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HEALTHY!STUDENTS!LEARN!BETTER!A!Comprehensive!Physical!Education!Policy!

for!Philadelphia!Schools!!!

Philadelphia!Department!of!Public!Health!December!2015!

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS!!

We!would!like!to!thank!the!multiple!individuals!from!national!organizations,!other!school!districts,!the!School!District!of!Philadelphia,!and!local!organizations!who!provided!valuable!insights!through!interviews!that!helped!shape!this!report.!!Please!see!the!appendix!for!a!complete!list!of!interviewees.!!This!report!was!written!by!Suratha!Elango,!MD,!a!Robert!Wood!Johnson!Foundation!Clinical!Scholar!at!the!University!of!Pennsylvania.!!Support!was!provided!by!Giridhar!Mallya,!MD,!MSHP,!Cheryl!Bettigole,!MD,!MPH,!Amanda!Wagner,!MCP,!MGA,!and!Mica!Root!of!Get!Healthy!Philly!of!the!Philadelphia!Department!of!Public!Health.!!!!!!!!!!In!March!2010,!the!Philadelphia!Department!of!Public!Health!launched!Get!Healthy!Philly,!a!groundbreaking!public!health!initiative!bringing!together!government,!communityPbased!organizations,!academia,!and!the!private!sector.!!!Get!Healthy!Philly!envisions!a!Philadelphia!where!all!residents!can!live,!work,!learn,!shop,!worship,!and!play!in!environments!that!promote!healthy!eating,!active!living,!and!a!smokePfree!existence.!!!Get!Healthy!Philly!works!to!ensure!that!Philadelphians!can!enjoy!long,!productive!lives!free!from!disease,!disability,!and!premature!death.!! !

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TABLE!OF!CONTENTS!!Executive!Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………………..!!3!Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...!7!Background! !

Importance!of!Physical!Activity!and!Physical!Education………………………………………………!8!National!Policy!Recommendations……………………………………………………………………………..!9!Context!in!Philadelphia…………………………………………………………………………………………....!10!

Methods……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….!11!Findings! !

Other!Districts…………………………………………………………………………………………………………!12!School!District!of!Philadelphia………………………………………………………………………………….!13!Strategies!to!Address!Challenges……………………………………………………………………………...!17!

Profiles! !Chicago!Public!Schools………………………………………………………………………………………...…..!18!Los!Angeles!Unified!School!District……………………………………………………………………..…...!22!District!of!Columbia!Public!Schools…………………………………………………………………………..!25!Seattle!Public!Schools……………………………………………………………………………………………....27!MiamiPDade!County!Public!Schools…………………………………………………………………………..!28!

References…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....!29!Appendix! !

List!of!Interviewees…………………………………………………………………………………………………!31!Sample!elementary!school!schedule!–!Miami…………………………………………………………….!32!Sample!high!school!schedule!–!Chicago…………………………………………………………………….!33!Guide!for!interviews!with!other!districts………………………………………………………………….!34!

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EXECUTIVE!SUMMARY!!Numerous!studies!have!shown!a!positive!relationship!between!physical!activity!and!physical!education!at!school!and!academic!performance!as!measured!by!standardized!test!scores!and!student!grades.1,2!Other!studies!have!shown!that!increased!physical!activity!increases!brain!activity!in!children!and!is!associated!with!increased!concentration,!memory,!and!response!accuracy.3!Physical!education!equips!children!with!the!skills,!knowledge,!and!confidence!to!practice!a!lifetime!of!physical!activity.!!It!also!reduces!the!risk!for!obesity!and!associated!medical!problems!and!improves!mental!health!and!social!and!emotional!learning.4!Notable!components!of!a!high!quality!physical!education!program!include!instruction!by!teachers!certified!in!physical!education,!keeping!students!active!and!engaged!in!moderate!to!vigorous!physical!activity!for!a!majority!of!class!time,!and!a!focus!on!lifelong!skills!and!selfPmonitoring.!!As!Action!for!Healthy!Kids,!a!national!organization!founded!to!fight!childhood!obesity!in!schools!by!the!16th!Surgeon!General!David!Satcher!notes,!it!is!clear!that!school!time!spent!on!physical!activity!“will!improve!fitness,!will!not!negatively!influence!academics!and!may!actually!boost!academic!performance.”5!Yet,!like!other!districts!around!the!country,!physical!activity!and!education!time!in!Philadelphia!schools!has!significantly!decreased!since!the!passage!of!the!No!Child!Left!Behind!Act!in!2001.!!Only!24%!of!Philadelphia!middle!school!students!get!the!nationally!recommended!amount!of!physical!activity.6!Overall!Philadelphia!students!only!receive!intermittent!physical!education!in!elementary!and!middle!school!and!only!1!credit!(1!year/2!semesters)!of!physical!education!during!high!school.!!!!!!As!of!2015,!twenty!statesa!recognize!the!importance!of!physical!education!and!stipulate!minimum!time!requirements!for!physical!education!in!state!policy.!!Districts!such!as!Chicago!Public!schools!and!Los!Angeles!Unified!School!District!have!leveraged!these!state!requirements!to!strengthen!implementation!of!these!policies!at!their!local!level.!!However!neither!Pennsylvania!nor!the!School!District!of!Philadelphia!have!specific!minutePrequirements!for!physical!education.!!It!has!been!shown!that!schools!in!states!or!districts!with!specific!minutePrequirements!for!physical!education!are!much!more!likely!to!have!the!recommended!amount!of!physical!education!time!for!their!students!than!those!without!such!specific!standards.7!!The!School!District!of!Philadelphia!has!enacted!pioneering!nutrition!policies!for!Philadelphia!students,!along!with!support!for!school!wellness!and!youth!engagement.!!These!schoolPbased!policies!have!likely!been!a!significant!contributor!to!the!6.3%!decline!in!childhood!obesity!rates!since!school!year!2006/2007.!!The!Philadelphia!Department!of!Public!Health![PDPH]!applauds!the!School!District!for!these!efforts!and!is!now!interested!in!supporting!the!School!District!of!Philadelphia!in!increasing!opportunities!for!daily!physical!activity,!including!developing,!enacting,!and!implementing!a!minutePbased!physical!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!a!AL,!AR,!CA,!CT,!DC,!DE,!FL,!HI,!IL,!LA,!MS,!NC,!NJ,!NY,!OR,!RI,!SC,!TX,!WA,!WV.!!National!Association!of!State!Boards!of!Education.!Physical)Education)Policies.!State)School)Health)Policy)Database!(2013).!!

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education!policy!for!the!district.!!Before!such!an!initiative!begins,!we!sought!to!gain!an!understanding!of!the!processes,!challenges,!and!successful!strategies!of!school!districts!engaged!in!similar!efforts!around!the!country!as!well!as!to!identify!unique!local!considerations!that!will!need!to!be!addressed.!!We!spoke!with!10!key!informants!from!other!large,!urban!districtsb!as!well!as!15!local!stakeholders.!!!Key!Findings:!!!School!District!of!Philadelphia!The!School!District!of!Philadelphia!is!fortunate!to!have!a!cadre!of!dedicated!physical!education!teachers!as!well!as!a!committed!Office!of!Health,!Safety,!and!Physical!Education.!!Furthermore!over!the!past!few!years,!several!initiatives!to!improve!physical!activity!and!health!have!blossomed!in!our!schools.!!As!these!initiatives!have!developed,!teachers!and!students!have!begun!to!see!their!benefits.!!It!is!no!surprise!then!that!many!teachers,!parents,!and!community!organizations!we!spoke!to!were!supportive!of!strengthening!physical!education!in!our!schools.!!However,!like!many!other!urban!districts!around!the!country,!there!are!several!challenges!to!increasing!physical!education!in!our!schools.!!These!are!primarily!issues!of!scheduling!logistics,!space!constraints,!and!staffing!limitations.!!As!other!districts!have!faced!and!at!times!overcome!these!challenges,!their!primary!strategies!include!working!with!each!school!individually!and!thinking!creatively!about!solutions!to!scheduling!and!alternative!spaces!onP!and!offPcampus.!!Each!school!is!unique!in!their!strengths!and!challenges.!!Lessons!From!Other!Large!Urban!Districts!Districts!around!the!country,!especially!Chicago!Public!Schools!and!Los!Angeles!Unified!School!District,!have!undertaken!multiPyear!efforts!to!enact!and!implement!comprehensive!physical!education!policies!at!their!district!level.!!Their!activities!are!characterized!by:!!

• A!broad!coalition!of!support,!including!parents,!teachers,!school!administrators,!and!community!organizations.!

• A!core!leadership!team!and!stakeholder!committee.!• Thorough!assessments!of!the!current!state!of!physical!education!in!their!districts.!• Pilot!schools!to!identify!challenges!(space,!staff,!resources)!and!strategies!for!

successful!implementation.!• Strategic!plans!addressing!identified!gaps,!which!were!used!to!help!draft!the!

specific!policies!that!was!eventually!passed.!!Many!districts!describe!the!process!of!developing!and!enacting!a!physical!education!policy!in!their!districts!as!just!as!critical!as!the!policy!itself.!!Chicago!and!Los!Angeles!both!spent!significant!time!engaging!stakeholders!(teachers,!administrators,!students,!parents,!partner!organizations,!and!academic!institutions)!through!onePonPone!meetings!and!larger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!b!Districts!interviewed:!Chicago!Public!Schools;!District!of!Columbia!Public!Schools;!Los!Angeles!Unified!School!District;!MiamiPDade!County!Public!Schools;!Seattle!Public!Schools!!

