the majority of American children live in states where less-than-healthy snacks are readily available. And more nutritious options, such as fruits and vegetables, are harder to come by for those same kids. Without a national policy on what can and can't be sold to students in school vending machines and in cafeteria a la carte lines, a patchwork of state policies governs these items.

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A newspaper article about the popularity of Flamin' Hot Cheetos inspired educators in a Chicago school to ask students to give up the spicy snacks for one day -- a pledge that about 80% of students accepted. On Flamin' Hot Free day, students who turned in their pledges were offered an apple instead. Educators say the attention on nutrition also inspired classroom discussions on the topic, posters and one rap song.

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Norwegian children attending schools where free fruit was on offer ate less junk food and drank less soda than before the fruit was available, according to a new study that also found kids from disadvantaged households seemed to benefit the most. The U.S. Department of Agriculture encourages children and adults to eat more fresh fruit as part of a healthy diet, and some schools participate in the agency's Fruit and Vegetable Program, which provides free fruit and vegetables to students.

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Across the country, schools are serving all sorts of new entreés and side dishes and lower-fat versions of flavored milk now that regulations derived from the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act have kicked in. Despite the excitement some districts are trying to generate about the new meals, just a few months into the revamped menus, some schools are being criticized about what they're serving—and how much of it.

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While food served in school cafeterias are subject to new federal standards, food items sold by on-campus stores and elsewhere in schools do not yet have to comply. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is drafting changes to the law. Until then, Laurie Colgan, director of child nutrition programs with the Vermont Department of Education, is urging school officials to consider local restrictions on the sale of unhealthy foods on campus in accordance with district wellness policies that have been required by the state since 2004.

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In a report today, Mission: Readiness decries the amount of junk food sold in public schools. The nonpartisan group notes that national surveys conducted for the military and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 1 in 4 young adults would be ineligible to serve in the military because of excess body fat. That's quite a reversal from a generation ago: The National School Lunch Program was created after World War II because soldiers were arriving for training malnourished.

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Beginning this year, schools in Ohio will be required to report how students measure up against the state's physical-education standards. Assessments will focus on whether students understand the right way to exercise, how to play games, play well with others and stay active outside of school. Ohio joins 17 other states and Washington, D.C., that evaluate students in PE. 

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Twenty minutes of physical activity per day over three months can reduce the risk of obesity in children, according to a study by the Journal of the American Medical Association, and can also reduce total body fat. Of course, 40 minutes of physical activity per day over three months is even better for children, the study also found, reducing more total body fat and the risk of developing obesity-related diseases like Type 2 diabetes and plaque buildup in the arteries.

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Beginning Aug. 1, school districts in Texas were required to adopt and adhere to policies regarding students with food allergies. Texas became the 15th state to require such guidelines. "It helps us protect them in case they were to come into contact accidentally with an allergen to which they can have a life-threatening reaction," said Dr. Drew Bird, director of the Food Allergy Center at Children's Medical Center.

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What's the key to preventing this vision of the future from becoming a reality for the United States? Turning around the childhood-obesity epidemic, according to TFAH and RWJF. The report references a few recent examples of how childhood obesity can be turned around on a citywide basis, including a study released earlier this month that found childhood obesity in Philadelphia to have declined 4.5 percent between the 2006-07 and 2009-10 school years. It also references a study released in January that found the childhood-obesity rate in New York City K-8 public school students to have decreased 5.5 percent since the 2006-07 school year.

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Branding may be the key to getting children to eat their vegetables, according to a recent study. Researchers at Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab found that students were more likely to eat fruits and vegetables with catchy names, such as X-Ray Vision Carrots, Power Punch Broccoli, Tiny Tasty Tree Tops and Silly Dilly Green Beans. Researchers found that students were more likely to eat such offerings over a "Food of the Day" option. 

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San Francisco public schools saw a rise in standardized test scores across almost every subject this year, and the city's most underperforming institutions have all shown signs of improvement. Richard Carranza, Superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District, attributes this success to teachers, a rigorous curriculum, coaching for instructional practices, and supports and inteventions for struggling students. 

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Beginning in the next school year, the Presidential Physical Fitness Award will be replaced with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program. Under the change, officials say the emphasis will be on students' health, not a measure of performance. The fitness award measured students' ability to do push-ups, pull-ups and run a mile. The new program will assess students' aerobic capacity, body composition, flexibility, muscle strength and muscular endurance.

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On Thursday, September 20 at 12 PM ET, find out how one program improved high school graduation rates using school-wide education strategies. This Webinar will be led by the HHS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Dr. Don Wright, and will include a roundtable discussion on the importance of education as a tool for addressing the social determinants of health and improving the health of our Nation's young people.

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The prevalence of childhood obesity among all Philadelphia students dropped more than 4.5 percent between the 2006-07 and the 2009-10 school years. The study authors can't say for certain what's behind the decline, but point to a few new initiatives and policies, including the removal of soda and sugar-sweetened beverages from school vending machines and the decision to stop using fryers in school cafeterias.

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A new research study out of the University of California, Los Angeles, reports the "somewhat surprising" finding that spending extra time studying tends to negatively affect high school students' academic performance in school the next day. But there's also a perfectly logical explanation for this: When students study more, the researchers found, they tend to sleep less.

