Certification Criteria for Health-Literate Schools (2021) A Health Literate School (HLS) is defined as a primary or secondary educational institution that manages its systems to ensure students, teachers, and staff can effectively access, understand, and apply health information . Developed by the Thai Health Literacy Development Association (THLA) and its partners, this framework serves as a "Directing Tool" for executives to identify "Opportunities for Improvement" (OFI) and close performance gaps . 1. Framework and Methodology The HLS standard is synthesized from international models, such as Brach’s 10 Attributes and the Hamburger model, and is structured according to the Thailand Quality Award (TQA) . It emphasizes that health literacy is an organizational responsibility rather than just an individual skill, aiming to create an environment where health and academic achievement are pursued together . 2. Six Core Evaluation Categories The assessment includes 13 certification items organized into six categories : Leadership and Governance: Executives must integrate health literacy into the school's vision, mission, strategic plans, and curriculum . Communication: Focuses on using health literacy strategies for interpersonal communication to ensure mutual understanding among all stakeholders . Student and Parent Focus: Uses feedback and student context to design curricula and health activities that empower learners . Measurement, Analysis, and KM: Employs continuous self-assessment and research to monitor health literacy progress and foster innovation . Workforce Development: Prepares teachers and staff to act as "Health Literacy Coaches" and monitors their ongoing development . HL Process Development: Enhances navigation to school health services (e.g., clinics, sports areas), designs easy-to-understand media using tailored key messages, and manages high-risk environments, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic . 3. Certification Levels and Outcomes Organizations are certified at three progressive levels based on the health literacy outcomes of their members : Initiative (Functional): Demonstrates basic compliance with policies, resource allocation, and achieving functional literacy . Advance (Interactive): Features school-wide teamwork, effective communication, and an increasing rate of students reaching interactive literacy levels . Award (Critical): The highest level, where the school acts as a regional learning center, influences policy, and produces students capable of analyzing social determinants of health to drive social change . 4. Key Educational Techniques The standard promotes the PIR technique (Participation, Investigation, Reflection) to shift the teacher's role to a facilitator . By using practical tools like pedometers or nutrition label reading, students move beyond rote memorization (KAP) to internalize health literacy as a life asset