The Untapped Power of Schools to Improve the Health of Teens
The Untapped Power of Schools to Improve the Health of Teens The Untapped Power of Schools to Improve the Health of Teens
The findings presented in thismonograph contribute to a growingbody of research on how to fosterpositive school climate. The sidebars TenStrategies That Foster Connection withSchool came from the Smith Initiativesfor Prevention and Education at theUniversity of Arizona. These strategiestypify the recommendations of manyprofessional organizations of educators.Ten Strategies That FosterConnection to School*For Parents1. Be a model of respectful, cooperative, positivebehavior in your everyday interactions.2. Participate in school events.3. Show interest. Be involved in your child’s academicactivities.4. Maintain regular contact with your child’s teacher.5. Monitor you child’s homework completion and workwith him or her on homework assignments thatinvolve family participation.6. Be present when things go wrong.7. Meet your child’s friend, and their parents.8. Ask school leaders what you can do to support them.9. Volunteer at school.10. Nominate effective school leaders for local awards.All monographs in this series canbe downloaded from the website ofthe Division of General Pediatricsand Adolescent Health located at. Thefirst monograph, Reducing the Risk:Connections That Make a Difference inthe Lives of Youth, presents the firstresearch findings from Add Health. Itshows, among other things, thatschool connectedness is associatedwith emotional well-being and lowerparticipation in health risk behaviors.18
The second monograph, ProtectingTeens: Beyond Race, Ethnicity and FamilyStructure, presents research which showsthat race, family income and living in asingle-parent family cannot predict whetheran individual teen is likely to participate inrisky health behaviors.For TeachersTen Strategies That FosterConnection to School*1. Help students get to know each other’s (and your)strengths.2. Involve students in planning, problem solving, identifyingissues and assessing curriculum in the classroom.3. Promote cooperation over competition. Post everyone’sbest work. Offer opportunities for the class to worktogether to help everyone achieve their level of excellence.4. Build a strong relationship with each student.5. Convey attentiveness to students and excitement aboutlearning through nonverbal gestures.6. Involve all students in chores and responsibilities in theclassroom.7. Integrate concepts of discipline and respect for classmatesthroughout instruction.8. Give students more say in what they will learn.9. Involve student in developing the criteria by which theirwork will be assessed and provide guidelines so they clearlyunderstand what’s expected of them.10. Use first person plural (we, us, let’s) when presentingclassroom activities.* Based on material published in “ProtectiveSchools: Linking Drug Abuse Prevention withStudent Success,” by Kris Bosworth, PhD. SmithInitiatives for Prevention and Education, College ofEducation, The University of Arizona, P.O. Box210069, Tucson, AZ 85721-006919
- Page 9 and 10: Measuring School Connectedness*Scho
- Page 11 and 12: School SizeStudents in smaller scho
- Page 13 and 14: Teacher QualificationsAlthough it i
- Page 15 and 16: Panel AWhiteel B.BlackMixed/OPanel
- Page 17: EpilogueThis is the third in a seri
<strong>The</strong> second monograph, Protecting<strong>Teens</strong>: Beyond Race, Ethnicity and FamilyStructure, presents research which showsthat race, family income and living in asingle-parent family cannot predict whe<strong>the</strong>ran individual teen is likely <strong>to</strong> participate inrisky health behaviors.For TeachersTen Strategies That FosterConnection <strong>to</strong> School*1. Help students get <strong>to</strong> know each o<strong>the</strong>r’s (and your)strengths.2. Involve students in planning, problem solving, identifyingissues and assessing curriculum in <strong>the</strong> classroom.3. Promote cooperation over competition. Post everyone’sbest work. Offer opportunities for <strong>the</strong> class <strong>to</strong> work<strong>to</strong>ge<strong>the</strong>r <strong>to</strong> help everyone achieve <strong>the</strong>ir level <strong>of</strong> excellence.4. Build a strong relationship with each student.5. Convey attentiveness <strong>to</strong> students and excitement aboutlearning through nonverbal gestures.6. Involve all students in chores and responsibilities in <strong>the</strong>classroom.7. Integrate concepts <strong>of</strong> discipline and respect for classmatesthroughout instruction.8. Give students more say in what <strong>the</strong>y will learn.9. Involve student in developing <strong>the</strong> criteria by which <strong>the</strong>irwork will be assessed and provide guidelines so <strong>the</strong>y clearlyunderstand what’s expected <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m.10. Use first person plural (we, us, let’s) when presentingclassroom activities.* Based on material published in “Protective<strong>Schools</strong>: Linking Drug Abuse Prevention withStudent Success,” by Kris Bosworth, PhD. SmithInitiatives for Prevention and Education, College <strong>of</strong>Education, <strong>The</strong> University <strong>of</strong> Arizona, P.O. Box210069, Tucson, AZ 85721-006919
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