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meetings!and!focus!groups.!!They!spent!time!educating!these!stakeholders!on!the!importance!of!physical!education!and!even!more!time!listening!to!their!concerns,!especially!those!of!opponents.!!They!then!addressed!those!concerns!for!winPwin!solutions.!!Over!a!year!of!these!sorts!of!conversations,!the!Chicago!advocates!garnered!so!much!support!that!they!were!able!to!move!beyond!the!strategic!plan!they!had!initially!intended!to!a!full!comprehensive!physical!education!policy.!!It!helped!that!Chicago’s!physical!education!advocates!formed!a!partnership!with!arts!advocates!and!the!CPS!Arts!Department.!Together,!they!were!able!to!successfully!advocate!for!Chicago!public!school!students!to!receive!a!wellProunded!education,!for!local!funding!to!support!that,!and!for!a!place!in!Pillar!1!of!their!school!district’s!2013!Action!Plan.!!!!As!might!be!expected,!implementing!the!policy!is!a!continuous!process!of!monitoring!and!providing!support!to!each!school!individually,!as!no!two!schools!are!alike.!!Several!districts!have!an!individual!coordinator!able!to!serve!as!a!point!person!for!schools!needing!additional!onPsite!assistance!with!scheduling,!space,!and!other!issues!and!they!have!found!this!personal!touch!a!key!to!their!success.!!Nevertheless,!schools!with!limited!space!have!found!implementation!especially!challenging.!!While!obstacles!remain,!and!efforts!to!fully!implement!the!policies!are!ongoing,!both!Chicago!and!Los!Angeles!have!succeeded!in!increasing!physical!activity!among!their!students,!with!an!emphasis!on!increasing!the!overall!amount!of!time!students!have!in!physical!education.!!Perhaps!more!significantly!they!have!elevated!the!value!of!student!health!and!wellPbeing!in!their!school!districts.!!Recommendations!Philadelphia!schools!have!a!great!opportunity!to!complement!their!pioneering!comprehensive!nutrition!program!and!wellness!policy!with!an!equally!complete!physical!education!program.!!A!strong!physical!education!program!is!necessary!to!ensure!children!are!in!school!able!to!learn!at!their!best!as!well!as!prepare!them!for!healthy,!successful!lives!in!college!and!their!careers.!!Though!there!are!many!challenges!to!address,!we!can!learn!from!the!efforts!and!accomplishments!of!other!districts!and!build!upon!our!own!dedicated!staff!and!success!in!physical!activity!programming.!We!recommend!the!following!steps!to!build!a!successful,!wellPprepared!initiative!to!advance!physical!education!policy!in!Philadelphia.!!!2015R2016!!

1. Conduct!a!baseline!inventory!of!each!school.!!Though!our!initial!interviews!give!a!sense!of!the!current!state!of!physical!education!in!Philadelphia!schools,!a!more!comprehensive!assessment!of!space/facilities,!schedules,!staffing,!and!related!activities!at!each!individual!school!is!warranted.!!This!will!better!identify!current!needs!of!each!school!as!well!as!what!resources!the!district!should!be!prepared!to!provide.!!A!survey!adapted!from!the!physical!education!portion!of!the!CDC’s!School!Health!Index!or!Chicago’s!annual!Healthy!CPS!survey!can!be!sent!to!each!school.!!Then!a!sampling!of!schools!representing!various!levels!of!need!based!on!the!survey!can!be!further!assessed!through!interviews!of!principals,!physical!education!teachers,!and!other!stakeholders.!!Site!visits!of!schools!expressing!limited!space!for!

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physical!education!should!also!be!conducted!to!begin!the!process!of!identifying!alternative!spaces!or!arrangements.!!Finally!interested!pilot!schools!can!begin!to!be!identified!through!this!process.!!

2. Document!and!promote!current!initiatives.!!As!described!in!this!report,!there!are!many!successful!programs!around!physical!activity!and!health!emerging!in!Philadelphia!schools.!!Identifying!and!aggregating!qualitative!as!well!as!quantitative!outcomes!from!these!initiatives!and!then!promoting!successes!across!the!district!can!help!raise!awareness!and!support!for!a!stronger!physical!education!policy.!

!3. Demonstrate!community!interest!and!consensus.!!As!every!other!district!will!

attest!to,!community!support!for!a!stronger!physical!education!policy!is!key!to!successful!passage.!!Many!health!advocates!from!the!Philadelphia!community!came!together!for!the!“Girls,!physical!activity,!and!childhood!obesity”!coalition!meeting!in!June!2015!and!were!interested!in!further!collaboration.!!Starting!with!this!group,!interested!participants!can!come!together!to!form!a!physical!education!coalition!to!then!further!educate!and!engage!the!rest!of!the!community.!!Parents!should!also!be!engaged!from!a!diverse!group!of!schools.!An!educational!campaign!using!flyers!and!social!media!can!help!raise!further!awareness!and!engagement.!!Identifying!needs!as!expressed!by!the!community!can!further!augment!the!formal!needs!assessment!above.!!!

!2016R2017!!

4. Pilot!Schools.!!After!comprehensively!assessing!the!state!of!physical!education!in!the!district!and!starting!to!build!support!for!a!stronger!physical!education!policy,!piloting!the!policy!among!a!diverse!group!of!interested!and!committed!schools!can!help!gain!more!information!on!what!it!will!take!for!successful!implementation!of!the!policy.!!Perhaps!10!elementary!schools,!2!middle!schools,!and!3!high!schools!can!be!identified!through!the!previous!year’s!work.!!Schools!that!were!identified!as!especially!supportive!of!physical!education!include:!Baldi,!Cramp,!Masterman,!and!Willard.!!Schools!that!are!beginning!to!demonstrate!success!and!support!in!the!Activity!Works!program!include!SF!Edmonds,!JH!Moore,!Patterson,!Taylor,!Loesche,!and!Penn!Alexander.!

!5. Develop!a!detailed!policy!and!implementation!proposal!–!With!the!above!efforts!

in!place,!a!detailed!policy!proposal!for!physical!education!can!then!be!developed!to!carefully!address!the!needs!identified!through!the!formal!assessment,!community,!and!pilot!schools.!!Given!the!challenges!of!space,!staff,!and!scheduling,!especially!for!elementary!schools,!we!recommend!that!the!first!year!of!implementation!have!a!goal!of!150!minutes/week!of!physical!activity!of!which!at!least!60!minutes!must!be!physical!education.!!Elementary!schools!can!then!work!progressively!towards!full!physical!education!recommendations.!!The!proposal!must!also!include!a!comprehensive!monitoring!and!support!infrastructure!to!ensure!successful!policy!implementation!in!each!school!for!our!children.!!!Full!implementation!can!then!begin!in!the!2017P2018!school!year.!

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INTRODUCTION!!Anchor!goal!1!of!the!School!District!of!Philadelphia’s!Action!Plan!3.0!states,!“100%!of!students!will!graduate,!ready!for!college!and!career.”8!Research!clearly!demonstrates!the!link!between!health!and!academic!achievement9!and!physical!activity!is!a!critical!component!of!health.!!Physical!education!is!key!to!equipping!children!with!the!skills!and!confidence!to!practice!a!lifetime!of!physical!activity!and!build!the!foundation!for!a!healthy!life.!!!Numerous!studies!have!shown!a!positive!relationship!between!physical!activity!at!school!and!academic!performance!as!measured!by!standardized!test!scores!and!student!grades.1,2!Other!studies!have!shown!how!increased!physical!activity!increases!brain!activity!in!children!and!better!enables!them!to!concentrate!on!classroom!tasks!and!have!increased!attention,!memory,!and!accuracy.3!Physical!education!also!reduces!the!risk!for!obesity!and!associated!medical!problems!and!improves!mental!health!and!social!and!emotional!learning.4!These!are!all!critical!aspects!to!strong!academic!performance!in!school!as!well!as!lifelong!wellbeing.!!The!School!District!of!Philadelphia!has!218!schools!serving!142,000!predominantly!poor!and!minority!children,!many!who!have!limited!access!to!safe!places!for!physical!activity!at!home.!!As!children!spend!almost!half!of!their!time!in!school,!we!must!ensure!our!children!can!rely!upon!their!schools!to!help!meet!their!physical!activity!needs!in!our!increasingly!sedentary!society.4!!!Philadelphia!for!the!first!time!is!seeing!a!slight!decline!of!childhood!obesity!rates.!!From!2006P2007!to!2012P2013,!the!prevalence!of!obesity!among!Philadelphia!school!children!declined!from!21.7%!to!20.3%!(a!6.3%!relative!reduction)!and!severe!obesity!declined!from!8.6%!to!7.4%!(a!13.5%!relative!reduction).10!A!large!likely!contributor!is!the!pioneering!comprehensive!nutrition!policies!introduced!in!Philadelphia!schools!in!2004,!years!before!the!Obama!administration!mandated!a!similar!change!nationwide.!!However!there!is!still!much!room!for!improvement!and!physical!activity!is!the!next!logical!area!to!address.!!In!fact!the!Institute!of!Medicine!recommends!daily!physical!education!classes!in!schools!as!a!measure!to!prevent!childhood!obesity.4!!Physical!education!has!been!a!staple!component!of!children’s!school!experience.!!However!since!the!passage!of!the!No!Child!Left!Behind!Act!in!2001,!which!links!federal!funding!to!adequate!yearly!progress!in!reading!and!mathematics,!schools!have!increased!instructional!time!in!these!areas!at!the!expense!of!others.!!In!2007,!the!Center!on!Education!Policy!found!that!44!percent!of!school!districts!reported!cutting!significant!amounts!of!time!from!physical!education!as!well!as!other!nonPacademic!subjects.4!Yet!we!have!not!seen!concurrent!improvements!in!academic!performance.!!Furthermore!we!may!even!be!worsening!academic!performance.!!Of!note,!in!December!2015,!President!Obama!signed!the!Every!Student!Succeeds!Act,!which!replaces!the!No!Child!Left!Behind!Act.!!This!act!now!includes!health!and!physical!education!as!“wellProunded!subjects,”!recognizing!their!importance!for!the!complete!education!of!students.!!!

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BACKGROUND!!IMPORTANCE!OF!PHYSICAL!ACTIVITY!AND!PHYSICAL!EDUCATION!!Academic!Achievement!Less!physical!education!during!the!school!day!to!make!room!for!academic!subjects!is!not!associated!with!improved!academic!performance.!!In!the!National!Early!Childhood!Longitudinal!Study,!where!researchers!analyzed!a!nationally!representative!sample!of!more!than!5,000!students!from!the!1998–99!kindergarten!class!as!they!progressed!through!grade!5,!girls!who!were!enrolled!in!PE!for!70!or!more!minutes!per!week!had!significantly!higher!achievement!scores!in!mathematics!and!reading!than!did!girls!who!were!enrolled!in!PE!for!35!or!fewer!minutes!per!week.1!A!2010!CDC!report!found!that!50.5!percent!of!50!selected!studies!noted!a!positive!relationship!between!physical!activity!at!school!and!academic!performance!as!measured!by!standardized!test!scores!and!student!grades,!while!48!percent!found!no!significant!relationship.2!Furthermore,!several!studies!have!found!physical!fitness!scores!to!be!significantly!and!positively!associated!with!academic!performance.11!As!Action!for!Healthy!Kids,!a!national!organization!founded!to!fight!childhood!obesity!in!schools!by!the!16th!Surgeon!General!David!Satcher!notes,!it!is!clear!that!school!time!spent!on!physical!activity!“will!improve!fitness,!will!not!negatively!influence!academics!and!may!actually!boost!academic!performance.”5!!Brain!function!First!and!foremost,!physical!activity!is!known!to!directly!increase!brain!functioning.!Hillman!et!al.!showed!that!of!twenty!9!and!10PyearPolds,!those!who!engaged!in!20!minutes!of!moderate!activity!(analogous!to!a!brisk!walk!around!the!school!building)!showed!increased!neuroelectric!activity.!!Subsequently!children!responded!to!test!questions!in!the!content!areas!of!reading,!spelling,!and!arithmetic!with!greater!accuracy,!and!had!a!more!intense!response!within!the!brain,!than!children!who!had!been!sitting!(see!image).12!Multiple!studies!have!shown!how!almost!immediately!after!engaging!in!physical!activity,!children!are!better!able!to!concentrate!on!classroom!tasks,!and!have!increased!attention!and!memory.3!!Behavior!Physical!education!is!a!major!facilitator!in!helping!children!learn!to!socialize!with!their!peers!in!a!successful!and!positive!environment.!!Studies!show!that!physical!education!can!improve!social!and!emotional!learning!due!to!the!numerous!opportunities!created!for!communication!and!interaction.4!One!Chicago!public!school!principal!stated,!“We!have!noticed!a!60%!drop!in!suspensions!in!our!school!from!the!year!when!we!only!had!one!physical!education!teacher!to!the!year!that!we!have!two.”13!

