PREFACE
This document presents the Basic Beliefs of the Society of State
Directors of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation concerning
health education and physical education as two important components of
a coordinated school health program. The beliefs reflect current
thinking in these fields and are presented to provide guidance to
school personnel, parents, and others who have interest in the health
and education of the nations children and youth.
This document is dedicated to the memory of Simon McNeely who served as
Secretary/Treasurer and Executive Director of the Society of State
Directors of Health, Physical Education and Recreation from 1947 to
1998. His dedication and invaluable service and leadership as an
advocate for healthy children and youth will always be remembered.
Additional copies of this document may be obtained from the SSDHPER
Office, 1900 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191-1599, Phone: (703)
476-3402.
FOREWORD: About the Society
Founded in 1926, the Society of State Directors of Health, Physical
Education and Recreation is a national organization comprised of
individuals employed in state and territorial departments of education
who have program responsibilities in school health education, physical
education, and related areas.
The Society has a strong tradition of providing leadership at the state
and national levels. In the early years of its existence, the Society
led the effort to encourage appointments of directors of health,
physical education, and recreation in every state. The Society also
played a vital role in shaping a national agenda for fitness and was
instrumental in the establishment of the Presidents Council on Youth
Fitness in 1956, now known as the Presidents Council on Physical
Fitness and Sports.
Over the years, the Society actively participated with national
organizations such as the Presidents Council and the National
Association for Sport and Physical Education to support quality school
physical education programs. In the early 1990s, the Society
collaborated with other national organizations to develop National
Standards for Physical Education and assisted in their dissemination to
local school districts. The Society also participated in the
development of the Healthy People 2000: Health Objectives for the
Nation which included important goals for school physical education and
health education.
During the late 1980s and the 1990s, school health education
positions in state departments of education increased substantially due
to federally-funded programs created by the Drug Free Schools and
Communities Act of 1986 administered by the U.S. Department of
Education, and by the U.S. Centers for Disease Controls program for
Comprehensive School Health Education to Prevent the Spread of HIV/AIDS
and Other Important Health Problems Among School-age Youth. The
Societys membership increased as a result of the additional positions.
The Society provided a forum for these new leaders to learn, share, and
grow professionally.
The Society also contributed to national health education initiatives
including the development of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, the National Health
Education Standards published in 1995, and a state collaborative
project to develop student assessment in health education.
Additionally, the Society contributed to the writing of Health Is
Academic: A Guide to Developing Coordinated School Health Programs,
published in 1998 .
In 1997, the Society convened representatives of four national
organizations and a federal agency to author a consensus statement
regarding the use of available health education and physical education
resources. The statement, Putting the Pieces Together, encouraged
professionals to use national standards, guidelines, and assessment
documents to implement quality school health education and physical
education programs.
The Society remains positioned to continue its leadership role to
ensure that the nations children and youth receive the most effective
education possible to enable them to lead healthy, active, and
productive lives.
VISION
The membership of the Society of State Directors of Health, Physical
Education, and Recreation envisions a nation in which all individuals
exhibit personal and social responsibility toward their own well being
and that of their communities.
MISSION
(Adopted September 2006)
The Society aims to have a significand and enduring effect on the health, achievement, and through school health education and physical education within a coordinated school health approach.
The Society utilizes strategic advocacy, creative partnerships, state-of-the-art professional development, and timely identification of resources to enhance the leadership capacity of its members.
PURPOSES
To promote sound programs of health, physical education and recreation in educational settings throughout the United States.
To consider critical issues relevant to the Society's mission and take appropriate actions.
To provide a basis for exchange of ideas and programs among members of the organization.
To cooperate with governmental agencies, post secondary institutions,
and professional, voluntary, and civic organizations in furthering the
development of programs in health, physical education, and recreation.
INTRODUCTION
Educational reform is an ongoing issue in most states and the nation.