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More schools in Ohio are serving produce from farms to provide fresh fruits and vegetables for students and help cut costs. A 2009 survey found that 37.5% of school food-service directors reported participation in a farm-to-school program, and 93% said they would buy local if they had better access.

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Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has signed a law that calls for the creation of an "Enhance Physical Education Task Force," in an effort to improve the state's physical education offerings. The law requires the newly created task force to make recommendations to the governor on how to update the state's phys. ed. standards, based on research linking physical activity and learning, by Aug. 31, 2013.

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Teens pedaling rickshaws deliver farmers market produce to homes in food deserts in Goldsboro, N.C. The Produce Ped'lers delivery program, paid for by a U.S. Agriculture Department grant for farmers markets and run by a coalition that includes area universities, provides employment and helps spread the word about good nutrition. 

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There's a growing amount of evidence linking physical activity and academic success, and a study from earlier this year highlighted the benefits of recess for young children. With input from parents, teachers, and school principals, Chicago administrators released guidelines last year to help elementary schools create a recess plan, according to a press release, laying out details on how communities can create and offer recess options for students.

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There will be more whole grains on school lunch menus this year, along with a wider selection of fruits and vegetables and other healthy options. The challenge is getting children to eat them. At a School Nutrition Association conference in Denver this summer, food workers heard tips about how to get children to make healthy food choices in the cafeteria.

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Schools have made meals healthier for students, but columnist Lenny Bernstein writes it is a long road ahead to change attitudes that children have about food. School nutrition professionals say students have been receptive to some changes -- including leaner beef and low-fat, low-sodium options -- but other changes -- including whole-wheat bread and sweet potato bites -- have been less popular. 

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Adults consider a lack of exercise to be the most pressing health problem for American youths, with childhood obesity not trailing far behind, according to the sixth annual C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health. The survey also reveals divided adult health concerns about children by race/ethnicity. Of any racial group, Hispanics rated childhood obesity the biggest concern, with 44 percent of respondents calling it a big problem. Meanwhile, only 32 percent of black adults considered childhood obesity a big problem, but 43 percent of African-Americans thought smoking and tobacco use among children was.

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When a U.S. House committee signed off on their version of the Farm Bill last month, they proposed an unusual twist to the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program that introduces low-income elementary school students to their first tastes of such items as kohlrabi, kiwi fruit, and pomegranates. The committee wants the program to allow the snacks made with fresh produce served at these schools to include frozen, canned, and dried varieties of the same fruits and veggies. The program explicitly excludes these items now.

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San Antonio often gets ranked as one of the fattest cities in the U.S., so its school districts are busy with diet and exercise programs aimed at creating a healthier student body. Some districts got federal grant money to buy fitness equipment. Schools have added popular fitness programs, such as Zumba dance and rock climbing, and teachers ask students in nutrition classes to track their eating and exercise habits.

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Students living in states that regulate snacks and drinks in schools gained less weight from fifth grade to eighth grade than those living in states with no such regulations, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics. Researchers also found that obese students living in states with tougher state laws on school nutrition had a better chance of reaching a healthy weight than those living in states with no laws.

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Schools in a North Carolina district are implementing changes to comply with new federal standards for school meals, including a ban on fast food. School officials have placed trash cans outside of buildings that read "Fast Food Stops Here!!!" Other changes include the addition of more fruits and vegetables and the adoption of the "Stop Light Guide for Healthy Eating," which labels foods as green, yellow or red depending on their nutritional value. 

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In a recent study, researchers provided first-graders in four Texas classrooms with "stand-biased" desks, which encourage standing but come with stools students can sit on. At the end of six weeks, 70% of the students never had used the stools and the other 30% stood most of the time.

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While sugary sodas are less accessible at American middle and high schools than they were four years ago, secondary school students still have easy access to other sweetened beverages, including sports and fruit drinks, a study published today in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine finds.

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Students in many Kentucky school districts will pay more this fall for school meals. The price increases are part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which requires districts to charge about what they are reimbursed by the federal government for the meals. 

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Connecticut school nutrition professionals say they already has been working to implement new federal standards for school meals that went into effect July 1. In one district, the phase-in of the new healthier meals began in the 2011-12 school year when cafeterias switched to brown rice and whole-grain hamburger buns. The switch resulted in a $500 loss per day in sales, but officials say they are hopeful that this year students will accept the healthier fare. 

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New federal standards for school meals require school nutrition professionals to prepare healthier -- and more creative -- meals for students, say officials with Brevard Public Schools in Florida. Schools have adopted the "Go, Slow, Whoa" approach, in which students learn how to approach foods, with vegetables getting a "go" and foods such as sweets getting a "whoa."

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Schools, districts, and community organizations that partner with districts in 25 states will split $27 million in federal grants for physical and nutrition education. The winning programs must help students make progress toward passing their state standards for physical education and secondarily, they have to teach students about good nutrition and healthy eating habits. 

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A Tennessee school district in August will launch a universal free breakfast program for students. Officials say they are hopeful the program will improve students' attendance and academic achievement. A study by the School Nutrition Association showed that math and reading scores increased in another Tennessee school district after it adopted a universal breakfast program. 

