8. Evaluate the Results
The federal legislation requires that you develop a plan for measuring the implementation of the policy, which includes designating one or more persons with responsibility for ensuring that the school meets federal requirements.
Your Objectives
A good evaluation plan does not need to be extensive, formal or put additional undue burdens on staff that is involved in the process. This is an ongoing process and should be reviewed as your policy is updated and as changes continue to be made.
Steps for Evaluating the Wellness Policy:
- Establish a plan for measuring implementation of the local wellness policy
- Designate one or more persons with operational responsibility for ensuring that the school is meeting the policy
- Periodically assess how well the policy is being managed and enforced
- Update or amend the policy as the process moves on
- Document any financial impact to the school foodservice program, school stores, or vending machine revenues
- Assess student, parent, teacher, and administration satisfaction with the new policies
Helpful Resources
- Local Wellness Policy Checklist from the Pennsylvania Board of Education
- New Hampshire Evaluation Checklist
- Rhode Island Healthy Schools Coalition Assessment Survey
- School Wellness Policy Assessment Tool (Minneapolis Public Schools)
- Local Wellness Policy Implementation Action Plan Checklist (CO DOE)
- School Health Index from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- National Evaluation and Measurement Meeting on School Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies
- Gold Medal Rating Scale for Elementary Schools (MA Action for Healthy Kids)
- Gold Medal Rating Scale for High Schools (MA Action for Healthy Kids)
Hear from the Virtual Wellness Policy Team
- The federal legislation mandates that a wellness policy specify how its impact will be measured. Is this a good idea?
- How effective will school boards be at evaluating the impact of various aspects of their wellness policy?
- What measures do you look at to see if you're making progress?
- What steps are you taking to evaluate your physical education offerings?
- How might a district overcome the expense of collecting data on physical fitness?