Triennial Assessment Report: Waterford Public Schools Triennial Assessment 2025
(6/2025)
District: WATERFORD
Introduction
The purpose of completing the WellSAT (Wellness School Assessment Tool) assessment is to evaluate the strength and comprehensiveness of our district's school wellness policies and practices in alignment with federal requirements and evidence-based best practices. This triennial assessment helps our district monitor progress, identify areas in need of improvement, and ensure we are effectively promoting student health and well-being.
Overall Comparison to Federal Requirements and Best Practices:
Our district’s wellness policies and practices are generally aligned with federal requirements, particularly in areas such as nutrition standards, physical education, and stakeholder engagement. However, the WellSAT results revealed opportunities for improvement in the consistency and specificity of policy language, particularly related to staff wellness, nutrition promotion, and monitoring practices. While we meet many baseline requirements, strengthening language and implementation across categories will help us move closer to national best practices.
Comparison to Previous Assessments:
Compared to our previous assessment, this year’s assessment revealed an urgent need to update the language of our district wellness policy and increased coordination of nutrition education. The district has made progress in involving diverse stakeholders in wellness planning and has shown improved practices in physical activity promotion. However, there remains a need for more formalized documentation and clearer accountability measures in certain policy areas. It should be noted that the district wellness committee has made significant revisions to the current wellness policy that are under review by district administrators and awaiting formal approval from the district's Board of Education. We anticipate approval of a new and revised wellness policy by September of 2025.
Process and Participants:
The triennial assessment was completed in June 2025 by the District Wellness Committee, which includes representatives from school administration, food services, physical education, school health services, and parent and community stakeholders. The committee reviewed each section of the WellSAT collaboratively, using current policy documents, program records, and practice observations to rate the strength and implementation of each policy indicator.
The results of this assessment will be used to further revise our district wellness policy, set new priorities, and develop action plans to further support a healthy school environment for all students and staff.
Strong Policies and Aligned Practices
Our district has demonstrated strong scores across Strong Policies and Aligned Practices. These successes reflect our commitment to meeting federal requirements for school wellness policies, such as conducting triennial assessments, revising policies based on findings, and providing transparent communication to families.
Key federal requirements addressed in this section include:
1. Conducting a triennial assessment of the wellness policy (FR16),
2. Reporting the results of the assessment to the public (FR17),
3. Revising the policy based on assessment findings (FR18),
4. Providing information to families about eligibility for free or reduced-price meals (NES3), and Page 1
Triennial Assessment Report: Waterford Public Schools Triennial Assessment 2025
(6/2025)
District: WATERFORD
Create Practice Implementation Plan
To ensure full compliance with all elements of the Local School Wellness Policy, our district will develop and implement targeted practice implementation plans aligned with federal requirements. This includes establishing measurable goals for nutrition promotion and education, physical activity, and school-based wellness activities; ensuring all foods and beverages sold to students meet Smart Snacks standards; and conducting a triennial assessment of the wellness policy's effectiveness.
To improve implementation, the district will focus on aligning daily practices in all schools with the specific goals outlined in the newly revised wellness policy. This includes strengthening communication to families, expanding access to nutrition education, reinforcing and enhancing physical activity requirements, and ensuring consistent documentation of policy adherence across schools.
The District Wellness Committee—which includes school administrators, educators, food service personnel, and parent representatives—will take primary responsibility for developing the practice implementation plan. The committee meets 3 to 5 times per year and will convene additional meetings as needed to ensure that the policy is fully implemented and responsive to school and student needs.
Timeline:
1. Creation of the practice implementation plan: By November 2025
2. Full implementation across the district: By December 2026
The plan will outline clear roles and responsibilities for district staff and provide timelines and benchmarks for each element of the wellness policy. Data collected by each building will be shared forward to the committee and the director of school dining and nutritional services so that it may be used once again during the next triennial review to note progress. Training and communication tools will be developed to support staff and ensure fidelity of implementation at the school level.
Assessment of Implementation Success:
The District Wellness Committee will evaluate the success of the implementation through:
1. Regular reviews of school-level practices,
2. Ongoing collection of feedback from students, families, and staff,
3. Monitoring compliance with nutrition and physical activity standards, and
4. Analyzing data collected in preparation for the next triennial assessment.
This structured, collaborative approach ensures that wellness initiatives are not only compliant with federal law but also fully integrated into the daily life of our schools—supporting the health, achievement, and wellbeing of all students.
