The Childrens Health and Education Mapping Tool

USER MANUAL
Introduction to The Childrens Health and Education Mapping Tool ........................................................................................................................................... 2
Basic Functions of the Tool ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Welcome Screen ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Map View Guide ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Assess Community Child and Adolescent Health and Education Indicators .............................................................................................................................. 5
View counties underperforming relative to one indicator ......................................................................................................................................................... 5
View counties that are underperforming relative to multiple indicators ................................................................................................................................... 6
Identify Areas of Need ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
High Needs Area Identifier ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Reset National Averages for Indicators ................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Legend & Yellow Pop-up Boxes ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 10
Data View .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 11
View Other Healthcare Facilities and Healthcare Shortage Areas ............................................................................................................................................ 12
Examine Characteristics of SBHCs and Public Schools ........................................................................................................................................................... 13
Locate Public Schools ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Filter Public Schools by Key Characteristics ..................................................................................................................................................................... 15
Public School Characteristics ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 17
Locate SBHCs ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Filter SBHCs by Key Characteristics ................................................................................................................................................................................. 19
SBHC Characteristics ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 21
Accessing Additional Census of SBHCs Data ....................................................................................................................................................................... 21
Collaborate and Learn with Others ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 22
Connect with others ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Connect with State SBHC Partners ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 23
Community HealthView, Map My Data Point, and Map My Communitys Data ............................................................................................................. 24
Advocate to Policymakers and Fundraise with Data and Visuals ............................................................................................................................................. 25
Print Reports and Maps ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25
Customize your Map with Basemaps and Optional Layers ................................................................................................................................................... 26
Customize your Map with the Draw Feature ......................................................................................................................................................................... 27
Share the URL for a Map ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 28
Resources .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 29

Introduction to The Childrens Health and Education Mapping Tool

The School-Based Health Alliances Childrens Health and Education Mapping Tool, developed in partnership with HealthLandscape, allows
users to harness the power of geographic information systems (GIS) technology for data-driven decision-making. County-level information
on child health, education, and socioeconomic status is available to be searched, mapped, downloaded, and compared to national averages.
Public school and school-based health center (SBHC) locations, as well as other healthcare facilities, can be mapped, filtered, and key
characteristics displayed.
This guide provides users with instructions on how to use the Childrens Health and Education Mapping Tool. There are seven main
functions of the tool. You can use it to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Assess community child and adolescent health.

Identify areas of need.
Target high need areas with new or additional services.
Examine characteristics of public schools and SBHCs.
Collaborate with and learn from others in your area.
Advocate to policy makers.
Fundraise with effective visuals and relevant data for grant applications.

Examples of how each function can be used are provided throughout the guide.

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Basic Functions of the Tool

Welcome Screen
The Welcome Screen will display when the website opens. To begin using the tool, select a state of interest or the entire U.S. The Child Health &
Education Indicators layer will automatically open. Please be patient as the tool loads.

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Map View Guide

After selecting a state of interest or the entire U.S., the Map View for the Child Health and Education Indicators layer automatically opens. The
layers of the Childrens Health and Education Mapping Tool and locations of where to find them are described briefly below and in greater detail
throughout the document.

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Assess Community Child and Adolescent Health and Education Indicators

View counties underperforming relative to one indicator
To generate a map using the Child
Health & Education Indicators:
1. Select indicators by checking
the box (health insurance and
coverage indicators, health
indicators, education
indicators, and demographic
and socioeconomic status
indicators) from the menu bar
on the right hand side of the
screen. The sliding circle is
automatically set to the
national average for each
indicator. Counties in the
selected region with
percentages (or rates)
underperforming relative to the
national average for that
indicator will appear shaded.
See the Child Health,
Education, and Socioeconomic
Status Indicators Quick
Reference Guide or About the
Tool to learn more about these
indicators.
2. Adjust the sliding circle beneath the indicator to change the range of values. Click on the sliding circle and use arrow keys to adjust back and
forth in single digit increments as desired. For example, make the benchmark for comparison a state average instead. Counties within the
selected range will appear shaded on the map. The two vertical lines on either side of the sliding circle demarcate the range of values from
lowest to highest for that indicator for the selected state. If you slide the circle outside the two bars, you will note that there are no values.

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View counties that are underperforming relative to multiple indicators

To generate a map with
multiple Child Health &
Education indicators:
1. Follow the steps to
create a map with
one indicator.
2. Select as many of
the other indicators
as desired by
clicking on the
corresponding
check box. The
sliding circle directly
below each indicator
is automatically set
to the national
average. Counties
within the selected
region that are
underperforming
compared to the
national average will
appear shaded.
When multiple
indicators are
selected, counties
that meet two or more of the criteria will appear in darker gradations of blue, indicating potential areas of high need.
3. Adjust the sliding circle beneath each indicator. Click on the sliding circle and use arrow keys to adjust back and forth in single digit increments
as desired For example, make the benchmark for comparison a state average instead. Counties that meet or exceed one or more needs
indicators will appear darker on the map. The two vertical lines on either side of the sliding circle demarcate the indicators range of values from
lowest to highest for the selected state. A downloadable table of state averages for each of the indicators in this layer is available in the
Resource tab and from our website.

