Running Behind The lack of adequate physical education

Running Behind: The lack of adequate physical education in New York Public Schools Sarah Szlam October 2009 Legislative Advocacy

Why does physical education matter? • • • Weight control Reduces blood pressure Raises HDL ("good") cholesterol Reduces the risk of diabetes and some kinds of cancer Improves psychological well-being, including gaining more self-confidence and higher self-esteem • Strengthens your heart, lungs, bones and muscles and gives you more energy • Helps you handle stress and sleep better • Physically fit students tend to outscore their peers who are less -fit on academic tests

How do we define obesity? • Overweight= BMI at or above 85 th percentile • Obese= BMI at or above 95 th percentile

The Obesity Epidemic • Increases in prevalence overweight youth from 1970 s to 2006 Nationwide – In 2 -5 yo up from 5% to 12. 4% – In 6 -11 yo up from 4% to 17% – In 12 -19 yo up from 6. 1% to 17. 6% • Since 1980 alone the percentage of youth considered obese has tripled • New York City has 1. 1 million public school students • Compared with children nationwide, NYC children are more likely to be obese (21% vs. 17%) and overweight (18% vs. 14%). • 43% of NYC public elementary students are overweight or obese – 1 in 5 kindergarteners and 1 in 4 1 st graders

Obesity Trends in the US

How does this affect our youth? • Annual hospital costs related to obesity for youth alone 1997 -1999 were 127 million – Up from 35 million in 1979 -1981 • Increases in diabetes and hypercholesterolemia • Poor self esteem • Increased medical problems in adulthood

How is NY combating obesity? Physical Education Regulation • • • Department of the Commissioner Established in 1982, reissued in 1995 K-3: daily PE with minimum 120 min/wk 4 -6: PE ≥ 3 x/wk with minimum 120 min/wk 7 -12: ≥ 3 x/wk in one and ≥ 2 x/wk in the other semester; avg 90 min/wk NYS Dept of the Commissioner

Are the regulations working? New York State Audit • 20 school districts 7/07 -7/08 • 19 of 20 failed to meet requirements • For K-3: only 48% met the number of required classes and 72% met required class time – Avg of ~60 min of PE/wk • For 4 -6: 77% met class time • For 7 -12: most schools were in compliance

New York City Audit • January 08, 100 elementary and 50 middle schools randomly surveyed • 96% 3 rd grade and 88% 4 th grade classrooms in violation • 57% of the elementary schools offer PE only ONCE/week • 69% 6 th grade classrooms in violation

Why schools are failing to comply with regulation • Lack of time – Increasing academic standards and testing – No increase in length of school day • Lack of adequate staffing – Unable to hire trained PE teachers • Lack of facilities – Several schools without access to gym and/or playground – Some facilities small, outdated, unsafe – Some schools with facilities fear students will get hurt • Failure to plan PE – Lack of daily classroom/gym plans specific for phys ed.

How is NY Responding • New offices/positions at Dept of Education specifically to tackle the epidemic – Office of Fitness and Health Education created by Mayor Bloomberg – Looking to allocate funding for equipment/resources – No current move to adjust guidelines due to classroom time restrictions or schools lacking resources • Looking to increase physical education requirements, not lower them due to barriers – No major changes (resources, financial changes, education for those lacking space/time on how to make progress) provided to target the specific problems found in the audit

Other changes made in NY schools • Fitnessgram – NYC FITNESSGRAM is the citywide fitness assessment that is part of physical education – Fitnessgram was piloted in 2005 by the DOE • CHAMPS middle school sports and fitness league – Before and after-school fitness/sport activities • Healthy Kids Healthy Schools – Healthier school lunches and vending machine options – Prohibition of bake sales – Education on healthy eating at home

Fitnessgram • Measures aerobic capacity, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition • Students and parents receive annual individual reports that explain the significance of each measure • Provides suggestions to help students reach and maintain lifelong health-related fitness. • Provides minimal education about obesity, physical fitness • What is tested is not necessarily what is practiced in school • May be confusing to parents

Outside of schools: other ways NY is trying to encourage physical activity • Schoolyards to Playgrounds Program – Opening playgrounds after school/on weekends to the public – Survey showed poorly maintained program/compliance • TV “turnoff” weeks promotion in all public and private schools • “Eat Well, Play Hard” community projects – Local communities working to find ways to increase opportunities for physical activity • Twelve Healthy Eating and Active Living by Design contracts – Building more walkable/bikeable neighborhoods

What We are Already Doing: Healthy Schools Healthy Families • Healthy Schools Healthy Families (HSHF) promotes healthy lifestyles and mental well-being through community partnerships, identifies and addresses unmet health needs in the entire school community using a school-based decision making model Schools Served: • East Harlem: PS 102 (350 students) & PS 206 (300 students) • Central Harlem: PS 180 (580 students) • Washington Heights: PS 4 (670 students), PS 128 (850 students), PS 132 (900 students) & PS 152 (960 students) • ~4, 600 current combined census On-Site Staffing: – One Program Coordinator and one Family Care Worker per every 2 schools – Two Nutritionists cover all seven schools – One Physical Activity Liaison covers all seven schools – HSHF school-based staff collaborates with the teachers, school aides and school administration in all healthy lifestyles programming

Comparison of Physical Activity Outliers PS 132 *PS 152 has a full time dance teacher on staff. Some students have dance either instead of, or in addition to gym, at least once a week. (FT = Full time) PS 152 Available Space -Uses converted classrooms as a gym -Little outdoor space -One large gym -One dance studio -One large and one small outdoor yard. Student census 906 881 Staffing 1 FT gym teacher 2 FT gym teachers 1 FT dance teacher Students in gym* 1 X/week 52. 6% 100% Classes with 45+ minutes outside gym 5% 54. 8%

How we can help • Ask about resources patients have – At school – At home • Ask about barriers – Lack of school PE – Lack of education about physical education – Lack of resources and lack of knowing what resources may be available • Provide education, encouragement and resources

Resources for Us • http: //www. nycgovparks. org/befitnyc – Great information on local parks – Broken down by age, location, type of activity • www. cdc. gov – Lots of information on guidelines, statistics, resources • http: //schools. nyc. gov/default. htm – Information about current guidelines, resources for providers and parents

References • http: //schools. nyc. gov/Academics/Fitnessand. Health/ CHAMPS/default. htm • http: //schools. nyc. gov/Academics/Fitnessand. Health/d efault. htm • http: //www. cooperinstitute. org/products/grams/index. cfm • http: //www. cdc. gov/Healthy. Youth/obesity/ • http: //www. cdc. gov/Healthy. Youth/physicalactivity/in dex. htm • http: //schools. nyc. gov/default. htm