August 5, 2002 Vol.4 No.12   Conference/Workshop Calendar
 Editorial

This week we focus on the topic of "Defending Your Physical Education Program" and feature many useful resources.

Not only do we face a disturbing trend in many school districts of a reduction in physical education time, but also a tendency for school administrators to assign non-specialist trained teachers to teach PE.

At a recent conference as I presented information from the PE4Life "Community Action Kit" (which you should definitely get if you don't have it already), and addressed the need to ensure that qualified teachers teach PE.

I emphasized that if school administrators wanted quality physical education programs it was essential they devoted attention to the qualifications of their staff. If they were happy with PE programs in which students mostly played games and competitive team sports., then staff qualifications probably didn't make much difference.

Unfortunately, school administrators nationwide face dwindling budgets and increased pressures to improve academic scores. I suggested that reducing or eliminating PE would not resolve these problems and that there was mounting evidence that increased physical activity improved academic learning.

Fortunately, as a profession we have begun to recognize the need to gather supportive materials to defend our programs. As we present some of these materials in this issue be aware that your best defense truly is to take time to constantly promote your program before anyone considers a reduction.

Download some of these materials and perhaps consider scheduling specific events in the next school year to ensure school administrators, parents, students, and community members are well aware of your valuable contribution to children's education.

Steve Jefferies
Guest Secondary Section Editor

US Flag

Sporttime

 Additional Web Based Resources
  • What are the health benefits of physical activity? From the CDC, here's a brief summary.
  • Want to know more about brain-based research and multiple intelligences? John Williams provides some links
  • Advocacy: A Case for Daily Quality Physical Education By Jean Blaydes. Read Jean's view about the contribution PE can make to student learning.
  • Advocate for the development of a comprehensive plan to inform children and youth about the importance of physical education and how to access activity within the community in order to make healthy lifestyle choices. From the "Coalition for Active Living"


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 Quality Daily Physical Education

Our professional colleagues in Canada are also actively promoting physical education and have developed a series of resources under a program entitled, "Quality Daily Physical Education (QDPE)."

The QDPE program is the center of CAHPERD¹s strategy for increasing the physical education levels of Canadian children and youth, to provide them with the knowledge and skills necessary to develop a positive attitude toward physical activity that will last a lifetime.

CAHPERD has created and made available a series of resources with promotional ideas and supporting information freely downloadable from their web site. Click here for more.

The paradox for PE is that while it is the physical nature of the subject which gives it its distinct identity and its unique place in the curriculum, it is this very physical nature which places it at the periphery of the curriculum! (Williams, A. 1989)
(Source)

 Article - High School Physical Education: Still and Endangered Species (Summary)

"Too few people care about high school physical education. Principals don't seem to care much. Parents have low expectation. Eventually, the teachers stop caring and the students stop caring too."

Several years before writing this article, Daryl Siedentop, one of the leaders of PE Teaching Pedagogy, suggested that high school physical education might eventually become extinct. He suggested that the main problem was poor teaching and non-teaching.

In this article (written in 1987 but well worth reading), he argued that high school PE could greatly enhance the educational experiences of adolescent students. However, he also suggested that there continued to be a lack of exemplary high school programs.

Based on his observations, Siedentop suggested that there were four commonalties among the good programs:

  1. Leadership: Someone had exerted leadership both to start the program and to maintain it.
  2. Focus: Good programs have a focus that clearly defines the purpose of the program.
  3. Excitement: Teachers were excited and communicated this excitement about PE to others.
  4. No coaching: Teachers in these exemplary programs were not heavily involved in coaching.

(Source: Journal of Physical Education Recreation and Dance, 58 (2), 24-25).

 FREE - Community Action Kit by PE4Life

As many of you know the success of the PEP Grant program was largely due to the wonderful support of the PE4Life organization.

Sponsored by companies affiliated with the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, PE4Life have become outstanding advocates for quality physical education.

Be sure to check out their web site and for the cost of shipping and handling order a copy of their "Community Action Kit." This video and CD provide Powerpoint presentations and handouts you can use to defend your program.

You can also download directly many of the materials contained on the free CD by going to the PE4Life web site.

Hot PE

 Contribute Your Ideas
If you have ideas, comments, letters to share, or questions about particular topics, please email one of the following Secondary Section Editors:
 PE Central's- Supporting and Defending Your Program Resources

The folk at PE Central have compiled a very complete selection of online articles and journal references for program promotion and defense.

The information is presented in the following sections:

Remember these resources too if the press ever contact you about the value of PE. Over the past few years we have received some excellent publicity about the NEW form that PE is taking and the potential impact on children in an age of growing health concerns.

Speed Stakcs

 Article - Physical Education in the 21st Century

Do your memories of public school physical education conjure up images of endless lap running, mind-numbing calisthenics, and an annual repetitious smorgasbord of team sports? If so, there's good news. Today's physical education is changing.

Although the name remains, physical education in schools and colleges has a new goal: to promote active and healthy lifestyles. Data is clear; obesity already at alarming proportions among American adults is now affecting young people at a rate the US Surgeon General characterizes as epidemic. Overweight and out of shape young people face increasing risks of cardiovascular related diseases, including elevated cholesterol, hypertension and Type 2 diabetes mellitus, as well as an increased risk of cancer and other diseases.

These life threatening conditions cast irrelevance over one's intellectual or creative potential. Left ignored, spiraling health care costs over the next half-century will trivialize today's already alarming figures.

Click here to read the entire article.

Digiwalker

 PE4Life Institutes - Tomorrow's PE?

What does an exemplary physical education program look like?

It's tough to explain to school administrators the potential impact physical education can have on a child's education. Fortunately, more and more examples are appearing of quality pubic school PE programs.

One highly acclaimed program is Madison junior high school in Naperville Illinois. The PE4Life organization was so impressed that it created its first PE4LIFE Institute at this school.

School administrators, PE professionals, School Board members, Community Leaders, Health Care professionals ­ all who care about quality, daily physical education - can arrange to visit this school and observe the program firsthand. Click here for more.

Nutripoints

"Its helpful to think of the brain as a muscle. One of the best ways to maximize the brain is through exercise, movement. Everybody feels better after exercise. There's a reason for it." Dr. John J. Ratey, Harvard Medical School.

From Action-Based Learning web site
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