Impact of a Chicago Public Schools Network Specialist Supporting Health and Wellness Policy Implementation on Student Grades

BACKGROUND: School health and wellness-related policies are associated with improvements in student health, but implementation varies. A Healthy Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Network Specialist position was developed to support policy implementation in one of 13 CPS elementary/middle school networks. This quasi-experimental study examines the impact of a Specialist position on student academic performance. METHODS: Self-reported grades were obtained from 2021 to 2023 middle school Youth Risk Behavior Survey data (N = 3651). Grade point averages (GPAs) for Grade 6-8 students were obtained from administrative data for the 2018-2019 and 2022-2023 school years (N = 12,409). Difference-in-differences models were computed comparing changes in the network receiving Specialist supports and a comparison network. RESULTS: The Specialist positively impacted self-reported grades (adjusted odds ratio: 2.23; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12-4.42), with the adjusted prevalence of students earning mostly As or Bs increasing in the intervention network (75.08%-78.22%) while declining in the comparison network (84.40%-74.47%). Student GPAs showed a marginal trend toward improvement (coefficient: 0.15; 95% CI: -0.01 to 0.31, p = 0.07). IMPLICATIONS: District-level health and wellness policy implementation navigators can further schools' academic mission, supporting adoption of similar positions in other districts. CONCLUSIONS: Supports to schools to aid implementation of health and wellness-related policies can benefit student academic performance.