School Health Index
A Self-Assessment and Planning Guide

A: The online version may save time because you can:

• Customize it based on the selected health topics to address.
• Save responses and leave and re-enter the system as often as you like.
• Have your module scores automatically calculated.
• Archive previous versions to assist in record-keeping. This is particularly useful if you plan to complete the SHI annually.
• Print and share score cards and School Health Improvement Plans with team members, administrators, and others.

While the print version can also be saved, printed, and shared, it may be more cumbersome for team members to work from one document or consolidate documents if they are geographically separated.

A: Certain questions are included in both versions, but they reflect different requirements for the school levels. For instance, the elementary school SHI suggests a total of 150 minutes of physical education per week, whereas the middle and high school SHI suggests a total of 225 minutes of physical education per week. Other examples of differences include:

• The elementary school SHI includes questions about recess and hands washing that are not included in the middle and high school SHI.
• The middle and high school SHI asks about tobacco cessation services.

A: These topics were selected because adopting these health behaviors can play a critical role in preventing the leading causes of death, disability, hospitalization, illness, and school absences. CDC has developed guidelines or strategies for schools on addressing each of the health topics.