Strategies for Using the WSCC Framework

The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model is CDC’s framework for addressing health in schools. The model focuses on the student and emphasizes the collaboration between schools, communities, public health, and health care sectors to align resources in support of the whole child.

Although not all-inclusive, below are examples of evidence-based strategies and promising practices for using the WSCC framework to promote student health before, during and after school. Downloadable graphics are available below for use in presentations, on websites, and handouts.

School Health Services Strategies
WSCC Component	School Health Services Strategies
Health Services	Deliver clinical services to students with acute and chronic health conditions. Educate students and their caregivers about chronic conditions and coordinate care with external health care providers. Train appropriate school staff on how to provide resources that support students with chronic health conditions.
Nutrition Environment and Services	Provide options for children with special dietary needs, per federal regulations. Help manage the nutritional needs of students with chronic health conditions, including food allergies and diabetes. Refer students to community-based health care providers and healthy eating services.
Physical Education and Physical Activity	Encourage all students to participate in physical activity, regardless of ability, unless health conditions prevent it. Ensure access to free drinking water in the gym and other physical activity areas.
Health Education	Make sure that students get a comprehensive health education that includes information on common chronic health conditions. Use CDC’s Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool to help improve the delivery of health education.
Community Involvement	Involve local hospitals, health care plans, health departments, school-based and community health centers, and other health organizations in school health initiatives. Connect with out-of-school programs about access to health services and students with chronic health conditions.
Family Engagement	Give parents opportunities to learn about chronic health conditions and school health services. Encourage families to participate in school-based programs and activities that promote healthy behaviors.
Employee Wellness	Create a healthy work environment for staff. Encourage school staff to model healthy behaviors.
Physical Environment	Provide a safe physical environment, both outside and inside school buildings, by ensuring proper cleaning, maintenance, and ventilation and limiting exposure to chemicals and pollutants.
Social and Emotional Climate	Promote a positive school climate where respect is encouraged and students can seek help from trusted adults.
Counseling, Psychological, and Social Services	Identify, track, and provide direct care to students with emotional, behavioral, mental health, or social needs. Help students with chronic health conditions during transitions, such as changes in schools or family structure. Provide or refer students and families to school- and community-based counseling services.

Nutrition Strategies
WSCC Component	Nutrition Strategies
Nutrition Environment and Services	Allow students sufficient time to eat their meal. Provide options for children with special dietary needs, per federal regulations. Provide opportunities for students to learn about healthy eating, such as nutrition education. Implement policies and practices to increase students’ access to and consumption of healthy foods and beverages including Providing access to healthy and appealing foods and beverages, such as school meals, smart snacks, and water access. Ensuring consistent messages about healthy eating, such as healthy marketing and promotion.
Physical Education and Physical Activity	Ensure that students have access to free drinking water in the gym and other physical activity areas. Create school gardens to provide students with an opportunity to be physically active.
Health Education	Include nutrition education as part of a comprehensive health education curricula. Ensure that the health education curricula align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015–2020 and address the healthy eating behavior outcomes in CDC’s Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool.
Community Involvement	Set up joint-use agreements for shared spaces, such as community kitchens and school gardens. Link schools with out-of-school programs that promote healthy eating. Involve staff members from universities, hospitals, health centers, and other health organizations in school initiatives on healthy eating.
Family Engagement	Encourage schools to provide materials about school nutrition programs and nutrition education in languages that students and parents speak at home. Provide families with monthly menus for meal programs. Encourage family members to eat a school meal with their child. Provide educational opportunities for parents to learn about healthy eating. Encourage families to participate in school programs and activities that promote healthy eating.
Employee Wellness	Encourage school staff to model healthy eating behaviors. Ensure that school staff have access to healthy foods and beverages in faculty vending machines.
Physical Environment	Give students access to safe drinking water across the school building or campus. Give students the opportunity to learn how to grow food—for example, by creating a school garden. Make certain cafeteria is clean and has enough seating. Decorate cafeteria with posters, artwork, and displays that promote healthier foods and beverages, such as fruit and vegetables. Align food or beverage marketing in the school with Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards. Promote healthy options using behavioral design strategies—for example, by placing health placing fruits and vegetables to the front of the school meal line or near the cash register.
Social and Emotional Climate	Ensure that food is never used as a reward or punishment. Make sure that students who receive free or reduced price meals are not identified. Do not exclude students from meal times as punishment. Do not impose “eat in silence” rules. Ensure that students with unpaid meal balances are not overtly identified and are provided an appropriate alternate meal. Give students the opportunity to provide feedback to inform menu development. Display student artwork in the service area or dining space. Invite students, teachers, or administrators to give the breakfast or lunch menu in daily school announcements.
Counseling, Psychological, and Social Services	Train school staff to recognize signs of eating disorders and disordered eating. Ensure that school staff can confidentially refer students to appropriate staff members for follow-up and referral to primary care providers as needed
Health Services	Manage the nutritional needs of students with chronic health conditions, such as food allergies or diabetes. Refer students to community-based health-care providers and healthy eating services.