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Parents in New York City could get to decide what drink selections their children can make -- and how often they can make them. CC Vending is seeking approval to install its computerized system in all city schools. The system allows parents to load money onto online accounts, which students use to purchase drinks that parents select for them. Officials say the program is intended to help students make healthier choices and hold their parents accountable.

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Three organizations in the District of Columbia have joined forces this summer to offer free lunches to children at 11 public libraries. 

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Elementary- and middle-school students in Colorado are participating in a summer internship program in which they grow vegetables and sell produce at a local farmers market. 

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Teens who played sports and teens who walked or biked to school were less likely to be overweight or obese than those who didn't. 

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture and its partners have exceeded their goal of having 2,250 HealthierUS School Challenge-certified schools by the end of June, with 3,717 schools now certified. The challenge is part of first lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" initiative. Certified schools have voluntarily met USDA standards in nutrition, physical fitness and wellness. 

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According to early findings from research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, there is no causal relationship between a child's weight and their academic performance. While previous studies have found a potential link, Scholder and her colleagues suggest that any previous research linking obesity to poor academic performance must be caused by other factors, such as socio-economic status.

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Of the 41 states that require physical education at the elementary school level, only six meet the recommended guidelines from the National Association of Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), according to a new study from the Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. The picture gets even bleaker as students get older.

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A school nutrition professional and a driver are delivering summer meals in a converted school bus to students in a Florida district. The bus makes five stops near an elementary school -- typically carrying about 40 packed lunches each day. Students are required to eat their meals, which are free, on the bus. Officials say they launched the lunch bus after a disappointing turnout for the school's summer lunch program. 

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Most California districts got high marks for serving foods with key nutrients, but 60% of the school lunches reviewed by the state in the past five years failed to meet at least one federal nutritional requirement. Despite the problems, California is considered a leader in the nation when it comes to school lunches. State legislators banned trans fats from school cafeterias beginning in 2009, and many districts have adopted best practices, such as buying fresh produce from local farms.

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Physical education has improved in some ways over the past 20 years, according to a recent report that praises Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" program and the push to include more physical activity in PE classes. However, they write that No Child Left Behind has led to less emphasis on PE and suggest there is a need for a common way to evaluate PE programs. 

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Researchers have found that boys and girls have different nutritional needs, findings they say could affect efforts to curb childhood obesity. Among the findings are that girls who drink milk are less likely to be obese, a trend not found among boys. Research showed that boys and girls also respond differently to exercise, with girls often preferring less intense exercise when they might not sweat, and boys preferring physical activity that promotes strength. 

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The decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the Affordable Care Act could help bridge achievement gaps among students, according to health experts who have studied the issue. "The reasons students drop out of school are complex, and health can be integrally related to many of these reasons, including barriers to learning such as hunger and poor nutrition and even fear for safety at school," wrote the authors, led by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researcher Diane Allensworth.

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The American Medical Association said Wednesday it will support legislation requiring schools to teach students in grades 1-12 about the causes, effects and prevention of obesity. Obesity, the doctors said, affects more than 12 million U.S. children and is linked to a number of health issues, including diabetes and heart disease. 

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Researchers looked at data from a total of 482 children who all wore activity monitors called Actigraphs on their waists for at least three straight days to constantly measure their physical activity levels. The researchers set out to identify predictors of physical activity or sedentary behaviors in youths. By age 8, boys were already significantly more physically active than girls. At the same time, boys also were significantly less sedentary than girls.

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Several school districts in Maine are serving summer meals to young people, hoping to fill the gap that some students experience during the summer break, when they are unable to eat two meals at school each day. Under the summer program, youths younger than 18 are eligible for meals and do not need to prove they are from low-income families. They are required to eat the meal on site.

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A recent study has found that students who are obese have lower test scores in math than students who are not obese. According to the study, children who were overweight when they entered kindergarten, began having academic difficulties in first grade through fifth grade. 

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Children nationwide are being invited to create recipes that could be served in school and enter them in a contest sponsored by the White House as part of first lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" campaign. One student will be selected as a winner from each state and invited to an event at the White House, at which some of the recipes will be served. 

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Allowing pre-schoolers to help themselves to food is thought to teach kids healthy eating habits like portion control, but a new study finds that children eat just as much at self-served meals as they do when food is plated for them. Parents and teachers should help children learn to stop eating when they're full, the lead researcher said. 

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The Walt Disney Co. is the first major media company to ban ads for junk food on its television channels, radio stations and websites, hoping to stop kids from eating badly by taking the temptation away. Disney’s rules — which won’t take effect until 2015 — follow a proposal by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to take supersized drinks over 16 ounces out of convenience stores, movie theaters and restaurants, removing choices to try to influence behavior.

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With the U.S. facing an ongoing childhood obesity crisis, various groups have urged pediatricians to screen youths for obesity and provide counseling in recent years. Despite this, a large number of overweight and obese children continue to go without being counseled about healthy eating habits or physical activity by health care professionals, according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics.

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A program called Choicelunch will be offered in the fall at Del Mar Union School District in San Diego, allowing parents to order their children's lunches online or from a smartphone application using a menu of 17 options. Registered dietitian Jodi Block helped develop Choicelunch as a way to improve the quality of lunches, and says it will give parents more control over what their children eat. 

