Creating A Quality Physical Education Program

All children, from prekindergarten through grade 12, should participate in quality physical education classes every school day. The American Heart Association recommends that all children age 5 or older engage in at least 30 minutes of moderately intense physical activity daily and vigorous physical activity for 30 minutes at least 3 days per week.

Regular physical activity in childhood and adolescence improves strength and endurance, builds healthy bones and muscles, controls weight, reduces anxiety and stress, increases self-esteem, and may improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels. In addition to the physical benefits, students develop the knowledge, attitudes, skills, behaviors, and confidence needed to be physically active for life.

The National Standards for Physical Education set forth by The National Association for Sport and Physical Education indicate that a physically educated student:

1. Demonstrates competency in many movement forms and proficiency in a few movement forms.

2. Applies involvement concepts and principles to the learning and development of motor skills.

3. Exhibits a physically active lifestyle.

4. Achieves and maintains a health-enhancing level of physical fitness.

5. Demonstrates responsible personal and social behavior in physical activity settings.

6. Demonstrates understanding and respect for differences among people in physical activity settings.

7. Understands that physical activity provides opportunities for enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and social interaction.

To help students reach these goals, schools need a comprehensive approach to promoting physical activity. Such an approach would include several components.

1. Quality, daily physical education is provided through intensive instruction in motor and self-management skills in both competitive and noncompetitive activities. In addition, it should keep all students active for the majority of the class period, build their self-confidence, and provide opportunities to assume leadership, cooperate with others, and accept responsibility for their behavior.

2. Students need to take a health education class that complements physical education. In addition to nutrition and other health issues, the class should promote a physically active lifestyle and encourage less time spent on sedentary activities such as watching television.

3. Elementary school students should be given daily recess periods, featuring time for unstructured, but supervised, play.

4. Older students need to have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular physical activity programs. A combination of organized sports, intramural programs, and physical activity clubs (e.g., dance, hiking, yoga) can provide all students with opportunities. These programs should have a diverse selection of competitive and noncompetitive, structured and unstructured activities; meet the needs, interests, and athletic skills of students of all abilities; and emphasize participation and enjoyment without pressure. Physical activity should be fun!

There are ways for districts to ensure that students receive the quality physical education they need. Qualified and appropriately trained teachers are the most essential ingredient. Only certified physical education teachers should teach the skills and provide the motivation students need to adopt and maintain a physically active lifestyle. Studies have found that, compared with classroom teachers, physical education specialists teach longer and higher quality classes in which students spend more time being physically active.

Physical education classes should be the same size as classes of other subjects. Quality physical education must cover a great deal of content, and physical educators cannot do their jobs effectively or have enough time to work with individual students if classes are overcrowded.

Poor or inadequate equipment and supplies will affect a physical education program. If there is not enough equipment, or if it is in need of repair, students will waste valuable time standing in line and watching others while they wait for a turn. Support for the purchase of physical education equipment and supplies should be a priority.

The physical and social environments of school should encourage and enable students to engage in safe and enjoyable physical activity. Physical activity should not be withheld as a punishment. Also, parents should be encouraged to support their children’s participation in physical activity and should be physically active role models. Finally, students should be encouraged to participate in developmentally appropriate sports and recreation programs offered in the community.

The Center for Disease Control, in cooperation with federal agencies, state agencies, universities, voluntary organizations, and professional associations, has published Guidelines for School and Community Programs to Promote Lifelong Physical Activity Among Young People. For more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/presphysactrpt/school.htm.