National health educator competencies update project (CUP): School health applications

BACKGROUND: The National Health Educator Competencies Update Project (CUP) addressed the degree to which the role definition of the entry-level health educator was still up-to-date, along with the further development and validation of advanced-level competencies. PURPOSE: This interactive presentation will focus on the application of the identified competencies and subcomptencies to school health, implications for the professional preparation, and continuing education of those in school health settings. SIGNIFICANCE: The research resulted in nationally validated competencies for health education to be used in workforce development in school health. METHODS: The national research project used a 19-page questionnaire sent by postal mail to health educators in six practice settings, with 4030 practicing health educators responding (70.6% adjusted response rate). Of this group, 23.6% indicated they were practicing in the school setting and an additional 1.3% were in state departments of education. Respondents were from every state and the District of Columbia, resulting in the largest national dataset of its kind, with 1.6 million data-points. Findings from extensive quantitative data analyses coupled with ongoing professional judgment from a National CUP Advisory Committee led to the development of a hierarchical, competency-based model with three levels of practice (Entry, Advanced 1, and Advanced 2), seven Areas of Responsibility, and several new competencies and subcomptencies. CONCLUSION: The CUP research has important implications for school health educators. The research results are jointly owned by the American Association for Health Education, the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, and the Society for Public Health Education.