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The purpose of this study was to explore the phenomena of participation in a democratic large ensemble experience in a secondary public school setting. Specific research questions included (a) Do high school band students feel capable of performing a music work without teacher intervention? (b) In what ways do high school band students describe the experience of performing in a student-led large ensemble? (c) What music decisions were most often made by high school band students in a student-led large ensemble? and (d) Were there any changes in high school students’ perceptions of autonomy following a student-led large ensemble music rehearsal and performance experience? Findings illustrated that the democratic experience increased student autonomy and music discrimination across larger distances in the classroom as students listened to other nonsimilar sections. Furthermore, student voice, self-efficacy, and personal affect also increased as a result of the experience. Students felt empowered to offer their rehearsal critiques; however, a lingering concern is that participants continued to feel that their peers would not listen to their opinions on rehearsal issues or strategy usage.

Educators recognize that parental participation is a critical factor in the success of children within a school setting. This is particularly true for parents who have children with disabilities or who are from a culturally or linguistically diverse background. However, reaching out to these families can be a difficult task even for the most empathetic and concerned educator. And while communicating directly with individual parents about their children’s academic and social welfare provides some degree of effective engagement and communication between them and the school, the parents often remain isolated from the concerns and thoughts of other parents who are in similar situations. The Delphi process described in this article creates a collaborative workspace that moves parents from being a “watcher” of school policy or school-based decisions to a “developer” of school policy or school-based decisions. The article outlines and illustrates the steps in the process and further elaborates through an ongoing commentary depicting the creation and implementation of a Delphi with the goal of better engagement with parents.

Physical education teachers with a strong sense of purpose are more resilient and maintain high-level performance over time. Therefore, this longitudinal, mixed-methods exploratory case study describes how two teachers’ (Gary and Wayne) sense of purpose in life and well-being has influenced their intent to remain teaching in high-poverty schools. This inquiry followed the two participants over four consecutive school years (2015–2019) and included eight formal interviews with Gary and Wayne, two administrations of the Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale questionnaire, and one administration of the Teaching Sustainability Questionnaire over the four-year project. Gary’s and Wayne’s strong purpose in life contained central values that led to their intention to remain teaching in their high-poverty school context. This strong sense of purpose stemmed from their perceived internalized and externalized support associated with life experiences, familial influence, and the school environments where they worked. Gary’s and Wayne’s sense of purpose appeared to have a direct effect on their intention to remain teaching in the high-poverty schools where they were employed. Identifying a teacher’s sense of purpose and the extent to which it aligns with a specific school district’s mission/vision may be an important factor in recruiting and retaining teachers in high-poverty environments.

This case explores the complexities of how consolidation perpetuates stereotypes among different social classes in a rural Appalachian school setting. Examined are the experiences at the intersection of social class in rural U.S. school districts when two communities—one affluent and one underresourced—are consolidated. We present a nuanced critical incident that focuses on how school leaders perceive and address students’ experiences with tracking and stereotyping—particularly at a middle school level where elementary schools from diverse backgrounds attend school together for the first time.

Check-In Check-Out (CICO) is an evidence-based Tier 2 intervention that has most often been used to support students who exhibit externalizing problem behaviors; however, emerging research suggests that CICO may be effective when extended to students who are engaging in internalizing problem behaviors (CICO-IB). The purpose of this study was to replicate previous research using CICO to support students with internalizing behaviors as well as to extend the research using a standardized Daily Progress Report (DPR) for all students. A multiple baseline design across students was used to examine the effects of CICO-IB on social and academic engagement with four elementary students from an urban U.S. elementary school who were exhibiting internalizing behavior problems (e.g., shyness, social withdrawal). Results indicated that CICO-IB was effective in improving active academic and social engagement for all four students included in the study as measured by both teacher rating on a DPR and direct observation. Overall, the majority of teachers, parents, and students found the intervention socially acceptable. Implications for future research and practice with students who are at risk or exhibiting emotional/behavioral disorders along with limitations are discussed.

