School

Coordinated School Health (CSH) is an effective system designed to connect health (physical, emotional, and social) with education. This coordinated approach improves students' health and capacity to learn through the support of families, communities, and schools working together. The CSH approach consists of eight major components. By definition, all Coordinated School Health components work together to improve the lives of students and their families.

Pinellas County Schools Asthma Education Project began as a partnership between Pinellas County Schools, Steps to a Healthier Pinellas, the St. Petersburg Health Department and the American Lung Association in 2006. Students with asthma are taught the American Lung Association''s Open Airways for Schools program. They also visit the school health clinic daily to use their peak flow meter and report any asthma symptoms that they may be having.

Our goal is to improve the long-term health of these stduents by reducing asthma episodes through education and early detection of airway compromise.

We have collected attendance data for 3 years to determine if absences due to asthma were affected by the education, peak flow monitoring and daily contact with the school nurse or CNA. The decrease in absences due to asthma were as follows: year 1 - 41.66%; year 2 - 41.38% and year 3 - 62.50%.

Chicago Public Schools has recieved funding from the Center for Disease Control to develop district wide educational trainings and resources focused on asthma. Professional development is provided for all CPS nurses and clinicians to improve asthma knowledge. Focused outreach is also being conducted with 10-14 schools in the Humboldt Park community with children, staff and parents. Resources are available district wide; please call for more information on what programming is available for your school.