Access, utilize and disseminate school health data across borders

Few state health departments direct the collection, dissemination and utilization of data from schools in a structured and effective way. This presentation offers a concrete example of how thoroughly the data can be collected, analyzed, published, and accessed by public and school health professionals to improve school health services and student outcomes, and reviews the barriers that are overcome.

School nurses collect data on specific measures that are designed by the state health department. During the collection process, they work with a team of regional school nurse consultants to achieve uniformity and accuracy.

Each Local Education Agency submits data electronically to regional school nurse consultants who review it for accuracy and submit to Data Manager at state headquarters. Data manager analyzes data, and the staff collaboratively writes and publishes the Annual Report.

Through commitments in staff and infrastructure, North Carolina has achieved 100% local participation in reporting the data to the state over the past decade. However, data reporting is limited by the lens through which school nurses filter their responses. This presentation is a case study of how data can be an important resource for program planning and delivery of public health services. It offers strategies to cross “silos” between school health and public health. It serves as a model that can be utilized by other states. A case study using data on asthma demonstrates how school nurse data mirrored other data that indicates that asthma is becoming more prevalent.