Children's Health and Achievement in School

Children's Health and Achievement in School PDF Author: Jere R. Behrman
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 9780821328538
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 60

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Book Description
The commonly held view is that extremely poor health hurts educational achievement. This study examined the possibility of biases in standard estimation of effects and illustrated empirically, based on Ghanaian Living Standard of Measurement Study data, that there was not a significant effect of child health on child cognitive achievement. Consideration was given to the endogenous determination of child health. Child health was determined by anthropometry. Cognitive achievement test scores and preschool ability measured schooling success and child endowments respectively. Household and community characteristics and sibling data were used to measure family and community fixed effects. The conclusion, based on ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation and instrumental variable level estimates, was that child health did not impact on child cognitive achievement. The differences between the instrumental variable estimates and the within family and within community estimates suggested bias. Four basic conclusions were drawn. 1) Considerable bias occurred in prior studies, because there was a failure to account for estimation problems. 2) Inclusion of instrumental variables, assumed to be independent of the disturbance term in the cognitive achievement production function, and without controls for simultaneity, suggested a downward bias. 3) The bias was upward when estimates with sibling data were accounted for. Unobserved family and community effects can cause upward biases. 4) Coefficients, which are supposed to represent the impact of child health on schooling, may not do so. In the discussion of model specification, it was pointed out that upward bias can occur with heterogeneity in preferences regarding child quality, in unobserved predetermined family endowments that affect production of child quality, and in unobserved predetermined community endowments that affect child quality production. The unobserved predetermined child characteristics affect both child health and cognitive achievement in the same direction. There can be unobserved heterogeneity in access to capital markets. The 2 stage least squares procedure was found to overstate the impact of child health and cause greater distortions than OLS estimates.

Children's Health and Achievement in School

Children's Health and Achievement in School PDF Author: Jere R. Behrman
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 9780821328538
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 60

Get Book Here

Book Description
The commonly held view is that extremely poor health hurts educational achievement. This study examined the possibility of biases in standard estimation of effects and illustrated empirically, based on Ghanaian Living Standard of Measurement Study data, that there was not a significant effect of child health on child cognitive achievement. Consideration was given to the endogenous determination of child health. Child health was determined by anthropometry. Cognitive achievement test scores and preschool ability measured schooling success and child endowments respectively. Household and community characteristics and sibling data were used to measure family and community fixed effects. The conclusion, based on ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation and instrumental variable level estimates, was that child health did not impact on child cognitive achievement. The differences between the instrumental variable estimates and the within family and within community estimates suggested bias. Four basic conclusions were drawn. 1) Considerable bias occurred in prior studies, because there was a failure to account for estimation problems. 2) Inclusion of instrumental variables, assumed to be independent of the disturbance term in the cognitive achievement production function, and without controls for simultaneity, suggested a downward bias. 3) The bias was upward when estimates with sibling data were accounted for. Unobserved family and community effects can cause upward biases. 4) Coefficients, which are supposed to represent the impact of child health on schooling, may not do so. In the discussion of model specification, it was pointed out that upward bias can occur with heterogeneity in preferences regarding child quality, in unobserved predetermined family endowments that affect production of child quality, and in unobserved predetermined community endowments that affect child quality production. The unobserved predetermined child characteristics affect both child health and cognitive achievement in the same direction. There can be unobserved heterogeneity in access to capital markets. The 2 stage least squares procedure was found to overstate the impact of child health and cause greater distortions than OLS estimates.

Health and Academic Achievement

Health and Academic Achievement PDF Author: Blandina Bernal-Morales
Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand
ISBN: 1789237300
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 268

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Book Description
Emotional, physical and social well-being describe human health from birth. Good health goes hand in hand with the ability to handle stress for the future. However, biological factors such as diet, life experiences such as drug abuse, bullying, burnout and social factors such as family and community support at the school stage tend to mold health problems, affecting academic achievements. This book is a compilation of current scientific information about the challenges that students, families and teachers face regarding health and academic achievements. Contributions also relate to how physical activity, psychosocial support and other interventions can be made to understand resilience and vulnerability to school desertion. This book will be of interest to readers from broad professional fields, non-specialist readers, and those involved in education policy.

