Wisconsin Wellness: Putting Policy Into Practice
WISCONSIN WELLNESSPutting Policy into PracticeWisconsin Department of Public InstructionTony Evers, PhD, State Superintendent
WISCONSIN WELLNESSPutting Policy into PracticeSECOND EDITIONDeveloped byKelly Williams, RDN, CDNutrition Education ConsultantandAlicia Dill, RDN, CDNutrition Education ConsultantWisconsin Department of Public InstructionTony Evers, PhD, State SuperintendentMadison, Wisconsin
The project has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U.S. Departmentof Agriculture Team Nutrition. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflectthe view of the policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture; nor does the mentionof trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S.government or the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees,and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited fromdiscriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal orretaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded byUSDA.Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for programinformation (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), shouldcontact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who aredeaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the FederalRelay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made availablein languages other than English.To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program DiscriminationComplaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint filingcust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide inthe letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaintform, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:(1) mail: U.S. Department of AgricultureOffice of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights1400 Independence Avenue, SWWashington, D.C. 20250-9410;(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Table of ContentsIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Wellness Policy Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Policy Leadership: Who's at the Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Wellness Policy Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Nutrition Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Nutrition Promotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Nutrition Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Physical Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Other School Based Activities that Support Wellness . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Implementation, Assessment, and Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Reporting and Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Success Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Wisconsin Wellness: Putting Policy into Practice
INTRODUCTIONThe wellness policy requirement was established by the ChildNutrition and Women, Infants, and Children ReauthorizationAct of 2004, which required all public, private, and tribal schoolsparticipating in the National School Lunch Program to establish awellness policy by school year 2006-2007. On July 29, 2016, theU.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Servicereleased the Local School Wellness Policy Final Rule. This ruleexpanded the requirements to strengthen policies and increasetransparency. In this resource, public school districts, private schools,and tribal schools will be referred to as “district.”The school wellnesspolicy is a key componentto providing healthierschool environmentsthat promote positivebehaviors and helpsstudents reach their fullacademic potential.Whole School, Whole Community, Whole ChildThe health behaviors of children and adolescents are influencedby a variety of environmental factors including families, schools,communities, and the media. Schools play a particularly importantrole in helping students establish healthy eating habits by offeringnutritious meals and providing nutrition and physical educationthat support the development of positive behaviors. The Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Whole School, WholeCommunity, Whole Child (WSCC) model is an expansion and updateof the Coordinated School Health approach. The purpose of theWSCC model is to establish greater alignment, integration, andcollaboration between health and education across the school settingto improve each child’s cognitive, physical, social, and emotionaldevelopment.The school wellness policy is a key component to providing healthierschool environments that promote positive behaviors and helpsstudents reach their full academic potential. The wellness policycreates a framework that provides direction and guidance for schoolstaff and students while offering information to families and thecommunity. Adopting a wellness policy that embraces the WSCCmodel ensures a collaborative approach to learning and health.Wisconsin Wellness: Putting Policy into Practice1
Review of Wisconsin School Wellness PoliciesIn August 2017, the Wisconsin Obesity Prevention Initiative (OPI) at theUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute conducted a review ofschool wellness policies from 401 out of the 440 Wisconsin public schooldistricts and independent charters that receive federal reimbursementfor their school meal programs. The OPI reviewed each district’s wellnesspolicy for breadth of content and strength of language using 74 researchbased best practices categorized under six content areas. Each policy wasscored and returned to the district. Breadth of content scores representthe percent of best practices that are addressed in the policy, and higherscores reflect policies that included best practices across all content areas.Strength of language scores represent the percent of best practices that apolicy requires, and higher scores reflect polices that used direct and clearlanguage such as required, must, and mandatory. The results summarizedbelow are the statewide average breadth of content and strength oflanguage scores. The results indicate that while Wisconsin district wellnesspolicies are addressing some of the best practices in each content area,the language in the policies is weak, tentative, or suggestive.OPI Local Wellness Policy Evaluation Project, August 2017Breadth of ContentStrength of Language% Best Practices Addressed% Best Practices RequiredNutrition Education82.533.8School Meals32.216.8Competitive Foods andBeverages40.411.8Physical Education andPhysical Activity23.911.5Implementation, Evaluation,and Communication20.719.2Wellness Promotion andMarketing43.76.0Overall Score34.214.3Content Area2Wisconsin Wellness: Putting Policy into Practice
