School-Based Vision Screening and Eyeglasses Programs
Program overview
Providing vision screening and free eyeglasses: School-based vision screening and eyeglass programs provide children in high-poverty K-12 schools with free comprehensive vision screenings and eyeglasses. Such programs are associated with improved academic outcomes.
School-based vision services: Typically, schools partner with a healthcare system, public health agency, nonprofit organization, or local optometrist’s office to offer free screenings and eyeglasses to low-income students. Generally, optometrists visit a school for short intervals (e.g., 2-3 days), and students can receive treatment over the course of that period. Temporary, on-site clinics may operate out of mobile vans or use portable equipment placed inside a school building.
Provide eyeglasses on-site: Once screenings are complete, students who require eyeglasses may receive one or two pairs free of charge. To eliminate the extra step of students needing to visit an off-site office, programs deliver eyeglasses to students at school.
One study with a rigorous design provides some evidence for vision screenings and free eyeglasses as a strategy for increasing student achievement.
- A 2018 randomized controlled trial found that access to vision screenings and free eyeglasses increased students’ probability of passing a standardized reading test by 2.5 percentage points and a standardized math test by 3.4 percentage points–from a base of about 50 percent in both cases. Providing only vision screenings, without eyeglasses, had no effect on student outcomes.
Identify a non-profit partner and funding: When implementing a vision care program for students, schools can partner with a range of organizations, including local healthcare systems, optometrist’s offices, public health agencies, or nonprofit organizations. While certain partners may be able to provide services free of charge, schools may need to provide funding. Potential outside funding sources include corporate sponsors, local public health departments, community foundations, and a range of national organizations, like those listed here.
Provide glasses in addition to screenings: An evaluation determined that school-based vision care programs that provided vision screenings alone did not lead to improved academic outcomes. These impacts occurred only when glasses were provided as well, at no-cost. As such, replication efforts should incorporate both components.
Help clinics run efficiently: Schools can support vision clinics by handling various administrative functions. For example, creating a streamlined process for collecting consent forms from parents can reduce administrative burdens for partners. Schools can also use established communication channels to share information with parents about clinic dates and how to access the results of their child’s exam.
Schedule follow-up appointments or a yearly clinic: Over time, students' vision prescriptions change, and some may lose their glasses. These are some reasons researchers have proposed for why the impact of vision screening clinics on student achievement fades over time. As such, schools should offer follow-up appointments or a yearly clinic to ensure the intervention continues benefitting student learning.