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!Attendance!Students!who!are!more!fit!have!improved!school!attendance.!!In!fact,!severely!obese!children!(BMI!>99th!percentile)!in!Philadelphia!on!average!miss!2.7!more!days!of!school!per!180!days!than!other!students.14!Ensuring!that!our!children!are!healthy!and!able!to!regularly!attend!school!is!critical!to!their!academic!success.!!Health!It!is!no!surprise!that!regular!physical!activity!and!physical!education!reduces!the!risk!for!heart!disease,!diabetes!mellitus,!osteoporosis,!high!blood!pressure,!obesity,!and!metabolic!syndrome.4!It!also!improves!mental!health!by!reducing!stress,!anxiety,!and!depression!and!can!improve!selfPconcept,!social!behaviors,!goal!orientation,!and!selfPefficacy.4!These!aspects!are!essential!for!strong!academic!performance!in!school!as!well!as!lifelong!wellbeing.!!NATIONAL!POLICY!RECOMMENDATIONS!!According!to!SHAPE!America!P!Society!of!Health!and!Physical!Educators,!physical!education!aims!to!“develop!physically!literate!individuals!who!have!the!knowledge,!skills!and!confidence!to!enjoy!a!lifetime!of!healthful!physical!activity.”15!They!recommend!that!schools!provide!150!minutes!of!instructional!physical!education!for!elementary!school!children,!and!225!minutes!for!middle!and!high!school!students!per!week!for!the!entire!school!year.16!Notable!components!of!a!high!quality!physical!education!program!include!instruction!by!teachers!certified!in!physical!education,!keeping!students!active!and!engaged!in!moderate!to!vigorous!physical!activity!for!a!majority!of!class!time,!and!a!focus!on!lifelong!skills!and!selfPmonitoring.16!Waivers,!exemptions,!or!substitutions!for!quality!physical!education!classes!should!not!be!allowed.!!Nevertheless,!only!20!states!have!a!policy!specifying!the!minimum!time!required!for!physical!education!(Alabama,!Arkansas,!California,!Connecticut,!District!of!Columbia,!Delaware,!Florida,!Hawaii,!Illinois,!Louisiana,!Mississippi,!North!Carolina,!New!Jersey,!New!York,!Oregon,!Rhode!Island,!South!Carolina,!Texas,!Washington,!West!Virginia).17!Slater!et!al!have!shown!that!schools!in!states!or!districts!with!specific!minutePrequirements!for!physical!education!have!much!greater!odds!of!having!the!recommended!amount!of!physical!education!time!for!its!students.!7!!Policy!aside,!many!studies!have!documented!a!significant!gap!between!enactment!and!implementation!for!physical!education!policies.!!In!2011!Thompson!et!al!collected!PE!schedules!and!observed!PE!lessons!in!28!schools!in!San!Francisco.!!For!the!elementary!schools,!83%!met!the!California!state!mandate!of!100!PE!minutes!per!week!based!on!schools’!master!schedules.!!However,!teachers'!actual!schedules!indicated!that!only!20%!of!schools!met!the!mandate,!and!observation!showed!that!only!5%!were!in!compliance.18!Los!Angeles!Unified!School!District!adopted!their!own!minutePbased!policy!in!2009,!and!they!only!saw!limited!implementation!of!their!policy!2!years!later.19!Major!implementation!issues!include!competing!academic!demands,!scheduling,!staffing,!teacher!training,!and!physical!space!resources.!!Continued!monitoring!and!support!of!schools!with!resources!is!critical!to!successful!implementation.20!!!!

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!In!addition!to!the!challenges!of!actual!implementation,!disparities!in!physical!activity!and!outcomes!are!ever!present.!!Many!studies!have!documented!the!social!disparities!in!access!to!physical!education!and!other!opportunities!for!physical!activity!by!race/ethnicity,!socioeconomic!status,!gender,!and!immigrant!generation.4!For!those!children!whose!families!may!have!limited!resources!and!access!to!facilities!before!and!after!school,!schools!are!critical!in!providing!equal!access!to!physical!activity!opportunities!during!the!school!day.21!!

!CONTEXT!IN!PHILADELPHIA!!Neither!Pennsylvania’s!physical!education!policy!nor!that!of!the!School!District!of!Philadelphia!has!specific!minute!requirements.!!Chapter!4!of!Pennsylvania’s!School!Code!requires!that!“every!student!in!a!primary,!intermediate,!middle!school!and!senior!high!programs!must!be!provided!with!planned!instruction!that!is!aligned!with!academic!standards!in!health!and!physical!education.!!Schools![should]!provide!sufficient!time!and!planned!instruction!in!order!for!students!to!achieve!proficient!levels!on!the!Pennsylvania!Academic!Standards!in!health,!safety!and!physical!education.”!!Similarly,!the!School!District!of!Philadelphia’s!district!wellness!policy!states!“all!students!will!have!access!to!a!sequential,!comprehensive,!standardsPbased!physical!education!program!taught!by!a!certified!health!and!physical!education!teacher.”!!In!fact,!most!Philadelphia!students!only!receive!intermittent!physical!education!in!elementary!and!middle!school!and!only!one!credit!(1!year/2!semesters)!of!physical!education!during!their!four!years!of!high!school.!!Only!24%!of!Philadelphia!middlePschool!students!get!nationally!recommended!levels!of!physical!activity.22! !

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METHODS!!

Starting!in!June!2015,!we!spoke!with!advocates!from!the!national!physical!education!support!agencies!Action!for!Healthy!Kids!and!Society!of!Health!and!Physical!Educators!(SHAPE)!America.!!These!conversations!provided!a!larger!context!for!physical!education!initiatives!across!the!country!as!well!as!helpful!resources.!!They!recommended!various!districts!that!have!been!actively!engaged!in!passing!and!implementing!minutePbased!physical!education!policies!at!their!local!level!over!the!past!5!years.!!To!gain!an!understanding!of!the!processes,!challenges,!and!successful!strategies!involved!in!passing!and!implementing!minutePbased!physical!education!requirements!in!these!districts!we!conducted!semiPstructured!interviews!over!the!phone!with!key!informants!from!the!school!districts!of!Chicago,!Los!Angeles,!District!of!Columbia,!Seattle,!and!Miami.!!Profiles!of!each!of!these!districts!are!created!primarily!from!these!interviews!as!well!as!any!additional!materials!they!provided.!!To!gain!an!understanding!of!unique!local!considerations!for!physical!education,!we!interviewed!physical!education!teachers,!principals,!and!a!parent!from!schools!identified!for!their!strong!commitment!to!health!and!physical!education!as!well!as!schools!in!areas!of!known!high!obesity!rates.!!Schools!included!elementary!(Anne!Frank,!Cassidy,!Cramp,!Steele,!Willard),!middle!(Baldi,!Clemente,!Masterman),!and!high!(Northeast,!Saul)!schools!to!capture!a!breadth!of!needs!and!experiences.!!We!also!spoke!with!leaders!and!staff!of!community!health!organizations!and!programs!working!in!schools!as!well!as!key!School!District!leaders!in!the!Office!of!Health,!Safety!and!Physical!Education.!!We!attended!the!May!2015!Physical!Education!Professional!Development!day!and!a!focus!group!of!physical!education!teachers!discussing!physical!education!among!girls.!!Finally!we!participated!in!a!June!coalition!meeting!of!over!50!community!stakeholders!about!girls,!physical!activity!and!childhood!obesity.!!In!addition!to!speaking!with!local,!regional,!and!national!physical!education!stakeholders,!a!variety!of!literature!and!content!reviews!were!performed!on!minutePbased!physical!education!policy,!benefits!of!physical!education,!and!any!documentation!of!activities!of!other!districts!on!the!process!and!passage!of!minutePbased!physical!education!policy.!!!!! !

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FINDINGS!OTHER!DISTRICTS!Each!of!the!districts!profiled!at!the!end!of!this!document!is!in!a!state!that!has!a!minutePbased!physical!education!requirement.!!However!in!most!cases,!these!state!policies!were!only!loosely!enforced,!if!at!all,!and!so!each!district!embarked!on!efforts!to!strengthen!implementation!at!the!local!level!through!a!districtPwide!policy.!!In!this!section!we!describe!themes!that!emerged!from!their!efforts.!!Chicago!and!Los!Angeles!have!the!most!comprehensive!policy!enactment!and!implementation!efforts!and!therefore!many!themes!are!drawn!from!these!districts.!!!!Policy!Enactment!

• Each!district!has!established!central!office!leadership!and!a!stakeholder!committee!to!lead!their!multiPyear!efforts.!

• Most!obtained!grants!in!their!early!efforts!to!fund!positions!and!initial!assessments.!• They!conducted!initial!assessments!of!the!current!state!of!physical!education!in!

their!districts!through!interviews,!surveys,!and!observations.!• Each!engaged!a!broad!coalition!of!support,!including!parents,!teachers,!school!

administrators,!and!community!organizations.!!All!felt!this!was!a!key!to!successful!passage!of!a!policy!by!their!respective!school!boards.!

• Pilot!schools!were!used!to!identify!challenges!to!successful!implementation!(primarily!adequate!space,!staff,!and!resources)!and!develop!detailed!plans!to!address!them.!

• They!developed!strategic!plans!outlining!how!to!improve!the!quantity!and!quality!of!physical!education!as!well!as!guidelines!for!accountability!and!allocating!resources.!!These!plans!ultimately!were!used!to!help!draft!the!specific!policy!that!was!eventually!passed.!

!Policy!Implementation!

