Austin, Texas
The University of Texas Elementary School’s (UTES) Healthy Families Initiative includes all the components of a great Coordinated School Health program recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In addition, UTES is a pioneer in applying the Response to Intervention model to wellness. This model dictates that each student receives instruction based on his or her needs which ensures that each student receives core quality instruction in health, nutrition, and PE, with national standards of physical activity time. Students’ BMI, physical activity rate, nutrition habits, and screen time are monitored, and those who are not responding are given additional instruction during school time (called the A-Team) and invited to participate in the after school program (Wellnest) 10 hours each week. UTES has seen the rate of overweight students drop from 68% to 47% in just four years. This model has been shared at national health educator conferences, and educators from Maine and Connecticut have adopted similar models. We hope to continue sharing our methods and practices.