The need to improve schools is driven by government and business
leaders who maintain that students are not prepared to succeed in a
technological world economy. Consensus among the private and public
sectors suggests that productive workers need to be effective
communicators, critical thinkers, and problem solvers. Workers must be
able to apply knowledge from multiple disciplines and to work
collaboratively with others.
Political leaders and education officials have responded with a variety
of initiatives designed to improve student performance. National and
state education standards have been adopted to guide local curriculum
reform. State assessment programs have been launched to measure student
achievement of specific standards. Local school districts have
implemented professional development programs to help teachers improve
instruction so students successfully achieve the standards.
However, another threat to this country's competitiveness in a world
economy has been more slowly recognized and addressed - the poor health
status of the work force. It is well documented that poor worker health
results in loss of work time, less productivity, and greater costs for
medical insurance and health care. Preventable diseases and other
health problems which contribute to the majority of poor health among
workers are, in many cases, the result of inadequate knowledge, skills,
and attitudes. The onset of health risk behaviors such as alcohol,
tobacco, and other drug use, poor diet, and low levels of physical
activity most often begin in childhood and adolescence. However,
educational reform efforts sometimes do not include programs which help
students learn to be healthy and active throughout life.
School health education and physical education programs not only help
students acquire knowledge and skills to be healthy future workers, but
they also contribute to students ability to learn. Healthy, physically
active students learn better because they are more alert and have
better school attendance. When political and education officials
acknowledge that healthy students are better learners and better
learners result in healthier, more productive workers, health education
and physical education become integral in reform efforts rather than
being subjected to reduced instructional time or elimination.
Importantly, health and physical educators must realize that to be
included in reform efforts means they must be willing to look
critically at their programs and make improvements to meet the needs of
all students. Additionally, they must recognize their programs cannot
address all the health needs of students and they therefore must be
willing to collaborate with other staff, parents, and community
agencies to meet those needs.
These Basic Beliefs give suggestions for providing quality health
education and physical education as important components of a
coordinated school health program. Political leaders, education
officials, school personnel, parents, and others interested in the
health and education of the nations youth are encouraged to give
thoughtful consideration to the Beliefs presented.
A COORDINATED SCHOOL HEALTH PROGRAM
For many years the literature referred to a school health program as
being comprised of three components - health education, health
services, and a healthy school environment. In 1987, Allensworth and
Kolbe suggested the need to conceptualize in a broader context the
school health program to include the physical education program, the
counseling and psychological services program, the food service
program, health promotion for the faculty and staff, and integrated
efforts of the school, community, and parents to address the health of
students.
The rationale for an expanded model, called the comprehensive school
health program, was simple - by coordinating the efforts and resources
of programs designed to improve the health of students and staff, the
result could produce greater effectiveness than if delivered in
isolation. Because the intent was to encourage coordination, the
expanded model is now known as the Coordinated School Health Program.
Concerning a Coordinated School Health Program, we believe that:
A coordinated school health program enhances the effects of each
individual component thus creating a whole that is greater than the sum
of its individual parts. This increases the likelihood that young
people will learn personal and social responsibility for their own
health and that of their community.
A coordinated school health program is multi-dimensional which
increases the probability of having a healthy studentone who is ready
to learnand one who will learn to his/her potential.
A coordinated school health program avoids unnecessary duplication and
ensures that needed services, programs and education are provided to
all students in an efficient, effective manner.
The state education agency and the state health agency must work with
other state agencies and not-for-profit organizations to model
effective collaboration for local school districts and communities.
Local school districts should work with community agencies and
organizations, parents, and students to develop a coordinated school
health program.
A coordinated school health program encourages positive health outcomes
for each student and helps students make responsible decisions
regarding their health. Healthy outcomes are essential to the students
optimal growth, development and academic achievement.
SCHOOL PROGRAMS OF HEALTH EDUCATION AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION
A coordinated school health program is a school-based program with a
broad spectrum of activities and services which take place in schools
and the surrounding communities to enable all members of the school
community to enhance their physical, mental and social well-being.
A coordinated school health program encourages the maximum use of school
facilities and equipment in order to offer a broad program of recreation
for students, parents and community members.