• Continued!monitoring!of!successful!implementation!is!critical!to!ensure!followPthrough.!!Most!districts!have!schools!submit!their!PE!schedules!yearly!and!followPup!on!those!not!meeting!policy!requirements.!For!more!details!on!each!district’s!monitoring!plan,!see!pages!20!(Chicago),!23!(L.A.),!25!(D.C.),!and!28!(Miami).!

• Continued!support!in!an!individualized!way,!especially!for!schools!experiencing!challenges,!is!essential!to!buyPin!and!successful!implementation.!

• Many!districts!have!an!individual!coordinator!able!to!serve!as!an!onPsite!point!person!for!schools!needing!additional!assistance!with!scheduling,!identifying!alternative!spaces,!etc.!!This!person!also!often!directly!engages!with!principals!and!can!help!raise!awareness!and!build!critical!support!among!them.!

• Most!schools!have!been!able!to!increase!their!total!number!of!physical!education!minutes.!!However!full!implementation!across!all!schools!remains!challenging,!especially!in!an!environment!of!budget!cuts!and!in!those!schools!without!adequate!space.!!

• Some!schools!preferred!transitional!plans!over!several!years!while!others!preferred!attempting!full!implementation!at!one!time.!!Implementation!has!been!easier!in!high!schools,!due!to!their!regular!schedules!and!less!space!constraints.!

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!!!SCHOOL!DISTRICT!OF!PHILADELPHIA!!!From!our!conversations!with!15!local!physical!education!stakeholders!and!advocates,!we!are!first!and!foremost!impressed!by!the!dedication!and!enthusiasm!to!promoting!the!health!and!wellbeing!of!our!children!found!in!several!Philadelphia!schools,!despite!challenging!financial!constraints.!!Nevertheless!it!appears!that!there!are!several!challenges!that!must!be!addressed!in!order!for!a!stronger!physical!education!policy!to!pass!and!succeed.!!Please!refer!to!the!next!section!for!potential!strategies!found!to!be!successful!in!other!districts!that!could!also!help!address!our!local!challenges.!!In!this!section!we!will!present!themes!that!emerged!from!our!interviews.!!Strengths!!Dedicated!teachers!R!The!School!District!of!Philadelphia!has!325!physical!education!teachers!certified!in!physical!education!and!health.!!Though!many!positions!have!been!cut!over!the!past!few!years,!having!all!current!physical!education!teachers!fully!certified!in!physical!education!is!certainly!an!asset,!as!there!are!many!districts!where!academic!classroom!teachers!are!also!teaching!their!students!physical!education.!!SHAPE!America!recommends!certified!instructors!to!improve!the!quality!of!instruction!and!percent!of!time!students!spend!in!the!recommended!moderatePtoPvigorous!physical!activity.16!Though!this!is!not!specified!in!Pennsylvania’s!School!Code,!the!District!does!specifically!require!it.!!The!physical!education!teachers!interviewed!each!demonstrated!a!passion!and!dedication!to!their!students.!!Mary!Creighton!of!Saul!High!School!described!her!efforts!to!create!a!noncompetitive!and!supportive!environment!as!many!kids!have!had!negative!experiences!in!the!past!that!turn!them!off!of!physical!activity.!!She!found!that!this!has!been!especially!effective!in!engaging!girls!to!equally!participate.!!Jeff!Brown!at!Baldi!Middle!School!describes!how!he!and!his!three!other!colleagues!have!the!mutual!primary!goal!that!each!student!can!jog!eight!minutes.!!This!is!a!goal!they!work!on!throughout!the!year,!setting!“kids!up!for!getting!sweaty!and!being!ok!with!it”!and!trying!to!help!them!not!be!“afraid!of!physical!activity.”!!Many!instructors!also!described!their!efforts!to!engage!students!in!activities!they!may!not!otherwise!be!exposed!to!(e.g.!weight!training,!aerobics,!yoga,!lifetime!sports!like!tennis!and!golf),!and!students!often!being!surprised!to!find!out!that!they!enjoy!them.!!Marc!Michaels!from!Northeast!High!School!used!funds!raised!from!PE!uniform!sales!to!buy!badminton!equipment.!!!This!is!a!sport!students!rarely!have!familiarity!with!and!often!“has!them!running!without!even!knowing!it.”!!Such!creativity!and!persistence!is!inspiring.!!Supportive!principals!P!All!the!schools!interviewed!that!had!relatively!high!quality!physical!education!programs!attributed!their!success!to!having!supportive!principals.!!They!described!not!being!able!to!do!what!they!do!without!such!support.!!

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Committed!Office!of!Health,!Safety,!and!Physical!Education!R!All!schoolPaffiliated!interviewees!identified!a!strong!Office!of!Health,!Safety,!and!Physical!Education!as!an!advantage!within!the!district.!!Acknowledging!diminishing!resources!over!time,!they!felt!that!the!office!was!key!to!maintaining!the!level!of!physical!education!that!they!currently!have!and!providing!support!when!needed.!!Many!cited!the!biannual!Professional!Development!sessions!as!extremely!helpful.!!They!found!them!as!an!invigorating!time!to!connect!with!others!in!their!field,!learn!about!new!activities!and!techniques,!and!increase!their!knowledge!about!resources!available!to!them.!!Many!initiatives!around!physical!activity!and!health!P!Though!physical!education!is!limited!in!the!current!environment,!there!have!been!many!initiatives!to!increase!and!improve!the!physical!activity!students!get!during!the!rest!of!the!school!day!and!week.!!Programs!include!Playworks!to!improve!recess!physical!activity!and!Activity!Works!in!39!schools!to!help!classroom!teachers!guide!students!in!10P15!minute!movement!breaks!once!a!day.!!Five!schools!have!also!been!recognized!for!their!schoolPwide!health!efforts!through!the!Healthy!Schools!Program!from!the!Alliance!for!a!Healthier!Generation,!a!program!supported!by!the!American!Heart!Association!and!Clinton!Foundation.!!HYPE,!a!program!through!the!Food!Trust,!engages!and!supports!students!in!leading!their!schools!to!become!healthier.!!Through!all!these!efforts,!staff,!teachers,!parents,!and!students!are!starting!to!see!the!benefits!of!physical!activity!throughout!the!day!and!are!working!towards!a!culture!of!health.!!Many!teachers/parents/community!organizations!supportive!of!physical!education!Recognizing!that!physical!activity!is!important,!but!physical!education!is!key!to!equipping!students!with!the!skills!and!confidence!to!regularly!engage!in!physical!activity,!all!teachers,!parents,!and!community!organizations!we!spoke!to!were!very!supportive!of!increasing!physical!education!programming!in!Philadelphia!schools.!!Sally!Moore!is!a!physical!education!teacher!at!Masterman!Middle!and!High!School,!one!of!the!top!schools!in!the!state!of!Pennsylvania.!!She!previously!taught!at!Ludlow!Elementary!where!many!students!came!from!difficult!home!environments.!!She!sees!physical!education!as!a!“helpful!outlet”!for!two!very!different!kinds!of!stress!she!sees!children!facing.!!Both!the!stress!of!highPperforming!academics!as!well!as!children!with!“behavior!problems”!often!facing!toxic!stress!in!their!home!environments,!especially!those!who!may!not!have!safe!spaces!for!activity!outside!of!school.!!A!member!of!the!Healthy!Schools!Committee!described!her!view!of!physical!education!as!important!for!emotional!wellPbeing!and!character!development,!as!it!was!a!basic!time!where!children!learn!to!work!with!others!and!work!on!a!team.!!!!!!!!!!

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Challenges!!Attitudes/beliefs!

• Misperceptions!–!many!physical!education!teachers!we!spoke!to!described!a!misperception!by!other!teachers,!parents,!and!students!of!physical!education!as!just!a!“time!to!throw!a!ball!around.”!!This!can!make!it!challenging!to!create!an!environment!where!physical!education!is!respected!and!all!involved!are!held!accountable!to!high!standards.!!Students!at!times!may!voice,!“Why!do!I!have!to!do!this?”!or!“I!don’t!feel!well.”!!Parents!at!times!send!in!notes!such!as!“Please!excuse!my!child!from!PE!today.!!They!have!a!cold,”!or!"I’m!doing!laundry!so!my!child!doesn’t!have!gym!clothes!today."!!Other!teachers!may!tell!their!students!that!they!can!miss!their!physical!education!class!to!make!up!a!test.!!All!these!comments!reflect!a!misunderstanding!and!devaluing!of!what!physical!education!is.!!Finally!with!the!emphasis!on!testing!and!schools!primarily!being!evaluated!based!on!testing,!it!is!understandably!hard!for!principals!to!prioritize!anything!else.!

• Concerns!–!most!we!spoke!to!felt!that!parents!would!be!supportive!of!more!physical!education.!!But!others!pointed!out!that!at!schools!working!on!improving!their!academics,!some!parents!might!be!concerned!if!those!subjects!are!not!also!being!addressed.!

• Students!“afraid”!to!do!physical!activity!–!Some!physical!education!teachers!we!spoke!to!described!some!of!their!students!as!being!“afraid”!to!engage!in!vigorous!physical!activity.!!Many!of!these!children!have!asthma,!and!either!they!or!their!parents!perceive!that!it!is!not!medically!safe!for!them!to!feel!their!heart!beating!fast.!!At!the!same!time,!advocates!we!spoke!to!described!these!children!as!just!needing!some!extra!support!and!encouragement!as!they!engaged!in!physical!activity!to!see!that!they!would!be!okay.!

!Scheduling!P!Without!any!specific!time!guidelines!at!the!state!or!district!level!for!any!subject!let!alone!physical!education,!there!is!significant!variation!in!the!quality!and!quantity!of!physical!education.!!Many!elementary!and!middle!schools!have!physical!education!categorized!as!a!“prep”!class,!along!with!subjects!like!computer,!music,!art,!library,!science,!and!writing.!!Prep!subjects!occur!during!each!teacher’s!mandated!“prep”!time.!!Most!students!have!physical!education!scheduled!one!time/week,!or!in!programs!with!block!schedules!physical!education!may!occur!only!during!one!third!of!the!year.!!Increasing!physical!education!would!therefore!have!to!be!balanced!with!the!other!prep!classes!and!could!lead!to!a!consequent!decrease!in!their!time.!!Block!scheduling!presents!it’s!own!challenges!–!though!many!physical!education!teachers!felt!their!students!benefited!from!the!more!intense!experience,!they!knew!that!students!were!not!physically!active!the!remainder!of!the!year.!!Aside!from!limited!scheduling,!the!greater!challenge!is!how!often!each!class!can!be!canceled!for!a!variety!of!reasons!(half!days,!testing!days,!report!card!days).!!Several!schools!described!that!ultimately!students!may!only!get!physical!education!once!every!two!weeks!or!in!some!extreme!cases!once!a!month.!!

