252 Chapman Road
Christiana Building, Suite 200
Newark, Delaware 19702
(302) 444-9100  (888) 494-5252
email: [email protected]
www.nemours.org/growuphealthy
Since many students were kinesthetic learners, Robin came up with “math words”
to say when doing familiar dance steps. The first dance that was developed was the
“Macarena,”and the hand motions used in that song were perfect for naming the
place value portions: ones, tens, hundreds, comma, etc.
Since then, many other songs/dances have been developed to familiar songs – “The
Electric Slide” and “Walk Like an Egyptian” for multiplication facts, “The Cupid
Shuffle” for long division, “The Hokey Pokey” for steps in figuring out volume, “We
Are Family” for fractions and decimals, “The Chicken Dance” for polygons, “YMCA”
for angles, “Boot Scoot Boogie” for a special way to figure our 9s, and “Celebration”
for data collection and analysis.
Though these dances started out as a way to reach students academically, they now
have another important motive: getting the students up and moving! The students
love these dances and look forward to each Friday – the day they get to sing and
dance. Toward the last week of school, students will get into groups and develop their
own dance incorporating math concepts and perform for the rest of the class.
Recommended Action Step
Delaware policymakers should join the 12 other states that have supported
student learning, attendance and positive behavior by enacting legislation
requiring 150 minutes of physical activity weekly for elementary school students.
Notes
page 4
Delaware Policy Should Ensure
Physical Activity in Elementary Schools
By Sonya Davis 2012
Summary
Recent studies show the importance of schools
implementing physical activity and the strong
relationship between physical fitness and student
success. The 2011 Delaware Fitnessgram® study
conducted by the Delaware Department of
Education and Nemours Health & Prevention
Services showed that Delaware students who are
more physically fit perform significantly better
in both reading and mathematics, and students
who are less physically fit exhibit significantly
lower scores in reading and mathematics. In
addition, the latter experienced significantly
more suspension days and absenteeism.1 Similar
studies in California and Texas demonstrated
that students with high Fitnessgram® scores have
better overall school performance according to a
variety of measures.2, 3
1
Delaware Department of Education, Nemours Health & Prevention Services. Physical Fitness, Academic Achievement and Student Behavior. April 2011.
2
Grissom J. Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement. Pediatric Exercise Physiology. 2005; 8:11-25.
3
Texas Education Agency. Physically fit students more likely to do well in school, less likely to be disciplinary problems. Austin, Texas; March 2009.
4
Human Kinetic Publishers, Inc. FITNESSGRAM®/ACTIVITYGRAM®: Activity and Fitness Assessment and Personal Physical Activity Management.
Retrieved March 1, 2012, from http:/www.fitnessgram.net/home/
5
US Department of Health and Human Services. 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Washington, DC; 2008.
6
US Department of Agriculture, US Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010. Washington, DC: 2010.
7
National Research Council. Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2005.
8
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The association between school-based physical activity, including physical education, and academic performance.
Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2010.
9
National Physical Activity Plan. Available at: http://www.physicalactivityplan.org/index.php. Accessed on January 30, 2012.
10
US Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, US Census Bureau. School Enrollment in the United States: 2008. Washington, DC; 2011.
11
US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. School and Staffing Survey (SASS). Available at:
http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/sass/tables/sass0708_005_t1n.asp. Accessed on January 30, 2012.
Physical Activity in Schools
12
Taras H. Physical Activity and Student Performance at School. Journal of the School of Health. 2005; 75:214-218.
13
Scheuer L, Mitchell D. Does physical activity influence academic performance? Available at:
http://www.scahperd.org/Does_Physical_Activity_Influence_Academic_Performance.pdf. Accessed on February 10, 2012.
14
Tremblay MS, Inman JW, Williams JD. The relationship between physical activity, self-esteem, and academic achievement in 12-year-old children.
Pediatric Exercise Science. 2000;12:312-324.
15
Satcher D. Healthy and Ready to Learn: Research Shows that nutrition and physical activity affect student academic achievement. Education Leadership. 2005; 63:26-30.
16
Davis C, Tomporowski PD, McDowell JE, et al. Exercise improves executive function and achievement and alters brain activation in overweight children:
A randomized, controlled trial. Health Psychology. 2011; 30:91-98.
