American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance - AAHPERD

Physical Education

• Physical education is most commonly provided in grades 1-5 (90% of schools). The percentage of schools that provide physical education declines through middle school and reaches a low in grade 12 at 44% of schools.
  
  
• In the majority of schools (92%), physical education is taught by a state-certified physical education teacher.

Physical Activity During School

• Scheduled recess is provided in the majority of elementary schools (over 80%). The percentage of schools that provide recess declines through middle school and reaches a low in high school at 10-11% of schools.
  
  
• Among elementary schools that have scheduled recess, over three-quarters (76%) provide it five days/week, and nearly two-thirds (65%) allot between 15-29 minutes for each recess period.
  
  
• Almost one-third of elementary schools (31%) have a policy or practice that prevents recess from being withheld as a behavioral consequence or form of punishment.
  
  
• In nearly two-thirds (61%) of elementary schools, physical activity is integrated into classrooms by at least some classroom teachers. Specifically, integration of physical activity occurs between lessons (56% of schools), during lessons (44% of schools), and at the start of the day (43% of schools).
  
  
• Approximately one-third of elementary school classroom teachers are given support for integrating physical activity into the classroom through the provision of physical activity equipment (39% of schools), professional development/training (37% of schools), and/or turn-key resources (32% of schools).

Physical Activity Before and After School

• A walk/bike to school program is most commonly present in elementary schools (22%) as compared to middle schools (16%) and high schools (11%).
  
  
• Almost two-thirds of schools (63%) offer physical activity clubs and/or intramural sports.
  
  
• In 55% of schools, at least 25% of the male student population participates in a minimum of one physical activity club or intramural sport, compared to 49% of schools where this same criterion is met by females.
  
  
• In the transition from middle school to high school, there is a large drop in schools that have more than one-fourth of their student population participating in at least one physical activity club or intramural sport. Schools with students meeting this criterion drop from 62% in middle school to 50% in high school for males and 53% in middle school to 40% in high school for females.
  
  
• Interscholastic sports are most commonly provided by high schools (89%) and least frequently provided by elementary schools (14%). In 70% of high schools at least 25% of males participate in one or more interscholastic sports and this same criterion is met by females in 58% of high schools.
  
  
• Almost two-thirds of high schools (65%) have cut policies in interscholastic sports.
  
  
• Before- and/or after-school child care is offered in 63% of elementary schools. Time is allotted for physical activity in 38% of before-school programs and 88% of after-school programs.
  
  
• One-third (32%) of before- and/or after-school child care program employees have received training on facilitating physical activity.

Staff Involvement

• Employee physical activity classes are offered by 42% of schools or districts. But, less than half of staff members participate in these activities in most of these schools (87%).
  
  
• Almost two-thirds of schools (63%) conducted or planned to conduct events in which staff members engage in physical activity with students.
  
  
• Approximately one-fourth of schools (23%) participated in National Sport and Physical Education Week.
  
  
• Most schools (85%) reported that an administrator observed at least 10 minutes of their physical education class at least one time during the school year, and 31% of schools reported observations five or more times within the school year.
  
  
• Fifty percent or more of schools reported using the following methods to create a culture or environment to reinforce physical activity: (1) including information about physical education and physical activity in written communication (65%), (2) presence of a school health advisory or wellness committee (56%), (3) having goals related to physical education and physical activity in the school improvement plan (50%), and (4) including physical education and physical activity in school-wide events (50%).

Family and Community Involvement

• Over half (55%) of schools conducted or were planning to conduct events in which families were invited to engage in physical activity with students. Over two-thirds of the elementary schools (67%) conducted or planned to conduct these events, while slightly more than one-fourth (27%) of high schools had a similar plan.
  
  
• Nearly one-third of schools surveyed students on their thoughts about the school physical education and physical activity programs.
  
  
• Related to the availability of school facilities for open use by students or community members before or after school, most often outdoor facilities were available (68%) followed by gymnasiums (39%). School fitness centers were least available at 10% and were also the facility type schools were least likely to have, with 50% of schools reporting that they do not have a fitness center.
  
  
• Most frequently, collaborations between schools and community-based organizations to enhance school and physical activity opportunities occurred between schools and youth sports leagues and/or park and recreation agencies.