Use of School Wellness Policy Templates in One Texas Public Health Region: A Mixed‐Methods Analysis

Abstract

BACKGROUND Federal law requires most school districts to develop school wellness policies (SWPs), which state agencies assist in by providing templates. Templates provide standard language, which districts may edit for numerous reasons. We aimed to identify the frequency/consistency of template usage and identify the types of edits districts make when using SWP templates. METHODS We identified SWPs (N = 117) and templates (N = 2) from districts in 1 Texas public health region. We developed template specific coding guides, which allowed us to examine the frequency SWPs used template text within multiple areas (eg, nutrition goals, reporting). We also collected/categorized SWP edits from the template text and conducted a thematic analysis of locally developed SWPs and SWP templates. RESULTS Of 117 SWPs, 81.2% used a 2020 template, 13.7% used a 2005 template, and 5.1% created their own SWP. Across template‐based SWPs, 44 content edits (0.4 per policy) occurred in 9 categories. Thematic analysis revealed: (1) locally developed SWPs created an informed mission statement linked to their goals; (2) Locally developed SWPs provided details that the current template includes in wellness plans. CONCLUSIONS Most districts used exact template language when writing their SWP. Adding spaces where districts can specify details could improve SWP content.

Evaluation of School Wellness Policies in Low‐Income California Districts After the 2016 USDA Final Rule

“…The high adoption of model LSWPs, in this sample, is comparable to results from LSWP evaluations conducted in other states, 27,31‐33 and supports findings that model policy adoption may influence LSWP quality scores, for better or worse. In our study, the state model LSWP was adopted most often (by more than 2/3 of districts), and a national model was adopted by only 13% of districts.…”

“…Several studies propose explanations for low LSWP engagement and suggestions to moderate high model LSWP adoption. Lucarelli et al explain that districts may “intentionally keep written policies vague so that each building can tailor the policy to their specific needs or for fear of auditing of wellness practices.” They also noted that policies are commonly “accompanied by a procedure manual (which may be deemed less restrictive for districts in which a lengthy and expensive process is required to change policy‐related documents) outlining more specific requirements to implement the policy.” 32 Szeszulski et al suggest adding intentional spaces in model LSWPs where districts add details aligned to specific local priorities may increase engagement in policy development and improve quality 33 . Perspectives from focus groups and key informant interviews with school administrators consistently report that lack of time and resources limit commitment to LSWP development and implementation due to significant and frequently competing high‐priority demands in the school environment and a higher accountability for academic outcomes 37 .…”

Nutrition environments in early childhood education: do they align with best practice?

“…Alternatively, it has been noted that centres that locally develop CBNP, tailored to individual centre needs, have increased understanding and in turn implementation of policy guidelines ( 36 ) . With research highlighting guideline interpretation in the childcare setting as a considerable barrier to best practice implementation, it is evident that clear, comprehensive and actionable CBNP guidelines are needed ( 31 , 32 , 37 ) .…”

Urban–Rural Differences in School Districts’ Local Wellness Policies and Policy Implementation Environments

“…Using the state LWP template as a coding guide, we reviewed the remaining 95 LWPs to determine whether each of the 16 goals that are listed in the state template across four content areas was included in the districts’ LWPs ( Table 1 ). For more information on how the LWPs were coded, see Szeszulski et al, 2021 [ 36 ].…”