Out of School Time (OST) Strategies
WSCC Component	Out of School Time (OST) Strategies
Physical Environment	Provide access to safe drinking water across the school building or campus before and after school. Set up agreements that allow schools and out of school time programs to share space—for example, shared access to classrooms, gyms, and playgrounds; space for food storage and prep; and use and maintenance of school gardens. Use posters, pictures, books, etc. that promote positive messages about nutritious foods and physical activity in OST.
Social and Emotional Climate	Ensure that food and physical activity are not used rewards or punishments. Foster social emotional learning by integrating positive youth development principles during program planning—for example, focusing on strengths and positive outcomes.
Counseling, Psychological, and Social Services	Recognize the role that staff can play in connecting students and their families with services in the school or community.
Health Services	Promote communication between school staff and OST providers to help manage the needs of students with chronic health conditions such as food allergies, diabetes, and asthma.
Nutrition Environment and Services	Use policies and practices that ensure that students have access to healthy foods and beverages in OST programs and during the summer. Coordinate with school food services departments to sponsor programs to provide nutritionally balanced, low-cost, or free meals and snacks throughout the calendar year.
Physical Education and Physical Activity	Make sure before and after school programs are a part of the Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program framework. Provide opportunities for students to be physically active before and after school—for example, through intramural sports, walking clubs, and active transportation to and from school. Integrate physical activity into after-school and summer programs that operate on school grounds.
Health Education	Invite qualified personnel, such as Certified Health Education teachers, to provide nutrition education in after-school programs.
Community Involvement	Invite qualified members of the community, such as university extension staff, to provide training and professional development or lead specific activities. Involve staff members from OST programs, both school- and community-based, in school initiatives that address healthy eating, such as school wellness teams or wellness committees.
Family Engagement	Provide opportunities for parents to learn about healthy eating or to practice being active with their children. Design family event nights that include physical activity and healthy eating, such as brief “Stay and Play” activities.
Employee Wellness	Encourage OST staff to model healthy eating and physical activity behaviors. Provide OST staff with opportunities to learn about physical activity, nutrition, and healthy lifestyle behaviors.

Physical Education and Physical Activity Strategies
WSCC Component	Physical Education and Physical Activity Strategies
Physical Education and Physical Activity	Implement policies and practices that support a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program, including physical education, recess, classroom physical activity, intramurals, physical activity clubs, walk- and bicycle-to-school initiatives, and interscholastic sports. Implement policies and practices that support physical education, such as: Requiring daily physical education. Having a written curriculum. Providing opportunities for certification licensure for PE teachers. Making sure students get moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for at least 50% of class time. Prohibiting the withholding of physical education or the use of physical activity as a punishment.
Health Education	Include physical activity as part of comprehensive health education. Ensure that health education curricula align with the national and state standards for physical education and address the physical activity behavior outcomes in CDC’s Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool. Reinforce the information taught in physical education classes and provide opportunities for students to apply it.
Community Involvement	Establish partnerships between schools and local government to create joint-use agreements to allow public access to school facilities, fitness centers, gymnasiums, or running tracks. Link to out-of-school programs that promote physical activity. Involve community organizations in school initiatives on physical education and physical activity. Leverage community resources to purchase equipment and safety gear, create safer environments for play such as safe playgrounds, and provide physically active transportation to school, such as traffic interventions.
Family Engagement	Provide materials about physical education and physical activity in languages that students and parents speak at home. Involve families on the school health council and engage them in promoting policies and practices for physical education and physical activity. Survey the interests of families to help offer needed physical activity initiatives. Encourage family members to volunteer in physical education classes or other physical activity programs.
Employee Wellness	Encourage school staff to model physical activity behaviors. Provide staff with access to physical activity opportunities through staff wellness programs. Provide physical activity breaks during staff meetings. Develop, implement, and evaluate physical activity programs for all school employees.
Physical Environment	Assess, inspect, and maintain all spaces and facilities for physical activity, including playing fields, playgrounds, gyms, swimming pools, multipurpose rooms, and fitness centers. Ensure safe routes to school. Provide safe and age-appropriate playgrounds and equipment for physical education, physical activity, and recess during the school day. Post safety rules and teach them to students. Provide students with protective clothing and equipment appropriate for the type of physical activity and the environment.
Social and Emotional Climate	Establish social norms that increase physical activity behaviors of students and staff members, such as morning physical activity for all over intercom system. Establish policies and practices that allow full participation by all students in physical activity and physical education. Do not use physical activity as punishment or withhold opportunities for physical activity as a form of punishment.
Counseling, Psychological, and Social Services	Assess student needs related to physical activity and provide counseling and other services to meet those needs. Help students overcome barriers to physical activity and help them find social support, cope with teasing, set goals, and make healthy decisions.
Health Services	Refer students with physical activity concerns to health services staff members. Encourage collaboration between health staff members and physical education teachers to establish a healthy environment that promotes physical activity messages and activities. Implement individualized health plans established for students with chronic health conditions and encourage them to participate fully in structured and unstructured physical activity.
Nutrition Environment and Services	Ensure access to free drinking water in the gym and other physical activity areas. Promote only healthy foods; physical activity, such as dance-a-thons; or nonfood items for school sports or physical education program fundraisers.