Technical Assistance Model

NASBE’s philosophy toward leadership in school health follows the “Through-Line,” an education leadership model designed focusing on how policies and initiatives are developed and implemented at various levels within a state.  The Center for Safe and Healthy Schools has adapted the Through-Line for health topics, to help states conceptualize the best policies and implementation strategies to use in improving the health of students.

We utilize a four-tiered technical assistance model to support state boards of education and other key state education leaders to adopt, strengthen and implement policies that promote healthy eating, physical activity, and obesity prevention in schools.  The four tiers are targeted to different groups of states:

  • Resources to All States—We provide certain types of technical assistance and resources to all states.  See the Resources section below.
  • CDC DASH-Funded States—We provides ongoing technical assistance as requested to states that are funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Adolescent and School Health (CDC DASH) to address Coordinated School Health.  See the map below of participating states.  Forms of technical assistance may include providing tools and resources, presenting at conferences, holding individual consultations, reviewing materials, and more. CDC DASH-funded states that would like assistance in these areas should contact Whitney Meagher.
  • Previous NASBE Grantee States—We provide ongoing assistance to previous grantee states and states that have participated in past NASBE grants and events.  See the Resources section for more information.
  • Current NASBE Grantee States—We currently provide grants and direct, intensive technical assistance to eight states to create sustainable programmatic/policy changes and partnerships that support healthy school environments that include healthy eating, physical activity, and obesity prevention.

Map of Participating CDC DASH-Funded States

NASBE Grantee States

This work is supported by two grants:

  • Improving Nutrition and the Health of Students Project (CDC)
    NASBE’s Healthy Eating Project is funded through a five year cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC), Division of Adolescent and School Health.  The project’s main purpose is to provide research-based capacity-building assistance and information to education policymakers and state and local education agency staff, to create sustainable programmatic/policy changes and partnerships that support healthy school environments and healthy eating at school. As part of this project NASBE awarded two-year grants (2009-2011) to the state boards of education in Arkansas, Michigan, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania to develop and implement key school health policies. Scroll down to “State Grantee Successes” to read about each state’s key accomplishments.
  • Advancing Policies to Support Healthy Eating and Active Living Initiative (RWJF)
    The State Innovation in Education Policy and Implementation to Address Childhood Obesity (SIPICO) project, supported by Leadership for Healthy Communities (LHC), a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF),  is based upon NASBE’s longstanding work with the CDC’s Healthy Eating Initiative and builds upon the relationships and policy opportunities developed in NASBE’s previous LHC project (2008-2010). The SIPICO project assists states to adopt, strengthen and implement obesity prevention policies, develop successful models and resources for other states across the nation and generate important perspectives for federal and national policymakers.  Four states (Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Georgia) have been awarded two-year grants (2010-2012) under this project to support development and implementation of state policies addressing healthy eating, physical activity, marketing, and health education in schools.  Scroll down to “State Grantee Successes” to read about each state’s key accomplishments.