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Children with physically active friends were six times more likely to be active during an after-school program, U.S. researchers reported in the journal Pediatrics. They interviewed 81 children ages 5 to 12 and found that the activity levels of friends in a social group can lead children to be more active or more sedentary. 

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Children in Boston-area schools served up their own healthy recipes in cafeterias as part of the Obama administration's "Let's Move" initiative. The middle-school children -- who won the healthy-recipe contest for dishes such as a fruit and yogurt sundae and turkey chili burritos -- were aided by area chefs to serve other children, while educating them on the importance of nutrition. 

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Summer programs designed to make sure the U.S.'s poorest children are fed during the months when school is out fed about 2.8 million in summer 2010. Demand grew during the recession, but budget cuts ate into programs, highlighting the need to raise awareness with efforts including the Department of Agriculture's National Summer Food Service Program Awareness Week. 

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Middle-school students in a Georgia district are participating in Fuel Up to Play 60 -- a program intended to help curb childhood obesity through education about fitness and nutrition. Educators say they work to use competition and incentives, such as gift cards, to motivate students to eat healthy foods and exercise for at least 60 minutes a day. 

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Many schools are struggling to balance academic courses with time for physical education as they weigh the importance of students' health with exam pressures. Some educators are taking creative approaches to the problem, such as including fitness breaks in the classroom and adopting new, more rigorous exercises in P.E. 

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The SLICE Act—School Lunch Improvements for Children's Education—would restore USDA's authority to count 1/8 of a cup of tomato paste as 1/8 of a cup, instead of half of a cup. It would also give the USDA the power to implement reductions in sodium in school lunches and boost the amount of whole grains required in school meals, other tweaks Congress made last year to the agency's plans.

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The Healthy Schools Campaign and Trust for America's Health recently presented recommendations to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, that they say would improve students' well-being. The proposals include additional staff to support students' health and the removal of some obstacles to schools receiving reimbursements through Medicaid. 

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Students at a New York elementary school participated Wednesday in National Bike to School Day. Educators and school resource officers also took the opportunity to educate students about biking safety. "We're trying to push children to engage in healthy lifestyles, get out of cars and walk and ride more," said Phyllis Price, the school's principal.

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Schools nutrition professionals and administrators increasingly are weighing the need to feed hungry students with their desire for fiscal responsibility as school meal debt grows. The U.S. Department of Agriculture now is analyzing best practices for handling meal debt, and a USDA report is expected next year. 

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A new report issued by the Institute of Medicine suggests that all students should have opportunities to get 60 minutes of physical activity on a daily basis while at school, which aligns with the physical activity recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Outside of traditional physical education classes, the report suggests giving students in-class physical activity breaks, ensuring recesses remain high-activity, and creating safe pathways for students to walk to school.

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A community garden has become an outdoor classroom for students and teachers at a Maryland school. Students are using the outdoor classroom to further lessons in science and nutrition, and are growing vegetables and herbs that are served in the school's cafeteria. The goal is for the garden to provide all produce served daily in the cafeteria.

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Educators in Iowa reacted to a call for schools to play a pivotal role in curbing childhood obesity by pointing out the steps they have taken to improve students' health. Some schools have changed what foods students are served in cafeterias, and others are using technology, such as active video games, in physical-education lessons. 

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In Minnesota, more than 37% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals -- an increase of 14% since the fall of 2008. Officials say students' hunger can affect their education, and some districts are looking to help students outside of the school day. All high schools and many middle schools in the Anoka-Hennepin School District have food shelves to help families after school. 

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Students who are more physically fit may outperform their unfit peers by as much as 5% on standardized tests in math and language arts, according to a recent study. The report, released by the Picard Center for Child Development and Lifelong Learning at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, recommends schools dedicate time to physical education and encourages teachers to integrate fitness into daily activities. 

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Video games and "screen time" are often named as culprits for the childhood-obesity epidemic in the United States, but a new federal initiative aims to promote the health benefits that certain video games can provide. The President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (PCFSN) and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) have announced the launch of the Active Play Presidential Lifestyle Award (PALA)+ Challenge.

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Students in California school districts that complied with the state's mandatory physical-education requirements were 29% more likely to be physically fit, compared with their peers in districts who did not follow the rules, a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found. Only about half of the 55 school districts that have compliance data met requirements that children get 200 minutes of physical education every 10 days, researchers found.

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In a Mississippi school district, educators are using art to teach students about nutrition, exercise and hygiene. Supporters of the Smart program say it is especially important given the state's high rate of childhood obesity. Officials say there already has been anecdotal evidence of the program's success, including a recent observation that students at a restaurant chose to order fruit and a salad, rather than french fries.

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The childhood-obesity rate in Massachusetts "substantially decreased among both boys and girls" younger than 6 between 2004 and 2008, according to a study published online in the journal Pediatrics.

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Students who had struggled on state exams in a Minnesota district recently posted impressive gains following a 15-minutes-a-day exercise program implemented by the school's physical-education teacher. Physical-education advocates say the results are typical and part of a growing body of research that shows the academic benefits of student fitness. 

