**OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY**

April 14, 2005

Dear Chief State School Officer:

  Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in school-aged children,   affecting about 206,000 young people in 2002. The most common form of diabetes   in youths is type 1 diabetes, formerly called juvenile diabetes. About one in   every 400 to 500 children and adolescents has type 1 diabetes. Along with the   epidemic of overweight and obese children, more and more children and teens   are now being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult onset diabetes—even   though the disease is usually diagnosed in adults over age 40. 

Diabetes must be managed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For most students with   diabetes, that means careful monitoring of blood glucose levels throughout the   school day and administering multiple doses of insulin therapy or using a continuous   insulin pump. Too much insulin can lead to dangerous low-blood-sugar reactions,   while chronic increased blood sugar puts youths with diabetes at risk of long-term   complications. Since monitoring and therapy occur during the school day, the   school health team—including school administrators, school nurses, principals,   teachers, office personnel, and other staff members—plays a critical role   in helping students manage their diabetes. 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Diabetes Education   Program (NDEP), jointly sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the   Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has established a Diabetes in Schools   Initiative. The purpose of the initiative is to educate school personnel about   the benefits of optimal diabetes management and to help ensure a supportive   environment and equal access to educational opportunities for students with   diabetes. Working with experts in diabetes, pediatric medicine, school nursing,   and education, the NDEP has produced **Helping the Student with Diabetes   Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel** to address the needs of all students   with diabetes. The U.S. Department of Education participated in this effort   by developing parts of the guide and providing an overview of the federal civil   rights and privacy laws that address schools’ responsibilities in educating   students with disabilities.

With this new guide, school administrators and health services personnel now   have a comprehensive resource that:   - Lays out a team approach to diabetes management in the school setting;
- Provides a basic primer and glossary about diabetes;
- Reviews components for planning and implementing effective diabetes management;
- Contains sample action plans that alert school personnel to common signs     and symptoms of high and low blood glucose levels and how to handle emergencies;     and
- Reviews the federal laws pertaining to schools’ responsibilities to     educate students with disabilities.

The guide may be reproduced and distributed without copyright restrictions.   Additional copies may be downloaded from the NDEP Web site at http://www.ndep.nih.gov/resources/school.htm   or they may be ordered by calling 1-800-438-5383. Feel free to promote the availability   of this important resource to your colleagues and staff and to create a link   to the school guide on your Web site. Please put this guide to work in schools   throughout your state so we all can help every student with diabetes succeed.

Sincerely, 

James F. Manning          Delegated the Authority of          Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights          U.S. Department of Education 

Judith E. Fradkin, M.D.          Director, Division of Diabetes,          Endocrinology, and Metabolic          Diseases          National Institute of Diabetes and          Digestive and Kidney Diseases        National Institutes of Health
James R. Gavin III, M.D., Ph.D.          Chair, HHS National Diabetes          Education Program
  Last Modified: 01/10/2020