PE in our nations schools: Health community commentary

I ran across a nice piece entitled: PE in Our Nation’s Schools A case of "many children left behind" and a nice "FIT" for health care by Dr. Mike McGee on the Health Commentary website.

His position is that it is time to take on the issue of the lack of physical education in schools, which more and more advocates are characterizing as a public health issue. As more of a typical child's school day is given over to math or reading instruction, time for physical activity--recess or physical education -- has all but evaporated in many schools. A number of education and public health advocates are quite concerned about the public health implications of childhood obesity coupled with the erosion of physical/health education."

The article addresses the childhood obesity crisis, and cites data from the CDC and public policy reports on the issue. In conclusion the article looks at " The Fit Kids Act" legislation now before congress and concludes, "The Fit Kids Act sounds like a great "fit" for advancing this nation's preventive health.

Related Research Citations:
Learning First Alliance: Strengthening Public Schools for Every Child
Status of Overweight Kids in America.
Exercise and Childhood Obesity
2006 Shape of the nation report: Status of physical education in the USA
S.2173, The FIT Kids Act.

The Real Story Behind Obesity.

Pass Fitness Test or Repeat PE

For freshmen students in California Public Schools physical fitness testing has a new meaning this year.



Pass 5 out of 6 fitness items or continue taking PE until you do. California's high schools have traditionally worked around Education Code and exempted students from taking PE in 11th and 12 grade. This year that will change as a result of the new legislation.

Under legislation taking effect this school year by Sen. Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch, many freshmen now must pass five of the six fitness tests this spring or face a significant new consequence this fall: Those who fail must take physical education again as sophomores, where they will face the same testing hurdles. Each year that they continue to fail two or more tests means another year of P. E.

In two schools districts in central California last year about 67 percent of ninth-graders met the five-out-of-six passing rate. District representatives expect that number to rise this spring because the tests have been such a big focus this year.

For more on New Legislation on CA Fitness Testing.....

Physical Education for the Body and Brain

The Ventura County Star ran a series of articles on physical education, physical activity and childhood obesity. See links below.........

Body-Brain Connection
According to Dr. Levin, medical director for the Ventura County Public Health Department, kids who play hard every day may be making their brains, as well as their bodies, stronger. Researchers have found that children who exercise on a regular basis have more neural activity in the frontal areas of their brains. This serves as evidence that children who are physically active may be better able to organize schoolwork, do class projects and learn mathematics.

Quality PE Matters
Parents are encouraged to provide daily opportunity for physical fitness in the home routine, but school may be the only place that a child consistently engages in regular physical activity. This daily physical activity is critical for a child's physical, mental and emotional success. Studies have shown the importance of physical fitness in educating both mind and body. When children learn the value of leading an active lifestyle, this will have a positive impact on both academic success and the physical and emotional wellness. For many children, this opportunity is the physical education program provided at school.

Healthy Choices Explored
Most of us as parents focus on how well our child does in their math, English and science classes. We check their scores, compare it to the norms and then take action if necessary. We visit with the teacher to see what help is needed and provide extra work if required. Yet, as the Greeks recognized long ago, physical activity goes hand in hand with learning. Without physical activity, the learning process is impaired. Do we as parents take physical activity as seriously as we should?

Tag leads to lawsuit

A playground fight which occurred in physical education during a game of tag has led to a lawsuit by an elementary-school student and his mother against the Tucson Unified School District.

The student was attacked while playing tag. He was knocked to the ground, kicked which severely lacerated his spleen, said plaintiff's attorney Richard Gonzales. The victim ended up staying 6 days in the hospital.

The victim's mother accused the school district of negligence because the boy who allegedly attacked her son had a history of behavioral issues, had been placed "on restriction" and wasn't supposed to be participating in the class.

More on lawsuit......


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School Violence-Fears vs Facts

Peaceful Playgrounds Receives Top Honors

Nationally Rated Best in Class
A panel of experts representing 27 national organizations and government agencies gave the Peaceful Playgrounds Physical Activity Program their highest rating of excellent! Their Best in Class Award noted the program brought about "whole school change."

Peaceful Playgrounds received the award for addressing a number of national physical activity standards and Action for Healthy Kids Goals.

1. Provide daily recess periods for elementary school students, featuring time for unstructured but supervised active play.
2. Encourage the use of school facilities for physical activity programs offered by the school and/or community-based organizations outside of school hours.

These goals are met as Peaceful Playgrounds is a recess and after school program described best in April 2003 Parent Teachers Organization magazine as " Peaceful Playgrounds concept takes a resource most playgrounds already have-open space-and transforms blacktops and fields into play areas for different age groups with activities such as tetherball, wall ball and Frisbee golf."