This research note offers a critical reflection of the process of conducting qualitative research in the Irish primary school setting. The research discussed took place during the school year 2016–2017. It explored primary school children’s understandings of citizenship and, the kinds of collective social actions they participated in as citizens and peers at school. I reflect upon this in terms of my experiences of gaining and maintaining access in Irish primary schools. I also draw attention to social and cultural contexts within the research setting and the influence this has over data collection. I aim to offer some useful insights into the process of conducting qualitative research within formal education settings and, to encourage conversation between researchers and educators to find solutions to issues associated with conducting research in schools.

Objective: To ascertain teachers’ articulation and experiences of navigating dilemmas that inhibit and/or enable the fostering of health literacy in primary school settings. Design: Qualitative analysis of teachers’ written reflections on introducing health literacy into their school and classroom. Setting: Tasmania, Australia. Method: Eighty-four teachers in five primary schools participated in the HealthLit4Kids programme. Teacher reflections were collected at the conclusion of the first year of the programme and assessed using Windschitl’s Dilemmas to identify recurrent themes raised by the conceptual, pedagogic, cultural and political dilemmas teachers faced. Results: Key dilemmas faced by teachers concerned the development of a whole-of-school approach, student engagement and professional development. Conclusion: Internationally few health literacy programmes for primary schools exist. The theory developed from the themes identified in this study will inform future health literacy programme design and implementation strategies. Purposeful consideration of each theme will guide their success, scalability and sustainability. Future research on the role of constructivist teaching styles in health literacy development in the school setting is urgently required.

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T12:19:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-09-15 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Background Although many studies found a positive association between physical activity (PA) and academic performance (AP), most did not consider important variables of school setting and students' self-concept. Aims To analyze the association between moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and AP in adolescents, considering potential confounding variables of school setting and self-concept in adolescents. Method The final sample was composed of 394 students (186 boys) with a mean age of 11.3 (SD= 0.8) years. The school grades were used as an indicator of AP. Measurements of body mass and stature were collected, and the body mass index was calculated and converted intoz-score values. Maternal education, socioeconomic status, self-concept, and variables of the school setting were self-reported. MVPA and sedentary behavior (SB) were measured through accelerometry (GT3X and GT3X+; ActiGraph, Pensacola, Florida). Multiple linear regression was used for the association analyses, adoptingp< .05. Results MVPA was inversely associated with global AP and mathematics only for girls: beta = -.105 (95% CI [-0.205, -0.006];p= .038); beta = -.136 (95% CI [-0.261, -0.011];p= .033). After adjusting for the school setting and self-concept, these significant associations disappear. Discussion MVPA was inversely associated with global AP and mathematics only for girls regardless of age,z-score body mass index, maternal education, socioeconomic status, and SB. However, after adjusting for school setting and self-concept, theses association disappear in mathematics and global AP, respectively. Conclusion The device-measured MVPA was not associated with AP after controlling for important variables (school setting and self-concept). Univ Estadual Londrina, Londrina, Parana, Brazil Sao Paulo State Univ, Presidente Prudente, Brazil Sao Paulo State Univ, Presidente Prudente, Brazil FAPESP: 2017/27234-2 CNPq: 309731/2018-6

The advantages of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and insulin pump systems have increased the popularity of these devices among students in the school setting. The use of diabetes technology at school and school-sponsored activities strengthens the student’s consistent use of the technology and increases the overall beneficial effects. The school nurse has many considerations when supporting the student with diabetes technology. Integrating this technology into diabetes care at school can be complex with collaboration and safety considerations fundamental to success. This is the third article in a three-part series on the use of technology in managing diabetes in youth. The first article described CGM devices and provided tips for the school nurse in incorporating CGM into the student’s individualized healthcare plan. The second article summarized insulin pump technologies, from conventional insulin pump therapy to advance automated insulin delivery systems and described keys to success with insulin pump technologies. The purpose of this article is to address some special considerations for facilitating the use of diabetes technology in the school setting. Topics to be discussed are tips on including insulin pump therapy in the student’s individualized healthcare plan, safe use of diabetes technology during physical activity, and implications for school nursing practice.

