District Administration - October 2011 - (Page 25)

Br ie fings NewsUpdate Wellness Programs Reduce Employee Healthcare Costs NatioNally, health-care costs are risiNg roughly 10 percent each year. costs at the school District of Manatee county (Fla.), however, are rising at a mere 1 percent since the district implemented an employee wellness program, dubbed healthVantage, three years ago. since the wellness program took root, the district has saved nearly 14 percent on health-care costs compared to other districts and $1.3 million for medical and prescription services during the first half of 2010 compared to 2009. in 2008, prior to the program’s implementation, data showed approximately 5 percent of the district’s 5,200 employees were accounting for nearly 51 percent of the district’s overall healthcare costs. healthVantage includes on-site health clinics, seminars and fitness centers to tackle chronic, co-morbid and preventative care for these employees and others. The program isn’t funded through the district’s operating dollars, but rather through federal funding from the centers for Medicare and Medicaid service and their retiree Drug subsidy Program, as well as donations from the district’s insurance provider, Blue cross Blue shield. Manatee schools have received nearly $1 million in funding for healthVantage over the last three years. “lower health-care costs is the residual effect and something that happens naturally when people are healthier,” says Kristi Dickerson, Manatee’s health and wellness coordinator. each year, employees in the district’s 60 buildings receive on-site screenings for body mass index, blood pressure, blood chemistry and cell counts. They also receive a follow-up healthrisk assessment. health instructors provide after-school classes, including yoga, spinning and ballroom dancing. a full-service gym is also available at one site for all employees and their spouses. Employees at the School District of Manatee County (Fla.) partake in wellness programs including walking groups, fitness classes, on-site clinics and health seminars. The district has seen its health insurance drop drastically in the last three years. two weight management programs were launched as part of the district’s nutrition education program. Wellness seminars are also filmed for employees and the community at large to view. Manatee partnered with the tampa-based consulting group, MedVision, to help monitor data analytics, implement the healthVantage program, and assess the program’s overall effectiveness on reducing health-care costs. “We’ve seen people get off certain medications just from increased physical exercise,” Dickerson says. “The employees really feel that the administration is investing in them.” to learn more about the school District of Manatee county’s wellness program, visit www.manateewellness.net. —Marion Herbert Education Groups Join Common Core Math Coalition As stAtes nOw begin their trAnsitiOn tO the Common Core state standards, seven organizations have united to provide advice on issues related to the implementations of the mathematics curriculum and assessments. the newly formed Common Core state standards for Mathematics (CCssM) includes input from and consists of the national Council of teachers of Mathematics (nCtM), the national Council of supervisors of Mathematics (nCsM), the Association of Mathematics teacher educators (AMte), the Association of state supervisors of Mathematics (AssM), the Council of Chief state school Officers (CCssO), the sMArter balanced Assessment Consortium (sbAC), and the Partnership for the Assessment of readiness for College and Careers (PArCC). “the Common Core state standards present an unusual opportunity to guide and shape the future of mathematics education in the United states,” according to Mike shaughnessy, president of the national Council of teachers of Mathematics and chair of the coalition. the group will review, research and develop common messages; provide content and assessment expertise from communities of mathematics education for the framework of the assessments; and collect, analyze and disseminate information about CCssM to inform future revisions of the assessments. to learn more about the coalition, visit www.mathccc.org. —Marion Herbert www.DistrictAdministration.com October 2011 25 http://www.manateewellness.net http://www.mathccc.org http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - October 2011

District Administration - October 2011
Contents
From the Editor
Letters
News Update
Transportation Update
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Building a Blended Learning Program
How Are Science Fairs Fairing?
A New Age for Algebra
Early College High Schools
Changing of the Guard in Florida
CIO News
How Much Computing Power Do You Need?
An Unconventional Approach to 1:1
New Books
Problem/ Solution
Research Center
Product Focus
New Products
Professional Opinion
Going Mobile
Online Edge

District Administration - October 2011