Whole Child Education

In a statement today, ASCD Executive Director Gene Carter commends First Lady Michelle Obama's efforts to combat the epidemic of childhood obesity. The First Lady has charged parents, educators, policymakers, and business and community leaders to develop comprehensive solutions that build on proven strategies and mobilize both public and private sector resources.

ASCD has been at the forefront of advocating for systemic approaches to ensure the physical and emotional health of students via school–community health collaborations, strong policies that translate into effective practices, and the creation of a federal interagency committee to address student health. ASCD supports the administration's creation of a Task Force on Childhood Obesity to end the problem of obesity among our nation's children and stands ready to advise this task force and help carry out its recommendations.

To read the full statement and get more information on ASCD's efforts, visit ASCD's Web site.

2008 ASCD Emerging Leader Dwan Jordon was featured for his work as a principal at John Philip Sousa Junior High School in Washington, D.C., on the CBS News series "Where America Stands." Jordon says, "The kids love the school, they love being here; the attendance rate is at 98 percent."

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How can schools develop a positive school climate that fosters teaching, learning, and the development of the whole child? Research and common sense reaffirm that focusing on the social and educational atmosphere is critical to student success, yet many schools and districts do not assess climate or include it in school improvement plans.

In this episode, our guests Jonathan Cohen, president of the Center for Social and Emotional Education (CSEE) and cochair of the National School Climate Council, and Marvin Kreps, director of Curriculum and Instruction for Rhinebeck (N.Y.) Central School District, discuss how school climate standards can help educators and communities improve the quality and character of school life.

Use these resources to support your efforts to create and sustain a positive school climate:

• National School Climate Standards: Benchmarks to promote effective teaching, learning and comprehensive school improvement, National School Climate Council
• The Challenge of Assessing School Climate, Education Leadership, ASCD
• Workbook for Improving School Climate and Closing the Achievement Gap, WestEd
• State Department of Education School Climate-related Policy: A Summary, CSEE
• The School Climate Challenge: Narrowing the Gap Between School Climate Research and School Climate Policy, Practice Guidelines, and Teacher Education Policy, CSEE
• The 12 Dimensions of School Climate Measured, CSEE
• School Climate Research Summary, CSEE
• School Climate Implementation Road Map, CSEE

Are educators talking about the importance of school climate and its impact on learning and teaching? Do we need national school climate standards? Share your thoughts on the Whole Child Blog.

Does the school climate in your school promote or complicate students' ability to learn? Research has shown a relationship between school climate and students' academic achievement, self-esteem, alcohol use and psychiatric problems, absenteeism, and suspensions. For those working in the trenches, this probably does not come as a surprise. Yet school climate is rarely viewed by policymakers and educational leaders as a meaningful indicator of education quality.

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Last week Andre Bauer, the lieutenant governor of South Carolina and a candidate to become the state's next governor, compared providing government assistance to those in need—including school kids eligible for free or reduced-price lunches—to feeding stray animals. He claimed that providing such services only encourages breeding and facilitates the problem.

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In the United States, the drumbeat for national education standards has grown perceptibly stronger in recent years, with leadership coming from state governors. ASCD Express looks at the complex debate on national standards and asks if creating such a set of standards is even a viable option for the U.S. education system. Learn more.

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Two new resources just added to the Whole Child Research Clearinghouse help educators address two pressing issues in children's health.

Childhood Obesity & Schools, a comprehensive new site from the National School Boards Association, shares information on childhood obesity, why it matters for schools, and the role school leaders play in addressing the issue. You'll Find relevant data and research, resources for developing sound policies and practices related to childhood obesity, and examples of school successes in addressing childhood obesity. 

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