As the primary healthcare professionals in the school setting, school nurses field questions about diet and exercise. Nurses’ familiarity with nutrition and dietary patterns can help them respond to student concerns. Plant-based diets, those which promote eating mostly fruits and vegetables with smaller portions of animal foods, have recently gained popularity in the United States. Most plant foods are rich in fiber, antioxidants, and complex carbohydrates, as well as vitamins and minerals that support good health and maintenance of a healthy weight. Most children and adolescents can meet their nutrient needs on a plant-based diet, but should be careful to include a wide variety of foods in the diet in order to achieve nutrient adequacy.

This case is based on the real incidents occurring in Oakland, California in the fall of 2013. The case was adapted to occur within a school setting, and the schools and district noted within are entirely contrived for the purposes of this case. However, the original bus number, 57, was retained to pay homage to the real victims. Intimidation, bullying, and harassment that take place in schools greatly affect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth. LGBTQ students, who experience school-based discrimination and harassment, experience more negative academic outcomes and psychological struggles than their non-LGBTQ peers.

This article offers tangible support for school nurses to understand, recognize, and integrate self-management promotion, anticipatory guidance, and advocacy into practice. The article utilizes the chronic condition of asthma as a case exemplar, but many of the recommendations apply to other aspects of chronic illness self-management promotion. School nurses are in an ideal position to advocate for students and families and to support evidence-based self-management promotion. In the school setting, gaps currently exist regarding best practices for the promotion of self-management and anticipatory guidance for children with chronic illnesses. Future interventions within school settings should focus on multisystem level collaboration with care coordination efforts between providers and social support systems, internal and external, to the school system. These policies and this resource development will ultimately support the promotion of self-management for children with chronic illness in the school environment and maximize health outcomes.

Child safety is a top priority in the school setting. Many accidents that occur on school playgrounds range from minor scrapes and bumps to fractures or other health problems that require quick medical response. Data can be a powerful tool for school nurses when seeking to promote changes in their schools.

This study examines the retention rates of new teachers in Texas given their initial certification type and initial school setting. The 5-year persistence rates of 175,664 teachers from 2000 to 2015 are analyzed using logistic regression to calculate the probability of new teacher persistence at the school, district, and state level. Main findings suggest that teachers’ certification type and initial school setting are statistically significant predictors of new teacher persistence, and traditionally licensed teachers initially placed in traditional public school are more likely to persist when compared with other preparation types or initial placements into charter schools.

Atopic dermatitis, a form of eczema, has a physical, psychological, and social impact on students at school. The purpose of this article is to provide current information surrounding the symptoms and treatment of this disorder. School nurses can be a partner in atopic dermatitis care and improve health outcomes for these students.

This study was designed to extend the research on tootling interventions, which involves reinforcing students’ reporting of their peers’ incidental prosocial behaviors. Specifically, a withdrawal design was used to determine if a tootling intervention decreased antisocial/disrespectful interactions of four, teacher-nominated students in an after-school, third-grade classroom. Visual analysis of a repeated-measures graph and effect size estimates suggested that the tootling intervention decreased these interactions. Discussion focuses on future research designed to evaluate the generalizability of tootling interventions and the effects of similar interventions over time and across dependent variables.

The Specialized Health Needs Interagency Collaboration (SHNIC) program at the Kennedy Krieger Institute is a community-based program that provides on-site training and technical assistance to safely manage the integration of children with special health needs into educational and community settings. SHNIC frequently receives seizure education requests throughout the school year, specifically regarding vagus nerve stimulation. Vagus nerve stimulation involves an implanted medical device used to deliver electrical pulses to the vagus nerve for additional seizure management. The school nurse needs to understand the purpose and function of the hidden medical device, including the parameters for use of the device and magnet, safety considerations, and side effects. SHNIC has developed educational materials specific to vagus nerve stimulation to aid the school nurse in providing staff training, developing care plans, and creating a safe school experience for students with special health needs.

