Student Achievement - 2
Marion County
Families and Communities Together
Core Result: Children succeeding in school
Benchmark: Student achievement on MAP test
February 2002
Objective
Decrease the number of days missed by students at Eugene Field Elementary School from 91 in 2001 to 88 by 2005. Thus increasing the attendance rate 3 percent, from 94.7 percent to 97.7 percent.
Strategies
Health Educator
A Health Educator has assumed responsibility of working with children and their families if a child loses more than two days of school because of repeated or health issues, including such things as head lice infestations or medication problems.
Academic performance is expected to improve with an increase in school attendance.
As part of the strategy, the Health Educator works with each family addressing the underlying reasons behind the ongoing illness. For example, the Health Educator teaches how and why a lice infestation occurs, and then demonstrates preventive measures to stop a reinfestation.
It was because of repeated head lice infestations, that the Health Educator program was implemented in the 1999-2000 school year. It started in just one Hannibal school, Eugene Field Elementary. The Health Educator also deals with other referred health issues including such things as arranging for eyeglasses or dental services, providing instruction on food and nutrition and hygiene, and assisting with diabetes management.
Observations/Actions
The success of the Health Educator in the one school saw the program expand in September 2001 to include all of Hannibal’s schools. The focus changed to encompass any health issue that caused multiple absences from school. Another change this year was partnering the Health Educator with the Ambassadors program, another FACT strategy that is trying to address the benchmark of school performance.
Challenges
Implementing the strategy of a Health Educator beyond the elementary school level. Referrals have been limited at the middle school and high school levels.
Results
From the peak of 734 days lost at Eugene Field Elementary School due to head lice in the 1998-99 school year, a decrease of 378 days, or 51 percent, occurred in the 1999-2000 school year – the first year of the program. An even greater decrease in days lost occurred the following year. In 1999-2000, there were 356 days lost due to head lice infestation; in the 2000-01 the number of days lost was 91. This showed a decrease of 75 percent. From the peak of 734 days lost in the 1998-99 school an 88 percent decrease in absences occurred due to head lice because of the intervention of the health educator.
Funding/Return on Investment
The salary and benefits for the Health Educator, totaling $29,000, come from Caring Communities flexible funding. An additional $971 of Caring Communities flexible funds are also used for supplies. Marion County Health Department contributes $7,470.56 toward the Health Educator’s salary and benefits, and that also includes $1,900 for in-kind services of office, telephone, supplies and supervision.
The Return
An added benefit of the strategy, or a return on the investment, is the money gained by the Hannibal School District. The increase in attendance meant the school district received an additional $4,301.64 in 1999-2001, and $4,618.95 2000-01, in funding based on attendance.
Noteworthy
The problem with chronic head lice among children changed from being seen as just a family issue or a school issue or a medical issue to being a community issue. Through close work with families and school personnel, including school nurses, the Health Educator was able to change attitudes and mindset concerning the problem of head lice, which led to such a dramatic decrease in incidents as well as a strong cooperative relationship between the Health Educator and most in the school and medical community. Similar changes are hoped for concerning other chronic health issues.
Barriers / Road Blocks
One of the key, initial obstacles involved was developing working relationships and a sense of trust with the children, families and the schools and others. It was only after building trust between the Health Educator and the families, the school and medical community that the Health Educator was able to make strides in helping children, their families and the schools.