A coordinated school health program is a school-based program with a
broad spectrum of activities and services which take place in schools
and the surrounding communities to enable all members of the school
community to enhance their physical, mental and social well-being.
A coordinated school health program encourages the maximum use of school
facilities and equipment in order to offer a broad program of recreation
for students, parents and community members.
THE SCHOOL HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM
The school health education program is a planned, sequential curriculum
for students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade that addresses
the physical, mental, emotional, and social dimensions of health. The
curriculum is designed to motivate and enable students to maintain and
improve their health and not merely to prevent disease. Activities are
planned to develop decision-making competencies related to health and
health-behavior.
Traditionally, the school health education curriculum has encompassed
health topics or content areas such as the following: disease
prevention and control, safety and prevention of unintended injury,
nutrition education, personal health practices, mental and emotional
health, substance abuse prevention, family health, growth and
development, consumer health, and environment/community health.
In recent years, it has been suggested that school health education
curriculum give added emphasis to six categories of behavior which,
according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
are the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among this nations
youth and which may contribute to future health problems. The risk
behavior categories are 1) behaviors which may result in intentional
and unintentional injury, 2) tobacco use, 3) alcohol and other drug
use, 4) behaviors which may result in HIV infection, other sexually
transmitted diseases (STDs), and unintended pregnancy, 5) poor dietary
behavior, and 6) physical inactivity.
In 1995, national standards in health education were published in a
document titled, National Health Education Standards: Achieving Health
Literacy. The intent was to establish commonality of purpose and
consistency of concepts in health education. The standards provide a
foundation for curriculum development, instruction, and assessment of
student performance. The desired outcome of the national health
education standards project is to produce health literate students.
Health literacy is the capacity of individuals to obtain, interpret,
and understand basic health information and services and the competence
to use such information and services in ways which enhance health.
Simply put, health literacy is being well-educated about personal,
family, and community health issues. Additionally, a health literate
person is a critical thinker and problem solver; a responsible,
productive citizen; a self-directed learner; and an effective
communicator.
The national standards document can be used as a resource for health
education curriculum and assessment development at the state and local
levels. The standards provide a conceptual framework through which
traditional content areas and CDC risk behaviors can be incorporated.
However, state and local educators will prioritize the content to
determine which health topics are essential at each level based on the
needs of the students and communities they serve. It is anticipated
that the implementation of the national standards will ultimately
result in improved health literacy and educational achievement for all
students. This, we believe, will lead to improved health in the United
States and will thus help national education and health promotion goals
be attained.
Concerning the School Health Education Program, we believe that in order to achieve optimum results:
School health education should be delivered within the context of a coordinated school health program.
The program should be supported by policy and funding which
demonstrates commitment from the local board of education and
administration enabling teachers to fully implement the curriculum.
Staff and curriculum development should be funded at the same levels as
other core curricular areas.
The school health education curriculum should be comprised of
sequentially organized lessons taught pre-k to 12th grade to provide
developmentally-appropriate progression of knowledge, attitudes, and
skill acquisition necessary to reduce health risk behaviors and to
promote health literacy and a healthy lifestyle. The curriculum should
focus on health promotion and not merely the study of health problems
and disease prevention.
Students, parents and appropriate members of the community should be involved in health education curriculum development.
A professional in the school or district with appropriate training
in school health education should be designated to provide leadership,
staff development opportunities, and to coordinate the school health
education program to ensure consistency in program design, delivery,
and evaluation.
School health education courses should be taught by a well-prepared
instructor, one who holds a professional degree in health education and
is certified by the state to teach health education. Guest speakers and
other outside resource people should be used to enhance, not replace,
the instruction which is provided by a certified teacher.
Curriculum materials, instructional strategies, and assessment
procedures should be aligned with standards, evaluated and updated
continually to reflect changing information, best practices, and
priority needs of students.
School health education should be taught as an essential academic
subject which is connected and reinforced through other disciplines
such as language arts, science, physical education, and family and
consumer science.