Coaching in the school setting typically follows the traditional format of preconference, observe, and postconference, where feedback on teaching performance is shared but often delayed. Professional development (PD) provides teachers with skills to enhance their teaching practice with little to no follow-up or support. The most effective way to produce change in the school setting is to show the connection between PD and student performance, and iCoaching can help to bridge the gap. In this study, four teachers participated in a focused PD session and subsequent iCoaching sessions where the researcher used iPods and Bluetooth earbuds as a bug-in-ear (BIE) device. A coach served as a live, remote observer providing coaching prompts to increase teacher-delivered opportunities to respond (OTR). The results indicated that iCoaching was effective in increasing teacher-delivered OTR and in increasing student responses and academic performance.

To fulfill the promise of inclusive school environments that support all students, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms by which discrimination and support occur in the school setting and how these mechanisms impact student development. The current study explored ways schools facilitate supportive or marginalizing experiences for first generation Arab heritage youth in the United States and investigated how these experiences impact acculturative experiences and identity negotiation for these students. Focus groups were conducted with 21 Arab American early college students and community dwellers. Qualitative analyses revealed three mechanisms by which the school setting uniquely impacts Arab heritage student's identity negotiation in high school: 1) peer and teacher discrimination; 2) school curriculum treatment of Arab history and culture; 3) and broader school structures that allow for student cultural expression. Implications and suggestions for School Psychologists are discussed.

Objective: This paper uses a qualitative approach to explore the factors that influence diet and physical activity choices of 11–13-year-olds with a particular focus on the impact of the school environment. Design: Qualitative focus groups. Setting: Three purposively sampled secondary schools in Devon, UK. Method: A total of 53 students, aged 11–13, took part in six focus groups. Thematic, framework analysis was used to analyse the data. Result: Four overarching themes emerged: (1) health now and in the future; (2) the role of others; (3) provision, temptation and addiction; and (4) boundaries, strategies and support. Participants demonstrated good knowledge of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle and its importance for future health, although it was not necessarily seen as a priority at this stage of life. Key influences on their choices were their peers and family, although participants also identified that the school environment influences the food choices they make while there. Conclusion: In this study, 11–13-year-olds identified that schools could do more to support them to make healthier food choices. However, future research needs to understand the constraints schools face in terms of food provision in order to highlight possible opportunities for intervention.

School nurses’ experienced barriers and benefits with perceptions of self-efficacy are important factors to consider for program implementation in the school setting. Little research has been done in the area of automated external defibrillator (AED) program implementation by the school nurse for the treatment of sudden cardiac arrest. The purpose of this study was to identify benefits of and barriers to AED program implementation in public schools and measure school nurses’ self-efficacy related to their role as a change agent in program implementation. Results revealed that school nurses are functioning with a high level of self-efficacy in their ability to influence major health-care decisions in the school setting, and despite barriers, AED program implementation is considered beneficial and a necessary component of emergency care.

In response to a critical need for culturally inclusive pedagogy for multicultural, urban classrooms, this study describes a project in which 43 in-service and preservice teachers and 175 multicultural urban public school students participated. This study found that the culturally relevant pedagogy significantly enhanced the student attitude toward math and science. The pedagogy also improved student achievement in math and science. In addition, parents or guardians were reported to be a primary human resource for academic support. These findings call for the transformation of teacher education programs and further research on other educational resources for multicultural urban classrooms.

This article examines expressions of difference and sameness and peer relations among children (aged 5–7) in school. The article concludes that children do not generally relate sameness or difference to their peer relations or to ethnicity or gender. Furthermore, the article demonstrates that the school setting plays a crucial role for children’s peer interactions: The purpose of school activities directs children’s expressions of difference and sameness, and the structures for peer interaction enable some relations and restrict others.

School nurses play a major role in the care of students with food-related diversities balancing responsibilities such as providing a safe environment, encouraging leadership and community outreach, giving guidance to family and peers with care coordination, and providing needed accommodations so that all students may thrive in the school setting. It is essential that school nurses share their understanding of what it is like to live with the serious genetic autoimmune disorder known as celiac disease. With improved knowledge, the school education team, nutritional staff, and guidance counselors will have a better understanding of what the student is facing and the unique challenges it presents, because celiac disease is not a food allergy, but much more.