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In!high!school,!with!the!more!defined!class!schedule,!students!in!general!have!physical!education!2!semesters!(1!year)!over!the!course!of!4!years!and!have!less!irregularity!during!that!time.!!Space!P!Adequate!physical!space!came!up!as!a!significant!concern!for!many!schools,!especially!elementary!schools.!!Approximately!45!elementary!schools!use!their!cafeteria!as!a!gym,!and!many!schools!in!general!have!limited!outdoor!space!that!often!has!to!be!shared!with!other!activities!like!lunch!and!recess.!!Often!these!spaces!are!scheduled!in!such!a!way!so!that!students!have!physical!education!one!time!a!week.!!If!that!frequency!were!doubled!or!tripled,!many!felt!that!the!space!and!equipment!would!not!allow!sufficient!physical!activity!for!each!individual!child.!!That!said,!many!described!nearby!facilities!such!as!parks!within!a!5!block!walking!distance.!!But!they!expressed!concern!for!one!physical!education!teacher!getting!the!students!there!safely!on!their!own.!!Staff!P!At!elementary!schools,!many!described!the!practice!of!physical!education!teachers!often!being!pulled!for!other!needs!such!as!substituting!when!classroom!teachers!call!in!sick!or!lunch!duty.!!This!is!especially!challenging!as!funding!for!substitute!teachers!and!other!aides!has!been!cut!over!the!years.!!Furthermore!most!physical!education!teachers!are!often!working!a!full!schedule!of!classes!throughout!the!week!in!order!to!fit!in!every!single!class!in!their!school!one!time!per!week.!!If!that!frequency!were!increased,!in!order!to!maintain!appropriate!class!sizes!for!adequate!instruction,!additional!certified!physical!education!teachers!would!need!to!be!hired.!!Curriculum!P!Physical!education!teachers!described!a!large!variation!in!content!taught!by!their!colleagues.!!They!described!that!most!teach!according!to!their!own!strengths!and!interests,!despite!what!is!outlined!in!the!scope!and!sequence!guidelines!for!physical!education.!!For!example!some!high!schools!may!spend!their!one!semester!just!doing!two!activities!like!basketball!and!soccer.!!Many!we!spoke!to!felt!that!it!was!important!to!introduce!a!variety!of!skills!and!activities!to!students,!especially!those!under!the!category!of!“lifetime!fitness”!or!“lifetime!sports,”!and!those!activities!that!they!may!not!otherwise!be!exposed!to.!!!Furthermore!they!felt!certain!activities!may!appeal!to!and!therefore!better!engage!some!groups!more!than!others.!!For!example!dance!and!Zumba!may!appeal!to!girls!more.!!Yoga!and!Wii!activities!can!also!be!unique!alternative!activities!that!can!appeal!to!many.!!Withheld!as!punishment!–!In!some!schools!characterized!by!students!with!more!behavioral!problems,!physical!education!is!sometimes!taken!away!from!an!entire!class!as!punishment!for!misbehaving.!!Seventh!graders!at!one!particular!school!were!described!as!being!put!on!“lock!down”!if!they!had!difficulties!with!transitions.!!Since!many!students!looked!forward!to!their!physical!education!class,!this!was!used!as!a!consequence.!!Changing!clothes!–!A!few!of!the!middle/high!schools!we!interviewed!had!students!change!into!gym!clothes!for!their!class.!!Though!this!took!time!they!felt!that!they!were!able!to!get!significantly!more!participation!this!way.!!That!said,!they!had!also!taught!at!other!schools!where!they!felt!behavior!and!supervision!would!make!doing!so!quite!challenging.!

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!STRATEGIES!TO!ADDRESS!CHALLENGES!!Many!of!the!other!districts!faced!similar!challenges!that!Philadelphia!must!also!address.!!Below!are!strategies!they!have!found!to!be!effective.!!

Challenges! Strategies!to!Address!

Attitudes/beliefs!

• Educating!others!(parents,!teachers,!principals)!on!importance!of!physical!education.!

• Have!PE!teachers!lead!movement!breaks!at!staff!meetings!so!that!other!teachers!can!start!to!see!for!themselves!the!value!of!physical!activity.!

Scheduling!

• Work!with!each!school!individually.!!See!sample!elementary!and!high!school!schedules!(Appendix)!

• Prioritize!certain!grade!levels!first!and!then!expand.!• Consider!classroomPbased!class!once!a!week!that!can!also!count!

for!PE.!!For!example!dance!can!count!for!both!PE!+!art.!• Mix!PE/health!throughout!full!year!P!3d/wk!PE!+!2d/wk!health!

Space!

• Be!creative!!!Visit!each!school!to!identify!on/off!campus!spaces!(stages,!classrooms,!nearby!parks,!recreation!centers,!churches).!!Consider!sharedPuse!agreements.!

• Hold!professional!development!sessions!on!PE!in!small!or!nonPtraditional!spaces.!

• Have!documented!alternative!plans!for!bad!weather.!• Consider!parent!volunteers!for!transitions!to!locations!offPcampus.!

Staff! • Hire!other!staff!for!nonPPE!needs!(lunch!duty,!substitute!teaching)!• Hire!more!PE!teachers!as!needed!

Curriculum!

• Establish!district!curriculum!that!follows!a!lifetime!fitness!curriculum!(e.g.!Sports,!Play,!and!Active!Recreation!for!Kids!or!SPARK!curriculum)!and!introduces!students!to!a!variety!of!activities,!especially!those!that!they!may!not!otherwise!be!exposed!to.!

• For!girls!P!make!less!competitive,!comfortable,!and!tailored!to!individual!levels!

PE!withheld!as!a!punishment!

• Address!in!official!policy!

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PROFILES!!

CHICAGO!PUBLIC!SCHOOLS!!!!!!State!Policy!105!ILCS!5/27P5!(1996)!mandates!all!school!boards!to!provide!for!instruction!and!training!in!physical!education!of!students!in!their!schools.!105!ILCS!5/27P6!(1996)!also!states!that!students!enrolled!in!public!schools!must!engage!in!a!course!of!physical!education!daily!during!the!school!day.!A!school!board!may,!however,!authorize!an!exemption!for!students!in!grades!11!and!12!for!reasons!specified!in!the!Statute.!Public!105!ILCS!5/27P7!(2005)!requires!the!physical!education!course!of!study!to!include!the!development!of!movement!skills,!enhancing!healthPrelated!fitness,!increasing!student!knowledge,!encouraging!healthy!habits!and!attitudes,!and!offering!opportunities!to!learn!how!to!work!in!cooperative!group!settings.!The!course!of!study!must!also!provide!students!with!an!appropriate!amount!of!daily!physical!activity!as!part!of!the!regular!curriculum.!!District!Policy!–!a!Physical!Education!Policy!was!passed!by!the!Chicago!Board!of!Education!on!January!22,!2014.!The!new!policy!requires!that!all!students!grades!KP12!receive!daily!physical!education,!sets!standards!for!high!quality!instruction,!and!specifies!needed!support!and!infrastructure.13!!District!Size/Population!–!400,000!students!in!660!schools,!87%!lowPincome,!30%!of!6th!graders!are!obese.!!Background!P!Though!Illinois!requires!daily!physical!education!for!all!students,!it!is!not!monitored,!and!many!waivers!have!been!allowed!in!Chicago,!including!one!for!11th!and!12th!graders!since!1997.!!In!2011!the!Chicago!school!board!publicly!decided!not!to!renew!the!waiver.!!Internal!leaders!thought!it!would!be!a!good!time!to!begin!a!larger!initiative.!!Leaders!initially!intended!to!present!a!strategic!plan!to!their!school!board,!but!through!the!activities!outlined!below,!they!found!that!there!was!support!for!a!policy!that!would!hold!schools!and!principals!more!accountable.!!Leadership!P!In!October!2011!an!internal!school!district!physical!education!leadership!team!was!convened,!comprised!of!exemplary!physical!education!teachers.!!In!July!2012!the!Office!of!Student!Health!and!Wellness!was!formed,!and!physical!activity!was!moved!under!this!office.!!A!Physical!Education!Stakeholders!Committee!was!subsequently!formed,!comprised!of!parents,!teachers,!school!administrators,!and!community!organizations.!!One!of!the!lead!agencies!in!the!committee!is!the!Consortium!to!Lower!Obesity!in!Chicago!Children!(CLOCC).!!The!physical!education!advocates!also!partnered!with!arts!advocates!and!the!CPS!Arts!Department!to!align!their!competing!priorities!to!form!a!united!front!in!advocating!together!for!funding!and!resources!for!a!wellProunded!education!for!their!students.!!

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!Policy!Passage!and!Community!Engagement!!

• April!2012!–!they!began!engaging!schools!through!over!ten!Professional!Development!sessions!for!700!PE!teachers.!

• Summer!2012!–!the!Office!of!Student!Health!and!Wellness!conducted!interviews,!5!focus!groups,!and!an!online!survey!to!all!physical!education!teachers!to!understand!the!state!of!physical!education!in!their!district.!!They!identified!that!students!KP8!were!receiving!only!50P60min/week!in!elementary!schools,!and!this!was!actually!an!increase!due!to!the!length!of!school!day!increase!from!5.75!to!7!hours/day!in!2011.!!They!also!utilized!internal!facilities!data!on!spaces!(gym,!cafeteria,!auditorium,!etc),!and!human!resources!data!on!staffing.!

• FebruaryRJune!2013!–!they!started!a!grassroots!strategic!planning!process!called!“The!Movement!Movement.”!!Their!aim!is!to!“build!a!physical!education!program!that!develops!“physically!literate”!individuals!who!have!the!knowledge,!skills,!and!confidence!for!academic!success!and!lifelong!health!by!providing!firstPclass!physical!education!to!every!student.”13!They!conducted!17!forums!with!265!people!to!define!a!vision!for!physical!education,!then!identified!themes,!then!had!online!voting!of!the!most!salient!themes,!and!finally!repeat!forums!to!narrow!down!the!vision.!!Engaging!500!stakeholders!(including!teachers,!administrators,!students,!parents,!partner!organizations,!and!academics),!they!developed!a!strategic!plan!on!how!to!improve!the!quantity!and!quality!of!physical!education!as!well!as!guidelines!for!accountability!and!allocating!resources.!!This!resulted!in!a!report!that!was!finalized!in!September!2013,!and!was!then!used!to!help!draft!a!district!policy.!

