About COSH

The AAP Council on School Health (COSH) is composed of trainees, pediatricians (Fellows of the American Academy of Pediatrics), and affiliate members representing various professional disciplines including, school nurses, school counselors, and other allied health professionals. The Council is led by a 15-member Executive Committee, which consists of AAP fellows elected by members of the Council and liaisons from several national organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Adolescent and School Health, National Association of School Nurses, School-Based Health Alliance, and American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 

What is School Health?

The Council on School Health (COSH) defines school health as an integration of wellness, safety, growth, learning, and development in the lives of school-aged children and adolescents within the context of their school and with the coordinated alliance of the family and the medical home.

What does the Council on School Health Do?

To achieve our mission and vision, the AAP COSH provides:

• Advocacy – Informs national and state policy to ensure the health and safety of students and supports integrated, comprehensive, coordinated school health and other school-based health services
• Education – Offers education focused on best practices for effective school health policies and programs
• Policy Development – Develops and disseminates policy based on best practices and evidence based research

The COSH works closely with various AAP departments, committees, sections, councils, chapters, national partners and its members to provide these services.

Mission

The Council on School Health (COSH) empowers pediatric clinicians to promote child health, well-being, and academic potential by:

• Fostering a vibrant, inclusive community of pediatric clinicians at all career stages through mentorship, collaboration, and sharing best practices in school health
• Developing and facilitating high-quality educational programming regarding key topics in school health
• Developing and promoting evidence-based policies to advance children’s health and well-being in school
• Leading and participating in school health advocacy efforts at the local, state, and national levels

Vision

A future where all children can learn, grow, and thrive in school and beyond.

COSH Principles

COSH affirms that excellence in school health has a school physician in every school district and a school nurse in every school.

COSH supports the concept of the ten components of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model promoted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an essential foundation of a sound school health services program.

COSH endorses the importance of prevention through early recognition, prompt intervention, and early education and/or remediation of potential problems that will interfere with life-long health or learning.

COSH acknowledges the necessity of ensuring full access to all school services in the least restrictive fashion for all children including those with special health care needs.

COSH promotes the use of school-based health centers to improve access to health care, either as an adjunct to the private medical home or as a primary medical home for those families that would lack such care in any other fashion, as promulgated by the School-Based Health Alliance. 

COSH maintains that schools serve a powerful role in shaping the health and well-being of young people and can provide a critical facility in which many agencies might work together to maintain student well-being including serving as an important public health intervention site, consistent with the American School Health Association.