School-age children experience trauma at alarming rates. Children’s ability to attend, concentrate, and participate in the educational process can be adversely impacted by trauma. How can school staff, especially school nurses, best listen, support, and encourage a student with trauma in their lives? Link for Schools is an evidence-informed intervention program that provides information and training for school staff. Link provides tools for listening or responding to a traumatized student with a focus on the principles of trauma-informed care, psychological first aid, and elements of motivational interviewing. Link-trained staff are better equipped to develop a relationship with a student, but future research is recommended to supports its evidence base.

Laws have been passed across the United States to either allow or mandate the use of stock epinephrine in the school setting. The challenge remains for our schools to fully implement the use of this life-saving medication. Barriers to implementation exist, but quality tools are available to support the school nurse.

This article examines ‘character education’ in a school setting. It does so by drawing on ethnographic data collected at Milltown Community Academy, a secondary school in northern England. In this piece I focus on how character education at Milltown materialises and is enacted within the sites and everyday practices of schooling. By analysing the practices of teachers at the school, I show how, on one hand, the character initiative is embedded and complied with, but, on the other hand, teachers’ practice is also littered with instances of ‘refusal’ and non-compliance. Through recent reforms, Milltown Academy now houses an ‘entrepreneurship specialism’. At the school, ‘entrepreneurship’ is embedded in the school’s core ethos and curriculum and as part of this, the ‘entrepreneurial character’ is sold as necessary and progressive and is regularly deployed in narratives of attachment to and detachment from success and failure, respectively. Therefore, I make a claim that not only is a character agenda at place in the school but an ‘entrepreneurial character’ initiative. The analysis in this article is foregrounded in the idea that the Academy’s attempts to instil an ‘entrepreneurial character’ are part of a problematic policy complex that reproduces class-based inequalities, I argue, however, that those tasked with ‘teaching entrepreneurial character’ are indeed part of the process of the socio-cultural reproduction of inequality and dominance, but importantly, they also engage in plural and contradictory practices when it comes to putting the agenda into action.

Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation improves survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a basic life support (BLS) educational course given to 110 middle school children, using a pretest posttest design. In the pretest, students were asked to demonstrate BLS on a manikin to simulate a real-life scenario. After the pretest, a BLS training course of two sessions was provided, followed by posttest on the same manikin. Students were assessed using an observational sheet based on the American Heart Association’s BLS guidelines. In the pretest, students showed significant weakness in the majority of guidelines. In the posttest, they demonstrated significant improvement in their BLS skills. BLS training in the middle school was effective, considering the lack of previous skills. It is recommended that BLS education be compulsory in the school setting.

The National Association of School Nurses’ position statement clarifies the role of school nurses in afterschool activities is to assess, plan, and evaluate the health needs of students in programs that extend beyond the regular school day. School nurses leverage their expertise as trusted and caring providers to deliver health promotion education in the school setting. They can partner with afterschool programs to assess students’ healthy eating and physical activity. The purpose of this article is to describe an exemplar assessment of Healthy Eating and Physical Activity in one afterschool program and discuss approaches to address preventable factors associated with childhood obesity.

Most people start experimenting with and/or initiating health-compromising behaviors and establishing behavioral patterns during adolescence. Possible selves and episodic future thinking have been used to foster behavioral changes. In this study, we aimed to (1) develop a program incorporating possible selves and episodic future thinking to decrease the risks associated with health-compromising behaviors, and (2) examine the feasibility and fidelity of implementing this intervention among Taiwanese adolescents. A novel combination of existing intervention approaches tailored for the Taiwanese context was applied to develop a school-based intervention, which we named the Future Mapping Master program. This program contains four core units: exploring the self, setting goals, developing strategies and problem solving, and understanding the threats of health-compromising behaviors. It includes daily episodic future thinking visualization exercises. The feasibility evaluation was conducted with 88 adolescents aged 12–14 years. Feedback from teachers and students supported the proposed program's feasibility and revealed favorable reactions to the intervention. The Future Mapping Master program is feasible and offers promising strategies for implementation in Taiwanese school settings.