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A survey by Kids' Safe and Healthful Foods Project found that most respondents think food students buy from vending machines or school stores is not nutritious, and 80% expressed support for a national standard for food sold at school. USDA guidelines on school food are expected to be released in June, experts said. 

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Girls exposed to a number of social risk factors in early childhood are significantly more likely to be obese by age 5, but young boys aren't prone to the same effects, according to a new study published online today in the journal Pediatrics. Previous research suggested that cumulative social stress could result in negative health outcomes, leading to this study examining the relationship between social stressors and obesity in young children.

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Eighteen schools in Kansas City, Mo., have begun serving a light dinner to students who participate in after-school programs. Officials say the program helps give disadvantaged students access to food. 

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Schools in Richmond, Va., will test a new "Fit For Life" program intended to increase the focus on physical fitness and health. Under the program, students will participate in wellness screenings and graduating seniors will undergo fitness testing.

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All 50 states participate in the federally subsidized school dinner program -- up from six that took part a few years ago. In some areas, hard hit by the tough economic times, officials say they expect the number of students eating dinner at school to continue to grow. While the program has some critics, supporters say schools play an important role in feeding students who otherwise would go hungry.

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A new analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that in 2010, the percentage of middle schools teaching about HIV, other sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy prevention was significantly lower in 11 states than in 2008. The analysis also found that the percentage of secondary schools teaching several condom-related topics in a required course in grades 9, 10, 11, or 12 was significantly lower in eight states and significantly higher in three states.

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Kevin Concannon, undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer sciences for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, spoke recently in Iowa about the importance of new school meal guidelines. He said the standards, which take effect July 1, will require schools to serve more fruits and vegetables and provide more federal money for school meal programs. 

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Families who receive food stamps tend to spend the bulk of the subsidy at the beginning of the month, when the money is issued, data indicate. This trend has been shown to affect students, who tend to misbehave at the end of the month when household stress and hunger may be higher. Researchers, however, found that such issues were less prevalent at schools with snack programs. 

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In Wisconsin, where 42.5% of students qualify for free or reduced-price school meals, officials say the nutritious meals students eat at school can help them perform better academically. Aid programs such as the National School Lunch Program and Wisconsin's Student Achievement Guarantee in Education program try to combat the disadvantages impoverished students face, recognizing the connections between nutrition and cognitive development and academic performance.

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California charter schools currently do not have to provide free or reduced-price lunches to disadvantaged students. But legislation moving through the California State Capitol would subject charters to the same requirements that traditional public schools currently face for providing at least one "nutritionally adequate" meal per day.

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Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley wants school principals to expand the First Class Breakfast Program to 150 more schools. Last year, 20 schools took part in the program, which helps ensure hungry children eat breakfast at school. At schools that have participated, officials say students' grades have improved and the children are more alert in class. 

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The Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools program, an offshoot of first lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign, has set a goal of installing 6,000 salad bars in schools by 2013. So far, 1,200 are in place, paid for through private donations, and plans are in place to install another 400. Funding for the salad bars also includes training for school nutrition professionals on how to present the food to students and encourage them to eat fresh fruits and vegetables.

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Farms on wheels are designed to complement the San Diego Unified School District's existing Farm-to-School program by creating a living learning lab that travels from school to school. Students will be engaged in concepts of sustainable agriculture and nutrition.

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The percentage of schools that offer students regular physical education classes declined over the past decade, but school sports opportunities appear to be increasing nationwide, according to a report released today by the Government Accountability Office.

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Delaware state agencies are teaming up with the U.S. Department of Agriculture this summer to feed 5,000 children who currently receive free or reduced-price meals at school and who may be at risk of going hungry when school is not in session.

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Schools that get their ground beef from the federal government will now have the option of buying it with or without a product that has been dubbed “pink slime.” Only about 20 percent of the food served in school lunches is procured through the USDA Foods program, formerly called the commodities program. Schools get the items at no cost, although some fees may be charged for storage or distribution of the items.

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An Arizona county has launched a pilot program in which 60 parents have been recruited and trained to advocate for children's health. As part of their responsibilities, the parent "ambassadors" will advocate for school policies related to children's health. Participating parents learned strategies to encourage schools to provide healthier meals and snacks and to keep playgrounds open during non-school hours.

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North Carolina students are losing weight and learning about the science of motorsports and bioengineering through a project called BioMoto. The program is a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) initiative that combines exercise, such as running and walking, with engineering projects such as creating an apparatus to change tires. 

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Between 2003 and 2008, California students were still gradually growing more obese, but the rate of increase had slowed from years prior, according to a new study based out of the University of California, Davis.

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As Illinois schools begin state exams, some schools are preparing by ensuring students have a healthy breakfast before they begin testing. One school planned to purchase 56 dozen eggs to prepare breakfast for students and teachers. The school also will offer a high-protein snack during a testing break. At another school, the parent-teacher association has arranged to provide students with healthy breakfasts in classrooms. 

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Officials statewide are encouraging more students to participate in school breakfast programs. The Hunger Free Colorado organization encourages schools to serve breakfast in the classroom, which they say will increase access to the meals and eliminate the stigma often associated with eating breakfast at school. 

