School Steps to A Healthier US

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School Steps to A Healthier US

• Mike Ward
• State Superintendent, North Carolina
• President, Council of Chief State
• School Officers

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A Personal Challenge

• They say a marathon is two halves -- the first
  20 miles and the last 6.
• Euphoria and The Wall

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Observation 1

• There is a real health crisis for children out
  there, and schools are conflicted about their
  role in the solution.

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No Child Left Behind

• New standards for
• student achievement
• eliminating achievement gaps
• empowering parents
• highly qualified teachers in core subjects

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NCLB School Reform on Fast Forward

• 150 years since the beginning of common school
  movement
• 150 years to achieve universal access
• 12 years to universal proficiency

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High Stakes Accountability Unintended
Consequences

• Cuts to time for health and PE
• Graduation requirements
• Health and PE funding cuts
• Shortchanging students

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Observation 1

• There is a real health crisis for children out
  there, and schools are conflicted about their
  role in the solution.

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Observation 2

• Theres a compelling case for schools as problem
  solvers in the health crisis confronting our
  kids.

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Health and Physical Education Important at the
Core

• Physical activity is positively associated with
  academic performance.
• (Dwyer, Blizzard and Dean, 1996)

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Health and Physical Education Important at the
Core

• School-based physical activity programs
  increased concentration, improved math, reading
  and writing scores and reduced disruptive
  behavior.
• (Kolbe, LJ, Appropriate Function of Health
  Education Schools, Child Health Behavior A
  Behavioral Pediatrics Perspective, New York, NY,
  John Wiley 1986)

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Health and Physical Education Important at the
Core

• Students who met minimum fitness levels in three
  or more physical fitness areas showed the
  greatest gains in academic achievement.
• California Dept. of Education, 2002.

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Health and Physical Education Important at the
Core

• Reading and math scores of third and fourth
  grade students who received comprehensive health
  education were significantly higher than those
  who did not receive comprehensive health
  education.
• (Schoener, Guerrero and Whitney, 1988)

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Health and Physical Education Important at the
Core

• In a study of two parochial schools, class time
  for academics was reduced by 240 minutes per week
  in the experimental group to increase time for
  physical activity. Yet, math test scores were
  consistently higher for this group than for a
  group that did not have increased time for
  physical activity.
• (Shephard, RJ, Required Physical Activity
  and Academic Grades, Children and Sport, 1984,
  58-63)

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Health and Physical Education Important at the
Core

• Students who participate in health education
  classes that use effective curricula increase
  their health knowledge and improve their health
  skills and behaviors.
• (Connell, Turner, Mason, 1985)

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Health and Physical Education Important at the
Core

• Students in health education classes also
  decrease risky behaviors . . . .
• (Bolvin, Griffin, Hill-Williams, 2001)

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Health and Physical Education Important at the
Core

• 73 percent of adults from a nationally
  representative sample felt that health education
  in schools was definitely necessary.
• (Mid-Continent Research for Education and
  Learning Survey, 1998)
• 82 percent of parents from a nationally
  representative sample felt that health education
  is either more or as important as other subjects
  taught in school.
• (Marzano RJ, Kendall JS and Cicchinelli
  LF, 1999)

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Observation 2

• Theres a compelling case for schools as problem
  solvers in the health crisis confronting our
  kids.

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Observation 3

• There are steps we can take to address the crisis
  in spite of the challenges.

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NC Successes

• Joint commitments to childrens health
• Special events and leadership assemblies
• Healthy Active Children policy
• Model districts
• Report cards

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Actions We Can Take Now

• Strengthen agency partnerships.
• Call on our organizations.
• Review the use of resources.
• Advocate.

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Strategies for Advocacy

• Strategy 1--Make friends before you need them.
• Strategy 2--Make 'em smart before you make 'em
  mad!
• Strategy 3--Make advocacy a personal mission.
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• Strategy 4--Be role models.

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Observation 3

• There are steps we can take to address the crisis
  in spite of the challenges.

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It Matters!

• To the economy
• To the community
• To families
• To individual children

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Thank you!