Early Effects of the Federally Mandated Local Wellness Policy on School Nutrition Environments Appear Modest in Colorado's Rural, Low-Income Elementary Schools

US school districts participating in federal child nutrition programs are required to develop a local wellness policy (LWP). Each district is allowed flexibility in policy development, including the approaches used for policy reporting, monitoring, and evaluation (RME). The aim of this convergent mixed-methods study was to quantitatively examine RME provisions in policies among a nationally representative sample of districts in the 2014–2015 school year in order to examine whether policies were associated with RME practices in those districts, and to qualitatively examine perceived challenges to RME practices. Data were compiled through the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study and the National Wellness Policy Study. In multivariable regression models accounting for demographics, survey respondents were significantly more likely to report that their district had informed the public about LWP content and implementation, if there was a relevant policy provision in place. Having a strong policy (as compared to no policy) requiring evaluation was associated with reports that the district had indeed evaluated implementation. Having definitive/required provisions in policies was significantly associated with actual use of RME practices. RME activities are an important part of policy implementation, and these results show that policy provisions addressing RME activities must be written with strong language to require compliance. In interviews with 39 superintendents, many reported that RME activities are challenging, including difficulty determining how to monitor and show impact of their district’s wellness initiatives. Furthermore, the qualitative results highlighted the need for vetted tools that are freely available, widely used, and feasible for districts to use in assessing their progress toward meeting the goals in their LWPs.

Download Full-text

Local Wellness Policy Strength and Perceived Implementation of School Nutrition Standards across Three States

Childhood Obesity ◽

10.1089/chi.2012.0047 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 331-338 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Rachel Wall ◽

Ruth Litchfield ◽

Alicia Carriquiry ◽

Elaine T. McDonnell ◽

Gail M. Woodward-Lopez

Keyword(s):

School Nutrition ◽

Wellness Policy ◽

Local Wellness Policy ◽

Nutrition Standards

Download Full-text

Stable or Changing? Racial/Ethnic Compositions in American Public Schools, 2000 to 2015

Teachers College Record ◽

10.1177/016146811912100901 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 121 (9) ◽

pp. 1-36

Author(s):

Siri Warkentien

Keyword(s):

Elementary Schools ◽

Low Income ◽

Student Population ◽

Ethnic Composition ◽

School Level ◽

Racial Change ◽

School Diversity ◽

Public Elementary Schools ◽

Diverse Schools ◽

Racial Ethnic

Background/Context Trends in district and metropolitan school segregation over the past several decades have been well documented, but less attention has focused on the racial/ethnic composition changes at individual schools that generate aggregate trends. These shortcomings limit our ability to understand complex and dynamic patterns of racial/ethnic change within schools, which may in turn prevent policy interventions that could increase school diversity and direct needed educational resources to schools. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study This study identifies distinct trajectories of racial/ethnic change occurring in public elementary schools between 2000 and 2015 and describes the characteristics and prevalence of each trajectory. In addition, the study examines how initial levels of school poverty are associated with membership in different trajectories. Research Design This secondary data analysis relies on data from the National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data (CCD) and employs latent class growth analysis. Findings/Results Despite the rapidly changing demographics of the overall student population, approximately 45% of all public elementary schools in the sample had stable racial compositions between 2000 and 2015. Close to half of the remaining schools, about 25% overall, experienced racial change at such a pace that they will be completely minority isolated within the next several decades if the pace continues. In the remaining schools, the pace of racial change is sufficiently slow to maintain diverse schools for many decades. Schools experiencing rapid Hispanic growth tend to have initially higher proportions of low-income students, indicating where racial change may likely occur and where schools will become racially and socioeconomically isolated without proactive policies in place. Conclusions/Recommendations Results suggest that absent intentional interventions that target the type of change trajectories being experienced at the school level, the overall increasing diversity of the student population will not likely lead to sustainably diverse schools for the majority of students. Providing the benefits of a non-racially isolated education for all children is possible, but we must first identify the school trajectories of change and stability, then determine the most appropriate strategy for improving school diversity, and finally provide the resources and policies needed to foster and maintain diverse schools that are inclusive of all students.

Download Full-text

District Wellness Policy Nutrition Standards Are Associated with Healthier District Food Procurement Practices in the United States

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12113417 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 3417 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Elizabeth Piekarz-Porter ◽

Julien Leider ◽

Lindsey Turner ◽

Jamie F. Chriqui

Keyword(s):

Child Nutrition ◽

The United States ◽

School Nutrition ◽

Wellness Policy ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Cost Study ◽

Food Purchasing ◽

Food Procurement ◽

Wellness Policies ◽

Nutrition Standards

Food procurement policies often exist to require that schools purchase foods with specific nutrient standards. Such policies are increasingly being used with the hope of improving access to healthier foods and beverages. Local wellness policies, required in any school district that participates in Federal Child Nutrition Programs, often contain specific nutrition standards that detail what can be sold to students during the school day. This study investigated the extent to which nutrition standards in wellness policies may be associated with healthier nutrition standards in district-level purchasing specifications. Cross-sectional data from the 2014–2015 school year for 490 school food authorities from 46 states and the District of Columbia were collected as part of the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study and the National Wellness Policy Study. Survey-adjusted multivariable logistic regression models were computed to examine the association between district wellness policy nutrition standards and corresponding district food purchasing specifications. Results show that having a district wellness policy with corresponding nutrition standards and being in a rural area were associated with district food purchasing specifications for specific nutrients. These findings contribute to the literature to suggest that having a wellness policy with detailed nutrition standards may help to increase access to healthier foods and beverages.