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Kids are eating less sugar than ever before, according to a new report from the CDC. However, the report says kids are still getting way too much added sugar in their diets, which could raise risk for obesity and chronic diseases.

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Officials in a Delaware school district say the number of students qualifying for free or reduced price meals has risen to 75% -- up from 55% five years ago. To help students get the food they need, the district has partnered with the Food Bank of Delaware to open a food pantry at an elementary school. 

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In New York City, where the rate of childhood obesity has dropped by 5.5% in the past five years, nutrition education is part of the core academic curriculum at some schools. Under the CookShop program -- established by The Food Bank For New York City -- 35,000 children and their families learn about cooking, nutrition and the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables through hands-on lessons. 

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Some parent-teacher groups are stepping in to provide exercise programs at California schools that struggle to meet state requirements for physical education because of budget cuts.

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Some San Francisco Bay Area school districts plan to go beyond the USDA's health guidelines for lunch, which must include whole grains and eliminate chocolate milk, among other changes, starting July 1. 

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Children who were ostracized during an online virtual ball-toss game later spent 41% more minutes doing sedentary activities than those who were not excluded, according to a small study in the journal Pediatrics. The findings indicate exclusion may contribute to childhood obesity by negatively affecting children's physical activity, the researchers said. 

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Almost half of all students in 2,647 public elementary schools and 1,205 private elementary schools had access to junk food between 2006 and 2010, according to a study in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Researchers noted that an estimated two-thirds of students were able to purchase vegetables, fruits and salad at competitive venues. 

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Students at a North Carolina elementary school are riding stationary bicycles while reading as part of an exercise-learning program intended to help improve students' health and academics. While limited data from similar programs show they can be successful -- in raising students' test scores and lowering their Body Mass Index -- few schools have adopted them.

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New guidelines announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday call for less fat and more fruits in school lunches. In Louisville, Kentucky, the Jefferson County School District lets students evaluate its healthy food offerings.

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled final rules for school breakfasts and lunch. The sweeping changes, which school districts must act on in the 2012-13 school year, were made based on recommendations from the medical community, and could have a huge influence on children's health in the U.S., because many kids get more than half the calories they eat in a day at school.

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More students in the U.S. are getting free dinners as part of after-school programs under the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which allows programs to receive federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the meals they serve.

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Since the 2006-07 school year, the obesity rate in New York City's K-8 public school students decreased 5.5 percent, according to a report published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. However, the declines in childhood obesity varied wildly based on race and socioeconomic status. Among all K-8 children, the two largest decreases were seen in white children and Asian/Pacific Islanders.

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A new plan that outlines how longer days in Chicago Public Schools should be spent includes a requirement that all schools include recess for students in elementary school, and a second recess for students in grades K-3.

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One-third of children are overweight, but a new study says it probably has nothing to do with junk food in the schools. Researchers found that the percentage of children who had access to candy, soda and chips at school jumped dramatically between fifth and eighth grades — but it didn’t translate into more weight. How kids eat outside and at home has a much greater impact than their exposure to high-fat or sugary snacks in school.

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The second annual "Eat for Kids" program is under way in New York City, asking restaurant patrons to donate money to the nonprofit Wellness in the Schools program, which uses it to make student meals healthier. Executive Director Nancy Easton said culinary-school graduates are placed in public schools to "undo processed menus and replace it with scratch-cook menus."

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Lawmakers in Florida are poised to consider a proposal that would eliminate a mandate that students take a minimum amount of physical-education courses in middle school. Many parents sign a waiver allowing their children to opt for academic, remedial or other elective courses instead. Supporters of the PE requirement say the courses offer benefits for student health as well as academics. 

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The Ohio Afterschool Network and the Ohio health department have teamed up on a guide on how best to incorporate physical activity into after-school programs to curb childhood-obesity rates. The guide includes a list of 11 main recommendations for programs along with tips and strategies for implementing them.

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Health and education groups have released guidelines for sex education that urge states and districts to provide students with a foundation for lessons in sex, relationships and bullying before second grade. The groups also suggest teaching students about sexual orientation by middle school and instructing elementary-school students to use proper names for parts of the human anatomy.

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A meta-analysis of 47 studies targeting intervention programs to curb screen time among children younger than 12 found that 29 showed programs were successful at getting kids away from the television, computer and video games.

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Education officials in Michigan say a federal grant program that gives low-income families $60 per month per child for food during summer months will be expanded to rural areas this year.

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Children who participate in physical activity also tend to benefit in the classroom, according to a new systematic review of 14 studies from the past few decades. The review sought to discover a potential link between childhood physical activity and improved academic performance.

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A preschool in Ohio offers short-term interventions for preschool students with behavioral and mental health challenges who have been suspended from other area preschool programs. Educators at the school use puppets and other hands-on strategies to help teach positive behavior and impulse control to students, who typically attend the school for three to six months.

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To allow low-income children to reach their full potential, parents and teachers must provide them with ample opportunities to play, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises in a new report.

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Schools that score high on state fitness tests in California have fewer students from low-income families, data show, and more resources to offer extras such as physical-education specialists. Location also may influence fitness, as schools near parks or open spaces may encourage outdoor activities.