Various research studies on Peaceful Playgrounds indicates that students were more physically active and drawn to the recess markings thus indicating that behavior was effected. -Behavior- MVPA increased (evidence playground observation) -Knowledge-students acquired knowledge in game rules, and sports skills (evidence game participation) -Attitude- Attitude changes in a decrease in perception of bullying incidents ( documented in CA Healthy Kids Survey) -Policy changes have varied per school site. Most policy changes occur in the recess reinstatements. -School Environment . Changes in physical environment documented in the playground repainting and adding games. Emotional environment changes as students report feeling safer in a "peaceful environment." evidence recess surveys pre & post implementation of Peaceful Playgrounds).

Washington Post Series on Solutions to Childhood Obesity

The Washington Post series on the Childhood Obesity Epidemic began on Sunday, May 18 and continues through May 22. It is the position of the Washington Post that "we are all responsible for the childhood obesity epidemic: parents, government, schools, communities, companies, the health system. This five-day series searches for solutions."

Topics for the 5 day series on Childhood Obesity are listed below and can be reached at the following link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/health/childhoodobesity/index.html?hpid=topnews

PART 1: Sunday
* » Obesity Threatens a Generation
* » How to Choose Healthy and Keep Your Taste Buds Happy
* » Overview of Childhood Obesity
* » Facts You Should Know

PART 2: Monday
* » Inertia at The Top
* » Making Headway or Headed Nowhere?
* » High Profile Campaign Becomes Past Tense
* » What the Candidates Say
* » 21,000 Calories in Two Hours at High School
* » A Smart Snack Machine

PART 3: Tuesday
* » The District | Produce-deprived, over half the kids in some wards are heavy.
* » The Suburbs | They seem to have it all and are still overweight. Why?
* » Controversial "fat school."

PART 4: Wednesday
* » One big barrier to healthy lunches: parents.
* »The new PE: If schools can't offer more, they'll try for better.
* » Nutritionist heeds the taste buds of students.
* » School lunch makeovers

PART 5: Thursday
* » Doctors, researchers are perplexed.
* » Maneuvering restaurant food.
* » A longtime culprit makes an "epochal" shift.

Pretending Not to Know What We Know

I read an article today that definitely fits into the "pretending not to know what we know" category identified by esteemed educational researcher Carl Glickman. Such was the title of an article by Glickman in the early 80's . I think his reasoning is still applicable today.... Consider the story below.

In San Diego, CA Physical Education teacher Jessica Casilla encourages students to, "Come walk. Come on, warm up that body,” she urges students at Mount Vernon Elementary School during their morning volunteer walk towards the Mustang Mileage Club.

The school hired Casillas three years ago to help its kids shape up. Casillas, a former Point Loma Nazarene University softball star, has a master's degree in exercise science from the California University of Pennsylvania. Principal Gustavo Vazquez said, “There's also a strong correlation between exercising several times a week and higher performance in academics.

A 2007 study conducted by researchers at three Georgia universities points to a positive relationship between exercise and a child's ability to think. Additionally, brain researchers have been singing the praises of physical activity and its connection to academic performance.

Here's where the "pretending not to know" comes in, last month the district gave Casillas a pink slip otherwise known as a layoff notice. Even though Principal Vazquez, who calls it the morning running program the “read, run, brain, brawn” program, said he feels confident that the combination of individualized learning and working out will net higher scores on the upcoming California Standards Test.

A good reminder: Drawstrings a choking hazard

Boston apparel maker Life is good Inc. has agreed to pay $50,000 to settle claims that it distributed children's sweatshirts with drawstrings that could be hazardous and failed to notify government regulators about it according to the Boston Globe.

The drawstrings have caused injuries and even death when they have gotten tangled on such items as playground equipment, bus doors, and cribs, regulators said. No one was reported injured by the Life is Good sports wear according to authorities thanks to a prompt recall. However such events serve as a timely reminder to school personnel that they should be aware of the danger of drawstrings in kids sweatshirts and remove them if necessary.

"The apparel industry needs to get in compliance across the board with these guidelines. ... The impact of not complying with it can be deadly," according to a CPSC spokesperson.

Interview questions for hiring physical education teachers

The National Association for Sport and Physical Education has just released a new document for use by Principals: Suggested Job Interview Questions for Prospective Physical Education Teachers.

Research indicates that hiring quality teachers is the single best indicator of student learning. Another important aspect of student learning is a teacher's general understanding of the standards, issues and trends relative to all the content areas that make up a comprehensive education including physical education. The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), which has been setting the standard for the professions for over 34 years, has developed guidelines and interview questions to help you to hire the best physical education faculty and contribute to the total education of your students.