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Identify Areas of Need

High Needs Area Identifier
The High Needs Area Identifier illustrates the number of counties that are underperforming on selected Child Health & Education Indicators as
compared to the national average and will automatically appear after one indicator is selected. The High Needs Area Identifier can be used in two
ways:
1. Hover your cursor above the histogram bar for a specific number to view the number of counties that are underperforming compared to the
national average for that number of indicators. For example, if the indicators Under 18: Percent on Medicaid or CHIP, Adult Population:
Percent Obese, and Percent of Adults with No High School Diploma are selected, then hovering your cursor above the histogram bar for 2
shows that eight counties in the state are underperforming relative to the national average on two of the three indicators.

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2. Clicking on the histogram bar will highlight only the counties that are underperforming relative to the national average on the selected number of
indicators. For example, by clicking on the histogram bar for 2, the map will show only the counties that are underperforming relative to the
national average on two indicators. The map will no longer show the counties that underperforming for all three selected indicators.

Note that the histogram will recalculate based on what is seen on the screen; for example, after zooming.

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Reset National Averages for Indicators

1. To reset the sliding circle to the national
average for all indicators in the Child Health &
Education Indicators layer, click on the top
bars reset button. For example, if Under 18:
Percent on Medicaid or CHIP has been turned
on and modified under Health Insurance and
Coverage Indicators and Total Population:
Percent Food Insecure has been turned on
and modified under Health Indicators, then
clicking on the reset button will return both of
these two indicators to their respective national
averages.
2. To reset the sliding circle to the national
average for only one select indicator in the
Child Health & Education Indicators layer, click
on the restore button next to a particular
indicator. For example, click on restore next to
the Under 18: Percent on Medicaid or CHIP
under Health Insurance and Coverage
Indicators to set the sliding circle to the national
average of 36%.

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Legend & Yellow Pop-up Boxes

1. Indicators selected while in Map mode will appear in the legend directly below the map. The range shown in the legend corresponds with the
values for the indicator that are highlighted in blue on the map. When multiple indicators are selected, use the arrows to flip through all the
legend content.
2. While hovering your cursor above a highlighted county, a yellow pop-up box appears that lists the county name, total population, number of
public schools, total enrollment in public schools, and the number of school-based health centers in that county.

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Data View
Click the Data tab to view a Data Table. This table shows all related data represented on a selected map. Use the Export button to create and
download a CSV file containing the data. To view the data table, the Child Health and Education Indicators layer must be open and active. The data
tab does not function with the SBHCs and School Characteristics layer. The data table adjusts based on counties that are highlighted as having
high needs, thereby showing all counties that meet criteria selected. To view all counties and indicators in the data table, select one indicator and
set to the bottom limit.

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View Other Healthcare Facilities and Healthcare Shortage Areas

The Basemaps and Optional Layers section allows a user to view other health care access points including hospitals and community health
centers, as well as medically-underserved and health care shortage areas. To display health care facilities, including hospitals, Federally Qualified
Health Centers, FQHC Look-Alikes, Rural Health Clinics, or Substance Abuse Treatment Centers, click on the checkbox next to the corresponding
facility type. The health care facilities selected will appear in the legend. To display health provider shortage areas or medically underserved areas,
click on the corresponding checkbox. Counties that meet the indicator definition will appear shaded, and the shortage area type will appear in the
legend.

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Examine Characteristics of SBHCs and Public Schools

Click on SBHCs & School Characteristics on the gray toolbar on the right hand side of the screen to access school site-level information.

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Locate Public Schools

Click on the checkbox next to Public Schools to display all public schools. Hover your cursor above the information (i) button next to each filter for
more information about its definition and data source.
The legend shows that public schools will be displayed with bright blue flags. The number of public schools visible on the map is also shown in the
legend.

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Filter Public Schools by Key Characteristics

The public schools displayed on the map can be filtered by a variety of indicators: Title I eligibility, lowest grade level offered, highest grade level
offered, total school enrollment, and free and reduced lunch eligibility.
Some filters can be used by clicking on the text bar. For example, to view only public schools that are eligible for Title I, click on the yes filter for
Title I eligibility.

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The filters for total school enrollment and free and reduced lunch eligibility are numeric sliders (shown in the brown circle). Adjust the bars on either
end to change the range of values; public schools within the selected range will be displayed on the map. For example, to view only public schools
that have a total enrollment between 720 and 1,020 students, use the mouse to slide the left bar to 720 and the right bar to 1,020.
Multiple filters can be used at the same time. To reset the data, click on the reset button at the top of the SBHCs & School Characteristics tab on
the right gray toolbar (indicated by the brown arrow). Public schools and filters can be displayed alone or in conjunction with School-Based Health
Centers.