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More than two years ago, President Obama pledged to scale up the Harlem Children's Zone's model of pairing education with health and other community services. Now. five communities are getting up to $6 million implementation grants to create new Promise Neighborhoods under the federal program of that name.

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When children are overweight, heart-health risk factors such as dangerous cholesterol levels and artery inflammation can start as early as age 3, according to a University of Miami study published in this week’s medical journal Obesity.

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School-based programs that promote physical fitness and healthy eating were found to have a positive impact in the fight against childhood obesity, according to a review published Tuesday in The Cochrane Library.

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More school-based health clinics will be upgraded, expanded, or built from scratch, thanks to a fresh infusion of federal cash that will also add enough capacity eventually to serve about 53,000 additional students across the country.

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Children with disabilities and special medical needs are more likely than those without disabilities to be overweight or obese, according to a report by the Health Resources and Services Administration.

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Schools are more likely to offer students 150 minutes of physical education per week if located in a state or district that mandates that level of P.E., according to a study published online today in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

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Flu vaccination rates among children in the U.S. increased this year compared with last year, CDC officials said. The agency found that Hispanic children had the highest immunization rate at 43%, compared with 36% in black children and 34% in white children.

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Detroit will keep some public schools open during the holidays to offer academic services, free meals and food baskets to students.

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To encourage fitness and healthy eating, the state superintendent has launched a "Team California for Healthy Kids" campaign that includes online resources to help schools or community organizations promote physical activities, eating fruits and vegetables and providing access to drinking water.

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Congressional lawmakers put a crimp in a U.S. Department of Agriculture proposal to limit starchy foods and serve more fresh vegetables in school meals.

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Athletes who often "head" soccer balls were found to have brain abnormalities similar to those found in patients with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), according to a recent study.

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Economic experts say the economy and layoffs are behind government data showing a 17% increase from 2006-07 to last year in the number of U.S. students getting subsidized school lunch.

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In the public schools in Lincoln, Neb., students who passed the district's physical-fitness test were significantly more likely to pass state reading and math tests, according to a recent article from the Lincoln Journal Star.

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The House of Representatives has approved a spending bill that would block government efforts to improve nutrition standards in school meals. The food industry says the standards would have required companies to change products in ways not acceptable to children.

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A study of four classroom birthday parties showed that children consumed an average of 344 to 455 calories from sweets and other sugar-rich items. However, children ate fewer calories, an average of 259 to 405, when fruits were served alongside sugary treats.

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Data from the CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey revealed a poor overall performance among those age 12 to 19 on the American Heart Association's criteria for ideal cardiovascular health.

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A survey of teens by the Ohio Department of Health found that 83% wear seat belts but only 7.2% eat fruits and vegetables at least twice daily. The 2011 Youth Risk Behavioral Survey also showed that 30% of teens reported a height and weight that was in the overweight or obese range.

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The legislative push to enable school cafeterias to keep serving pizza and french fries won’t save nearly as much money as some lawmakers have suggested — if any, according to the Agriculture Department.

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High school students who followed a Western-style diet high in desserts, processed meats and refined grains had a 29% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in later years, partly due to weight gain, according to a study in Diabetes Care.

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Classes that teach students cooking and nutrition also support critical thinking and collaboration, according to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.

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Nearly 2 million children in the U.S. are staying out of poverty because of federal programs. The data suggest that child poverty is still on the rise, but that social initiatives, such as national school-meal subsidies and other programs, are helping keep poverty at bay for some.

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About 85% of children in the elementary through middle school are not meeting the required 10 to 12 hours of sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

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Obesity, sleep apnea, behavior and learning difficulties can cause significant dysfunction in children, but a new study suggests these three problems interact with one another, exacerbating the effects of each individual problem.

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Statistics from "Finding Balance: Obesity and Children with Special Needs," show that children with disabilities are 38 percent more likely to be overweight or obese than their peers.

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Researchers analyzed California figures on personal-belief exemptions and found that more than one in five kindergartners at some schools had been exempted from vaccination. Researchers identified "hot spot" schools, raising concerns that clusters of exempted students could result in outbreaks of illnesses such as measles.

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After adjusting for potential confounders, sleeping less than eight hours on weekdays is associated with obesity in male but not in female teens, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians.

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U.S. senators amended a 2012 spending bill to prohibit the Department of Agriculture from setting limits on starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, in school-meal programs for health reasons.

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Northeast Elementary Magnet School in Danville, Ill., is the first elementary school in the country to win a gold medal from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Its program boasts healthy cafeteria food and snacks, nutrition lessons and a commitment to exercise. 

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The USDA has approved Florida's plan to switch control of school-nutrition programs from the state Department of Education to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, who had made the change a priority since taking office, says he plans to get more fresh fruits and vegetables to schools to improve students' eating habits.

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Less than 20 percent of K-12 schools nationwide provide their students with before-, during-, and after-school opportunities to engage in physical activity, according to a survey released by the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

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While schools are improving the quality of foods they serve, including offering more fresh, local produce, future gains will require more buy-in from students. Diane Pratt-Heavner of the School Nutrition Association says students must be willing to give new foods a try, and schools must give them more time to eat lunch.