Resources for Administrators
Today’s school administrator is faced with greater demands on time than ever before. To assist you in your school leadership efforts for quality physical education programs and student achievement, visit the NASPE website at www.naspeinfo.org. There you will find complimentary position papers such as Recess in Elementary Schools, and Physical Education is Critical to a Complete Education; and valuable resource materials such as National Standards for Physical Education, Opportunity to Learn Standards and Appropriate Instructional Practices.

Similar posts: Physical Education Teacher Evaluation Tool

Verdict still out on artificial turf

When the Town of Riverhead was deciding what type of field to install at a new park in Calverton, officials first leaned toward synthetic turf, which would allow heavier use with lower maintenance costs than natural grass.

But questions about potential health risks from the ground-up tires that cushion the artificial turf led the board to select real grass instead. Some cities, parks and recreation departments and schools appear to choose the "better safe than sorry" philosophy of decision making when it comes to artificial turf citing the lack of available research outside those manufacturing the turf.

"There has never been a single case reported of anyone ever becoming injured or sick as a result of ingestion, inhalation or skin contact with artificial turf materials," Darren Gill, director of marketing for the brand's manufacturer, FieldTurf Tarkett, said in an e-mail.

More on artificial turf......

Oklahoma moves to increase physical activity in schools

New legislation in Oklahoma has passed doubling the amount of class time devoted to physical activity includeing: physical education, exercise programs, fitness breaks, wellness and nutrition education for the state's youngest students. The bill calls for an increase from 60 minutes a week to 120 minutes a week. The requirement will apply to students in kindergarten through the fifth grade.

The measure was approved by the Senate on Tuesday and now goes to Gov. Brad Henry.

Policy makers acknowledged an obligation to do all they can to reverse a growing epidemic of childhood obesity.

Hot tip for playground safety

With warm weather just around the corner it makes sense to start thinking about shade for students. Harbour View Elementary School in Summerfield, Florida is doing just that. They have installed a canopy which is hurricane proof and blocks UV rays over the kindergarten playground structure. Kindergarten teacher, Melinda Boatright commented that its working, "We don't see those red, flushed cheeks like we used to."

"The canopies provide a safer and more comfortable place to play," said Zanetti School Board Chairperson, adding that burns from the metal or mats have now been eliminated, as well as the potential for sunburns. "They're fabulous." The estimated cost of the canopies installed at all district elementary schools is approximately $15,000 each. An added bonus is that the P.E. program is using the space to teach physical education on hot days.

Something to think about especially considering that young kids don't sweat nearly enough to cool themselves AND kids rarely self regulate play on hot days making them at risk for heat exhaustion.

Ten Alternatives to Tag

Robyn Hooker, principal of Kent Gardens Elementary School in McLean, Va., added her name to the list of principals last week when she eliminated "tag" as one of the recess game choices. Hooker explained to parents in a letter this month that tag had become a game "of intense aggression," and it seems the kid's tag game turned into a game of "pile up" instead.

See a great animation of the game of tag from the Virginian Pilot Newspaper!

Since tag continues to get unsatisfactory reviews from some schools and some principals, I put together a list of 10 activities that provide alternatives to tag. Click for the rules to the games list below as alternatives to tag.

1. Jumprope
2. Jogging-set up the field for laps and have children run and gather Popsicle stick per lap.
3. Hopscotch
4. Kickball5. Catch
6. Cat’s in the Cradle
7. Chinese Jump Rope
8. Telephone
9. Follow the leader
10.Keep Away

Blog topics in which we presented alternatives..............
Alternative fundraisers to unhealthy food
Alternatives to withholding recess.
Alternatives to tag.

Should tag be allowed in elementary schools? What are your thoughts?

National Playground Safety Week April 21-25

Spring is in the air, but unfortunately so are falls. The Consumer Product Safety Commission cites falls from equipment as a factor in 70% of the nation's playground injuries. Teaching children how to fall properly can greatly decrease the injury rate. According to Dr. Thompson, Executive Director of the National Program for Playground Safety, "the best person to teach the 'fall safely method' is the school physical education teacher."

Check out the free materials from the NPPS website including a checklist for schools and parents on keeping children safe on playgrounds. Working together with NPPS, we can make America's playground safe for all children.

