The primary goal of this project is to refine and disseminate a valid, reliable quantitative assessment tool to measure the implementation of school wellness policies use to meet the Healthy and Hunger-Free Kids Act mandate to evaluate and report on wellness policy implementation. The research team previously developed the WellSAT tool to assess written school wellness policies and based on this tool developed the WellSAT-I (Implementation). The WellSAT-I is a prototype policy implementation measure, comprised of structured, coded interviews with principals, teachers, and food service personnel. Data have been collected using this measure in 12 schools over three years in an urban, lower-income school district, which will serve as the starting point for establishing reliability and validity of the tool. First, the research team will convene a national group of researchers and practitioners who are experts in the assessment and implementation of school wellness policies. The WellSAT-I will be refined based on psychometric analyses of reliability and validity and findings from the convening and other stakeholder perspectives. Next, the tool will be piloted in 50 school districts across the country. When finalized, the revised tool will be disseminated to researchers, state government agencies, advocacy groups, school administrators, parent groups, and other wellness policy stakeholders.
Start Date: February 2016
ID #: 73394
Principal Investigator: Marlene Schwartz, PhD
Organization: University of Connecticut
Funding Round: Round 9
Age Groups: Adolescents (grades 9 to 12), Elementary-age children (grades K to 5), Young adolescents (grades 6 to 8)
Keywords: Competitive foods, Nutrition standards, Physical activity, Rural, School meal programs, School wellness policies, Snacks, Urban, Vending machines
Resource Type: Grant Summary
State: National
Focus Area: School & After School
Related Research
August 2025
Universal Free School Meal Policies and Participation in the US National School Meal Programs
This study aimed to examine the impact of federal- and state-level Universal Free School Meal (UFSM) policies and related policies on National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) participation rates during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This comparative effectiveness research study used a natural experiment created by the COVID-19 pandemic to analyze MoreFebruary 2025
More States and Sponsors Are Providing Grab-and-Go Meals to Children during Summer
In 2023, to respond to increased rates of child food insecurity during the summer Congress authorized states to opt in to allowing noncongregate, or “grab-and-go,” summer meal services for students in rural areas. In the summer of 2023, 46 states and DC opted in, and in the summer of 2024 all 50 states and DC MoreNovember 2024