Find Your School's Strengths and Weaknesses with the School Health Index

The School Health Index (SHI): Self-Assessment & Planning Guide 2012 is an online self-assessment and planning tool that schools can use to improve their health and safety policies and programs. It's easy to use and completely confidential.

The SHI was developed by CDC in partnership with school administrators and staff, school health experts, parents, and national nongovernmental health and education agencies to:

• Enable schools to identify strengths and weaknesses of health and safety policies and programs.
• Enable schools to develop an action plan for improving student health, which can be incorporated into the School Improvement Plan.
• Engage teachers, parents, students, and the community in promoting health-enhancing behaviors and better health.

The SHI is based on CDC’s research-based guidelines for school health programs, which identify the policies and practices most likely to be effective in reducing youth health risk behaviors.

The SHI 2012 features:

• Expanded focus that adds sexual health to the SHI health topics addressed, including policies and practices that schools can follow to help prevent HIV, STDs, and teen pregnancies.
• Revised cross-cutting modules on family and community involvement, health services, and mental health services.
• Updated nutrition content aligned with USDA requirements and recommendations from the Institute of Medicine.

The School Health Index (SHI): Self-Assessment & Planning Guide 2012 (and related materials) is available as an interactive, customizable online tool or downloadable, printable version.

Welcome to MCSHC

The Missouri Coordinated School Health Coalition (MCSHC) is a collaborative of organizations and individuals whose primary responsibility is to assist schools in their student health and wellness initiatives. The coalition does this by promoting the use of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) coordinated school health model. This model focuses on improving students’ health and their capacity to learn through families, schools, and communities working together. The model consists of eight interactive components that develop and emphasize health-related knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors. Schools work within the family and community structure to ensure optimal health and wellness for children.