School Health Arkansas Department of Health

School Health Services

The Arkansas School Health Services work is a partnership between the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH), the Arkansas Department of Education -Division of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE), and other statewide partners. By working together, we are able to help schools start and keep health and wellness activities that build a safe and healthy school setting so students can learn and be at their best. The health and education model we use is the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model (WSCC). This model puts the student at the center and stresses the importance of communities supporting schools. The Office of School Health Services at ADH provides professional development, technical assistance, training, and resources to support the goals of districts across the state so they can better meet the health and safety needs of students and so students are better able to succeed. The professional development, technical assistance, training, and resources provided by our team focus on helping schools meet state and federal school health mandates and implementing healthy school practices. The topics covered include mandates, data, Health & Safety and Physical Education Standards, and the components of the WSCC model seen below.

The Arkansas Department of Health’s Child and Adolescent Health - School Health Program includes:

Obesity prevention/Act 1220 of 2003
Arkansas State School Nurse Consultant
School-Based Health Centers
Coordinated School Health

These programs all work collaboratively within the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Model, which is an expansion of the Coordinated School Health (CSH) framework and includes the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, Arkansas Educational Services Cooperatives, Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, amongst many other partners. Coordinated School Health/ WSCC is a planned, organized set of health-related programs, policies, and services coordinated at both the district and individual school levels. It emphasizes a unified and collaborative approach to learning and health.

The Student Exposure to Health Care Experiences and Careers Resource Guide is the joint effort of members of the health and education sectors who first came together at the 2018 Rural Health Summit at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute. The guide includes information and contacts for educational programs operating throughout Arkansas that provide healthcare-related experiences and career exposure for students of all ages.

Rural Health Student Experiences Resource Guide

School Health Annual Reports: 2021 | 2020 | 2019

Act 1220 Coordination and State School Health and Wellness Coordinator

Act 1220 of 2003 created the role of what is known as the Act 1220 Coordinator or State School Health and Wellness Coordinator. The Act 1220 Coordinator (State School Health and Wellness Coordinator) helps schools meet the state and federal rules for school health and wellness. The main goal is to lower obesity by supporting best practices in foodservice, nutrition, physical, and health education in schools. Click here for additional information on State Health and Wellness. Additionally, Act 1220 of 2003 created the Child Health Advisory Committee (CHAC) to address childhood obesity and develop statewide nutrition and physical activity standards. Click here for additional information on CHAC.

Coordinated School Health

Coordinated School Health involves combining classroom education while supporting health. By combining these, we can help improve children’s ability to learn and grow. Coordinated School Health uses the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child, or WSCC (whisk) Model. The WSCC model puts the child in the center of the school and community. Click here for more information and to visit the Arkansas Coordinated School Health webpage.

School-Based Health Centers

School-Based Health Centers (SBHC) provide basic physical, mental, dental, or other services as needed. The health center provides more services than a school nurse and is not intended to replace the school nurse. The School-Based health center is required to have a working relationship with the main doctor of a child. Families can apply for ARKids and local resources connected to the health center for students and family convenience. The goal is for the center to act as a resource center for wellness and prevention. The program is a partnership between the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH). Click here for additional information.

Arkansas State School Nurse Consultant

The Arkansas State Nurse Consultant provides support and resources to Arkansas public school nurses. Additionally, the Arkansas state Nurse Consultant provides training, coordinates data collection and interpretation, and assists in the State BMI Project. For more information on School Nursing click here.

School Nurse Data:

School Nurse Survey Results 2006/2007
School Nurse Survey Results 2008/2009
School Nurse Survey Results 2012/2013
School Nurse Survey Results Years 2013/2014 and 2014/2015
School Nurse Survey Data 2019/2020

Community Health Nurse Specialists & Community Health Promotion Specialists

The Community Health Nurse Specialist (CHNS) and Community Health Promotion Specialist (CHPS) were created through steps taken in response to Act 1220 of 2003 to focus on reducing tobacco/nicotine use and increasing healthy eating and moving. The CHPS and CHNS’ work has changed into working with schools and communities to improve the health of our children and communities. CHPS/CHNS has offices in the educational cooperatives around the state. For a list of the topics, CHPS/CHNS can provide presentations on click here. CHNS supports school nurses, Act 1220 of 2003 coordination, and the Coordinated School Health Program across the state. For additional information on CHPS/CHNS and the Arkansas State School Nurse Consultant click here.

Resources Organizations

Other Resources