Keep the “PHYSICAL” in “EDUCATION”

Jeff WascavageWest Chester University

KIN 586- Professional Issues in Adapted Physical Education

• http://youtu.be/_z4ahxNmra0

Link to Video

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• To understand to effects that budget cuts are having on physical education and all of the students.

• To understand how students with disabilities are at higher risk for obesity.

• To examine the link between academic achievement and physical activity.

• To identify strategies that help show the importance and the benefits of quality physical education programs.

Objectives

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Part 1: The Issue

• Physical Education programs are in danger of being reduced or eliminated due to budget cuts.– Schools are choosing to eliminate elementary physical education

programs. – Physical Education departments are losing teachers through furloughs.– Retiring physical education teachers are not being replaced.– A lack of resources and trained professionals impacts the inclusion of

students with disabilities in physical education.– Budget cuts are asking teachers to do more with less.– Only 6 states in the country require physical education in every grade K-

12 (Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, and Vermont).– New Jersey and Rhode Island require physical education in grades 1-12.

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Eliminating Physical Education

• NASPE recommends that schools provide 150 minutes of physical education for elementary school children, and 225 minutes for middle and high school students per week.

NASPE Recommendations

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• Federal law (I.D.E.A) mandates that physical education is provided to students with disabilities and defines Physical Education as the development of:– physical and motor skills– fundamental motor skills and patterns – skills in aquatics, dance, and individual and group games and sports

• There are no federal laws that mandate that physical education is taught in public schools to children without disabilities.

Adapted Physical Education Laws

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• Legislators want to make sure “qualified” individuals provide physical education to students with disabilities.

• However, each state can determine who they view as qualified.

• There are only 17 states have developed specific requirements and/or licensure for professionals who provide physical education services to students with disabilities.

Qualified?

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Part 2: The Research

•300,000 teaching jobs were lost between August 2008 and August 2011!

• If automatic spending cuts are enacted for the fiscal year 2013, education faces $3 billion dollars in cuts.

•44% of schools reduced elective offerings.

•70% of schools increased class sizes.

• Handout for teachers and administrators created by Spark.

Cuts in the United States

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• After cutting $860 million from Pennsylvania’s public schools in 2011-2012, Gov. Corbett called for an additional cut of $100 million in his proposed 2012-2013 state budget.

• A survey, conducted by the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials and the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, shows:

School districts have eliminated or left vacant nearly 20,000 education jobs.

75 percent of school districts are furloughing employees or cutting positions through attrition.

58 percent of school districts are cutting art, music, physical education, electives, and advanced placement courses.

Cuts in Pennsylvania

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• Among children ages 6-11, 33% are overweight and 17% are obese.

• The President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition reported that physical activity is 4.5 times lower for children and youth with disabilities compared to their peers without disabilities.

• Nationwide, 25.6% of people with a disability reported being physically inactive during a usual week, compared to 12.8% of those without a disability.

• Children and adults with mobility limitations and intellectual or learning disabilities are at greatest risk for obesity.

Childhood Obesity

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• Overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese adults.

• For children with disabilities, obesity rates are approximately 38% higher than for children without disabilities. It gets worse for the adult population where obesity rates for adults with disabilities are approximately 57% higher than for adults without disabilities.

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Childhood Obesity

Why We Should Not Cut P.E.

• Decreasing (or eliminating) the time allotted for physical education in favor of traditional academic subjects does not lead to improved academic performance.• Increasing the number of minutes students spend per week in

physical education will not impede their academic achievement.• Increasing the amount of time students spend in physical

education may make small positive contributions to academic achievement, particularly for girls.• Regular physical activity and physical fitness are associated with

higher levels of academic performance.• Physical activity is beneficial to general cognitive functioning.

Physical Education and Academic Achievement

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• Conclusion 1: Policymakers must stop trying to justify cuts to physical education on the grounds that such cuts will strengthen school achievement or, ultimately, the economy.

• Conclusion 2: Policymakers, school administrators, and teachers should stop arguing over whether physical education is essential.

• Conclusion 3: School administrators must aggressively make room for physical education.