Social workers in New Zealand other schools work with other school professionals to respond to potential child maltreatment in the school setting, but little is reported about their experience of interprofessional collaboration. An exploratory qualitative study focused on school professionals’ process when responding to child maltreatment. The author conducted 20 semi-structured telephone interviews with social workers to explore their interprofessional work with teaching professionals. Many challenges were reported including power imbalances; resource issues, especially inadequate time given their placement in multiple schools; marginalisation, and teachers’ inconsistent understanding of the social work role. Social workers reported relationship-based strategies to manage these challenges, and a sense of pride and identity was apparent in these accounts. Patient relationship building was a key strategy to build respect and understanding of social work knowledge and skills. A reading of Bourdieu's discussion of social distinction suggests social work is often perceived as a profession lacking the confidence of the “distinguished possessor” of capital and more of the uncertainty of the “pretentious challenger”. A professional capital framework, that positions school-based social workers as ‘guests’ in a host setting, is useful in understanding these dynamics and how social workers choose to respond. This study suggests that preparation for school social work might usefully focus on interprofessional working and in particular support the development of conscious, principled yet pragmatic relationship-building skills to bridge the gap between the teaching and social work professions and improve the welfare of children.

Objective: The Healthier Options for Public Schoolchildren (HOPS) intervention aimed simultaneously to change school policies regarding the nutritional content of school-provided meals, nutrition and healthy lifestyle curricula, and other school-based wellness activities. Researchers examined how HOPS affected students’ academic achievement, attendance and behaviour. Design: Longitudinal study of 23,335 elementary-school students aged 4–16 years enlisted in kindergarten to grade 8 in the 2005–2006 school year and followed through until the 2008–2009 school year. Setting: HOPS was implemented in 11 Buffalo (New York) public elementary schools at the start of 2007–2008 school year and concluded in January 2009; 34 other district elementary schools were chosen for comparison. Method: Administrative records were obtained containing student demographics, mathematics and English test scores, and attendance and disciplinary records. A difference-in-differences approach was used to measure the HOPS intervention’s effect on mathematics and English test scores and the proportion of days present or not suspended. Significance was tested at 1% and 5% levels. Results: Analysis comparing students in intervention and comparison schools revealed an increase in standardised mathematics test scores among all students ( p < .05), with particularly strong impacts on girls ( p < .01), African American and Hispanic students ( p < .01) and economically advantaged students ( p < .01). HOPS had an adverse impact on attendance and disciplinary referrals ( p < .01), although the effects were small. Conclusion: When considering the implementation of a school-based wellness programme, administrators should consider its academic benefits. Research into the effectiveness of programmes such as HOPS at improving cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes of school-aged children is particularly relevant given recent US Department of Agriculture rollback of whole grain, sodium and milk requirements.

School nurses are at the forefront of health resource decisions, education, and health advocacy in the school setting. When it comes to sex education and condom availability, navigating the politics and controversy surrounding student access and education is not an easy task. Moreover, recent research shows school administrators are not aware of sexual health issues in their district and are not typically supportive of condom availability, limiting evidence-based practice implementation in the school setting. At the district level, school nurses must recognize these challenges and develop plans to promote science-based interventions for students’ sexual health.

Students presenting with varying degrees of respiratory symptoms and distress occur commonly in the school setting. It is important to develop a differential diagnosis for respiratory distress, to initiate stabilization of the student with life-threatening symptoms, and to triage these students to an appropriate level of care (back to the classroom, home with their guardian with follow up at their primary health care provider’s office, or directly to the closest emergency department via Emergency Medical Services). This article describes the initial assessment and management of a student presenting with respiratory distress.

In 2013, a collaboration of organizations in Colorado developed a set of standards to address school nurses’ need for current diabetes care practices in the school setting. The Standards of Care for Diabetes Management in the School Setting are successful in meeting the needs of the school nurses in Colorado and are updated annually to continue to provide valid guidelines as diabetes care continues to become more technological and new approaches are adopted. A review of the standards, including background, development, contents, evaluations, and ongoing additions, is provided in this article.