• 2013R2014!–!They!had!24!pilot!schools!(20!elementary!and!4!high!schools)!that!attempted!to!implement!at!least!30!minutes!of!daily!physical!education!to!get!a!sense!of!capacity!of!schools.!!These!were!a!variety!of!interested!schools!that!had!varying!implementation!success!with!no!additional!funding.!!Through!these!pilot!schools!they!identified!three!main!challenges!P!staffing,!space,!and!resources.!

• January!2014!–!the!school!board!passed!the!physical!education!policy.!!Funding!–!$4.5!million!CDC!Community!Transformation!grant,!$2.25!million!Carol!M.!White!Physical!Education!for!Progress!(PEP)!grant!(paid!for!three!salaries,!including!one!person!to!serve!as!a!liaison!to!schools!and!principals!during!the!year!before!implementation).!!In!2014,!the!city!also!allocated!surplus!tax!increment!funding!to!pay!for!84!physical!education!teachers!and!84!art!teachers!for!schools!in!need.!!Implementation!Plan!

• Each!school!had!to!submit!a!threePyear!plan!(2014P2017)!and!a!district!coordinator!visited!schools!that!requested!assistance!to!walk!through!the!plans!regarding!space,!scheduling,!etc.!

• They!have!a!threePyear!transitional!plan!for!elementary!schools!since!it!is!harder!for!them!to!fit!in!daily!physical!education!without!a!set!bell!schedule.!◦ Year!1!P!90min/wk!P!60!min!PE,!30!min!health!or!PE.!!This!year!doesn’t!

require!too!many!changes!since!the!classroom!teacher!can!teach!health.!!

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Some!schools!are!already!trying!150min!PE/wk,!generally!schools!with!adequate!space!and!staff.!

◦ Year!2!P!120min/wk!P!60min!PE,!60min!health!◦ Year!3!P!150min/wk!P!90min!PE,!60!min!health.!!They!anticipate!that!schools!

will!need!significantly!more!support!this!year!with!the!increased!PE!requirement.!

• High!schools!were!expected!to!meet!full!requirements!during!year!one!(2014P2015).!!The!main!identified!challenge!was!adequate!number!of!physical!education!teachers,!for!which!they!used!surplus!tax!increment!funding!as!above!to!pay!for!84!additional!high!school!PE!teachers.!!!

• Scheduling!–!the!district!coordinator!asks!to!see!schedules!by!principals!and!works!with!them!onePonPone!to!think!creatively!and!also!evaluate!if!they!can!succeed!with!existing!resources!and!staff!or!need!more.!!!

• Staffing!–!with!the!required!increase!in!certified!physical!education!teachers!needed,!one!challenge!has!been!a!limited!pool!of!high!quality!teachers.!!In!response!they!have!created!an!eligible!teacher!pool!with!Human!Resources!from!which!schools!can!draw!from.!

• Space!–!many!schools!struggle!with!inadequate!physical!space.!!They!have!had!to!be!creative!both!onP!and!offPcampus,!with!the!help!of!the!district!coordinator.!◦ OnPcampus,!they!have!identified!spaces!such!as!a!stage,!auditorium,!hallways,!

and!smaller!rooms!that!could!be!used!for!activities!like!dance.!◦ OffPcampus,!many!schools!use!parks!through!intergovernmental!agreement!

(e.g.!pools!for!aquatic!program),!or!community!buildings!like!a!church!basement.!

◦ Sometimes!they!combine!two!classes!in!the!gym!with!two!physical!education!teachers,!and!supplement!with!professional!development!to!maximize!student!engagement!during!that!time.!

• Resources!P!using!a!PEP!grant,!they!have!done!two!districtPwide!equipment!distributions.!

!Monitoring!

• Rather!than!being!punitive!they!seek!to!be!supportive!resources!as!schools!try!to!meet!requirements.!

• At!the!end!of!the!school!year,!each!school!has!to!submit!the!Healthy!CPS!Survey!that!describes!various!environmental!circumstances.!!This!helps!flags!any!schools!that!may!be!experiencing!challenges!in!implementation.!

• Before!the!school!year!starts,!each!school!principal!must!submit!an!annual!PE!action!plan!(100%!of!schools!submitted!plans!last!year),!which!includes!PE!schedules!and!information!on!who!will!be!teaching!PE!and!where!PE!classes!will!be!held.!!This!is!similarly!used!to!identify!which!schools!may!need!additional!help!with!implementation.!

• They!then!email!all!principals!describing!how!difficult!they!think!it!might!be!to!implement!the!policy!at!their!school!based!on!the!data!collected!and!offer!assistance!to!those!likely!to!experience!challenges.!!100!principals!responded!to!the!offer!of!help!last!year!and!were!very!appreciative!of!the!support.!

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• The!Office!of!Student!Health!and!Wellness!holds!principals!accountable,!but!they!are!also!educating!network!chiefs!(are!principal’s!bosses!and!approve!schedules)!on!the!requirements!so!that!they!can!also!provide!some!leverage!if!needed.!

!Successes!and!Challenges!

• A!threePyear!staged!implementation!has!been!helpful!to!build!momentum!and!address!concerns.!

• After!year!one,!they!have!seen!an!overall!improvement!in!minutes!of!physical!education.!!80%!of!11th!and!12th!graders!were!scheduled!for!PE!this!past!year!(a!waiver!previously!exempted!them).!!They!are!collecting!data!on!elementary!schools.!

• Schools!without!adequate!physical!space!have!had!the!most!difficult!time!meeting!requirements.!!

Lessons!Learned!• Keys!to!policy!passage:!

o They!attribute!four!factors!as!keys!to!their!success!P!community!backing,!the!existence!of!a!state!law,!a!strategic!plan,!and!a!proof!of!concept!locally!through!pilots.!

o Identifying!concerns!in!pilot!schools!as!well!as!schools!that!would!have!the!highest!needs!(staffing,!space,!etc),!and!presenting!a!detailed!technical!assistance!plan!addressing!those!needs!and!concerns!to!the!school!board!was!also!important.!

• Keys!to!implementation!success!include:!o Committed!principals!as!well!as!dedicated!physical!education!teachers!who!

are!active!champions.!o Having!a!point!person!to!meet!principals!at!the!school!level!and!help!them!

troubleshoot.!!Each!school!is!unique.!o Being!a!supportive!resource!for!schools!as!they!work!on!implementation.!

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LOS!ANGELES!UNIFIED!SCHOOL!DISTRICT!!!!!!!!!!State!Policy!Education!Code!33350!(no!date!available)!encourages!school!districts!that!offer!physical!education!in!grades!KP12!to!provide!quality!instruction!that!develops!the!knowledge,!attitudes,!skills,!behaviors,!and!motivation!needed!for!lifelong!fitness!and!activity.!Education!Code!51210!(no!date!available)!requires!200!minutes!of!physical!education!to!be!included!in!the!adopted!course!of!study!for!grades!1P6.!Education!Code!51210.1!(no!date!available)!further!mandates!200!minutes!of!physical!education!every!10!school!days!for!elementary!school!students.!Education!Code!51223!(no!date!available)!requires!elementary!schools!(grades!1P8)!to!provide!not!less!than!200!minutes!of!physical!education!each!ten!school!days.!Education!Code!51222!requires!a!minimum!of!400!minutes!of!physical!education!instruction!every!10!school!days!for!students!in!grades!7P12.!!District!Plan!P!The!school!board!passed!a!resolution!and!subsequently!adopted!an!implementation!plan!in!December!2009!designed!to!ensure!that!schools!meet!the!state!physical!education!minute!requirements,!provide!properly!credentialed!physical!education!teachers,!maintain!reasonable!class!size!averages,!provide!quality!facilities!for!physical!education!and!comply!with!education!and!civil!rights!laws!and!principles.!!District!Size/Population!–!670,000!students!in!over!900!schools,!92%!are!African!American,!Hispanic/Latino,!Asian,!or!Filipino!and!74%!are!low!income!(qualify!for!free!or!reducedPprice!meals).!!Background!and!Policy!Passage!(Adapted!from!“Physical!Education!Is!A!Right:!The!Los!Angeles!Unified!School!District!Case!Study”23)!!LAUSD!was!audited!several!times!over!2004P2009!and!each!found!that!the!district!did!not!enforce!state!physical!education!minute!requirements.!!In!2007!a!diverse!coalition!of!teachers,!parents,!community!activists,!health!advocates,!attorneys!and!school!officials!united!in!a!strategic!three!year!campaign!to!improve!the!quantity!and!quality!of!physical!education!in!the!district!and!alleviate!health!disparities.!!Approximately!70!people!attended!the!meeting!at!which!the!board!adopted!the!resolution!to!enforce!physical!education!and!civil!rights!principles!and!laws.!!18!months!later,!in!December!2009,!the!district!adopted!a!detailed!physical!education!implementation!plan.!!

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A!key!partner!was!The!City!Project,!a!nonprofit!legal!and!policy!advocacy!organization.!Administrative!discrimination!complaints!filed!by!a!diverse!group!of!coalition!members!in!consultation!with!attorneys!at!The!City!Project!were!a!centerpiece!of!the!advocacy.!!Complaints!emphasized!that!children!of!color!living!in!poverty!had!the!worst!access!to!schools!with!adequate!space!and!also!suffered!from!the!highest!levels!of!obesity.!!A!subsequent!legal!decision!in!another!school!district,!Albany!Unified!School!District,!the!“California!Court!of!Appeal!held!that!elementary!schools!are!required!to!comply!with!the!minutes!requirements!of!the!state!physical!education!laws,!and!that!parents!and!students!can!sue!to!enforce!the!law.”23!!Community!Engagement!The!coalition!was!composed!of!several!engaged!community!supporters!(Community!Health!Council,!Brotherhood!Crusade,!local!hospitals,!local!department!of!public!health),!parent!organizations!(Parent!Teacher!Association),!teacher!organizations!(local!and!state!teacher’s!associations!and!unions),!national!organizations!(American!Heart!Association,!American!Diabetes!Association,!American!Academy!of!Pediatrics,!Centers!for!Disease!Control).!!They!undertook!a!significant!media!campaign!to!raise!awareness!and!help!with!community!organizing!and!coalition!building.!!Implementation!Plan!!The!office!of!physical!education!has!worked!with!many!schools!individually!on!coordinating!physical!education!scheduling!in!their!schools,!identifying!spaces!within!and!outside!their!school!campuses!to!accommodate!classes,!exploring!shared!use!agreements,!etc.!!As!many!physical!education!classes!in!elementary!schools!are!taught!by!classroom!teachers!they!established!a!5!year!training!program!with!a!retreat!for!100!school!representatives,!then!itinerant!teachers!(each!partnered!with!5!schools)!to!provide!regular!professional!development!for!classroom!teachers!on!site!over!a!period!of!2!years!each.!!They!provided!administrative!training!for!school!principals!for!monitoring!activities!(see!below),!which!also!helped!ensure!they!were!getting!the!message!of!the!importance!of!physical!education.!!Monitoring!P!LAUSD!has!a!detailed!monitoring!plan.!!First!daily!schedules!are!posted!in!each!schools!front!office.!!Each!month!each!teacher!turns!in!a!report!verifying!they!took!their!students!to!physical!education!as!planned!and!if!not,!explaining!why!and!how!they!made!it!up.!!Then!each!principal!does!unplanned!visits!two!times!a!month!and!certifies!a!monthly!monitoring!report!that!they!submit!to!a!district!director!who!each!cover!20P40!schools.!!Finally!the!director!submits!a!report!to!the!superintendent.!!In!fall!2015,!they!transitioned!to!a!webPbased!platform!to!simplify!the!process.!!!!!

