NREPP
Review of the Michigan Model for Health®
Electronic Documents
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Program Implementation Materials:
Who Should Implement the Michigan Model for Health?
The Michigan Model for Health is designed for implementation by the classroom teacher who has received professional development (teacher training) in the use of this skills-based curriculum. In some cases, other content experts such as school counselors, school nurses, etc. can help with the instruction of lessons, however additional outside instructional assistance is not required.
Specific certification requirements, to teach health education, vary from state to state. For example, in Michigan, classroom teachers who are certified for all subjects Grades K-6 or K-8, and who have received teacher training in the curriculum, can implement the elementary curriculum. Middle School and High School teachers are required to hold a health education certification. Not all states require this.
All curricula, revised since 2006, include both an outline form for the experience teacher who has taught the lessons before and a fully scripted form for the new teacher or the teacher who is less comfortable with a particular topic. Teacher reference materials, contained within the Teacher Manual, provide background information to prepare all teachers with a consistent baseline of knowledge on the subject matter being presented.
These format options and background materials are designed to help teachers succeed in delivering the curriculum with fidelity and help their student succeed in building healthy behaviors.
Organizational Readiness
Because the Michigan Model for Health is developed for classroom implementation, the basic organizational structure is found in the structure of the implementing school district. Teachers already meet a minimum set of qualifications to be instructing in the classroom. In addition, district professional development calendars provide the structure for offering teacher training. Therefore, one of the first considerations for non-Michigan schools, with respect to organization, is whether to provide the means of local training and support or to rely solely on the structure offered at the State of Michigan level. (Refer to flow chart)
To provide the means of establishing local support, the National Training of Trainers is designed to build training skills and understanding of the curriculum to the point that Trainers can then return to local or regional sites and conduct effective teacher trainings. (Return to training pages for more information)
Administrative support is important to the success of any school-based program.
For more information on Organizational Readiness, see the Curriculum Implementation and Support section.