School districts in Texas are responsible for encouraging children to be physically active. In doing so, some believe that school wellness policies should not use physical activity as a form of punishment. This September 2011 recommendation developed by the Texas School Health Advisory Council (TSHAC) aims to guide local School Health Advisory Councils (SHACs) to include provisions in their school wellness policies to prohibit physical activity as punishment. Click the document, or click here to view the full ...
Parent organization Real Food for Kids (RFFK) aims to improve the nutritional quality of food served at the public schools in Fairfax County, Va. These parents want all students to get healthy, fresh food that will fuel their bodies for physical and educational performance. As stated on their website: “We know, just as you do, that when a child is well-fed with nutritious, real food, he/she is healthier, better behaved and better able to succeed in and out of the classroom.” By doing research and educating themselves, they discovered the volume and breadth of processed foods and foods with artificial dyes and additives being served at their schools, even though these foods were allowed by USDA nutrition guidelines for school lunches. The parent group advocated for a new ...
By 2011, Colorado elementary schools were required to provide students with at least 600 minutes of physical activity a month. According to one study, providing daily physical education classes would increase moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels by 23 minutes a day. The study from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that classroom activity breaks provided an average of 19 minutes of MVPA and that active commuting provided 16 minutes of MVPA. Park renovations provided children with an extra 12 minutes of MVPA. Although, limited data exists on whether school districts are complying with this policy, according to this EdNews Colorado article, schools like Red Hawk elementary school have started making positive changes. Kyle Legleiter, a public policy ...
During 2006-2007, the North Carolina State Board of Education implemented a policy--Healthy Active Children--to improve physical activity standards and reduce the risk of obesity among children. The policy requires that each school district maintain a School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) to help plan, implement, and monitor the Healthy Active Children policy. It also recommends that elementary school students move towards 150 minutes of physical education (PE) and middle school students towards 225 minutes a week of Healthful Living Education, taught by certified health and PE instructors. For recess and physical activity, the policy recommends that recess not be taken away and that exercise not be used as a form of punishment. It also recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of ...
The Let's Move! Active Schools national initiative encourages schools to help children get at least 60 minutes of physical activity throughout the day. First lady Michelle Obama announced the launch of Let's Move! Active Schools in Chicago on February 28, 2013 and already schools in Illinois, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, have been recognized for providing their students with the opportunity to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day. According to the Let's Move Active Schools Campaign an active school is one that seeks to increase opportunities for: physical education;
physical activity during school;
physical activity before and after school;
staff involvement; and
family and community engagement. Let's Move! Active Schools will leverage opportunities offered through ...
Since 2008, students enrolled in Texas Public Schools have had their fitness levels assessed using FitnessGram--a tool that provides useful information to parents, teachers, and administrators and helps inform decisions about physical education and physical activity requirements for students. FitnessGram is an annual fitness test that yields a fitness report card, with information about a student's aerobic capacity, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. It can help decision makers decide what type of physical activity programs are needed and where funding for programs should be allocated. Lauren Dimitry of Texans Care for Children speaks on why it is important to keep FitnessGram in Texas ...
During the 83rd Texas Legislative Session Rep. Diane Patrick (R-Arlington) introduced a bill (H.B. 1018), that would require Texas public schools to create a campus improvement plan with goals to improve physical activity and fitness. Campus improvement plans would be required to include goals to increase physical activity and fitness among students; student fitness assessment data, and would require all school health advisory councils (SHAC) to establish a physical activity and fitness planning subcommittee. Once implemented, the bill would require SHACs to include recommendations made by the physical activity and fitness subcommittee, in a annual written report. The full text to H.B. 1018, which would require a campus improvement plan to improve physical activity and fitness at Texas ...
The Cooper Institute and United Way Metropolitan Dallas have collaborated to form the Healthy Zone School Program. The Healthy Zone School Recognition Program encourages schools to implement policies and initiatives to help fight childhood obesity, in the Dallas area. In order to be a part of the program, schools must go through a competitive selection procedure. To be considered for the program a school must demonstrate that it: promotes healthy eating;
provides various opportunities for children to participate in physical activity;
provides physical education that lives up to the standards of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education; and
has established a School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) that is comprised of various stakeholders. If a school lacks any ...
Competitions like the HEB Community Challenge prompt communities to make healthy lifestyle changes, and help raise awareness of childhood obesity. In 2012, a total of 38 mayors across Texas and several school officials recorded videos asking members of their community to participate in this state wide challenge. A total of 324 communities were enlisted in the challenge and 14,517 individuals were engaged in the effort to make their community a healthier one. At the end of the competition the winning cities of the challenge were San Antonio, Brownsville, and Pflugerville. This video showcases the top nine scoring communities in the H-E-B Community Challenge. One winner was selected from a small, medium, or large city. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4sdcm2qUsw Not only did the Healthy ...