Educating the Student Body

Educating the Student Body PDF Author: Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309283140
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 503

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Book Description
Physical inactivity is a key determinant of health across the lifespan. A lack of activity increases the risk of heart disease, colon and breast cancer, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, osteoporosis, anxiety and depression and others diseases. Emerging literature has suggested that in terms of mortality, the global population health burden of physical inactivity approaches that of cigarette smoking. The prevalence and substantial disease risk associated with physical inactivity has been described as a pandemic. The prevalence, health impact, and evidence of changeability all have resulted in calls for action to increase physical activity across the lifespan. In response to the need to find ways to make physical activity a health priority for youth, the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment was formed. Its purpose was to review the current status of physical activity and physical education in the school environment, including before, during, and after school, and examine the influences of physical activity and physical education on the short and long term physical, cognitive and brain, and psychosocial health and development of children and adolescents. Educating the Student Body makes recommendations about approaches for strengthening and improving programs and policies for physical activity and physical education in the school environment. This report lays out a set of guiding principles to guide its work on these tasks. These included: recognizing the benefits of instilling life-long physical activity habits in children; the value of using systems thinking in improving physical activity and physical education in the school environment; the recognition of current disparities in opportunities and the need to achieve equity in physical activity and physical education; the importance of considering all types of school environments; the need to take into consideration the diversity of students as recommendations are developed. This report will be of interest to local and national policymakers, school officials, teachers, and the education community, researchers, professional organizations, and parents interested in physical activity, physical education, and health for school-aged children and adolescents.

Promoting Health and Academic Success

Promoting Health and Academic Success PDF Author: David A. Birch
Publisher: Human Kinetics
ISBN: 1492585092
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 248

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Book Description
There is increasing evidence that health and academic success go hand in hand. Now educators and health professionals have a new model—the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) approach—to use in promoting health and learning in the schools. This new approach, developed by leaders in education and health, is a transition from the coordinated school health (CSH) model that was introduced in 1987. Promoting Health and Academic Success is a new resource for the transition from CSH to WSCC. Written by national leaders in education and school health, some of whom were involved in the development of WSCC, this book provides direction for education and school health professionals interested in promoting student health. It is valuable for individuals and groups interested in advocating for WSCC and for those engaged in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of this new approach. The book also is a resource for both undergraduate and graduate students in courses that address a coordinated approach to school health. Each chapter includes application activities that engage students in translating their learning in the context of WSCC simulations. In addition, the School Health in Action feature provides case studies that demonstrate the impact school health programs are having in schools across the United States. Applicable to both students and professionals, Promoting Health and Academic Success includes an appendix that presents a thorough guide to using school health assessment tools created by organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and the National Association of State Boards of Education. Following is a partial listing of the tools: • The School Health Index helps schools improve health and safety policies. • The State Schools Health Policy Database facilitates sharing of policies across states. • The Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool encourages children to adopt and maintain health-enhancing behaviors. • The Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool assists schools in analyzing their curricula and comparing it to national physical education standards. • A Parent Engagement tool shares strategies for involving parents in school health. The book is presented in five parts. Part I unveils the new WSCC model, explains its components, and provides a historical overview of coordinated school health. Part II offers insights into the Whole Child initiative and examines the evidence linking health and academic success. Part III explores the crucial role of school administration in ensuring success, ways to meet the diverse needs of students and their families, and methods for getting the community involved. Part IV delves into planning, implementation, and evaluation aspects of WSCC. Part V looks to the future for WSCC and provides perspectives from the field. The appendix supplies the assessment instruments and tools.

Children's Health and Achievement in School

Children's Health and Achievement in School PDF Author: Jere R. Behrman
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 9780821328538
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 306

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Book Description
The differences between the instrumental variable estimates and the within family and within community estimates suggested bias. Four basic conclusions were drawn. 1) Considerable bias occurred in prior studies, because there was a failure to account for estimation problems. 2) Inclusion of instrumental variables, assumed to be independent of the disturbance term in the cognitive achievement production function, and without controls for simultaneity, suggested a downward bias. 3) The bias was upward when estimates with sibling data were accounted for. Unobserved family and community effects can cause upward biases. 4) Coefficients, which are supposed to represent the impact of child health on schooling, may not do so.