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Public School Characteristics

Click on a public school and a yellow pop-up box will appear that lists characteristics of the school, including the school district, address, city, state,
Title I funding status, total school enrollment, number/percent of students eligible for the free school lunch program, lowest grade level offered,
highest grade level offered, racial/ethnic characteristics of the student population, school type, and the schools operational status.

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Locate SBHCs
Click on the checkbox next to School-Based Health Centers to display all SBHCs. SBHCs that provide data for the national SBHC census will be
represented with green circles. SBHCs that do not supply SBHC census data will be shown with red circles and cannot be filtered.

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Filter SBHCs by Key Characteristics

The SBHCs displayed on the map can be filtered by a variety of indicators including: SBHC sponsor organization, SBHC staffing profile, hours of
operation, populations served, whether it serves adolescents (defined as a school that serves students in grade level 6 or higher), grade levels
served, and percent of students eligible for the federal free and reduced lunch program. For example, to view only SBHCs that are open full-time
(defined as a health center that is open 31 hours or more per week), click on the Open 31 hours or more per week filter in the Hours of Operation
per Week box.
Some filters can be used by clicking on the text bar. Multiple filters can be used at a time.

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The filter for free and reduced lunch eligibility is a numeric slider. Adjust the bars on either end to change the range of values of SBHCs with that
characteristic that will be displayed on the map. For example, to view only SBHCs in a school where between 50% and 80% are eligible for the free
and reduced school lunch program, click on a bar and use the arrow keys to slide the left bar to 50% and the right bar to 80%.
Multiple filters can be used at a time.

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SBHC Characteristics
Click on an SBHC icon and a yellow pop-up box will appear that includes SBHC and school characteristics including the address, city, state, Title I
funding status, total number of students eligible to use the SBHC, percent of students eligible for the free and reduced school lunch program, lowest
grade level offered, highest grade level offered, racial/ethnic characteristics of the student population, school type, year the SBHC opened, SBHC
sponsor organization type, SBHC staffing profile, hours of SBHC operation per week, grade levels served, population served, whether the SBHC
has an EHR, whether or not the SBHC has an after-hours source of care, and if it serves adolescents. Information on SBHCs that do not provide
data to the national SBHC census (represented by red circles), will be limited to address, city, state, and zip.

Accessing Additional Census of SBHCs Data

To access additional Census of SBHCs data and view our policies and procedures for data sharing, visit www.sbh4all.org or email
research@sbh4all.org.
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Collaborate and Learn with Others

Connect with others
View locations of local SBHCs, public schools and other health facilities and connect with others in your local area to share best practices and link
services.

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Connect with State SBHC Partners

1. Find states with School-Based Health Alliance state affiliate organizations that represent the school-based health care movement at the
state and local level.
2. Identify states with state program offices. Some state governments provide funding and/or policies and programmatic support to SBHCs.

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Community HealthView, Map My Data Point, and Map My Communitys Data

Use the Tools button to add different components to the gray toolbar on the right, and use different functions and data for the map. The
Community HealthView, Map My Data Point, and Map My Communitys Data components allow users to explore additional publicly available
data and add their own data (learn more at http://www.healthlandscape.org/Community-HealthView.cfm,
http://www.udsmapper.org/docs/How_to_Use_QuickGeocodes.pdf, and http://www.udsmapper.org/docs/How_to_Use_QuickThemes.pdf).

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Advocate to Policymakers and Fundraise with Data and Visuals

Print Reports and Maps
Use the Print button to create a PDF of your map. You can move the map and adjust zoom levels as needed from inside the print viewer. Add a
title at the top of the box in the Title section. A color map can be printed based on the created PDF for best resolution and quality; grayscale is not
currently an option.

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Customize your Map with Basemaps and Optional Layers

Use the Basemaps and Optional Layers to add additional features to the map, including:
1. Select from five alternative basemaps that can add street level, topographic, or terrain features. The default basemap is canvas with labels.
2. The US & Census Geography can add boundary lines and labels for states, counties, metro areas, and the 114th Congress. Cities will be
represented by yellow dots.
3. Highways can be added to the map by clicking the box next to Highways underneath the Transportation section.

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Customize your Map with the Draw Feature

Customize your map with points, lines, shapes, and labels. To find out more, see
http://www.udsmapper.org/docs/How_to_Add_Points_Lines_Shapes_Labels.pdf.

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Share the URL for a Map

Obtain a URL to share, or take you back to, the current map view.

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Resources
To find out more about The Childrens Health and Education Mapping Tool, view the Resources tab.

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