17
Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Indoor Fitness Breaks. Available at: http://www.healthiergeneration.org/uploadedFiles/For_Schools/09-877.pdf. Accessed on March 11, 2012.
18
Nemours Health & Prevention Services. Get Moving! Action Stories. Available at:
http://www.nemours.org/content/dam/nemours/www/filebox/service/preventive/nhps/pep/actstory.pdf Accessed on March 11, 2012.
Regular physical activity is essential for children’s
health, quality of life and achievement of a
healthy weight. A growing body of research
correlates students’ physical fitness to better
concentration, reduced disruptive behaviors, and
higher test scores in reading, math and writing.8
In response, there is a nationwide movement to
promote student physical activity opportunities
in the school setting.
19
Nemours Health & Prevention Services. Take 10! Curriculum Crosswalk. Take 10! Third Grade.
Available at: http://www.nemours.org/content/dam/nemours/www/filebox/service/preventive/nhps/pep/take10third.pdf Accessed on March 11, 2012.
20
Colorado Legislative Council Staff Fiscal Note on HB11-1069. Available at:
http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2011a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/9CF56533FEFE87598725780800800FBF?Open&file=HB1069_00.pdf. Accessed on March 11, 2012.
21
Louisiana Legislative Fiscal Office Note on HB 400 of 2009. Available at: http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=664345.
Accessed on March 11, 2012.
22
Mississippi Legislature 2007 Regular Session History of Actions on SB 2369 of 2007. Available at: http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2007/pdf/history/SB/SB2369.htm#title.
Accessed on March 11, 2012.
23
South Carolina Legislature 2005 History of Actions on HB 3499 of 2005. Available at: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php. Accessed on March 11, 2012.
24
Texas Legislature Fiscal Note on SB 530 of 2007. Available at: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/fiscalnotes/html/SB00530F.htm. Accessed on March 11, 2012.
25
National Association of State Boards of Education. State School Health Policy Database. Available at: http://nasbe.org/healthy_schools/hs/. Accessed on February 1, 2012.
26
NHPS analysis of Florida and Texas legislative fiscal notes and North Carolina’s public documents regarding physical activity regulation.
© 2012. The Nemours Foundation. Nemours is a registered trademark of the Nemours Foundation. 1326-M&C
Fitnessgram® is an evidence-based tool created
in 1982 by the Cooper Institute. It assesses
student aerobic capacity, body composition,
strength, endurance and flexibility. These
benchmarks represent a level of fitness necessary
for good health.4
The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for
Americans and 2010 Dietary Guidelines
for Americans indicate that children should
be physically active for 60 minutes or more
each day. The Institute of Medicine (IOM)
recommends that children accumulate a
minimum of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous
physical activity daily and that schools ensure
all students participate in a minimum of 30
minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity
during the school day.
Nemours Health & Prevention Services
The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for
Americans and 2010 Dietary Guidelines for
Americans recommend that children should
be physically active for 60 minutes or more
each day.5, 6 The Institute of Medicine (IOM)
recommends that children accumulate a
minimum of 60 minutes of moderate to
vigorous physical activity daily and that
schools ensure all students participate in a
minimum of 30 minutes of moderate to
vigorous physical activity during the school day.7
A significant majority, 72 percent, of Delaware’s
elementary schools are successfully working
towards reaching 150 minutes of moderate to
vigorous physical activity for students weekly.
Teachers, staff and administrators involved in
these efforts report their students behave better,
are more ready to learn and are receptive to
lessons integrated with physical activity. A
statewide policy to ensure 150 minutes of
moderate to vigorous physical activity in
elementary schools will enable Delaware to join
12 other states that promote children’s academic
achievement with policies ensuring sufficient
physical activity during the school day.
The National Physical Activity Plan released
in 2010 outlines a series of recommendations
designed to increase the physical activity of
Americans in many sectors, including an
emphasis on physical activity in schools.9
Recommendations for physical activity in
children’s lives cannot be met without schools
taking a major role. More than 96.8 percent
of American youth ages 5-17, are enrolled in
school, and students spend, on average, 33 hours
per week in school.10,11 Schools present a variety
of opportunities for students to participate in
physical activity in the classroom, at recess and
during physical education.
