The primary mission of the office is to improve student health outcomes as well as support the connection between good health practices, academic achievement, and lifetime wellness. OCSH partners with the Tennessee Department of Health - Office of School Health. With the passage of TCA 49-1-1002 in 2000, authorization and funding for CSH was established. State funding provided support for ten pilot sites. In 2006, Public Chapter 1001 - the Coordinated School Health Expansion and Physical Activity Law established authority and funding ($15 million) to expand CSH statewide. Additional funding has been provided by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

 

The Coordinated School Health Program for Scott County Schools is in the sixth year of operation. Currently, the Coordinated School Health Program (CSH) is serving seven schools located throughout Scott County. This program is based upon the integrated, eight component model for school health as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

• The Mission of Scott County Coordinated School Health is to provide a coordinated approach to school health initiatives that connect good health practices of staff, students and families with academic achievement and lifelong wellness. The benefits of the program include: 1) reduced absenteeism, 2) fewer behavior problems in the classroom, and 3) improved student health and academic performance.  

• It is our goal to institutionalize physical activity, nutrition initiatives, and health opportunities that focus on the eight-component model with teaching and learning everyday to help staff and students live healthier, more productive lives. 

• Our vision is for this effort to be so seamless it becomes the way we live every day. Our belief is “healthy kids make better students”.  

 

Education reforms have not succeeded in improving the performance of all students, particularly those who do not arrive at school ready to learn. Coordinated School Health encourages healthy lifestyles, provides needed supports to at-risk students, and helps to reduce the prevalence of health problems that impair academic success.