Project Description:
In June 2005, the State of Illinois passed House Bill 2004 to establish the Healthy Kids/Healthy Minds Expanded Vision Program for Chicago Public Schools. The companion bill, House Bill 2378, appropriated funding from the State of Illinois General Assembly to Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) specifically intended for District 299, (or CPS), to carry out the Healthy Kids/Healthy Minds Expanded Vision Program. The funding terms allow, at a minimum, for eye examinations and eye glasses to be provided to students with prioritization of students who demonstrate both physical and financial need. These funds enable CPS to serve the unmet needs of students with vision problems.
Of the approximate 260,000 students who received a school-based vision screening during the 2004-2005 school year, 69,031 of those students failed the vision screening and are eligible for a comprehensive eye exam. Of those students who failed their vision screening, 44,780 students are currently Medicaid recipients. An additional 11,192 of those students are eligible for National Free and Reduced School Lunch Program; these students are most likely eligible to receive Medicaid, but have not yet obtained a Medicaid number. The fact that a significant portion of students who have failed vision screening are also Medicaid eligible suggests that CPS has a great number of students who meet both the physical and financial need for vision services as required by House Bill 2004.
The general purpose of the study will be to evaluate the satisfaction with the services provided through the Healthy Kids/Healthy Minds Expanded Vision Program. A sample of parents of children who participated in the program; a sample of teachers, nurses and principals who took part in the program; and the vendors responsible for providing the vision screenings and fittings will be surveyed. Recommendations for improvements in the vision program will be presented.
