COD E R E D

The human capital approach suggests that education improves the individual’s ability to producehealth. Education enables people to integrate health producing behaviors into a lifestyle, and this lifestyleleads to control, augmenting the ability to use education as “capital” to produce health. The secondpathway examined is personal control. As this perspective implies, education promotes a belief that theindividual can alter his or her environment, which ultimately leads to adoption of a healthy lifestyle.Education also provides material resources, primarily a higher income. Several studies have indicated thepositive effect of income on health. Use of medical care is not a sufficient explanation as to why moreeducated people are healthier. In fact, several studies indicate that low-income individuals use moremedical services. Occupation is another possible link between education and health. Better educatedpeople tend to work in jobs that are more rewarding financially and personally. Lower educatedindividuals, particularly men, tend to be employed in more hazardous occupations. Finally, socialresources such as supportive relationships are more common in those with higher education. This mayimpart a protective effect against certain risk factors related to poor health.The third and concluding part of the report examines the multitude of recommendations that existin the scientific literature and policy reports we reviewed. Many of the recommendations are vague, andfew are supported by evidence of success. Fewer still are based on evidence of improved academicoutcomes. We propose our own recommendations based on this evidentiary approach, also payingattention to the state of policy in Texas. Another concluding consideration is how chronic health conditionsaffect attendance and ultimately school funding. If chronic conditions increase absenteeism, they alsoresult in a cost burden for schools, given that student attendance rates influence school funding. Wesought to determine the formula that the Texas Education Agency uses to allocate funds for Texas schooldistricts. Based on that formula we estimate the daily cost for one student’s absence is between $17 and$18. Table 1 compares estimates of per-pupil/per-day costs from several independent resources. Also, ifaverage daily attendance is increased by 1%, Texas school districts could receive an additional $130million from the state. Table 1, reproduced here from Part Three, shows the range of estimates available.To be sure, interventions that reduce absenteeism for less than about $18 per student will pay forthemselves, over and above the benefits brought to the children they serve.Table 1. Comparison of per student per day costsOrganizationPer Pupil StateExpenditure ($)Per Pupil StateExpenditure per Day ($)Source of InformationHumble Independent SchoolDistrict5714 1 32.29 a http://www.humble.k12.tx.us/legislativeInfo_attendance.htmFort Worth IndependentSchool District4720 2 26.22 b http://www.fortworthisd.org/comm/media/05_13_05.pdfAction for Healthy Kids 9.00-20.00 c http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/devel/pdf/LC_Color_120204_final.pdfAverage DistrictHouston ISD3115 3 17.31 d Action for Healthy Kids estimates1652 3 9.18 d Action for Healthy Kids estimatesInstitute for Health Policy 3145 4 17.50 e1 Information retrieved 2005/07/27; 2 2003-2004; 3 Per pupil revenue from state,Texas,1999-2000; 4 2002-03;a Information from website; b Information from website (per student expenditure/days of instruction = 4,720/180); c Reportinformation; d Information provided by Action for Healthy Kids; e Proper estimationE-iii