"Improving Attendance, Improving Achievement
for Students with Asthma"
Thursday, May 22, 2003
noon-1:30 p.m. EDT
Sponsored by Education Development Center, Inc
Newton, MA
In collaboration with the ILIAD IDEA Partnership
Distinquished Panel
Featuring:
Jack Campana, San Diego Public Schools
Howard Taras, M.D. , American Academy of Pediatrics
Karen Drezner, Director of Operations, Harbor
Science and Art Charter School
Paula Carroll, Community Program Coordinator,
American Lung Association
Too many students with asthma are missing too many
days of school due to non-existent or poor case management. The problem is especially
critical for students in urban school districts. There, the number of asthma cases is
dramatically on the rise.
When students are repeatedly absent from school,
they are deprived of educational opportunities and, thus, are at risk for faring poorly on
state and local performance measures. Given that students with asthma fall within IDEA's
category of "other health impairments," this is a critical problem facing both
general and special education administrators, as well as school health professionals. One
way to keep students with asthma healthy in school, and succeeding, is by creating and
implementing a case management system that brings together general and special education
practitioners, the family, school health professionals, and pediatricians.
You are invited to participate in a teleconference
on reducing absenteeism in school to improve academic achievement on May 22, 2003 from
noon to 1:30 EST. Our distinguished panel of nationally recognized experts in the
school-based prevention and treatment of asthma includes Jack Campana, the former director
of student services at the San Diego Public Schools; Dr. Howard Taras, chair of school
health committee of the American Academy of Pediatricians; Karen Drezner, who is currently
a school administrator and was formerly Associate Director of the Childhood Asthma
Initiative at the Children's Health Fund, and Paula Carroll, Community Program
Coordinator, American Lung Association.
You will have an opportunity to hear them define the
problem, present model programs (e.g., Open Airways and Stay Ahead of Asthma: A
Survival Guide and Organizer for Parents), and discuss key factors related to
planning, implementing, and evaluating effective case management programs. We will
encourage an open discussion and sharing. You will receive resource materials in advance
of the teleconference and will be able to join an online follow-up conversation.
The cost of the teleconference is $75.00 per phone
"station". There is no limit to the number of people participating at each
phone.
To learn how you can register for the
teleconference, please contact Charlene Bemis, 617 618 2189, cbemis@edc.org
Feel free to share this announcement widely.
Updated Action Steps
To reflect current trends and resources available from nationally recognized
organizations, Making Health Academic has updated action steps in the fields of family and community involvement, healthy school environment, health services, nutrition, and physical education. We are hopeful that these
action steps will assist you with the step-by-step process of creating a comprehensive
school health program (CSHP) in your community.
Making Health Academic is currently updating action steps
for all eight components of the CSHP model. In our goal to keeping this website
fresh and relevant, we would appreciate any feedback from other
professionals in the field. To review all eight components of a CSHP, simply go to
our action steps page in our concept
to action section.
Current CSHP Initiatives
Our staff is currently working with three states--Tennessee, Minnesota, North Carolina--to
help them with their coordinated school health programs (CSHPs). Participation in this
process means working with Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) to create state-local partnerships that can, in turn, support
school-community partnerships in implementing CSHPs. The Concept to Action
section is used to report on what we and the states learn about partnership
development—effective strategies, barriers and problems, and opportunities for
action.
Highlighted in this section is
a guide developed by EDC staff and North Carolina Healthy Schools on the state's CSHP
initiative. This document, Words of Wisdom from CSHP Experts: A North Carolina Guide,
summarizes lessons learned by leaders of four successful CSHPs in North Carolina. The
collective wisdom of these leaders is obtained over substantial periods of time working in
school systems to improve health outcomes for children, being involved in community
partnerships, and promoting improved academic outcomes. Our intention is that this
document will help others in the field who are seeking guidance around their own CSHP
initiative.
Return to this page in the near
future to find out what other states are doing around their CSHP initiatives.