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Successes!• Gained!support!and!buyPin!from!community.!• Raised!awareness!among!parents,!teachers,!and!principals!on!importance!of!

physical!education.!• Legal!social!justice!complaints!were!key!leverage!points!in!negotiations.!

!Challenges!

• Lack!of!awareness,!especially!among!parents,!that!the!district!was!not!providing!physical!education.!

• Many!teachers!were!more!concerned!with!math!and!reading!scores!than!physical!activity!and!education.!Getting!teachers!to!prioritize!physical!education!required!a!great!deal!of!education!on!the!farPreaching!benefits!of!physical!education,!including!better!academic!performance!and!youth!development.!

• Implementation!–!“You!can!have!a!school!with!a!perfect!PE!program!on!paper,!but!in!practice!nothing!is!going!on.”!

• Budget!cuts!during!economic!downturn!• Lack!of!adequate!space!for!physical!activity!• Scheduling!in!elementary!schools!especially!where!there!is!“not!a!set!bell!schedule!

and!physical!education!is!often!taught!by!multiPsubject!classroom!teachers.”!!• One!year!after!the!policy!25%!of!schools!made!changes!such!as!reducing!class!sizes,!

increasing!the!number!of!physical!education!instructors,!attempting!to!include!more!active!time!in!physical!education!classes).!45%!of!schools!however!were!still!not!in!compliance.23!

• An!analysis!during!the!first!(2010P2011)!and!second!(2011P2012)!school!years!after!adoption!of!the!district!implementation!plan!showed!that!the!policy!had!not!been!fully!implemented!yet!throughout!the!district,!although!there!were!promising!trends.19!Notably!the!school!district!experienced!budget!cuts!during!this!time!period.!!Middle!and!high!schools!generally!were!already!meeting!the!PE!minute!requirements!during!the!first!year,!while!elementary!classes!participated!in!PE!classes!an!average!of!two!times!per!week.!!There!was!a!statistically!significant!increase!in!highPincome!elementary!schools!where!class!duration!increased!almost!10!min!from!27.6!min!in!year!1!to!37.4!min!per!class!in!year!2.!

!Lessons!Learned!

• Legal!strategies!help!convince!policy!makers!and!leaders!to!take!action.!• Importance!of!having!supportive!principals!and!onPsite!champions!at!each!school.!• Monitoring!implementation!of!the!plan!is!important!to!verify!adherence.!• Importance!of!supporting!a!policy!with!additional!resources,!especially!during!times!

of!budget!constraints.!!! !

! 25!

DISTRICT!OF!COLUMBIA!PUBLIC!SCHOOLS!(DCPS)!!!!!State!Policy!Section!402!§!38P824.02!Requires!public!schools!and!public!charter!schools!to!provide!physical!education!as!follows:!

• Grades!KP5:!School!Years!2010P11!to!2013P14:!an!average!of!at!least!30!minutes!per!week!or!the!same!level!of!physical!education!as!provided!in!school!year!and!school!year!2014P2015!and!after,!an!average!of!at!least!150!minutes!per!week.!

• Grades!6P8:!School!years!2010P2011!to!2013P2014:!an!average!of!at!least!45!minutes!per!week!or!the!or!the!same!level!of!physical!education!as!provided!in!school!year!2009P2010,!whichever!is!greater,!and!school!year!2014P2015!and!after,!an!average!of!at!least!225!minutes!per!week.!

• At!least!50%!of!physical!education!class!time!must!be!devoted!to!actual!physical!activity,!with!as!much!class!time!as!possible!spent!in!moderatePtoPvigorous!physical!activity.!

Additionally,!Section!602!of!the!Healthy!Students!Act!of!2010!requires!each!public!and!public!charter!school!to!submit!information!about!the!average!amount!of!weekly!physical!education!that!students!receive!in!each!grade!to!the!Office!of!the!State!Superintendent!of!Education!by!January!15th!of!each!year.!This!information!must!also!be!posted!online!to!the!school!website!(if!applicable)!and!make!the!form!available!to!parents!in!its!office.!The!Office!of!the!State!Superintendent!of!Education!shall!post!the!information!on!its!website!within!14!days!of!receipt.!!District!Size/Population!–!47,000!students,!111!public!schools.!!Funding!–!through!Healthy!Students!Act!of!2010!!Background!J!In!2010!the!District!of!Columbia!passed!the!Healthy!Students!Act.!!However!the!yearly!School!Health!Profile!revealed!that!there!was!very!poor!adherence!–!students!averaged!only!59!minutes!per!week!in!KP5.!!In!Fall!2014,!they!talked!to!principals,!teachers,!and!wellness!councils!and!found!space,!costs,!testing,!and!other!priorities!were!barriers!to!implementation.!!They!are!now!using!remaining!$1!million!in!funding!from!the!original!act!to!work!closely!with!6!pilot!schools!and!better!understand!what!will!be!needed!for!successful!implementation.!!Each!pilot!school!will!be!required!to!come!up!with!a!plan!for!each!student!to!get!physical!education!and!health!75!minutes/week!and!will!get!$100,000!over!2!years!in!support.!!Community!Engagement!+!Implementation!Plan!J!They!intend!to!model!their!efforts!after!Chicago!in!terms!of!creating!a!task!force,!engaging!parents!and!principals,!community!collaboration,!and!coming!up!with!a!more!detailed!implementation!plan.!!

! 26!

Monitoring!J!Each!school!has!already!been!submitting!yearly!School!Health!Profiles!as!required!in!the!2010!act.!!Successes!and!Challenges!J!They!have!had!success!with!community!organizations!providing!physical!activity!programming!(e.g.!Playworks,!DC!Scores)!to!help!promote!a!culture!of!physical!activity.!!Lessons!Learned!• Importance!of!supporting!policy!with!resources!and!support!for!implementation.!• Importance!of!educating!principals!on!value!of!physical!education!through!connecting!

back!to!classroom!behavior!and!academics.!!• Must!also!provide!resources!since!principals!struggling!to!support!academics!as!well.!• Have!found!it’s!helpful!if!the!physical!education!teacher!can!engage!other!teachers,!for!

example!through!leading!movement!breaks!at!staff!meetings.!!This!way!other!teachers!can!directly!see!the!effects!of!increased!physical!activity.!

!!

! !

! 27!

SEATTLE!PUBLIC!SCHOOLS!(SPS)!!!!!!!!!!State!Policy!(1)!Grades!1P8.!Pursuant!to!RCW!28A.230.040,!an!average!of!at!least!one!hundred!instructional!minutes!per!week!per!year!in!physical!education!shall!be!required!of!all!pupils!in!the!common!schools!in!the!grade!school!program!(grades!1P8)!unless!waived!pursuant!to!RCW!28A.230.040.!(2)!Grades!9P12.!Pursuant!to!RCW!28A.230.050,!a!one!credit!course!or!its!equivalent!shall!be!offered!in!physical!education!for!each!grade!in!the!high!school!program!(grades!9P12).!!District!Policy!–!Comprehensive!School!Physical!Activity!Program!policy!passed!June!2014.!!Working!towards!getting!district!wellness!policy!passed!in!fall!2015.!!District!Size/Population!–!50,000!students!in!98!schools.!!Leadership!J!SPS!has!been!working!on!establishing!central!office!administrative!positions.!!A!taskforce!was!formed!in!January!2014.!!Funding!J!They!have!obtained!several!grants!including!Carol!M.!White!Physical!Education!for!Progress!(PEP)!grant,!CDC!Community!Transformation!grant,!Comprehensive!School!Physical!Activity!Program!grant!!Background!J!Though!the!state!policy!has!been!in!place!for!10!years,!districts!have!not!been!held!accountable.!!Over!the!past!8!years,!they!have!been!working!on!getting!central!office!leadership!positions,!grants,!and!now!policies!passed.!!Community!Engagement!–!SPS!has!established!several!community!partners!including!the!Childhood!Obesity!Prevention!Coalition,!Parent!Teacher!Student!Association.!!They!have!also!partnered!with!community!organizations!along!with!signing!memorandums!of!understanding,!including!that!with!a!rowing!organization!and!CPR!training!organization.!!Lessons!Learned!

• Importance!of!getting!superintendent!support.!• Importance!of!community!partner!support.!• Waiver!policy!should!reinforce!desired!end!result.!

!! !

! 28!

MIAMIRDADE!COUNTY!PUBLIC!SCHOOLS!(MDCPS)!!!!!!!!State!Policy!Statute!1003.455!(2007)!requires!each!school!district!board!to!provide!150!minutes!of!physical!education!each!week!for!students!in!grades!KP5.!This!was!expanded!in!2008!to!include!the!requirement!for!students!in!grade!6!who!are!enrolled!in!a!school!that!contains!one!or!more!elementary!grades.!It!requires!instruction!to!be!at!least!30!consecutive!minutes!on!any!day!physical!education!instruction!is!given.!Beginning!with!the!2009P10!school!year,!students!in!grades!6P8!are!required!to!complete!the!equivalent!of!one!class!period!per!day!of!physical!education!for!one!semester!of!each!school!year.!!District!Size/Population!–!350,000!students!in!400!schools.!!The!district!is!the!secondPlargest!minorityPmajority!public!school!system!in!the!country.!As!of!2012,!62%!of!MDCPS!students!were!of!Hispanic!origin!(of!any!race),!25%!Black,!10%!NonPHispanic!White,!3%!other!and!multiracial.!!Funding!P!Carol!M.!White!Physical!Education!for!Progress!(PEP)!grant,!CDC!Community!Transformation!grant!!Background!–!Miami!has!had!a!committed!school!district!leadership!and!is!a!model!for!others.!!The!current!system!has!been!in!place!even!before!the!state!policy!was!passed!in!2007!so!there!have!not!been!any!major!changes.!!They!have!700!certified!physical!education!teachers.!!Most!schools!have!adequate!field!space.!!Community!Engagement!–!They!have!several!flourishing!community!partnerships!including!one!with!a!local!golf!course!and!marketing!group!who!purchased!37!sailboats!for!student!use.!!Monitoring!–!Principals!bring!in!master!schedules!yearly!to!ensure!compliance.!!Individual!PE!teachers!also!feel!comfortable!voicing!any!deviations!from!the!policy.!!Successes!

