Driving Change in Texas Schools through Innovation and Collaboration

July 29, 2024  | By Hannah Gilbert

School Community of Practice

Schools are influential in shaping the physical, social, and mental well-being of youth. As students spend nearly eight hours a day at school and consume a significant percent of their daily nutrition there, it is essential to cultivate an environment where students can thrive in mind, heart, and body.

Recognizing the need for a comprehensive approach to student well-being, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model, also known as the WSCC model. According to CDC Healthy Schools, this framework is “student-centered and emphasizes the role of the community in supporting the school, the connections between health and academic achievement, and the importance of evidence-based school policies and practices.”

Building on the CDC’s framework, we launched the School Community of Practice with our partners at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center who work on preventing cancer through proactive health initiatives that emphasize education and awareness.

Our School Community of Practice serves as a continuous, supportive, and interactive professional network for health and physical education leaders across school districts in the Houston and Austin metropolitan areas, aiming to promote best practices in whole child wellness.

During the 2023-2024 school year, a total of seven meetings were held with great success. Each meeting typically had representation from up to twelve districts bringing together individuals from various roles, including school administrators, nurses, health and physical education teachers, health coordinators, and curriculum directors.

Districts volunteered to host meetings, each incorporating a comprehensive school or facility tour. This approach provided tangible context for discussing the integration of the WSSC model. During the tours, participants proudly highlighted several features such as school gardens, innovative learning environments, and district-led initiatives like culinary programs and outdoor learning centers to showcase their commitment to these initiatives.

A School Community of Practice meeting held at Humble ISD in Houston, Texas. Various student learning environments were showcased and students in the culinary program prepared food for the group.

Katy Oestman, Principal at Daybreak Consulting, LLC, and a deeply involved supporter from MD Anderson, emphasized the importance of these gatherings, noting, “Talking with others is crucial to keeping ideas fresh and exciting. Conversation often inspires change!”

Additionally, the first meeting of the school year centered around a goal-setting exercise based on a K-2 lesson from CATCH’s Health Ed Journeys program, “3 Stars and a Wish”. This exercise helped set the tone for the year by supporting district representatives to identify their districts’ successes and needs for improvement. This later laid the foundation for districts to apply for a $5,000 grant funded by MD Anderson to support their envisioned health and wellness initiatives, a key highlight for the 2023-2024 School Community of Practice.

Fort Bend ISD was one of five districts funded through the School Community of Practice grants who used its funding to support their Action Based Learning (ABL) project. A representative of Fort Bend ISD shared, “Fort Bend ISD established ABL Labs at seven elementary campuses. After gathering data on the impact of ABL from teachers on campus, we found that implementing ABL improves (student) focus, behavior, and memory retention.”

At the final meeting of the school year, participants took time to reflect on their journey and accomplishments. A representative of Hays CISD shared, “This has been an experience yet to be offered in my 24 year career. I absolutely love it! Coordinated School Health has been a struggle for my district for years. It is helpful to hear from CATCH and other districts what they are doing and how they did it.”

As the 2023-2024 school year has concluded for the School Community of Practice, we recognize the dedication of each school professional who has joined us in sharing their successes and challenges. Each participant illustrated the possibility that when communities come together with a common goal, they can create lasting positive change and cultivate environments where every child has the opportunity to thrive in mind, heart, and body.

The School Community of Practice was not just a series of meetings, but a vibrant and ongoing dialogue among dedicated professionals who are committed to education and student well-being.

We are excited to share that this unique collaborative is set to continue during the 2024-2025 school year welcoming new districts to participate!

Participating districts are not required to use CATCH programs. If you are interested in participating in the Houston or Austin area School Community of Practice, we invite you to complete this form and contact CATCH’s Director of Implementation & Engagement Abby Rose at [email protected] with any questions.

For more information about The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, please visit their website.