Update Policies
The district wellness committee has already taken the initiative to update its district wellness policy to include specific written language within the policy for any area that scored a 0 or a 1 and ensure that our language reflected out current practice. This draft policy is set to go before Board of Education in late August and receive approval in late September.
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Triennial
Assessment Report: Waterford Public Schools Triennial Assessment 2025 (6/2025)
District: WATERFORD
Any area that scored a 1 in practice has been moved to a priority item for the wellness committee to review and create an action plan for improvement by November 2025.
FR1 Does the district have specific goals for nutrition education designed to promote student wellness?
FR2 Do your National School Lunch Program meals (and, if applicable, School Breakfast Program meals) meet all federal standards for meal patterns, nutrient levels, and calorie requirements for the grade levels served?
FR3 Does your school take steps to protect the privacy of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals?
FR4 Is free (i.e., no cost to students) drinking water available to students during meals?
FR5 Do all school nutrition program directors, managers, and staff meet or exceed the annual continuing education/training hours required by the USDA’s Professional Standards requirements?
FR6 Do all competitive foods and beverages sold to students during the school day meet or exceed the USDA's nutrition standards, commonly called Smart Snacks?
FR7 Do all a la carte foods and beverages sold in the cafeteria meet Smart Snacks standards?
FR9 Do all foods and beverages sold in school stores during the school day meet Smart Snack standards?
District: WATERFORD
FR10 Are there fundraisers that sell foods or beverages to be consumed during the school day? If yes, do the foods and beverages sold meet Smart Snacks standards?
FR11 Does your district regulate foods and beverages served at class parties and other school celebrations in elementary schools?
FR12 Is there food or beverage marketing on the school campus during the school day? If yes, do the marketed items meet Smart Snacks criteria?
Is there an official who is responsible for the implementation and compliance with the wellness policy at the building level for each school?
Do students have at least 10 minutes to eat breakfast and at least 20 minutes to eat lunch, counting from the time they are
District: WATERFORD
NES7 In your district, is it a priority to procure locally produced foods for school meals?
NES8 Do you know where to access the USDA Smart Snacks nutrition standards to check and see if an item can be sold in school during the school day?
NES9 Are you familiar with any state laws allowing exemptions for school-sponsored fundraisers during which foods and beverages do not have to meet Smart Snacks?
NES11 Do all foods or beverages SERVED (not sold) to students after the school day on school grounds (including aftercare, clubs, and afterschool programming) meet federal nutrition standards (e.g., CACFP or Smart Snacks)?
NES12 Do all foods or beverages SOLD (not served) to students after the school day on school grounds (including aftercare, clubs, and afterschool programming) meet federal nutrition standards (e.g., CACFP or Smart Snacks)?
District: WATERFORD
NE6 Do school nutrition services staff members use the following methods to collaborate with teachers to reinforce nutrition education lessons taught in the classroom?
NE7 Does nutrition education address agriculture and the food system?
PEPA1 Does the district have a written physical education curriculum that is implemented consistently for every grade?
Triennial Assessment Report: Waterford Public Schools Triennial Assessment 2025 (6/2025)
District: WATERFORD
Do teachers provide regular physical activity breaks for students in the classroom?
PEPA15 Does the district have “joint-use” or “shared-use” agreements?
PEPA17 Are teachers encouraged to use physical activity as a reward for students?
Opportunities for Growth
Our district is committed to ensuring that its Local School Wellness Policy reflects all federally required components. These requirements include:
1. Specific goals for nutrition education and promotion, physical activity, and school-based wellness;
2. Guidelines for all foods and beverages available to students during the school day;
3. Policies for food and beverage marketing that only allow marketing of foods and beverages that meet Smart Snacks standards;
4. A plan for measuring implementation and progress;
5. Designation of one or more district officials responsible for oversight and compliance.
In addition to meeting federal requirements, a district priority is to increase physical activity opportunities across all grade levels. This goal supports student physical and mental well-being, enhances academic Page 8
Triennial Assessment Report: Waterford Public Schools Triennial Assessment 2025 (6/2025)
District: WATERFORD
performance, and aligns with our whole-child approach to education.