The Wisconsin Health Atlas, Local Wellness Policy webpage(wihealthatlas.org/lwp) has information regarding the Local WellnessPolicy Evaluation Project including regional results, resources, andmodel policy language.About This ResourceThis resource is designed to assist districts with developinga comprehensive wellness policy that incorporates the newrequirements while establishing a framework for accountability. Inaddition, this resource also includes best practices that will assistschools with creating and maintaining a strong wellness policy. Thewellness policy should be a living document that considers the needsof the whole child while addressing the unique needs of the school.By following the cycle outlined below, schools can strengthen theirwellness policy and create a health-promoting environment.Revise PolicyReview PolicyAssess PolicyThe wellness committeeis responsible forcompleting each stepwithin the cycle. Thisprocess helps schools/districts ensure theirpolicy meets their needswhile creating aframework foraccountability.Monitor PolicyImplementationWisconsin Wellness: Putting Policy into PracticeNotify PublicRegarding PolicyImplementPolicy3
WELLNESS POLICYCOMPONENTSMINIMUMREQUIREMENTDistricts must identify aperson as the wellnessleader who is responsiblefor wellness policy oversightin the written policy.Districts may elect tospecify the position or titleof the individual instead of aperson’s name.MINIMUMREQUIREMENTDistricts must includelanguage relatedto permitting thepublic to participatein the development,implementation, andreview of the wellnesspolicy. Districts must allowparticipation and include awritten plan for involvingthe public.Policy Leadership: Who’s at the TablePolicy LeadershipA designated wellness leader is critical to successful implementationof a school wellness policy. This person is responsible for ensuringthat health policies and practices are enforced and progress is madein attaining wellness policy goals. In addition, the designated wellnessleader can facilitate collaboration among school staff, families, andcommunity to improve student health and academic achievement.Wellness CommitteeA school wellness committee is a key element to developing and sustaininga successful wellness policy. A school wellness committee includesindividuals interested in supporting the health of students and staff.A wellness committee should include diverse representation from theschool and community such as: Parents Students School nutrition personnel Teachers, especially physical education and health School nurse School administrators School board members Community health professionalsOnce the wellness committee members are identified, it isrecommended that the school make available to the public a list ofthe wellness committee members, their relationship to the school,and school-based contact information for the wellness committeeleader. This information will help the wellness committee maintaincommunication between meetings.BEST PRACTICEConduct four wellness committee meetings throughout the schoolyear. Consider setting a regular schedule of meetings as this will helpensure committee members are able to attend.4Wisconsin Wellness: Putting Policy into Practice
Wellness Policy ContentThe wellness policy must include goals that support the healthand well-being of its students. Districts must ensure stakeholderparticipation in the development and updates of the policy, as well asperiodically assess and disclose to the public the compliance with thewellness policy. In addition, districts must establish minimum contentrequirements for the wellness policy. The policy must include: Goals for nutrition promotion and education. Goals for physical activity and other school based activities thatpromote wellness. Standards and nutrition guidelines for all foods and beverages availablefor sale and provided on the school campus during the school day.As the wellness committee develops the wellness policy, start bydetermining the desired goals. A goal is something you are trying toachieve or do. Goals are not measurable, but rather broad statementsthat are related to longer-term outcomes. Districts must considerevidenced-based strategies when developing goals for nutritionpromotion, nutrition education, physical activity, and other schoolbased activities that promote wellness.Once the wellness committee has established goals, decide on objectivesand activities that are needed to accomplish these goals. Unlike a goal,an objective should be measurable, so consider how to evaluate yourobjectives and activities to assess progress towards meeting yourgoals. Objectives should include specific statements that describe astrategy for implementation. In addition, including strong language in thewellness policy ensures that guidelines can be enforced. Include wordslike require, must, and insist. Statements that are vague and include weaklanguage are difficult to enforce. Therefore, avoid using words like may,encourage, suggest, and urge in your wellness policy.BEST PRACTICEDevelop wellness defined objectives using the SMART approach. Specific: Include detailed and well-defined language in the objective. Measureable: Define numbers and quantities as a means forevaluation. Achievable: Ensure objectives are feasible. Realistic: Consider constraints such as resources, personnel, costs,and time. Timely: Identify a timeframe to complete the objective.Wisconsin Wellness: Putting Policy into Practice5
