Physical Education in Elementary Schools

By: Madey CostelloProfessor Kathryn Perry

PE 106

Advocating ForI am advocating that students should get at

least 150 minutes of physical education in a week.

More time in PE classes

(Alabama Department of Education )

Obesity Rates

Childhood Obesityhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-

FOPaJqjCM0&feature=player_detailpage

Schools Following PE GuidelinesUniversity of Georgia professor Bryan

McCullick looked at schools in all 50 states. He found most schools are coming up short

with PE guidelines. In fact, he says only six states implemented

enough gym time for elementary school students.

(CNN 2012)

Rockwood School District

(Gregorian 2012)

Federal Law“While public health reforms have emphasized

school-based physical education as a means of combating the childhood obesity epidemic, the study’s results found that courts typically do not interfere with state legislative decisions concerning curriculum.”

(Huffington Post 2012)

Recess

(Inglee 2012)

Core SubjectsSchools may be cutting time for physical

education to increase time for other subjects, in the hope of raising standardized test scores.

(Charles)

KUTV News

(KUTV News 2012)

Understanding the Difference Between Physical Education and Physical ActivityOften the words are used interchangeably but

they differ in important ways. The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) believes every child in the United States deserves both a quality physical education and physical activity program.

(NASPE 2012)

A Quality Physical EducatorInstructional periods totaling 150 minutes per

week (elementary) and 225 minutes per week (middle and high school)

Qualified physical education teachers providing a developmentally appropriate program

Teacher/student ratio in physical education no greater than 1:25 (elementary) and (1:30 middle/high) for optimal instruction (similar to other classroom settings)

Adequate equipment and facilities for all students to be active at the same time

Academic Excellence  Research shows that daily physical

education has a positive correlation with academic performance and attitudes toward school. However, a June report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) indicates that nearly half of high school students had no physical education classes in an average week.

(National Association for Sport and Physical Education 2012)

Works Cited Alabama Department of Education. ALSDE: Health & Physical

Education Information. https://www.alsde.edu/home/general/hpeinformation.aspx

Chad D. Meyerhoefer, David E. Frisvold, John Cawley (September 26, 2012). Physical Education Requirements and Childhood Obesity. http://www.voxeu.org/article/physical-education-and-childhood-obesity

CNN (July 10, 2012). Kids Not Getting Enough PE Time. http://permianbasin360.com/fulltext?nxd_id=198932

Cynthia Billhartz Gregorian (March 17, 2012). Schools Get Creative with PE while Reducing Hours. http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/fitness/schools-get-creative-with-pe-while-reducing-hours/article_98fba2ce-208b-5ed4-80aa-f18d9817dbae.html

Dayne Batten, Christopher Britt, Jennifer DeNeal, and Lauren Hales (August 2012). Physical Education: It Works Out. http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/intern-research/reports/pe.pdf

Works CitedHuffington Post (July 19, 2012). Physical Education

Programs In School Not Enough To Combat Obesity In Most States: Study. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/09/study-school-based-physic_n_1659579.html

Jenny Inglee (July 9, 2012). Study: Physical Education Is Failing. http://www.takepart.com/article/2012/07/09/study-physical-education-failing

Katrina Charles. Most kids don't get enough PE, says study. http://www.healnh.org/newsroom/news/290-most-kids-dont-get-enough-pe-says-study.html

Works CitedKUTV News (July 11, 2012). Kids Don't Get Enough

P.E. Time. http://www.kutv.com/news/features/family-matters/stories/vid_126.shtml

National Association for Sport and Physical Education (2012). Is it Physical Education or Activity? http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/publications/teachingTools/PAvsPE.CFM

Perry J. Weinstock (August 23, 2012). Physical Education Must Be A Priority. http://www.ahherald.com/opinion-mainmenu-30/letters-to-the-editor/13629-physical-education-must-be-a-priority