High-quality school health services can improve student health and help to raise academic achievement. As such, developing and sustaining effective school health services is a core component of the mission of schools to equip students to lead healthy and productive adult lives.
The purpose of the Health services Assessment Tool for Schools (HATS) is to enable school districts to:
The HATS sets a "gold standard" for comprehensive school health services that districts can work toward. Completing this assessment is an important first step toward evaluating and improving school health services policies and practices in your district, with the ultimate goal of improving the health and well-being of all students.
It is important to view the HATS as a way to guide improvements in your district’s school health services policies and practices. The HATS is not intended as a way to evaluate staff or audit compliance with school health services policies.
The HATS was developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics as part of the Enhancing School Health Services through Training, Education, Assistance, Mentorship, and Support (TEAMS) project under a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts from national organizations, school districts, and health agencies partnered with the American Academy of Pediatrics in the creation of the HATS.
Partner organizations:
American School Health Association
National Association of County and City Health Officials
National Association of School Nurses
National Association of State School Nurse Consultants
School-Based Health Alliance
Contributors:
Laura Brey
Washington, DC
Margo Bushmiaer, RN, MNSc, NCSN
Little Rock, AR
Marjorie Cole, MSN, RN, FASHA
Jefferson City, MO
Teresa DuChateau, DNP, RN, CPNP
Kimberly, WI
Suzanne M. Elder, MPP
Chicago, IL
Jessica Gerdes, MS, RN, IL-NCSN
Chicago, IL
Jean Grabeel, MEd, RN, NCSN, FNASN
Springfield, MO
Kathy Graham, RN, MPH
Steven's Point, WI
Linda Grant, MD, MPH, FAAP
Boston, MA
Cheryl Lawrence, MD, FAAP
New York, NY
Erin Maughan, RN, MS, PhD
Salt Lake City, UT
Linda Morse, RN, CSN-NJ, MA, CHES, FASHA
Columbus, NJ
Chris Narbut
Fairfax, VA
Lee Ann Neill, MSN, RN, NCSN
Springfield, MO
Angela Scott, MNSc, RN, APRN, PCNS-BC
Little Rock, AR
Rich Shattuck, MEd
Mt. Airy, MD
Paula Smith, MNSc, RNP
Little Rock, AR
Staff:
Laura DeStigter, MPH
American Academy of Pediatrics
Heather Fitzpatrick, MPH
American Academy of Pediatrics
Madra Guinn-Jones, MPH
American Academy of Pediatrics