"PHYSICAL EDUCATION IS A PRIORITY" MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY BY BOARD OF EDUCATION

MARLENE CANTER'S OFFICE  Press SUMMARY

Authored by Ms. Marlene Canter and  Co-sponsored by Ms. Tamar Galatzan and Julie Korenstein

Adopted July 8, 2007

Ms. Canter introduced this motion as a fourth in a series of student health related motions, the first being banning the sale of soda in our schools, then the sale of junk food and thirdly improving the nutritional quality of foods served in our cafeterias.

With the PE motion, Ms. Canter’s aim was to raise awareness about the ongoing problem of childhood obesity, and to send a message to her colleagues, the LAUSD leadership and the community that PE is a priority.

Both non-compliance with state law and class sizes upwards of 80 students in some cases are unacceptable to her.

Her immediate intent is to ensure that students receive the PE program that the law requires.

Her eventual intent is to cap PE class sizes, but in light of the recent budget cuts, she wanted to have as perfect knowledge about the cost impacts of such an action, which is why she has asked the Superintendent to bring this back to the Board in September.

The PE motion was introduced to:

• Educate us (new Board members, Superintendent, leadership) on the importance of physical activity to both health and student achievement
• Remind us of the CA Ed Code mandates regarding physical education
• Establish new transparencies around our physical education program implementation at our school site by including such data in our District and School Accountability Report Cards
• Adopt the CA Dept of Education’s standards for PE (Physical Education Model Content Standards for California Public Schools K-12)
• Ensure that the physical education facilities are designed developed, and constructed according to the California Department of Education Guide to School Site Analysis and Development
• Call for an annual report on compliance with this motion and the state law
• Ask the Superintendent to bring us a plan for decreasing class size in PE which in some of secondary schools are as large as 80 students a class (by Sept 1, 2008)

For more information please contact Melissa Infusino in Ms. Canter’s office at 213-241-7003 or Melissa.infusino@lausd.net.

 

Ms. Canter, Ms. Galatzan, Ms. Korenstein – Physical Education is a Priority (Noticed June 24, 2008) ADOPTED AS AMENDED

Whereas, The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has documented

that the percentage of overweight and obese Los Angeles Unified School District

school children steadily increased from 1999 through 2005, afflicting more than

one in four students;

Whereas, The U.S. Surgeon General, Centers for Disease Control, National

Institute for Health, Government Accountability Office, National Association for

Sport and Physical Education, and the Los Angeles County Task Force on

Childhood Obesity all identify increasing physical activity, through quality

physical education programs, as one of the most critical things to fight childhood

obesity;

Whereas, A recent report from The California Endowment found a direct

correlation between smaller physical education class sizes and students’ level of

engagement in more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity;

Whereas, The average physical education class size in Los Angeles Unified

secondary schools is 48.8 students per instructor, with some classes having as

many as eighty students;

Whereas, Elementary students in District schools frequently receive physical

education instruction in large classes, reducing the amount of skill-development

and minutes spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity;

Whereas, A John Hopkins University study showed that for every weekday an

adolescent participated in PE classes the odds of becoming an overweight adult

decreased by five percent and participating in PE classes everyday decreased the

odds of becoming an overweight adult by 28 percent;

Whereas, A study by the California State Board of Education found that children

engaged in daily physical activity outperformed other students on exams,

exhibited superior academic performance and attitudes toward school, improved

scores on short-term memory tests and reaction times and increased creativity;

Whereas, In a District pilot program at three elementary schools (Marvin,

Allesandro and Norwood Elementary Schools) with increased physical activity

minutes and quality physical education, students’ API scores increased (40, 22

and 17 points respectively) as did their fitness levels;

Whereas, Since 2002, the Governing Board of the Los Angeles Unified School

District has adopted three far-reaching motions to establish positive, long-term

health habits among its students by changing the nutritional environment in our

schools through the Healthy Beverage Motion, Obesity Prevention Motion, and

Cafeteria Improvement Motion; and

Whereas, The District continues to be found non-compliant by the State

Department of Education in meeting state mandated physical education

requirements at all elementary, middle, and high school grades with the

consequence of financial penalties to be paid to the State; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Governing Board of the Los Angeles Unified School District

directs the Superintendent to ensure all schools are compliant with the California

Education Code regarding physical education including:

a) Elementary students receive physical education for a minimum of 200

minutes each 10 school days and secondary students receive 400

minutes each 10 days all year long (EC §51210, 51223, 51222),

including moderate-to-vigorous physical activity;

b) All students have physical education every year in grades 1-12 with

students in grades 10-12 allowed to exempt themselves from two

years, only after meeting 5 of 6 on the state mandated physical

performance test (EC §51225.3);

c) Each student in grades 9 and 10 receive the 8 content areas described

in the California Code of Regulations Title 5 and the California Model

Content Standards; Aquatics, Dance and Rhythms, Individual and

Dual, Combatives, Team Activities and Gymnastics and Tumbling,

Effects of Movement on Dynamic Health and the Mechanics of

Movement (CCR Title 5 Education, Chapter 10, Course of Study,

Article 3.1 Physical Education Program 10060 Criteria for Physical

Education Programs and the California Physical Education

Framework);

d) Each Senior High School provides a variety (3 to 4) of gender neutral

elective physical education courses (EC 51222 (b));

e) Each physical education class is taught by a credentialed physical

education teacher (EC 44256) (EC 45340-43567);

f) All students in 5th, 7th, and 9th grades are properly prepared for and

tested in the California Physical Performance Test and each school’s

scores are posted on each school’s accountability report card (EC

60800) (EC35256);

Resolved, That the Superintendent create transparency by ensuring that the

information the District publishes in the District and School Accountability

Report Cards includes physical education teacher vacancies, misassignments

or lack of subject matter competency and credentials;

Resolved, That the Superintendent ensure that all physical education classes

are compliant with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to the

Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its regulations; Title VI of the Civil Rights Act

of 1964 and its regulations; and Government Code section 11135 and its

regulations;

Resolved, That the Superintendent adopt and implement district-wide the

California Department of Education’s Physical Education Model Content

Standards for California Public Schools K-12;

Resolved, That the Superintendent ensure that the physical education facilities

are designed developed, and constructed according to the California

Department of Education Guide to School Site Analysis and Development;

Resolved, That the Superintendent ensure that all District physical education

bulletins are reviewed, updated and disseminated to ensure compliance with

state and federal education codes;

Resolved, That the Superintendent deliver to the Board an annual report on

compliance with this motion and resolutions for any corrective actions

needed;

Resolved, That the Superintendent deliver to the Board by September 1, 2008,

a report on the associated costs for limiting secondary school physical

education classes with articulated grades to an average of 45 students and a

maximum cap of 55 students per instructor consistent with the state physical

education standards and District class size bulletin 820.1, and requiring that

elementary physical education classes have one teacher per classroom;

Resolved, That the Superintendent deliver to the Board by September 1, 2008,

an implementation plan for achieving compliance with the relevant codes and

regulations and this resolution; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Superintendent and the Office of Legislation and

Governmental Affairs work with Legislators to increase funding for physical

education.