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Conclusions

Part 3: The Impact

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IMPACT

• Loss of Job• Larger class sizes• Heavy class schedule• Less resources• Feel overwhelmed and stressed.• Lack of training and professional development

“The Bag of Magic Tricks Syndrome”

Teachers

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According to NASPE, the benefits of Physical Education include

• Improved Physical Fitness • Skill Development • Regular, Healthful Physical Activity• Support of Other Subject Areas• Self Discipline• Improved Judgment• Stress Reduction• Strengthened Peer Relationships• Improved Self-confidence and Self-esteem• Experience Setting Goals

All Students

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• Able-bodied students are exposed to a variety of activities and leave the program with the ability to successfully participate in two or more lifetime leisure activities.

• However, students with moderate and severe disabilities will only acquire critical lifetime leisure skills if training focuses intensely on these skills.

Students with Disabilities

Part 4: What Can We Do

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• Remember you are responsible for ALL students (no matter the size of the class).• Focus on the student and not the disability. • Everyone likes to experience success and be complimented.• Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. You can learn a

lot by experiencing failure.• Keep up to date with the latest best practices and research.• Teach life-long skills.

Teaching Philosophy

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• Graduate Programs– West Chester University’s

Adapted Physical Education Graduate Certificate– Slippery Rock University’s Graduate Program in Adapted Physical

Activity– University of Toledo’s M.Ed. Adapted Physical Education

•Webinars– AAPAR’S Adapted Physical Education Webinars

• Useful Websites– PECentral– PEUniverse– Adventure To Fitness

Professional Development

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• Teaching Style and Structure of class • Class Format, and Size of Group• Level of Methodology (cues, demonstrations, physical

assistance)• Student Communication• Starting and Stopping Signals• Time of Day• Duration• Order of Learning• Instructional Setting• Elimination of Distractions• Level of difficulty •Motivation

Teaching Strategies Checklist

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• Go to PEUniverse and search for one new activity that you have never taught before. • After picking the activity, come up with modifications to

maximize participation for all students.• Think about what type of assessments you can use with this

activity.• Think of ways to incorporate other subject areas into the lessons.

The activity “Pyramid Battle” (created by Corey Baxter) is a great example of integrating academics and physical education. I have tried this lesson before and my students loved it!• Remember, we need to show our schools the importance of a

quality physical education program!• Let’s break the stereotypes that all physical education teachers

just roll out the ball and play games. We are teaching skills that are beneficial for the future!

Real-World Challenge Activity

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• Over 300,000 teaching jobs have been cut in the United States between 2008 and 2011.

• School districts in Pennsylvania have eliminated or left vacant nearly 20,000 education jobs.

• Physical education is one area that is in danger of being cut.

• Decreasing (or eliminating) the time allotted for physical education in favor of traditional academic subjects does not lead to improved academic performance.

• I.D.E.A mandates that physical education is provided to students with disabilities.

• However, there are no federal laws that mandate that physical education be taught in public schools to children without disabilities.

Summary

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• For children with disabilities, obesity rates are approximately 38% higher than for children without disabilities.

• Students with moderate and severe disabilities will only acquire critical lifetime leisure skills if training focuses intensely on these skills.

• It is up to the physical education teachers to show the importance and impact a quality physical education program can have on all students.

• I think that the word “healthy” should be used in ever school districts’ mission statement when describing their goals for the students.

Summary

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Adapted Physical Education National Standards. (2008). Retrieved December 26, 2012,from http://www.apens.org/

Block, M. E. (2006). A teacher’s guide to including students with disabilities in general physical education.(3rd ed.) Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brooks Publishing Co.

National Association for Sport and Physical Education.(2012). Retrieved December 26, 2012,from http://www.aahperd.org /naspe/

President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition. (2012). Retrieved December 26, 2012, from http://www.fitness.gov/

Works-Cited Page

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An Alarming Downward Trend in America’s Concern for Physical Education. (N.D).

Retrieved December 26, 2012, from http://www.sparkpe.org/ blog/alarming-downward-trend-for-physical-education/

Implications of removing physical education from schools. (N.D). Retrieved

December 26, 2012, from http://www.sparkpe.org/blog/implications- of-removing-physical-education-from-school/

The Pennsylvania State Education Association(PSEA). (2012). Retrieved December 26, 2012,from http://www.psea.org/

Trost, S. & Mars, H. (2009). Why we should not cut P.E. Educational Leadership, 67, 60-65.

Works-Cited Page

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