JenniferSpartzAnnotation10ToolsforSchools

Annotation 10 IAQ Tools for Schools Program The EPA put together this program in hopes to promote better air quality in schools across the US. As a government agency they were able to put together a seemingly well-thought out action plan to create healthy learning environments. This program was cosponsored by the National Parent Teacher Association, the National Education Association, the Association of School Business Officials, the American Federation of Teachers, and the American Lung Association. This website contains the Action Kit as well as outside information on mold, asthma, past case studies of Tools for Schools Programs, and facts about Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). It was noted that similar action programs all cover the same topics: organizing a program (and the people involved), assessing the situation, creating a plan that identifies, resolves, and prevents problems, taking actions to result in a healthier school community, tracking and analyzing results, and communicating the results. This website covers ways to identify, correct, and prevent IAQ problems and therefore prevent health problems among students and staff in the schools. The Action Kit is mostly downloadable as PDF files (in English and Spanish), plus it is possible to order the IAQ problem solving wheel and //The IAQ Tools for Schools// video collection for free.  There are many parts to the action kit. The cover letter introduces a school to the program by saying “ According to a 2006 survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, half of the nation’s schools reported that they have adopted IAQ management programs, and eighty-five percent of those schools said their efforts are based on the //Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools// guidance” (cover letter). It also directs the school to the EPA website for more information. The Roadmap consists of references of who does what and when in the process of the Tools for Schools action plan. The coordinator’s guide is used at the school and district levels to prevent air problems, minimize cost and possible health problems, and provide guidance for developing a plan. It focuses on causes of asbestos, radon, integrated pest management, lead, and mobile sources of pollutants. The severity of each is measured in different ways (test for radon, monitor health of school community). The reference guide discusses the causes and effects of bad IAQ. The backgrounder instructs how to use the checklists provided and how to control problems that may be caused by building systems. The awards program presents three awards for Great Start, Leadership, and Excellence to schools enacting Tools for Schools. The District programs are explained to be the most widely used way for school districts to begin caring for IAQ. It is harder in larger school districts to try to improve all the schools at once. The checklists are provided for administration, school officials, maintenance crews, food service, ventilation, nurse, integrated pest management, walkthrough inspection, waste management, and renovation/repairs. The guide for managing asthma in school identifies and displays ways to control asthma in a school environment.  Overall, lots of information was presented on many different possible causes of bad IAQ and the health effects that may arise from them. This followed the trend of half of American schools having some sort of action plan. The EPA does present a lot of different factors that should be watched, testing is mostly done by what is visible so there may be many problems that go unnoticed. This aids our group questions as it talks about what schools are doing to study their IAQ. It shows the government trying to aid them in their search for healthier learning environments.  Citation: “IAQ Tools for Schools Program.” US Environmental Protection Agency. updated 8 March 2010. visited 14 March 2010. .