Start Date: June 2006

ID #: 58088

Principal Investigator: Marilyn Hughes, PhD, RD, LD

Organization: Atlanta Public Schools

Funding Round: Round 1

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In 2006, Atlanta Public Schools will implement mandated wellness policies in all the schools at every level. Each school may develop and implement its own plan. This study will investigate the social, economic, organizational, and demographic factors associated with individual schools’ short and longer-term actions in response to the new school wellness policy mandate. Analyses will include content analysis of the wellness policies, surveys of principals, interviews with teachers, and school observations and the correlates and variation of successful policies (e.g., school climate, demographics of the students, neighborhood context). Outcomes will focus on decision making, policy implementation, and effectiveness of the policies through qualitative and quantitative methodologies.

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