Tuesday, October 2, 2018

In Support of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Model

 The most effective bullying prevention initiatives are always a part of a systemic and comprehensive school reform effort.  Successful educational reform expands a school-only focus to include the greater community. The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Model provides the template for successful school reform efforts.

The WSCC Model was developed through the powerful partnership of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). It joins health and well-being with education and learning.

For 30 years, the CDC's Coordinated School Health Model has provided the blueprint for health education policies and practices across the United States at district, regional, state, and national levels. The WSCC Model reflects an expanded and updated Coordinated School Health Model.

The ASCD's Whole Child Initiative was launched in 2007 as a way to shift from focusing on academic achievement as a measure of student success to promoting the "long-term development and success of all children." The five tenets of the Whole Child Initiative is the core of the WSCC model, ensuring that each student is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.

The alignment of school, health, and community efforts around the health and learning of every child was the focus in an issue of School Health in November 2015.  This issue explores community partnerships and the educational attainment and health development of students.

Because of the comprehensive scope of the WSCC Model, funding for implementation can be found in grants for coordinated school health, safe and supportive environments, and even school climate transformation.

Despite our best efforts using research- and evidence-based bullying prevention programs, 20-30% of US students continue to report being bullied on school property.  A combined health and education approach within a coordinated home-school-community template shows promise in reducing bullying in our schools and in our communities.

"Health and education affect individuals, society, and the economy and, as such, must work together whenever possible. Schools are a perfect setting for this collaboration." ~WSCC



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