The school nurse plays a vital role in providing care and meeting the health needs of students in the school setting. Students attend school with chronic conditions and complex medical problems such as quadriplegia, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and muscular dystrophy. It is the responsibility of the school nurse to provide appropriate assessment, early intervention, and care for children in the school environment. The purpose of this article is to review and discuss the knowledge and skills the school nurse needs to care for students with central venous lines, gastrostomy tubes, altered urinary elimination, and tracheostomies.

Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening emergency. In the school setting, school nurses prepare plans to prevent an emergency, educating staff and students on life-threatening allergies. A critical component of any emergency plan is a plan of care in the event of accidental ingestion or exposure to an antigen to prevent the sequelae of untreated anaphylaxis. A universal anaphylaxis emergency care plan developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and reviewed by NASN offers an opportunity for schools, family, and health care providers to use one standard plan and avoid confusion. The plan and benefits of use are described in this article.

Purpose: This study aimed to characterize physical activity (PA) environments in Georgia public elementary schools and to identify socioeconomic status (SES) and racial/ethnic disparities in PA environments. Design: A school setting PA survey was launched in 2013 to 2014 as a cross-sectional online survey assessing PA environment factors, including facility access and school PA practices, staff PA opportunities, parental involvement in school PA, and out-of-school PA opportunities. Setting: All 1333 Georgia public elementary schools were recruited. Participants: A total of 1083 schools (81.2%) responded. Survey respondents included school administrators, physical education (PE) teachers, and grade-level chairs. Measures: Physical activity environment factors were assessed via an online questionnaire adapted from school PA surveys and articles. Analysis: The chi-square and Fisher exact analyses were conducted to examine the reporting of PA environment factors overall and by school SES, as measured by free/reduced lunch rate, and/or racial/ethnic composition. Results: Overall, many PA environment factors were widely prevalent (ie, gym [99%] or field [79%] access), although some factors such as some PA-related programs (ie, a structured walk/bike program [11%]) were less widely reported. Disparities in school PA environment factors were largely patterned by SES, though they varied for some factors by racial/ethnic composition and across SES within racial/ethnic composition categories. For example, lower SES schools were less likely to report access to blacktops and tracks ( p-value < .0001), and higher SES schools were less likely to report access to playgrounds ( p-value = .0076). Lower SES schools were also less likely to report “always/often” giving access to PE/PA equipment during recess ( p-value < .01). Lower SES and majority nonwhite schools were less likely to report having joint use agreements with community agencies ( p-value < .0001). Conclusion: This study highlights SES and racial/ethnic disparities in PA environments in Georgia public elementary schools.

This study investigated the leadership skills Early Years leaders demonstrated through their daily practice of teaching, assessing and teamwork within their setting. It explored how revealing the potential of Early Years leaders could have a positive impact on the leadership practice of other leaders in the same setting to improve pupil outcomes. A qualitative approach using interviews with Early Years leaders in 20 primary settings from the East Midlands and Bedfordshire areas was undertaken by two academics from two different UK based universities. Ethical guidelines ensuring anonymity and trustworthiness were followed. Using verbatim comments, data were analysed in themes against contemporary Early Years literature. Findings showed the skills of Early Years leaders could support pedagogy and practice but some of these skills were not utilized beyond this age phase. Our conclusion suggested that Early Years leaders had a range of leadership skills which were deemed specialist as they were unique to the success of the age phase, but needed to be exposed beyond Early Years for wider success and impact.

This article utilizes mixed methods—a lottery-based experimental design supplemented by qualitative data—to examine college readiness within an innovative high school setting: early college high schools. Early colleges are small schools that merge the high school and college experiences and are targeted at students underrepresented in college. Results show that early college students are more likely to have successfully completed the courses they need for entrance into college; early college students also graduated from high school at a higher rate. Interview and survey data show that early college students are generally considered similarly prepared to more traditional postsecondary students. The interview data also provide detailed descriptions of the kinds of strategies the schools use to support college readiness. The article concludes with lessons learned for secondary school principals.

School districts are commonly adopting electronic storage systems, including electronic health records. Included in this adoption is a move toward cloud-based record storage systems to handle the increasing volumes of data. Deciding which system to adopt is especially difficult in times of tightening school district budgets. While there are several options to consider, including the outright purchase of a proprietary system or choosing one of a relatively new group of free programs, lead nurses must work to ensure that student information is protected and that any chosen system complies with privacy laws. This article provides a case study and presents legal and ethical considerations related to maintaining the privacy of health records in the school setting.

