PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With the 2024-25 school year now underway, approximately 500,000 students in Arizona public and charter schools are receiving vision screenings thanks to a new state law and investments from local philanthropic organizations to support a successful rollout. Vision screenings are a critical step in identifying problems that can impede children’s healthy development and educational progress.
While some schools have offered vision screenings in the past, the new law provides rules and guidelines for all public and charter schools to conduct vision screenings for children at school entry (pre-K or kindergarten), in third grade, and again in seventh grade. Schools may also choose to screen children in other or all grades, so the total number of students who will receive screenings this year may be even greater than estimated.
Eyes On Learning, a public-private coalition of partners dedicated to improving the vision health of Arizona’s children, developed recommendations that contributed to the passage of the legislation in 2019 and has been instrumental in bringing significant philanthropic investments and federal funding for its implementation.
“Starting this school year with vision screening as a priority is the culmination of many years of partnership and collaboration,” said Karen Woodhouse, director of Eyes On Learning. “Schools now have the training and tools they need, and hundreds of thousands of kids are being screened to support their best vision health and learning success."
Why Vision Screening Matters
Vision screening is a critical first step in supporting children’s vision health. For those children who are identified as having a problem, the next step is being referred to an eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam and follow-up treatment if needed (often glasses).
More than 25 percent of the school-age population in Arizona may have an undetected or untreated vision problem that negatively impacts their ability to learn, and rates of nearsightedness (myopia) in children have spiked since the pandemic.
“Vision health is especially vital in the early grades, when children develop the literacy skills required to be proficient readers, and for success in school in the long run,” Woodhouse said.
While the law requires public and charter schools to provide vision screenings on a regular basis, it is important for parents and caregivers to connect with their child’s pediatrician or primary care provider to include vision screening as part of their regular medical check-ups.
Tools and Training for Schools
As outlined by the law, screenings include visual acuity (near vision and far vision), color deficiency, and depth perception. These screenings require an array of tools and equipment.
Eyes On Learning and the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), which oversees the statewide implementation of the program, began working together after passage of the law to develop the Arizona Vision Kit, which includes everything a school needs to conduct valid, effective vision screenings for students. BHHS Legacy Foundation, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, and Vitalyst Health Foundation supported the implementation effort with significant financial investments to provide the kits to schools for free and cover the cost of specialized devices to screen children age 6 and younger. Over 800 kits have been distributed to public and charter schools in Arizona.
“Many schools don’t have budgets to purchase the equipment,” said Roy Pringle, chief operating officer at Vitalyst Health Foundation, “so Eyes On Learning made sure that the necessary resources would be available for schools.”
In anticipation of the statewide rollout of the new law, Eyes On Learning and ADHS also worked together to reimagine the vision screener certification process. Vision screenings are typically conducted by a school nurse, but any school representative, community partner, or volunteer can now be certified via a new online training program offered by ADHS at no cost to schools. More than 500 school nurses have been certified in the last year. Certification is valid for four years.
“The rollout of vision screenings this year has been wonderful,” said Nadine Miller, RN, director of health services at Mesa Public Schools. “We are excited that our students are being screened and referred to an eye doctor if they need an eye exam. The system is really improved, and that’s good for our students, our staff, and our schools.”
Pilot Program to Streamline the System
To align with the first year of implementation of the new vision screening law, Eyes On Learning also launched a new pilot program that promises to further streamline the vision screening process in Arizona and increase access to follow-up vision care.
EyeSpy 20/20 is a web-based vision screening program that uses game design elements to conduct accurate, validated vision screenings of children’s distance and near visual acuity, depth perception, and color vision for a fraction of the cost of a traditional eye screening. Developed by VisionQuest 20/20, an Arizona-based nonprofit, EyeSpy 20/20 can be utilized on virtually any device, including smartphones, tablets or computers, without the need for expensive screening equipment.
The pilot program will implement EyeSpy 20/20 in approximately 200 schools across Arizona over the next two years, with the long-term goal to offer it to all schools in Arizona at no cost.
“The process is designed to be easy for everyone,” said Jim O’Neil, MD, pediatric ophthalmologist at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and co-founder of VisionQuest 20/20. “Kids just sit down in front of a screen for a few minutes and play a matching game. The results are valid, and schools are able to share this information with families and eye doctors if a child needs follow-up vision care.”
Many philanthropic organizations have provided substantial grant funding for the EyeSpy 20/20 pilot program, including the Arizona Community Foundation, BHHS Legacy Foundation, Burton Family Foundation, The Diane & Bruce Halle Foundation, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, and Vitalyst Health Foundation.
About the Vision Screening Law
Eyes On Learning coalesced the support of many children’s vision, education, and other partner organizations to develop and support the passage of a new state law in 2019, ARS §36-899.10, that requires Arizona public and charter schools to provide vision screening to all students when they first enter school (pre-K or kindergarten), in third grade, and again in seventh grade. Partners included the Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Arizona Department of Education, Arizona Department of Health Services, Arizona Lions Clubs, Arizona Optometric Association, VisionQuest 20/20, and Vitalyst Health Foundation, as well as school nurses, school administrators, school boards, and many other philanthropic and community partners. The law is overseen by the Arizona Department of Health Services Sensory Screening Program.
“This coordinated effort to care for our children’s vision health holds so much promise and is going to be life-changing,” said Steve Zabilski, president and CEO of Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. “The numerous public, private, and philanthropic organizations that have come together to make this happen is awe-inspiring—it is an absolutely moving example of what is possible when hard work and a concerted focus on improving a social issue unite.”
About Eyes On Learning
Eyes On Learning is a coalition of state, local, and national organizations dedicated to making sure that Arizona children with vision problems are identified early and receive eye exams and follow-up treatment to achieve their best vision health. Launched in 2016, Eyes On Learning is an initiative of Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. Learn more at EyesOnLearning.org.
Philanthropic Partners Supporting School-Based Vision Screening for Children
- Arizona Community Foundation
- BHHS Legacy Foundation
- Burton Family Foundation
- The Diane & Bruce Halle Foundation
- The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation
- Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust
- Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust
- Vitalyst Health Foundation