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The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has received a $1.7 million four-year grant from the CDC to introduce pilot obesity prevention programs for children ages 2 to 12 in New Bedford and Fitchburg. The grant aims to combine effective clinical and community-based obesity prevention initiatives for children.

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The Campaign for Educational Equity, a group of education experts at Teachers College at Columbia University in New York, is recommending the state increase annual education spending by $4,750 for each poor student to pay for support services outside the classroom.

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Almost 70% of students in Oakland public schools in California qualify for free or reduced-priced meals, so Oakland schools have introduced and expanded a host of programs, some federally subsidized, to feed students at school and home.

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Meals offered by the National School Lunch Program appear to be healthier than those packed at home, a study of second graders showed.

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A new Muppet named Lily, whose family struggles with issues of hunger and food insecurity, is being introduced into the television show "Sesame Street" to raise awareness of the problem. Lily will first appear in a PBS special called "Growing Hope Against Hunger."

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A reduction in servings of starchy vegetables is one of many changes to school meals proposed by the USDA to reflect recommendations from the Institutes of Medicine. The changes also require more green and orange vegetables, less fat in milk, more whole grains, and less sodium.

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Exposure to high levels of air pollution from motor vehicles and secondhand smoke appears to be associated with an increase in body mass index in adolescents, researchers found.

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D.C. public and public charter schools, which annually test student progress in reading and math, will also measure what they know about human sexuality, contraception and drug use starting this spring.

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USDA Under Secretary Kevin Concannon hosted a conference call to highlight the historic school nutrition reforms and improvements that students and families will see in the new school year.

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Improvements included in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 will enhance local wellness policies in schools, an important tool for parents, local educational agencies and school districts to promote student wellness, prevent and reduce childhood obesity, and provide assurance that school meal nutrition guidelines meet the minimum federal school meal standards.

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The partners agreed to address risks posed by chemicals in Port Arthur schools and develop a plan for removal of unnecessary chemicals. This cooperative agreement promotes a district-wide approach for raising awareness for responsible chemical management practices.

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If a new survey of high school teens in Maine is any indication, locating fast-food outlets near schools may not actually affect students' chances of being overweight. The real issue, experts say, is making kids more knowledgeable about healthy choices.

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In an effort to combat childhood obesity and summer learning loss, the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice are addressing young audiences throughout the nation to encourage youth to stay active and maintain a healthy lifestyle, and asks students to continue to read and learn over the summer.

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The federal government's first attempt to assess the dangers from air pollution around schools is nearing completion, and the findings underscore the need for more extensive air monitoring, especially in pollution hot spots, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency says.

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Children who ingested even small amounts of lead performed poorly later on school tests compared to students who were never exposed to the substance, according to a new study of Connecticut students.

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Food Safety News

A paragraph in this week's Government Accountability Office report on USDA's school meal safety policies confirms that the Food Safety and Inspection Service has developed "standardized tests" to detect all six strains of non-O157 E. coli, a critical step in the agency's ability to regulate pathogens.

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MedPage Today

Childhood diseases thought to be linked to environmental causes cost the nation nearly $77 billion in medical costs and lost productivity in 2008 alone, a new analysis found.

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ED's Safe Supportive Schools News

The Saucony Run for Good Program’s mission is to improve lives of children through running. The program has been created to encourage active and healthy lifestyles in children, fight obesity, and reverse the trend of shortening life spans. Grants are awarded up to $10,000. The deadline to apply for this grant is June 13, 2011.

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The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools’ (CHHCS) The Weekly Insider

The purpose of the Champion Fur Kids Grant is to fund health and wellness programs such as childhood disease research foundations, child safety organizations and organizations that serve children with special needs. Grants will be a one-time contribution and range from $1,000 to $10,000. The deadline to apply for this grant is October 28, 2011.

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R&D Mag

University of Michigan researchers found that schools located in areas with the state's highest industrial air pollution levels had the lowest attendance rates—an indicator of poor health—as well as the highest proportions of students who failed to meet state educational testing standards.

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SAMHSA

National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day is a day to join SAMHSA, communities, organizations, agencies, and individuals nationwide in raising awareness that positive mental health is essential to a child's healthy development from birth. This year, the national theme will focus on building resilience in young children dealing with trauma.

For the complete picture, please visit: http://www.samhsa.gov/children/save_date_2011.asp.

The purpose of the Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) grant is to assist LEAs and CBOs to initiate, expand, or enhance physical education programs that help students in kindergarten through 12th grade meet their state standards for physical education.

The application package is available on the OSHS web site at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/whitephysed/applicant.html.

School Climate Survey Compendium (as of December 20, 2011)

To assist educators and education agencies in locating a valid and reliable needs assessment that suits their needs, the Safe and Supportive Schools Technical Assistance Center is developing a compendium of student, staff, and family surveys that can be used as part of a school climate needs assessment.  Below is an initial list of school climate survey batteries. (Alternatively, click  here to download a summary table (PDF) of each survey by respondent type.)

Please note that the Office of Safe and Healthy Students does not endorse any particular scale or survey presented in this compendium. Additionally, the database presented is not an exhaustive listing of available measures or survey instruments.  If you would like to nominate a survey that is not currently included in the compendium, click on the link below.

 Nominate a Survey
 

Alaska School Climate and Connectedness Survey