State law could mean more P.E. for high-schoolers

By: NOELLE IBRAHIM - Staff Writer
SMUSD preparing for change | Saturday, March 1, 2008 10:41 PM PST ∞

SAN MARCOS ---- Some San Marcos students may have to take up to four years of physical education if they fail a state fitness test in high school, under a new law that aims to help California students develop healthy habits.

"I think we're realizing in California that it's even more important for your mental health to be physically healthy," said Nancy Peterson, San Marcos Unified School District's director of secondary curriculum.

More than 9 million children and adolescents nationwide are overweight or obese ---- about four times as many as in 1965 ---- and 23 percent get no exercise, according to the American Heart Association.

Most obese children have at least one major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, such as high blood cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin or blood pressure. And, for the first time in history, children's life spans are predicted to be less than their parents' life spans because of inactivity and obesity-related illnesses, according to the association.

"This generation is so oriented toward video games, watching TV and other sedentary activities," said San Marcos Middle School physical education teacher Tom Schwartz. "If (the law) motivates students to become healthier at a younger age, it makes a lot of sense."

Focus on fitness
Prompted by those statistics, the new law, which goes into effect with this year's freshmen class, is geared toward students who have room for improvement on the statewide physical fitness test ---- the so-called Fitnessgram.

The test is designed to measure categories such as muscle strength, endurance, flexibility and aerobic capacity, the body's ability to generate energy with the use of oxygen.

Results of the test are reported each year in grades five, seven and nine, and are based on students' performance in six tasks: curl-ups, trunk lifts, push-ups or pull-ups, shoulder stretches, body composition and a 1-mile run.

While students are required to take two years of physical education to graduate high school, the new law requires students who do not pass at least five of the six tasks on the test in ninth grade to continue to enroll in physical education until they pass, Peterson said. Physical education is not required after the sophomore year, but students can still take it as an elective.

"You get one shot at this a year," said Peterson, adding that the test must be administered between now and May. "It could very well mean students have to stay in P.E. all four years."

For the 2006-07 school year, 43.4 percent of 447,676 ninth-graders tested in the state did not pass at least five of the six tasks, meaning they did not score within or above what is deemed the healthy fitness zone ---- the level of fitness thought to offer protection against diseases that result from sedentary living, according the state department of education's Web site.

In comparison, 36.6 percent of the 1,209 San Marcos ninth-graders tested last year did not achieve at least five of the six standards and 7.1 percent achieved none of the standards.

Effects on students
Overall, Peterson said she expects the number of ninth-graders passing the standards to rise with the implementation of the new rule. Many students weren't taking the test seriously before, she said.

"It wasn't really a high-stakes test because there were no repercussions if they didn't pass," she said. "Now they're paying more attention to it."

Peterson said she expects students to be more motivated to pass the fitness test so they can take elective classes such as art, drama, band and technology in place of physical education.

"You want to kids to be connected to school," she said. "Elective classes many times are what keep kids interested."

Gary Munn, San Marcos Middle School's athletic director and physical education department chair, said he thinks some students will respond to the change. For other families who don't understand why physical education is a part of the school day, the change will not be an easy sell, Munn said.

"They're concentrating on getting their kids into college and they see this as an obstacle," he said. "But (students) need to be healthy. It's a double-edged sword."

Peterson said schools have always taken on the physical well-being of students as part of their responsibility to help students be well-rounded. A lot of skills are taught on the field, such as teamwork and self-esteem, she said.

Preparing for change
Students and parents have been notified of the new requirement by letter, and physical education teachers have talked to their students about the importance of taking the test seriously, Peterson said.

"It isn't just a high school issue," she said. "Students build the skills they need to pass."

To help students succeed, the district has been analyzing results and identifying components of the test that kids tend to struggle with, such as the 1-mile run, which tests aerobic capacity, and the shoulder touch, which measures flexibility. Teachers can target those problem areas in their lesson plans and activities, she said.

Also, in January, San Marcos Middle opened a new grant-funded fitness facility with training bikes, stationary elliptical machines ---- used to simulate walking or running ---- and workout-tracking technology.

The two-room facility is being used by students who fail four assessment activities based on the Fitnessgram ---- the mile run, flexed arm hang, shoulder touch and body composition.

About 12 to 15 students each period are using the facility in place of a regular physical education class, said Munn. The targeted instruction will help students build their cardiovascular strength and give them a better chance of passing the test by the time they are freshmen, he said.

Though the district is sharpening its focus on the health and wellness of its students, budget difficulties are making that tough.

This week officials recommended laying off 10 elementary physical education teachers and 21 aides ---- classroom teachers would take on the responsibility of teaching physical education ---- and canceling after-school middle school athletics in an effort to reduce a $9 million budget deficit in the upcoming school year. That shortfall would be caused in part by across-the-board cuts to education funding proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"It flies in the face of everything we're doing in trying to get kids more fit," Munn said.

Peterson said it is unfortunate to include athletics in a long list of proposed budget cuts, but principals are looking for ways to continue those opportunities.

Contact staff writer Noelle Ibrahim at (760) 740-3517 or nibrahim@nctimes.com.

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