The role of school nurse today not only includes making a thorough assessment of the child but also the knowledge and skill to understand hidden medical devices. As of 2011, there were approximately 14.6 million children in the United States living with special health care needs. Many of these children could have hidden medical devices. The Specialized Health Needs Interagency Collaboration (SHNIC) program at the Kennedy Krieger Institute received requests for in-person training regarding ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts.

Asthma is a high impact health issue in the school setting. One in 10 children comes to school with asthma, and it is the leading cause for absenteeism causing 13.8 million missed school days each year. Where can the school nurse turn for help? The following article provides evidence-based resources to assist school nurses in caring for their students with asthma.

The authors conducted a cross-sectional survey of Massachusetts school nurses examining return-to-learn practices for children recovering from concussion in prekindergarten through high school. Regardless of school setting, all students received academic accommodations to support learning during recovery. School nurses perceived less benefit to prolonged cognitive rest (>4 days) for high school students relative to students in elementary school, but provided academic accommodations to them for comparatively longer periods of time (10-14 days vs 6-10 days). In all settings, respondents indicated a need for improved communication among treating physicians, parents, and school personnel, as well as improved education and standardized management tools for younger children and those who sustain non-sport-related injuries. Despite serving children at different developmental stages, school return-to-learn practices are essentially the same in primary and secondary schools, highlighting the need for standardized, developmentally appropriate return-to-learn plans and additional education for the providers and school personnel who implement them.

Around the world, school staff are increasingly expressing concern about nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and how best to address this behavior in the school setting. However, there is a notable lack of informed guidance for schools, and clear inconsistencies in the practices school staff adopt. In this position paper we draw on our collective research and clinical expertise to provide best-practice guidelines for addressing NSSI in school settings. We outline the importance of a school protocol, and the key features all school protocols should contain. We also focus on how schools can minimize contagion of NSSI within their school environment. We believe these guidelines will be an important starting point for schools interested in developing an evidence-based approach to addressing NSSI.

School nurses have observed the increasing prevalence of children with chronic conditions in the school setting; however, little is known about teacher experiences with these children in their regular classrooms. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to describe the experiences and challenges of regular education teachers when they have students with chronic conditions in their classroom and implications for the school nurse. The national sample consisted of regular education teachers. The methodologies consisted of focus groups and an online survey. Seven themes emerged: Teachers want to be informed about their students with chronic conditions, teachers lack information about the conditions, there is a lack of preparation in preteacher education programs about students with chronic conditions, teachers feel frustration and stress in working effectively with these students, teachers shared concerns about their students, teachers are asked to perform health-related tasks for students, and teachers made recommendations of what they need from the school nurse.

The purpose of this study was to assess school nurses’ perceptions of barriers to optimal management of seizures in schools. Eighty-three school nurses completed an electronic survey. Most agreed they felt confident they could identify a seizure (97.6%), give rectal diazepam (83.8%), and handle cluster seizures (67.1%), but fewer were confident they could give intranasal midazolam (63.3%), had specific information about a student’s seizures (56.6%), or could swipe a vagus nerve stimulator magnet (47.4%). Nurses were more likely to be available at the time of a seizure in rural (17/20) (85%) versus suburban (21/34) (62%) or urban (8/25) (32%) schools ( P = .001). School nurses are comfortable managing seizures in the school setting. However, a specific seizure plan for each child and education on intranasal midazolam and vagus nerve stimulator magnet use are needed. A barrier in urban schools is decreased availability of a nurse to identify seizures and administer treatment.

This column provides an example method for improving the consistency and quality of daily behavioral feedback provided to students in an alternative high school setting. Often, homeroom or advisory periods are prime points in the day for students to review their behavior from the previous day and set goals for a successful day to come. The method described outlines a planning process and strategy for building teams and teachers to use to establish a behavioral feedback routine, and a case example of the implementation of the routine.