Policy 5141.3 - Health Examinations

Health Examinations

The Board of Education recognizes that periodic health examinations of students may lead to early detection and treatment of conditions that impact learning.

The Superintendent or designee shall verify that students have complied with legal requirements for comprehensive health screening, an oral health assessment, and immunizations at school entry.

To determine the health status of students, facilitate the removal of handicaps to learning, and determine whether special adaptations of the school program may be necessary, the Board shall require that periodic examinations be conducted which include tests for vision, hearing and scoliosis.

All students who participate as cheerleaders, song leaders, or athletes in organized competitive sports shall first undergo a medical examination and submit documentation of medical clearance to the district. Upon sustaining an injury or serious illness, a student may be required to have another examination before participating further. This requirement does not apply to participants in occasional play day or field day activities.

The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that staff employed to examine students exercise proper care of each student and that examination results are kept confidential. Records related to these examinations shall be maintained and released only in accordance with law.

The Superintendent or designee shall develop the necessary procedures to implement this policy.

Rule 5141.3

Rule Approved 06/02/1998
Last Revised 01/12/2016

Health Examinations

The principal at each school shall notify parents/guardians of the rights of students and parents/guardians related to health examinations.

A parent/guardian may annually file a written statement with the principal withholding consent to any physical examination of his/her child. Any such student shall be exempt, but shall be subject to exclusion from attendance when contagious or infectious disease is reasonably suspected.

Vision

Each student's vision shall be appraised, by the school nurse or other qualified personnel authorized by the district, during the kindergarten year or upon first enrollment or entry in a district elementary school and subsequently in grades two, five, and eight. However, a student who is tested upon first enrollment or entry in the district in grade four or seven shall not be required to be appraised in the next immediate year.

The vision appraisal shall include tests for visual acuity, including near vision. For male students, color vision shall be tested once and one time, after the student reaches grade one. The results of the test shall be entered into the student's health record.

The above evaluation of a student's vision may be waived under either of the following conditions:

1. The parent/guardian requests a waiver and presents a certificate from a physician/surgeon, physician assistant, or an optometrist stating the results of an examination of the student's vision including visual acuity, and, in male children, color vision.

2. The student's parents/guardians file with the principal a written statement that they adhere to the faith or teachings of any well-recognized religious sect, denomination, or organization and, in accordance with its creed, tenets, or principles depend for healing upon prayer in the practice of their religion.

Visual defects, or any other defects, found as a result of the vision examination shall be reported to the parent/guardian with a request that remedial action be taken to correct or cure the defect. If made in writing, such report shall not include a referral to any private practitioner, and the report of a visual defect shall be made on a form prescribed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The student may be referred to a public clinic, or diagnostic and treatment center operated by a public hospital or by the state, county or city department of public health.

In addition to the vision appraisals described above, the school nurse and/or classroom teacher shall continually and regularly observe students' eyes, appearance, behavior, visual performance, and perception that may indicate vision difficulties.

Hearing

Each student shall be given a screening test in kindergarten or first grade and in second, fifth, eighth, tenth or eleventh grades, and first entry into the California public school system.

Each student enrolled in a special education program, other than those enrolled because of a hearing problem, shall be given a hearing test when enrolled in the program and every third year thereafter. Hearing tests may be given more frequently as needed, based on the individualized education program team's evaluation of the student.

A follow-up hearing threshold test shall be administered to any student who fails to respond to any of the required frequencies in the screening test or is otherwise determined to need further evaluation.

The Superintendent or designee shall provide written notification of test results to the parents/guardians of any student who fails the hearing tests. When the test results fall within the levels specified in 17 CCR 2951 or there is evidence of pathology, such as an infection of the outer ear, chronic drainage, or a chronic earache, the notification shall include a recommendation that a further medical and audiological evaluation be obtained.

The dates and results of all screening tests and copies of threshold tests shall be included in the student's health records.

The principal or designee shall prepare an annual report of the school hearing testing program, using forms provided by the Department of Health Services, with copies to the Superintendent and the County Superintendent of Schools.

An electro acoustic calibration check of audiometers shall be made at least every 12 months.

Scoliosis Screening

Every female student in the seventh grade and every male student in the eighth grade shall be screened for scoliosis. The screening shall comply with the California Department of Education (CDE) and shall be performed by qualified personnel as specified by law.

The parent/guardian of any student suspected of having scoliosis shall receive notice which includes an explanation of scoliosis and describes the significance of treatment at an early age. This notice shall also describe the public services available for treatment and include a referral to the appropriate community resources.

Type 2 Diabetes Information

Because type 2 diabetes in children is a preventable and treatable disease, parent/guardians are encouraged to have their child screened by an authorized health care practitioner for risk factors of the disease, including excess weight, and to request tests of their child’s blood glucose to determine if he/she has type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes.

The Superintendent or designee shall provide parents/guardians of incoming students in seventh grade with an information sheet developed by the CDE regarding type 2 diabetes, which includes a description of the disease and its risk factors and warning signs, a recommendation that students displaying or possibly suffering from risk factors or warning signs associated with type 2 diabetes be screened for the disease, a description of the different types of diabetes screening tests available, and a description of treatment and prevention methods. The information sheet may be provided with the parental notifications required pursuant to Education Code 48980.

The Superintendent or designee may provide information to parents/guardians regarding public or private sources from which they may receive diabetes screening and education services for free or reduced costs.

Interscholastic Athletic Competition

All students who participate as cheerleaders, song leaders, or athletes in interscholastic sports are required to file a current medical examination. Compliance with the medical examination requirement is not necessary for participants in a play day or a field day activity occurring occasionally during a school year in which students of one or more particular grade levels from two or more schools in the district participate in athletic contests.

If a student sustains an injury or serious illness, the student may be required by school personnel to have another examination prior to further interscholastic competition.

A student who has been excused from the physical education program because of a medical reason may not participate in any interscholastic athletic competition.

All students engaging in interscholastic athletic competition are required to meet accident insurance requirements prescribed by law.