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Annual Report of State Asthma and Allergy Policies for Schools - Updated Report Features New “Honorable Mention” States that Made Progress
The annual State Honor Roll™ of Asthma and Allergy Policies for Schools, www.StateHonorRoll.com, is a research project of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). This report identifies states with the most comprehensive and preferred statewide public policies supporting people with asthma, food allergies and related allergic diseases in U.S. elementary, middle and high schools. The goal of this report is to identify ongoing, state-level progress towards better school-based policies and practices, and to provide a blueprint for asthma and allergy advocates nationwide.
2010 UPDATE NOTES on the 2009 REPORT
New York State has again missed an opportunity to consider an array of pending laws that promote sound school asthma and allergy policies, and New York is not alone. This year, New York and many other states have been overwhelmed by fiscal problems. School health has taken a back seat to approving budgets. However, Connecticut and Louisiana have passed new laws that will allow school students to carry their asthma and anaphylaxis medications. “Connecticut has been a leader among Honor Roll States except that it only recommended and did not require school districts to adopt “right to carry” policies,” Collins said. “Now Connecticut is a true model.”
2009 REPORT
“As in previous years, we are recognizing states for their leadership in comprehensive state-wide school policies that address the needs of students with asthma, food allergies, anaphylaxis and other related allergic disease in public elementary, middle and high schools,” says Charlotte Collins, JD, AAFA’s vice-president of policy and programs, and the lead author of the report.
Overall, AAFA found that states are stepping up to address the needs of students with asthma and allergies in public school settings. They are protecting students’ access to their own medication and documenting chronic diseases, and most states are engaged in awareness programs for asthma, fewer states for allergies.
AAFA research and policy experts, in consultation with leaders in the fields of medicine, education and advocacy, identified a variety of “policy standards” among all 50 states relating to asthma and allergies in schools, grouped in to three categories:
- Medication & Treatment
- Awareness
- School Environment
Researchers determined which states currently have the most supportive asthma and allergy policy standards in place and considered these states to be at the forefront asthma and allergy school advocacy. States with a minimum of 15 of the 18 policy standards in place are named “Honor Roll” states. These states represent good models for policymakers, administrators, teachers, parents and advocates in other states. Additionally, states deemed worthy of “Honorable Mention” in the 2010 report were selected for a variety of meaningful criteria, explained state-by-state in the full report below.
Six states on last year’s Honor Roll have been re-named to the list. Congratulations to this year's Honor Roll: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. (See full 2009 report below for details, charts and state-by-state data.) In this report you will find:
- Hyperlinks to Laws and Policies in all 50 States
- State Rankings on "Extra Credit" Indicators
- List of "Honorable Mention" States
Click on the links below to see detailed state charts and profiles, resources for advocates and other helpful information. Get Involved! Review this report, determine where your state stands on policies protecting people with asthma and allergies, and take action today!
2009 REPORT MATERIALS
DETAILED PROFILES OF 2009 HONOR ROLL STATES
RESOURCES FOR ADVOCATES - TAKE ACTION NOW!
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