Download Full-text

Study Design and Protocol to Assess Fruit and Vegetable Waste at School Lunches

Behavioral Sciences ◽

10.3390/bs9090101 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (9) ◽

pp. 101 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Allison Marshall ◽

Gregory Bounds ◽

Krista Patlovich ◽

Christine Markham ◽

Alicia Farhat ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Elementary Schools ◽

Low Income ◽

Retention Rate ◽

Nutrition Intervention ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

School Lunches ◽

Additional Time ◽

Plate Waste ◽

Time Points ◽

Quasi Experimental

This paper has two main aims: (1) to describe the design, implementation, and testing of a protocol to assess longitudinal changes in F&V plate waste conducted as part of a quasi-experimental study, (2) to provide baseline descriptive data on school demographics and study participants. This paper describes the protocol development and implementation, and presents baseline data of a longitudinal fruit and vegetable (F&V) plate waste study. The protocol was developed to determine the preliminary impact of Brighter Bites, a 16-week school-based nutrition intervention, on F&V wasted and nutrients wasted from school lunches. We measured plate waste using a quasi-experimental design (n = 2 intervention schools receiving Brighter Bites, n=1 comparison school; n = 115 4th and 5th grade children). We measured plate waste for five days at each of four time points over the 2017–2018 academic year (baseline prior to intervention, three additional time points). Data collectors measured lunch F&V waste using digital scales and recorded weights on a data collection app. This study was conducted in three central Texas public elementary schools serving predominantly low-income families (>89% of children on free/reduced lunch program). On average, at baseline, 59.1% of all F&V were wasted and children tried <1 F&V at meals. Foods most wasted were legumes and foods least wasted were par-fried baked potatoes. Final retention rate across the four time points was 75.70%. Measurement inter-rater reliability was 100% (r = 0.99). Our study presents a protocol for detailed, individual-level, longitudinal plate waste assessment in elementary schools.

Download Full-text

Principals for Social Justice: Leaders of School Success for Children from Low-Income Homes

Journal of School Leadership ◽

10.1177/105268460201200303 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 281-304 ◽

Cited By ~ 46

Author(s):

Antoinette F. Riester ◽

Victoria Pursch ◽

Linda Skrla

Keyword(s):

Special Education ◽

Social Justice ◽

Elementary Schools ◽

Academic Success ◽

Early Literacy ◽

Low Income ◽

School Success ◽

Democratic Culture ◽

Two Factors

This study examines the role of principals in highly successful elementary schools serving primarily students from low-income homes in influencing two factors viewed as foundational for a school in which social justice is more than simply an abstract ideal: (1) development of early literacy for every child, and (2) avoidance of overidentification and inappropriate placement in special education. Findings discussed include three areas of common beliefs and concomitant practices among the principals of schools in the study: (1) promoting a democratic culture; (2) adopting a prescriptive approach to literacy and academic success; and (3) demonstrating a stubborn persistence in “getting there.”

Download Full-text

Total Sugar in Free Breakfasts Served in Virginia Elementary Schools

Health Behavior and Policy Review ◽

10.14485/hbpr.6.5.4 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (5) ◽

pp. 455-462 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Neha J. Goel ◽

Laura J. Caccavale ◽

Suzanne E. Mazzeo ◽

Hollie A. Raynor ◽

Melanie K. Bean

Keyword(s):

Elementary Schools ◽

Low Income ◽

Fruit Juice ◽

Sugar Content ◽

Total Sugar ◽

Systematic Evaluation ◽

Nutritional Content ◽

School Breakfast Program ◽

Low Income Children

Objective: School meals comprise a significant amount of children's overall dietary intake. The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act made substantial improvements to the nutritional quality of meals served within the School Breakfast Program (SBP); yet, there are limited guidelines regarding sugar. In this study, we carried out a systematic evaluation of the sugar content of breakfast items offered within the SBP in Virginia elementary schools with free meals. Methods: We obtained menus and nutritional information from 32 districts, and examined one week of breakfasts. We categorized entrées based on standard deviations (SD) from the grand mean total sugar available: higher-sugar (>+1 SD), average-sugar (within 1SD), or lower-sugar (>-1 SD). Total sugar (g), energy (kcal), and % energy from sugar were examined for entrées and milk. Results: Across districts, entrées varied in total sugar (0-39g; mean+SD = 10.4±4.5g) and energy (60-530kcal; mean+SD = 205±47.8kcal). Most (96.9%) offered 100% fruit juice; of those that specified, 50.0% offered sugar-sweetened milk. Highly processed foods were prevalent. Conclusion: Findings suggest that meals offered might contribute to excessive overall sugar availability for children. Continued enhancements to the SBP are needed to optimize the nutritional content of meals served to low-income children.

Download Full-text