Comprehensive School Health Education Programs: Innovative Practices and Issues in Setting Standards

Comprehensive school health education is a primary prevention strategy for teaching the nation's children and their parents the skills needed for a healthy lifestyle. This publication provides information about the U.S. Department of Education's Comprehensive School Health Education Program (CSHEP) and presents four papers commissioned for the 1992 Comprehensive School Health Education Program Grantees' Conference: (1) "Research Base for Innovative Practices in School Health Education" (Diane Allensworth); (2) "Instituting Innovative Practices in Comprehensive School Health Education Programs for Elementary Schools" (Jill English); (3) "Developing Comprehensive School Health Education Standards for Elementary School Programs" (Lucinda Adams and Betty Holton); and (4) "A Community-Based School Health System: Parameters for Developing a Comprehensive Student Health Promotion Program" (Christopher DeGraw). Three distinct themes emerged throughout the conference suggesting a shift in key elements of the existing paradigm: (1) CSHEP should be driven by the needs of students; (2) CSHEP should be a coordinated, comprehensive, school-and community-based system of service delivery; and (3) CSHEP should focus on identifying and documenting outcomes. Appendices provide historical information, including the 1992 conference agenda, the list of participants, and information about funded projects. (LL)