Too Many Children Left Behind

Too Many Children Left Behind PDF Author: Bruce Bradbury
Publisher: Russell Sage Foundation
ISBN: 1610448480
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
The belief that with hard work and determination, all children have the opportunity to succeed in life is a cherished part of the American Dream. Yet, increased inequality in America has made that dream more difficult for many to obtain. In Too Many Children Left Behind, an international team of social scientists assesses how social mobility varies in the United States compared with Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Bruce Bradbury, Miles Corak, Jane Waldfogel, and Elizabeth Washbrook show that the academic achievement gap between disadvantaged American children and their more advantaged peers is far greater than in other wealthy countries, with serious consequences for their future life outcomes. With education the key to expanding opportunities for those born into low socioeconomic status families, Too Many Children Left Behind helps us better understand educational disparities and how to reduce them. Analyzing data on 8,000 school children in the United States, the authors demonstrate that disadvantages that begin early in life have long lasting effects on academic performance. The social inequalities that children experience before they start school contribute to a large gap in test scores between low- and high-SES students later in life. Many children from low-SES backgrounds lack critical resources, including books, high-quality child care, and other goods and services that foster the stimulating environment necessary for cognitive development. The authors find that not only is a child’s academic success deeply tied to his or her family background, but that this class-based achievement gap does not narrow as the child proceeds through school. The authors compare test score gaps from the United States with those from three other countries and find smaller achievement gaps and greater social mobility in all three, particularly in Canada. The wider availability of public resources for disadvantaged children in those countries facilitates the early child development that is fundamental for academic success. All three countries provide stronger social services than the United States, including universal health insurance, universal preschool, paid parental leave, and other supports. The authors conclude that the United States could narrow its achievement gap by adopting public policies that expand support for children in the form of tax credits, parenting programs, and pre-K. With economic inequalities limiting the futures of millions of children, Too Many Children Left Behind is a timely study that uses global evidence to show how the United States can do more to level the playing field.

Encyclopedia of School Health

Encyclopedia of School Health PDF Author: David C. Wiley
Publisher: SAGE Publications
ISBN: 1452276242
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 745

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Book Description
Children spend more time at school than anywhere else except home; thus, schools can have a major effect on children′s health by providing a healthy physical environment, serving meals and snacks built around sound nutritional guidelines, and teaching about health, as well as modeling and promoting healthy behaviors. School health services programs involve not only school nurses and focus not only on nursing practice, standards, and performance issues; they also include services and classes to teach students the information and skills they need to become health-literate, to maintain and improve their health, to prevent disease, and to reduce risky behaviors impacting health. School nurses, teachers, administrators, health coordinators, guidance counselors and social workers all join with parents in safeguarding and promoting the health and well-being of school-aged children as a basic foundation for academic success. The Encyclopedia of School Health offers quick access to health and wellness information most relevant to children in America′s K-12 school setting. You′ll find valuable guidance on developmental stages, acute and chronic illnesses, special education, nutrition, crisis response, prevention, and more.

Safe and Healthy School Environments

Safe and Healthy School Environments PDF Author: Howard Frumkin M.D.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199748209
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 481

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Book Description
Millions of children and adults across the nation spend their days in school buildings, and they need safe, healthy environments to thrive, learn, and succeed. This book explores the school environment using the methods and perspectives of environmental health science. Though environmental healht has long been understood to be an important factor in workplaces, homes, and communities, this is the first book to address the same basic concerns in schools. The editors are physicians and educators trained in pediatrics, occupational and environmental medicine, and medical toxicology, and the authors are experts in their fields drawn from across the United States and abroad. Each section of the book addresses a different concern facing schools today. In the first six sections, the various aspects of the school environment are examined. Chapters include the physical environment of the school, air quality issues, pest control, cleaning methods, food safety, safe designs of playgrounds and sports fields, crime and violence prevention, and transportation. In the last two sections, recommendations are made for school administrators on how to maximize the health of their schools. Appropriately evaluating the school environment, implementing strategies to address children and adults with disabilities, emphasizing health services, infectious disease prevention and recognition, and occupational health for faculty and staff are all addressed. The entire book is evidence-based, readable, generously illustrated, and practical. An indispensable resource for parents, school staff, administrators, government officials, and health professionals, this book is for anyone who cares about the health of our schools.

Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth

Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309166608
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
Children's health has clearly improved over the past several decades. Significant and positive gains have been made in lowering rates of infant mortality and morbidity from infectious diseases and accidental causes, improved access to health care, and reduction in the effects of environmental contaminants such as lead. Yet major questions still remain about how to assess the status of children's health, what factors should be monitored, and the appropriate measurement tools that should be used. Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth: Assessing and Improving Child Health provides a detailed examination of the information about children's health that is needed to help policy makers and program providers at the federal, state, and local levels. In order to improve children's health-and, thus, the health of future generations-it is critical to have data that can be used to assess both current conditions and possible future threats to children's health. This compelling book describes what is known about the health of children and what is needed to expand the knowledge. By strategically improving the health of children, we ensure healthier future generations to come.

Handbook of School Mental Health

Handbook of School Mental Health PDF Author: Mark D. Weist
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0387733132
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 389

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Book Description
Turn to this book for practical guidance in attending not only to routine mental health needs of students, but also in responding quickly and effectively to traumatic events. The authors discuss how to build and enhance collaborative approaches among the many stakeholders. You’ll learn how to ensure that best evidence-based practices are used in all systems of care. Next, the handbook introduces strength-based approaches to assessment in schools. Finally, the authors discuss the latest strategies to help you prevent and manage crises while addressing the unique ethical, cultural, and legal challenges of school mental health.