Fitnessgram® Data
A growing body of research suggests a
relationship between physical activity
and student behaviors and academic
achievement.12, 13, 14
2012
About Nemours Health &
Prevention Services
Nemours Health & Prevention
Services (NHPS) is a division of
Nemours, one of the nation’s largest
pediatric health systems, operating
the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont
Hospital for Children and outpatient
facilities throughout the Delaware
Valley and northern and central
Florida.
The goal of NHPS is to drive longterm improvements in policies and
practices that promote child health,
and to leverage community strengths
and resources to help children grow
up healthy.
One of our initial areas of emphasis
is the prevention of childhood obesity
through promotion of healthy
lifestyles, the centerpiece of which is
the 5-2-1-Almost None prescription
for a healthy lifestyle:
ƒƒ Eat five or more servings of
fruits and vegetables per day.
ƒƒ Spend no more than two
hours per day in front of
a screen (TV, video games,
recreational computer time).
ƒƒ Get at least one hour of
physical activity per day.
ƒƒ Drink almost no sugary
beverages like soda or
sports drinks.
page 1
Delaware Policy Should Ensure Physical Activity in Elementary Schools
Studies have shown that physical activity is
linked to better concentration, reduced disruptive
behaviors and higher test scores in reading,
math and writing.15 A recent study demonstrates
that exercise improves executive function (i.e.,
planning behaviors such as self-regulation and
intentionality) and academic performance, and
increases brain activation.16
The Delaware Department of Education (DOE)
and Nemours Health & Prevention Services
(NHPS) collaborated to analyze the relationships
among Delaware students’ physical fitness
levels (as measured by Fitnessgram®) and student
academic outcomes (as measured by Delaware
Student Testing Program (DSTP) ), and student
behavior outcomes such as attendance and
suspensions. Fitnessgram® is a health-related
fitness assessment tool developed by the
Cooper Institute.
The tool assesses a student’s aerobic capacity,
body composition, strength, endurance and
flexibility. Adequate performance on the test is
based upon a test score falling in the Healthy
Fitness Zone (HFZ) for each of the five tests that
measure a different aspect of fitness. Delaware
DOE requires annual testing of students in
grades 4, 7, and 9/10. Delaware Fitnessgram®
and eSchool PLUS data in two school years (SY
2008-09 and SY 2009-10) were collected and
analyzed. The final number of usable cases for
the analysis included 80,064 student records, a
significant representative number for the state
of Delaware.
Data analysis showed that more physically fit
students:
Physical Activity Policy Will Not
Require Funding
ƒƒ are higher performers on the Delaware Student
Testing Program (DSTP)
Delaware’s schools have adopted creative ways
to achieve physical activity goals. Schools can
implement physical activity almost anywhere:
in physical education classes, as an energizing
“learning in motion” activity, in the classroom,
or during recess. A number of web-based
resources are available to assist educators on
how to do this, as well as technical assistance
from NHPS.17, 18, 19
ƒƒ have significantly lower number of suspension days
ƒƒ have significantly greater attendance at school
Delaware students who are less physically
fit exhibit significantly lower scores in math
and reading and also have significantly more
suspension days and absenteeism.
This study is the first to demonstrate these
relationships among students in Delaware.
The Delaware study controlled for family
income, race, gender and school district,
demonstrating that these relationships exist
regardless of the controlled variables.
Simply put, fit students are more likely
to do well and to behave appropriately
regardless of their gender, race, family
income or school district.
A number of states have implemented policies
requiring 150 minutes of physical activity in
schools without incurring costs. Fiscal impact
analysis from Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi,
South Carolina and Texas have indicated no
state or school funding impact as a result of
enacting 150 minutes of physical activity in
elementary schools. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Delaware Schools Can Now Achieve
150 Minutes of Activity per Week
Legislative Action Paves the Way for
Physical Activity in Delaware’s Schools
In 2009, NHPS was awarded a Carol M. White
Physical Education Program grant. This was a
significant achievement, given that these grants
are typically awarded to schools or school
districts. The grant project is termed “Make
School a Moving Experience” and aims to:
The following Delaware legislation has paved
the way for promoting physical activity in
schools:
ƒƒ help schools develop plans for providing 150
minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity
(MVPA) per week
ƒƒ provide school staff with tools and professional
development to enable MVPA
ƒƒ develop a statewide network to offer support for
staff providing MVPA
ƒƒ give after-school providers tools and training to
enable MVPA
With the help of this grant, Delaware elementary
schools are incorporating 150 minutes of
moderate to vigorous physical activity for every
student each week. In the 2011-2012 school
year, 72 percent of Delaware elementaries, or 74
schools, are engaged in helping their students to
achieve 150 minutes of physical activity weekly.
page 2
There is no need for additional
time in the school day or increased
fiscal resources.
