Promoting health literacy through the health education assessment project.
BACKGROUND
The Council of Chief State School Officers' State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards Health Education Assessment Project (SCASS-HEAP) allows states to pool financial and human resources to develop effective ready-to-use health education assessment resources through a collaborative process. The purpose of this article is to describe the extensive ongoing development of the SCASS-HEAP and its benefits for important stakeholders in health and education.


METHODS
A review of the products from the first decade of the SCASS-HEAP was undertaken.


RESULTS
The SCASS-HEAP supports a comprehensive systems approach to helping educators focus effectively on the most important skills and issues in child and adolescent health and gives health education a place at the school reform table, providing visibility and credibility and promoting the essential links between health and learning.


CONCLUSIONS
State education agencies and school districts can use SCASS-HEAP materials for assessment and, perhaps more importantly, to help teachers modify and improve instruction at the classroom level for increased student learning.
Marx
Eva
E
School Health Consultant, 16 Howe Street, Hingham, MA 02043, USA. tomneva@supportlab.com
Hudson
Nancy
N
Deal
Tami B
TB
Pateman
Beth
B
Middleton
Kathleen
K
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013219:State Government; D014481:United States