• They!feel!they!have!a!supportive!superintendent!and!school!board.!• They!have!students!go!to!physical!education!class!during!teacher!prep!time.!• They!have!taken!advantage!of!many!community!partners.!• Over!the!next!few!years!40!middle!schools!and!40!high!schools!will!be!equipped!

with!wellness/fitness!centers.!!These!will!be!converted!storage!rooms!outfitted!with!treadmills,!Dance!Dance!Revolution,!training!walls,!etc.!!This!is!in!response!to!survey!feedback!from!students.!

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REFERENCES!1.! Carlson,!S.!a.!et)al.!Physical!education!and!academic!achievement!in!elementary!

school:!Data!from!the!early!childhood!longitudinal!study.!Am.)J.)Public)Health!98,!721–727!(2008).!

2.! Centers!for!Disease!Control!and!Prevention.!The!Association!Between!SchoolPBased!Physical!Activity,!Including!Physical!Education,!and!Academic!Performance.!2010,!84!(2010).!

3.! Active!Living!Research.!Active)Education :)Growing)Evidence)on)Physical)Activity)and)Academic)Performance.!Activelivingresearch.org!(2015).!at!<http://activelivingresearch.org/sites/default/files/ALR_Brief_ActiveEducation_Jan2015.pdf>!

4.! Institute!of!Medicine.!Educating)the)student)body:)taking)physical)activity)and)physical)education)to)school.!(2013).!

5.! Action!for!Healthy!Kids.!The)Learning)Connection.!(2013).!at!<http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/storage/documents/pdfs/afhk_thelearningconnection_digitaledition.pdf>!

6.! Trost,!S.!G.!et)al.!Physical!Activity!Patterns!of!InnerPCity!Elementary!Schoolchildren.!Med.)Sci.)Sport.)Exerc.!45,!470–474!(2013).!

7.! Slater,!S.!J.,!Nicholson,!L.,!Chriqui,!J.,!Turner,!L.!&!Chaloupka,!F.!The!Impact!of!State!Laws!and!District!Policies!on!Physical!Education!and!Recess!Practices!in!a!Nationally!Representative!Sample!of!US!Public!Elementary!Schools.!Arch.)Pediatr.)Adolesc.)Med.!166,!311–316!(2012).!

8.! School!District!of!Philadelphia.!Action)Plan)3.0.!(2013).!at!<http://philasd.org/announcements/actionplan/AP3.0.pdf>!

9.! Basch,!C.!E.!Healthier)Students)Are)Better)Learners :)A)Missing)Link)in)School)Reforms)to)Close)the)Achievement)Gap.!(2010).!at!<http://www.equitycampaign.org/i/a/document/12557_EquityMattersVol6_Web03082010.pdf>!

10.! Philadephia!Department!of!Public!Health.!Data)Brief)–)Obesity)and)Severe)Obesity)among)Philadelphia)schoolchildren,)2006/07S2012/13.!(2015).!at!<http://www.phila.gov/health/pdfs/Data!Brief_Child!obesity!in!Philadelphia_2!24!15_final.pdf>!

11.! Active!Living!Research.!Active)Education:)Physical)Education,)Physical)Activity)and)Academic)Performance.!(2009).!at!http://activelivingresearch.org/files/ALR_Brief_ActiveEducation_Summer2009.pdf!

12.! Hillman,!C.!H.!et)al.!The!effect!of!acute!treadmill!walking!on!cognitive!control!and!academic!achievement!in!preadolescent!children.!Neuroscience!159,!1044–1054!(2009).!

13.! Chicago!Public!Schools.!The)Movement)Movement.!(2013).!doi:10.1016/S0140P6736(02)80771P1!

14.! Rappaport,!E.!B.,!Daskalakis,!C.!&!Andrel,!J.!Obesity!and!other!predictors!of!absenteeism!in!philadelphia!school!children.!J.)Sch.)Health!81,!341–344!(2011).!

15.! SHAPE!America!P!Society!of!Health!and!Physical!Educators.!GradeSLevel)Outcomes)for)KS12)Physical)Education.!(2014).!at!

! 30!

<http://www.shapeamerica.org/standards/pe/upload/GradeLevelOutcomes_K12PE.pdf>!

16.! SHAPE!America!P!Society!of!Health!and!Physical!Educators.!The)Essential)Components)of)Physical)Education.!(2015).!at!<http://www.shapeamerica.org/upload/TheEssentialComponentsOfPhysicalEducation.pdf>!

17.! National!Association!of!State!Boards!of!Education.!Physical)Education)Policies.!State)School)Health)Policy)Database!(2013).!!< http://www.nasbe.org/healthy_schools/hs/bytopics.php?topicid=1110>!

18.! Thompson,!H.!R.,!Linchey,!J.!&!Madsen,!K.!Are!physical!education!policies!working?!A!snapshot!from!San!Francisco,!2011.!Prev.)chronic)Dis.)Public)Heal.)Res.)Pract.)policy!10,!1–10!(2013).!

19.! Lafleur,!M.!et)al.!Physical!education!and!student!activity:!Evaluating!implementation!of!a!new!policy!in!Los!Angeles!public!schools.!Ann.)Behav.)Med.!45,!122–130!(2013).!

20.! Mâsse,!L.!C.,!Naiman,!D.!&!Naylor,!P.PJ.!From!policy!to!practice:!implementation!of!physical!activity!and!food!policies!in!schools.!Int.)J.)Behav.)Nutr.)Phys.)Act.!10,!71!(2013).!

21.! Madsen,!K.!a.!Promoting!the!Health!of!Our!Youth.!JAMA)Pediatr.!166,!383–384!(2012).!

22.! Philadelphia!Department!of!Public!Health.!Strategic)Plan :)2014)S)2018.!(2014).!at!<http://www.phila.gov/health/pdfs/PDPHStrategicPlan_52114_final.pdf>!

23.! Samuels,!S.!&!Cole,!B.!L.!Physical)Education)Is)A)Right :)The)Los)Angeles)Unified)School)District)Case)Study.!(2011).!at!<http://www.cityprojectca.org/blog/wpPcontent/uploads/2011/10/PEisaRightTCPSA2011.pdf>!!

! !

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APPENDIX!!LIST!OF!INTERVIEWEES!!Outside!Philadelphia!

• National!organizations!o Action!for!Healthy!Kids!P!Hannah!Laughlin,!MPH!o SHAPE!America!P!Francesca!Zavacky,!M.Ed.!and!Carly!Braxton!o Pennsylvania!State!Association!for!Health,!PE,!Recreation,!and!Dance!

(PSAHPERD)!P!Linda!Huber!• Other!districts!

o Chicago!Public!Schools!P!Jamie!Tully,!MS,!MPH,!Antonio!Marquez!o District!of!Columbia!Public!Schools!P!Kathryn!Lantuh,!MS!o Los!Angeles!Unified!School!District!P!Chad!Fenwick!o MiamiPDade!County!Public!Schools!P!Jayne!Greenberg,!EdD!o Seattle!Public!Schools!P!Lori!Dunn!

!Philadelphia!

• Office!of!Health,!Safety!and!Physical!Education!o Bettyann!Creighton!o Glenn!Devitt!

• Elementary!schools!o Anne!Frank!–!Max!Komins,!Principal!o Cassidy!–!Manna!Selassie,!Healthy!Schools!Committee!o Cramp!–!Joe!Ciervo,!Physical!Education!Teacher!o Steele!–!Kendra!Brooks,!parent!advocate!o Willard!–!Debra!DeSheilds,!Physical!Education!Teacher!

• Middle!schools!!o Baldi!–!Jeff!Brown,!Physical!Education!Teacher!o Clemente!–!Katherine!Gehris,!AmeriCorps!o Masterman!–!Sally!Moore,!Physical!Education!Teacher!

• High!schools!o Northeast!–!Marc!Michaels,!Physical!Education!Teacher!o Saul!–!Mary!Creighton,!Physical!Education!Teacher!

• Local!organizations!o Activity!Works!–!Lori!Bloch!o Girls!on!the!Run!–!Colleen!Howard!o Philly!Girls!in!Motion!–!Beth!Devine!

!!!!!!!

! 32!

!!SAMPLE!ELEMENTARY!SCHOOL!SCHEDULE!R!MIAMI4!!

!!!!!!!!!!

! 33!

!!SAMPLE!HIGH!SCHOOL!SCHEDULE!–!CHICAGO!PUBLIC!SCHOOLS!!

!! !

! 34!

!GUIDE!FOR!INTERVIEWS!WITH!OTHER!DISTRICTS!!

1. What!is!your!official!PE!policy?!Implementation!policy?!

2. Who!were!the!stakeholders!involved!in!developing!the!implementation!policy?!

3. What!were!your!goals!in!the!implementation!policy?!

a. E.g.!class!time,!class!size,!instructor!or!teacher!training,!PE!vs!PA!

4. Who!did!you!partner!with!both!inside!and!outside!the!district!in!developing!the!

policy?!

5. How!did!you!gain!support!for!the!policy?!

6. How!did!you!spread!awareness!of!the!policy?!

7. What!were!your!identified!challenge!areas!for!implementation?!

8. Did!you!have!schools!that!successfully!implemented!the!policy?!!What!factors!

contributed!to!their!success?!

9. Did!you!have!schools!that!struggled!with!implementation?!!What!do!you!think!were!

their!barriers?!

10. What!was!the!state!of!your!budget!during!implementation?!!What!level!of!funding!

did!you!have!dedicated!to!physical!education!and!physical!activity?!

11. What!scheduling!support!did!you!provide?!

a. Any!sample!schedules?!

12. What!teacher!training!support!did!you!provide?!

13. What!staffing!support!did!you!provide?!(especially!for!elementary!schools)!

14. How!did!you!address!any!inadequate!physical!space!issues?!

a. Cold!weather!places!P!what!do!you!do?!

15. How!do!you!think!districts!are!actually!implementing?!

16. Girls!P!how!have!you!seen!play!out,!have!they!been!able!to!address,!tried!any!policies!

to!get!girls!involved?!

17. Have!you!seen!any!positive!impacts!since!implementation?!

18. What!other!initiatives!were!going!on!at!the!time!of!implementation?!!How!did!you!

balance!competing!priorities!and!initiatives?!