To improve the implementation of both federally required practices and district priorities, the District Wellness Committee will be responsible for creating and overseeing practice implementation plans. A priority plan will focus on physical activities for all students. The committee will review physical activity blocks, short movement breaks during classroom instruction, structured recess time and the number of additional physical activity clubs before and after school. The committee will aim to find small ways to increase daily physical education minutes for all students.
The committee will collaborate with classroom teachers and school leaders to embed these opportunities within the school day, ensuring they are age-appropriate and equitably accessible.
Timeline for Implementation Plan:
Creation of the implementation plan: By May 2026
Full implementation across all schools: By May, 2028
Assessment of success: The district will measure student participation, monitor staff feedback, and review school schedules and lesson plans to ensure additional physical activity has been successfully implemented. This will be evaluated at each Wellness Committee meeting and through the next triennial assessment.
Policy Updates
The District Wellness Committee is responsible for updating the policy language to reflect the new practices and ensure all federal components are explicitly included. This is currently completed in draft form and under review. The new policy will take effect following Board approval. Input will be gathered from all stakeholders, including students and families, to ensure the updated policy is reflective of our community's needs and values. By updating our wellness policy to include all federally required items and our own local priorities, and by creating clear implementation and monitoring plans, our district is positioned to create a healthier, more supportive environment for every student.
Triennial Assessment Report: Waterford Public Schools Triennial Assessment 2025 (6/2025)
District: WATERFORD
PEPA5 How many minutes per week of PE does each grade in middle school receive? 0 0
PEPA6 How many minutes per week of PE does each grade in high school receive? 0 0
PEPA12 Are there opportunities for all students to engage in physical activity before and after school?
PEPA16 What proportion of students walk or bike to school?
Conclusion
In June 2025, our district’s Wellness Committee conducted the triennial WellSAT assessment to evaluate the strength and comprehensiveness of our wellness policies and practices in alignment with federal requirements and evidence-based best practices. The assessment supports ongoing improvement in promoting student health and well-being.
Our practices are aligned with federal standards, particularly in areas such as nutrition, physical education, and stakeholder engagement. This year’s assessment revealed improved collaboration, physical activity promotion, and communication with families compared to previous years. However, the need to strengthen policy language around staff wellness, nutrition promotion, and accountability was identified. Although significant policy revisions have been made, scores reflect the existing (pre-revised) policy pending Board of Education approval in September 2025.
The WellSAT assessment was completed collaboratively by the District Wellness Committee, which includes school administrators, food services, health and physical education staff, and parent/community representatives. The team reviewed policy language, documentation, and practices to rate implementation and identify areas for growth.
Key accomplishments include:
1. Conducting and publicly reporting the triennial assessment;
2. Revising the wellness policy based on previous findings;
3. Expanding interactive, skills-based nutrition education;
4. Increasing stakeholder engagement and transparency.
The district will finalize and implement revised policy language to fully meet all federal wellness requirements. A comprehensive implementation plan—led by the District Wellness Committee—will be developed by November 30, 2025 and fully enacted by May of 2026. An additional focus area is expanding Page 10
Triennial Assessment Report: Waterford Public Schools Triennial Assessment 2025 (6/2025)
District: WATERFORD
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physical activity opportunities for all students through increased PE minutes, classroom movement breaks, and before-/after-school programs. A long-term plan for physical activity enhancements will be completed by May 2026 and fully implemented by May 2028.
Ongoing assessment, stakeholder input, and committee oversight will ensure policies remain effective, equitable, and aligned with the health and wellness needs of our school community.
Key
Strong Policies and Aligned Practices - District has a strong policy and is fully implementing practices that align with the policy
Create Practice Implementation Plan - District has a strong or weak policy, but practice implementation is either absent or limited
Update Policies Update Policies - District is fully implementing a practice but there is no or only weak language in the written policy, or the district is partially implementing practices and there is no language in the policy
Opportunities for Growth - District has either not addressed the topic in policy or practice; or has only addressed the topic in a very limited way
For more resources, visit: wellsat.org/resources
