Numerous scientific reviews, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have found that school health programs can have a positive affect on educational outcomes, as well as on health risk behaviors and health outcomes.1 Children who come to school in good health are more likely to experience desirable academic outcomes, including higher grades, class partici­pation, school attendance, and standardized test scores. As a result, many states and school systems have taken on the challenge of promoting positive student health.

In 2000, the Tennessee Legislature passed the Coordi­nated School Health Improvement Act (TCA § 49-1- 1002) and the State Board of Education created Coordi­nated School Health (CSH) Standards and Guidelines. Implementation of the CSH Initiative, aimed at improv­ing the health of Tennessee public school children, got underway in 2001. The project began in ten pilot districts and expanded to the rest of the state on July 1, 2007 with additional state funding.

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State Innovations - Tennessee’s Coordinated School Health Initiative