More new products from AAHPERD Convention

The NED Show advertises itself as America’s Most Popular School Assembly. More importantly it teaches students what it takes to be champions at school and in life! NED stands for:

Never Give Up Encourage Others Do Your Best®




A new program aimed at fitness for the classroom is entitled, Be Fit and Learn. It is designed for classroom teachers to help motivate kids to get up and move. Materials include classroom warm ups, cool down activities, mini teacher lectures and academic integration ideas with science and social studies.





Punctuation playtime promises to teach elementary school children punctuation in a fun and engaging way. Founder, Jeff Rubin, notes that Punctuation is important in helping children learn to read and write with clarity.

T-Bone
Calling himself America's health and fitness ambassador, Tim Arem's certainly earned that honor.

He is an award-winning fitness educator and his popularity reflects a personal commitment he believes in strongly - sharing health, fitness and entertainment with children and adults of all ages!

Tim has portrayed all sorts of characters from Ronald McDonald to Mac Tonight to a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, but he didn't find his life's mission until he became T-Bone.

New Products for Schools

I attended the National Principals' and American Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Conferences last week. Below you will see some new items that may be of interest to schools.

Talk Light

If you have spent time in schools you know the lunchroom can be a noisy place. I ran into this stop light type system that seems to be a solution. The self management noise monitoring system is designed to encourage students to manage noise levels at a specified level. Positive reinforcement from faculty members along with reward programs established for students to develop social skills.

Catch a Brain Wave Fitness Fun CD and program promises: Just 20 minutes a day using these intentionally designed movements can help kids gain the important benefits of increased fitness and greater learning power.

Send your blogsite

If you attended the blogging session at AAHPERD last week please send your blog address by using the comments section below.

Physical Education and Physical Activity: Food for Thought

Lawmakers Want Kids In P.E. Class Despite Cash Problems
Sarasota Herald-Tribune Published: April 6, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - Florida lawmakers thought reintroducing physical education to the state's public schools was going to be no sweat. Turns out, it's an ongoing workout.


Wisconsin’s Model Academic Standards for Physical Education
for Physical Education and are designed to describe what students should know and ... preservice preparation and continuing education of physical education ...

15 Ways to Combat Childhood Obesity by Making Fitness a Family ...
But with America’s childhood obesity epidemic growing worse every year—and with fast food meals and sedentary TV-and-computer pastimes the societal norm—you worry about their future. In a world set up to make kids fat, how can you make ...

Physical activity improves academic performance
Business Gazette - Gaithersburg,MD,USA
It’s true that the primary responsibility of schools is to educate students, and physical education is a key part of learning (‘‘Students need more gym time ...

Time spent in PE benefits academic learning in girls

With the implementation of the Federal 'No Child Left Behind' regulations schools have been eliminating both physical education and recess citing the need for extended periods of instruction emphasizing math and reading skills. However, that may soon change. Results from a study released on April 2 indicates that a small but significant benefit for academic achievement in mathematics and reading was observed for girls enrolled in higher amounts (70-300 minutes per week) of physical education (referent: 0- 35 minutes per week). Higher amounts of physical education were not positively or negatively associated with academic achievement among boys.

It is an interesting finding given some educators have maintained that time spent in physical education was having an adverse effect on academic learning.

Public health officials have yet another view. Increasing physical activity through physical education is a proposed public health strategy to reduce childhood obesity. They maintain that school-based physical education has many benefits, including increasing physical activity and improving physical fitness and muscular endurance.

This study titled, Physical Education and Academic Achievement in Elementary School, supports findings from previous studies in which investigators concluded that time spent in physical education did not harm academic achievement and that it may have a modest favorable effect on achievement.

Related Blogs on PE and Academics
Can physical activity improve test taking performance?

Running : Miracle-Gro for the Brain

Simmons "Fit Kids Act"

Richard Simmons' campaign to bring physical education classes back to schools is gaining some important supporters-- key policy makers on Capitol Hill. According to Simmons, he makes no apologies for his "impatience with the current presidential contest, characterizing it as a political circus that drowns out calls to address the real crisis in children's health and fitness".

Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids Act (FIT Kids Act)
The purpose of the Fit Kids Act is to address the unprecedented childhood obesity epidemic. The Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids Act (FIT Kids Act) was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on July 31, 2007 by Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI), Zach Wamp (R-TN) and Jay Inslee (R-WA); and was introduced in the U.S. Senate on October 17, 2007 by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA). If enacted, the FIT Kids Act would amend the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act to require that all schools, districts and states include the quantity and quality of PE in the “report cards” currently sent to parents. It would also ensure that children get the support they need to be active and make healthy food choices.

Listen to an interview with Simmons on the topics of physical education, the Fit Kids Act and his ideas on the specifics of the reform effort to improve the quality and quantity of physical education in schools ...