Nemours Health & Prevention Services
House Bill 372 of 2006 required each local
school district and charter school to assess the
physical fitness of each student at least once at
the elementary, middle and high school level and
provide the results to the student’s caregiver.
Fitnessgram® is the tool used in Delaware for
the assessment.
House Bill 471 of 2006 mandated a physical
education/physical activity (PE/PA) pilot
program in at least six of Delaware’s elementary,
middle or high schools. The DOE established
the goal that each student in the PE/PA program
shall achieve at least 150 minutes per week of
physical activity. As a result of this legislation, a
number of schools statewide have participated,
growing from 6 initial schools to 70 schools
involved.
Senate Bill 289 of 2006 clarified the role of the
Delaware Statewide Health Advisory Committee
Nemours Health & Prevention Services
(SHAC) to provide advice and guidance to the
DOE regarding physical education and physical
activity programs in Delaware public schools.
In 2007, the SHAC released the Annual Report
to the Governor and General Assembly with
several recommendations, including expansion
of the PE/PA Pilot Program to more schools.
Senate Concurrent Resolution 19 of 2009
encouraged Delaware’s schools to provide
students with a minimum of 150 minutes of
physical activity weekly.
Schools Share Positive Experiences
“I believe that the JAMmin’ Minute activities
and stations have helped to create a culture
and climate in the school where students and
teachers can work together to make this a place
conducive for learning. Through exercising our
bodies together, we feel more comfortable to
exercise our minds together. Children get to see
that their teachers and principal are human. So
they can relate to us more. When parents are
in the building, many participate as well. This
has helped our whole school community come
together as a family that focuses on moving in
the right direction academically and physically.”
Principal Tracey N. Roberts,
Pulaski Elementary
“When using our spelling words to create a Take
10! activity. I ask the students to choose whether
we are going to ‘sky-write,’ ‘shoot basketballs,’
or ‘play baseball,’ along with other options. We
march in place while we are not spelling words.
When I ask the students to spell a word, we spell
using one of the choices above. Then we march
in place. We repeat this process for the rest of the
spelling words.”
Megan Rowe,
4th Grade East Millsboro Elementary
Robin Moxley and Patti Bear have been working
together in a 5th grade inclusion setting for
16 years. They have worked as a team in three
different buildings in the Appoquinimink School
District, most recently at Townsend Elementary
School for the last nine years. They always have
a wide range of abilities in their classroom such
as students with learning disabilities, autism,
physical disabilities and other issues – as well as
gifted students, at the other end of the spectrum.
They are always searching for new ways to reach
students, especially those who have a difficult
time understanding concepts. Years ago, Robin
decided to use her love of music and dance to
teach mathematical concepts.
Other States Take Action
To date, policies in 12 states ensure
that students in public elementary
schools are provided with at least
150 minutes of physical activity.25
Most of these states have been
able to implement their policies for
minimal cost.26 Examples include:
ƒƒ Iowa law requires students in K-5
to engage in physical activity for a
minimum of 30 minutes per school
day, grades 6-12 for a minimum of
120 minutes per week.
ƒƒ Louisiana law requires each public
K-8 elementary school to provide a
minimum of 30 minutes of quality
moderate to vigorous physical
activity daily for students.
ƒƒ North Carolina State Board of
Education policy requires K-8
schools to provide a minimum of
30 minutes of moderate to vigorous
physical activity daily, which may
be completed through physical
education, physical activities, recess,
dance, classroom energizers, or other
curriculum-based physical education
program.
ƒƒ Texas law requires students in grades
K-5 to participate in moderate to
vigorous daily physical activity for
at least 30 minutes throughout the
school year, which may include
physical education classes or recess.
page 3