Health

Learn more about how the physical well-being of students and staff impact schools
A young Black girl with her head down on a stack of books at her desk in a classroom
E+/Getty
Student Well-Being What the Research Says One Way to Set Students Up for Success: Let Them Sleep
New federal research suggests students' poor sleep hurts their academic and mental well-being.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 20, 2023
•
2 min read
Drinking fountains are marked "Do Not Drink Until Further Notice" at Flint Northwestern High School in Flint, Mich. on May 4, 2016.
Drinking fountains are marked "Do Not Drink Until Further Notice" at Flint Northwestern High School in Flint, Mich. on May 4, 2016.
Carolyn Kaster/AP
School & District Management Water in Many Schools Isn't Safe to Drink. Here's What Districts Can Do
Lead and other chemicals pollute water students drink every day. But robust testing and installing filtered stations can make a difference.
Mark Lieberman, March 13, 2023
•
10 min read
Person being helped from a pill bottle by a healthcare provider
Student Well-Being Schools Have Been Hit Hard by the Opioid Epidemic. How One Program Is Trying to Help
Educators and health experts discussed how partnerships between school districts and public health organizations could protect students.
Sarah Schwartz, March 7, 2023
•
2 min read
Students from Melissa Millerd’s first-grade class participate in an exercise through the InPACT program during class at North Elementary School in Birch Run, Mich., on March 2, 2023.
First graders in Melissa Millerd’s class participate in an exercise at North Elementary School in Birch Run, Mich., on March 2.
Emily Elconin for Education Week
Student Well-Being What the Research Says 5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Class Activity Breaks
Here's how teachers can use physical activity breaks to ramp up students' fitness and attention, with minimal disruption.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 6, 2023
•
4 min read
Students in Brooke Smith’s class dance as they participate in an exercise through the InPACT program during the school day at North Elementary School in Birch Run, Mich., on March 2, 2023.
Students in Brooke Smith’s class dance as they participate in an exercise through the InPACT program during the school day at North Elementary School in Birch Run, Mich., on March 2, 2023.
Emily Elconin for Education Week
Student Well-Being What the Research Says Students Need More Exercise. Here's How to Add Activity Without Disrupting Learning
Classroom activity breaks have the potential to boost students' attention and fitness, researchers and teachers say.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 3, 2023
•
6 min read
Image of a young girl and a pediatrician.
E+
Student Well-Being Districts, Here's How to Alert Families of Medicaid Changes That Could Affect Millions of Students
Students could lose Medicaid coverage due to paperwork issues. Use these new tools to help them stay enrolled.
Evie Blad, March 2, 2023
•
3 min read
Image of happy and not happy face symbols.
ThitareeSarmkasat/iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being Mental Health Days, SEL Best Practices, and Naloxone on the Agenda at SXSW EDU
The SXSW EDU conference in Austin will explore ways schools can address the student mental health crisis.
Lauraine Langreo, March 1, 2023
•
2 min read
Image of a student with their head down on their arms, at a desk.
Olga Beliaeva/iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being Female and LGBTQ+ Teens Report Record-High Levels of Mental Health Challenges, CDC Finds
A new CDC report urges schools to invest in students' well-being.
Lauraine Langreo, February 13, 2023
•
5 min read
A hand wearing a blue latex glove lifts a syringe out of a small metal bin labeled "Moderna" that rests on a table next to bins that say "Pfizer" and "flu."
A worker prepares syringes at a free COVID-19 and flu vaccination event in Lynwood, Calif., last month. States are not adding COVID-19 to the list of required immunizations children must receive to attend public school.
Mark J. Terrill/AP
States Plans to Require Student COVID-19 Vaccinations Flopped. Here's Why
Policies mandating COVID-19 vaccines for school attendance have largely failed to materialize three years into the pandemic.
Evie Blad, February 13, 2023
•
5 min read
Image of a stethoscope and notebooks.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being Millions of Students May Lose Medicaid Coverage. Schools Can Help Them Stay Enrolled
School communications could be critical to keeping millions of children's coverage from lapsing.
Evie Blad, February 7, 2023
•
4 min read
SSFS 2 Thumbnail 01 (web)
Student Well-Being Video What It’s Like Teaching and Learning in a School Built for Wellness
A student and teacher reflect on what education is like in a school designed for mental and emotional well-being.
Kaylee Domzalski, February 7, 2023
•
3:11
Young boy in a school lunchroom cafeteria line and choosing a slice of pizza to put on his tray which includes an apple.
SDI Productions/Getty
Federal USDA Clamps Down on Salt and Sugar in Proposed School Nutrition Guidelines
It marks the first time the federal agency is calling for limiting the amount of added sugars in school meals.
Arianna Prothero, February 3, 2023
•
4 min read
SSFS Thumbnail 01 (web)
Student Well-Being Video This School Is a Model for Wellness and Student Learning. See Why
The first high school to be WELL Certified at the gold level hopes to serve as inspiration to others.
Kaylee Domzalski, January 31, 2023
•
3:10
First lady Nancy Reagan speaks at the first national conference of the National Federation of Parents for Drug-Free Youth in Washington on Oct. 11, 1982. “Many people think drug prevention is ‘just say no,’ like Nancy Reagan did in the '80s, and we know that did not work,” said Becky Vance, CEO of the Texas-based agency Drug Prevention Resources, which has advocated for evidenced-based anti-drug and alcohol abuse education for more than 85 years.
The late first lady Nancy Reagan speaks at the first national conference of the National Federation of Parents for Drug-Free Youth in Washington on Oct. 11, 1982. Experts say drug-prevention programs have evolved since those years, when many such programs turned out to be ineffective.
Barry Thumma/AP
School Climate & Safety For Drug Prevention, Scare Tactics Are Out. Here’s What’s In
Experts have advice for today's educators looking to choose effective models for drug-prevention education.
Elizabeth Heubeck, January 27, 2023
•
3 min read
Load More ▼