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RESTON, VA, December 10, 2002 - Physically fit children do perform
better academically! The National Association for Sport and Physical
Education (NASPE) commends the California Department of Education
(CDE) for its study released today that shows a distinct relationship
between academic achievement and physical fitness of California's
public school students.
"It makes great common sense to physical educators that active,
physically fit children will perform better academically,"
said NASPE
Executive Director Judith C. Young, Ph.D. "Now the California
Department of Education has provided specific evidence. NASPE urges
further research to examine relationships between physical activity
and academic performance. In addition, information is needed which
compares the students' physical education programs to their various
levels of fitness."
The newly completed research study individually matched scores
from the spring 2001 administration of the Stanford Achievement
Test, Ninth Edition (SAT-9), given as part of California's Standardized
Testing and Reporting Program, with results of the state-mandated
physical fitness test, known as the Fitnessgram, given in 2001 to
students in grades five, seven, and nine. The Fitnessgram, developed
by the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research, assesses six major
health-related areas of physical fitness including aerobic capacity
(cardiovascular endurance), body composition (percentage of body
fat), abdominal strength and endurance, trunk strength and flexibility,
upper body strength and endurance, and overall flexibility. A score
of 6 indicates that a student is in the healthy fitness zone in
all six performance areas, and meets standards to be considered
physically fit.
In the study, reading and mathematics scores were matched with
fitness scores of 353,000 fifth graders, 322,000 seventh graders,
and 279,000 ninth graders. The attached bar graphs for each grade
level show a significant relationship between the two types of scores
that were matched.
Key findings of the study are:
* Higher achievement was associated with higher levels of fitness
at
each of the three grade levels measured.
* The relationship between academic achievement and fitness was
greater in mathematics than in reading, particularly at higher fitness
levels.
* Students who met minimum fitness levels in three or more physical
fitness areas showed the greatest gains in academic achievement
at all three grade levels.
* Females demonstrated higher achievement than males, particularly
at
higher fitness levels.
According to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine
Eastin,
"This statewide study provides compelling evidence that the
physical well-being of students has a direct impact on their ability
to achieve academically. We now have the proof we've been looking
for: students achieve best when they are physically fit. Thousands
of years ago, the Greeks understood the importance of improving
spirit, mind, and body. The research presented here validates their
philosophic approach with scientific validation."
Eastin pointed to physical education as a primary source for promoting
physical fitness. "Every student in California should have
quality physical education experiences from kindergarten through
high school," Eastin said. "The goal of these programs
should be to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence
to participate in health enhancing physical activity throughout
their lives."
The California Education Code mandates physical education for all
students in grades one through nine, plus one additional year in
high school. Students in grades one through six are required to
have 200 minutes of physical education every 10 school days, and
students in grades seven through twelve are required to have 400
minutes every 10 school days. Specific recommendations for teachers,
students, and their families are available on the CDE
Web site.
Families are encouraged to plan activities that include opportunities
for all family members to be physically active together. Health-related
fitness assessment results can be used as a tool to help students
understand, enjoy, improve, and maintain their physical health and
well-being.
Information about the National Association for Sport and Physical
Education (NASPE) can be found on the Internet at www.aahperd.org,
the web site of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education,
Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD). NASPE is the largest of AAHPERD's
six national associations. A nonprofit membership organization of
over 18,000 professionals in the fitness and physical activity fields,
NASPE is the only national association dedicated to strengthening
basic knowledge about sport and physical education among professionals
and the general public. Putting that knowledge into action in schools
and communities across the nation is critical to improved academic
performance, social reform and the health of individuals.
This article is courtesy of NASPE
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