Physical Education & physical Activity

Both PHYSICAL EDUCATION and opportunities for PHYSICAL ACTIVITY are important for the physical, cognitive and social emotional growth of all students. Research has proven Physical Education and physical activity breaks during the school day enhance student concentration, focus and successful learning while reducing behavior problems. Physical Education and physical activity promote student health and do not compromise academic learning. Click the image to the right for a helpful infographic from the CDC on the benefits of physical activities of all kinds in school! ​​    >>>>>>>>>>>

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​Benefits include:

• REDUCES risk for obesity, diabetes and chronic diseases 
• ASSISTS in improved academic performance 
• HELPS children feel better about themselves 
• REDUCES risk for depression and the effects of stress
• HELPS children prepare to be productive, healthy adults
• IMPROVES overall quality of life

​PHYSICAL EDUCATION  is.....

• instruction for all children, teaching them the skills and knowledge needed to sustain an active lifestyle 
• taught by a highly qualified physical education teacher through a well-defined curriculum with planned sequential instruction, which promotes lifelong physical activity
  
• required in grades 1 – 12  by RI law and RI Department of Education regulation with an average of 100 minutes per week (combination of health & physical education)
  
• aligned with the standards and performance indicators in The Rhode Island Physical Education Framework

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY is.....

• bodily movement of any type
• any recreational, fitness and sport activities such as jumping rope, playing soccer and lifting weights 
• any daily activities such as walking to the store, taking the stairs or raking the leaves 
• strongly recommended and encouraged to be provided in schools, with physical activity opportunities such as recess, intramurals, interscholastic sports, classroom activity breaks and walk/run/bike programs offered before, during and after school to enhance the PE curriculum

Physical Education

• SHAPE  (website)  Society of Health and Physical Educators has developed helpful tools for school administrators, principals and teachers to assist in the development of a quality Physical Education Program and the evaluation of a physical education program or class:
  • ​SHAPE Physical Education Program Checklist 
  • SHAPE Administrator’s Observation Checklist 
• ​​RIAHPERD  (website)  RI Association of Health, PE, Recreation & Dance
• ​Active Schools (website)  Includes on-line assessment & planning tools for school Physical Education and physical activity
• Presidential Youth Fitness Program website
• ​​Rhode Island Physical Education Framework  Framework for standards-based PE curriculum.
• Strengthen Physical Education in Schools  (Springboard to Active Schools brief)​

Physical Activity

• Physical Activity Guide for Parents 2018  (INFOGRAPHIC) (US Dept. of Health & Human Services)
• Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans  (US Dept. of Health & Human Services)
• ​CSPAP (website)  Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program is a multi-component approach by which schools use all opportunities for students to be:
  • physically active before, during, and after school 
  • meet the nationally-recommended 60 minutes of physical activity each day
  • and develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to be physically active for a lifetime. 
    • ​CSPAP  Resource List 
• Fuel Up to Play 60  (website)  Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by National Dairy Council and NFL, in collaboration with the USDA, to help encourage today's youth to lead healthier lives.
• ​RI Kids Count Obesity & Physical Activity (webpage)  This page on the RI Kids Count website provides information about increasing physical activity in schools as a way to fight childhood obesity, including links to policy briefs they have produced on this topic, as well as links to other resources
• ​Involve School Staff in Promoting Physical Activity  (Springboard to Active Schools brief)

Recess

• RI Recess Law
• Recess Rocks in RI - a Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island/Playworks/RIHSC recess training initiative 
  • RRIRI article in The Rhode Ahead
  • RRIRI Impact Map
  • RRIRI Press Release       
• Keep Recess in Schools (Springboard to Active Schools brief)
• Painted Space Project (Eat Move Grow) 
  • Painted Playground Sample Games and Rules 
  • Painted Playground How-To and Favorite Stencils
• Playworks website
• Peaceful Playgrounds website
• SHAPE America and CDC Strategies for Recess in Schools​
• Alternatives to Withholding Recess
• Recess Aide Job Description - Westerly 2016/17
• Recess Aide Training - Westerly 2016/17

Classroom Activity Breaks

• ​CDC's Classroom Physical Activity page
  • Integrate Classroom Physical Activity in Schools data brief
    
  • Strategies for Classroom Physical Activity in Schools
    
  • Integrate Physical Activity in Schools: A Guide for Putting Strategies into Practice 
    
  • Ideas for Parents: Classroom Physical Activity
• TeachHUB Strategies to Integrate Movement 
• Five Movement Strategies in the High School Classroom 
• Movement Strategies for Middle and High School Students  
• 21 Ideas to Get Students Moving in the Elementary Classroom 
• Active Academics website
• GoNoodle website
• Move to Learn website
• Fitness Breaks at School​
  
• Energizing Brain Breaks

Before/After School Programs

• ​BOKS website
  • BOKS Overview (pdf)
    
• Girls on the Run RI website
  
• Action for Healthy Kids Tip Sheet

Academic Research

• ​​The Association Between School-Based Physical Activity, including Physical Education, and Academic Performance  (US Dept. of Health and Human Services)
• Active Education: Growing Evidence on Physical Activity and Academic Performance  Active Living Research
• Increasing Physical Activity Through Recess  Active Living Research
• Supporting Quality Physical Education & Physical Activity in Schools  Bridging the Gap Research Brief
• ​Supporting Recess in Elementary Schools  Bridging the Gap Research Brief