MINIMUMREQUIREMENTNutrition GuidelinesDistricts must includestandards and nutritionguidelines for all foods andbeverages sold to studentson the school campusduring the school day thatare consistent with federalregulations.Eating well can make a positive difference in a student’s ability toachieve in school. National school nutrition standards reflect thelatest knowledge about health and nutrition, ensuring that meals andsnacks are nutritious and help children maintain a healthy weight. Thewellness policy is a document the school community can reference tolearn about the nutrition standards for school meals and other foodsavailable in schools.Nutrition Standards for All Foods SoldFoods sold to students during the school day include the mealprograms, a la carte, school stores, vending, and fundraising. Districtsare required to follow the Nutrition Standards for School Meals ool-meals). Foods soldto students during the school day on the school campus as part of ala carte, school stores, vending, and fundraising must adhere to theNutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in Schools Rule, also referred toas Smart Snacks The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) School Nutrition Team hasdeveloped the Smart Snacks Tracking Tool -program/smart-snacks) for tracking competitivefoods and beverages sold regularly by the food service department,school store, vending machines, etc.6Wisconsin Wellness: Putting Policy into Practice
FundraisersDistricts rely on fundraisers to raisemoney for different activities, events, andequipment. The Wisconsin DPI allows schoolstwo fundraiser exemptions per studentorganization each school year. An exemptfundraiser may sell foods and beveragesthat are not allowable under the SmartSnacks rule but this may not occur in themeal service area during meal service times.Each fundraiser may last no more than twoconsecutive weeks.To ensure that schools are in compliancewith the state fundraising exemptionpolicy, the DPI School Nutrition Team hasdeveloped tools for schools to use fordocumentation of competitive food and beverage fundraisers.The Compliant Fundraiser Tracking Tool is used for tracking foodfundraisers that are compliant with Smart Snacks standards. TheExempt Fundraiser Tracking Tool is used for tracking non-Smart Snackscompliant exempt food fundraisers. These two tracking tools can befound on the DPI School Nutrition Smart Snacks webpage -program/smart-snacks).BEST PRACTICESchool fundraisers should communicate the same messages thatsupport the goals of a healthy school environment. Plan healthyfundraisers that sell nonfood items such as gift wrapping paper orfoods that meet the Smart Snacks standards, such as fruit and bottledwater. In addition, physical activity fundraisers such as fun runs andwalk-a-thons are great for all ages and promote healthy behaviors.The USDA’s Best Practices for Healthy School Fundraisers tpractices fundraisers.pdf)offers creative ways to plan a fun and profitable fundraiser.Wisconsin Wellness: Putting Policy into Practice7
MINIMUMREQUIREMENTDistricts must includelanguage that only allowsfor the marketing of foodand beverages on the schoolcampus during the schoolday that are consistent withthe Smart Snacks standards.Food and Beverage MarketingAccording to USDA, food and beverage marketing is prevalent inschools, and the majority of foods and beverages marketed to childrenare low in nutrition value and high in fat and sodium. Many of the foodsand beverages marketed to children contribute to poor diet quality,high calorie intake, and excess weight gain.BEST PRACTICEMarketing products with low-nutritional value can underminenutrition education and health promoting efforts of the school.Advertise only foods and beverages that support healthy lifestyles,such as fruits, vegetables, and plain water.Food marketing commonly includes oral, written, or graphic statementsmade for the purpose of promoting the sale of a food or beverageproduct. Therefore, the marketing standards apply to items such asposters, flyers, and other printed materials that advertise food andbeverage products. It also applies to prizes or other premium itemsgiven to students to promote a product, cups used for beveragedispensing, and various equipment, such as the exterior of vendingmachines, score boards, coolers, trashcans, and other food serviceequipment. All food or beverage products depicted on items andequipment on the school campus during the school day must meetthe Smart Snacks standards. While these are the minimum standards,schools may choose to include more stringent food marketingrestrictions in their wellness policy.The marketing standards do not require that districts immediatelyreplace menu boards, coolers, and other food service equipment thatdepict noncompliant products. It also is not intended to require thatdistricts remove or replace existing vending machines and scoreboardsin order to comply. However, as districts consider new contracts and asequipment needs to be replaced and updated, the purchasing decisionsshould reflect the marketing standards. It is also important to note thatfood-based fundraisers exempt under the DPI policy must still adhereto the food and beverage marketing guidelines.8Wisconsin Wellness: Putting Policy into Practice
Nutrition Standards for All Foods Offered/ProvidedDistricts must establish nutrition guidelines for all food and beveragesoffered and provided to students. These nutrition standards apply tofood at classroom parties, school celebrations, and foods offered asrewards and incentives. Districts are encouraged to set policies thatsupport lifelong healthy eating habits.USDA does not delineate a set of standards for foods not sold, butinstead has mandated that schools establish their own standards.Districts have the discretion to adopt standards that conform to federalschool meals and Smart Snack standards or to adopt more or lessstringent standards.MINIMUMREQUIREMENTDistricts must includestandards for all foods andbeverages offered, but notsold to students on theschool campus during theschool day.BEST PRACTICEUse an alternative reward system, such as stickers, additional time forrecess, or school themed merchandise to recognize student achievement.Wisconsin Wellness: Putting Policy into Practice9
10Wisconsin Wellness: Putting Policy into Practice
Nutrition PromotionThe school environment should encourage students to make healthyeating choices. Districts can engage in a variety of activities thatpromote healthy behaviors.Smarter LunchroomsThe Smarter Lunchrooms Movement brings evidence from the fieldsof economics, marketing, and psychology into the school cafeteria.S
2 Wisconsin Wellness: Putting Policy into Practice Review of Wisconsin School Wellness Policies In August 2017, the Wisconsin Obesity Prevention Initiative (OPI) at the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute conducted a review of school wellness policies from 401 out of the 440 Wisconsin public school
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