On-going professional development should be provided for those
responsible for health instruction to ensure they are current in health
information and instructional strategies, are able to use advancing
technology, and are best able to help all students reach high standards
of health literacy.
Adequate instructional time must be provided to effectively
implement the curriculum. The amount of instructional time should be
similar to that which is provided for other academic disciplines.
Credit in health education should be a requirement for graduation from high school.
Interactive instructional strategies based on researched, effective practices should be used.
Student achievement in health education should be assessed using a
variety of methods which involve students active participation in
determining their educational progress and future needs in achieving
the standards.
National and state standards and guidelines should be utilized in
developing, implementing, and evaluating the school health education
program.
THE SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM
Physical education is an essential and integral part of the total
education program and makes significant contributions toward the
achievement of desirable education and health outcomes through the
medium of physical activity and related experiences.
Quality physical education programs promote the physical growth and
development of children and youth while contributing to their general
health and well-being. They are based on a written curriculum
reflecting a planned sequence of experiences in a variety of activities
beginning with basic movement skills and progressing toward complex
skills in work, sports, dance, aquatics, and other forms of human
movement.
Quality physical education programs help students acquire the knowledge
and skills to achieve a personal level of physical fitness, including
cardio-respiratory efficiency, endurance, flexibility, agility,
balance, muscular strength, speed, power, coordination, and rhythmic
response. Constructive use of time, including leisure hours, keeping
fit and enjoying physical forms of recreation during the school years
and continuing throughout adult life is addressed.
In 1992, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education
(NASPE) published twenty Outcomes of Quality Physical Education
Programs, which were revised as the seven content standards for
Physical Education. The physical education content standards, sample
benchmarks, and assessment examples were published in 1995 by NASPE in
Moving Into The Future - National Standards for Physical Education: A
Guide to Content and Assessment. The document describes a physically
educated individual and presents practical ways physical educators can
assess student achievement in becoming physically educated and in
meeting the national standards.
In 1996, the Surgeon General of the United States issued a report on
physical activity and health in which rationale was presented for
providing quality school physical education programs to address
physical activity needs of youth. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) published in 1997 Guidelines for School and Community
Programs to Promote Lifelong Physical Activity Among Young People in
which physical activity was identified as an essential component of a
healthy lifestyle. The NASPE standards and assessment document, Surgeon
Generals report, and the CDC guidelines may be used as resources for
physical education curriculum and assessment development at the state
and local levels
Concerning School Physical Education programs, we believe that:
To achieve optimum results school physical education should be
delivered within the context of a coordinated school health program
The program should be supported by policy and funding which
demonstrates commitment from the local board of education and
administration enabling teachers to fully implement the program. Staff
and curriculum development should be funded at the same levels as other
core curricular areas.
The school physical education curriculum should be comprised of
sequentially organized lessons taught pk-12 to provide
developmentally-appropriate progression of knowledge, attitude, and
skill acquisition necessary to produce students who are able and
motivated to be physically active for life.
Students, parents and appropriate members of the community should be involved in physical education curriculum development.
A professional in the school or district with appropriate training in
physical education should be designated to coordinate the school
physical education program to provide leadership, staff development
opportunities, and to ensure consistency in program design, delivery,
and evaluation.
School physical education instruction should be provided by a
well-prepared instructor, one who holds a professional degree in
physical education and is certified by the state to teach physical
education.
Curriculum materials, instructional strategies, and assessment
procedures should be evaluated and updated continually to reflect
changing information, best practices, and priority needs of students.
Physical education should be reinforced in all subject areas
whenever appropriate, likewise, physical education should reinforce the
content of other subjects.
On-going professional development should be provided for the
physical education staff to ensure they are current in information and
instructional strategies, are able to use technology, and understand
how best to meet the needs of all students.
Elementary students should receive daily instruction of at least 30
minutes, exclusive of recess time, free and supervised play periods
including lunch time and secondary students should receive daily
instruction during regularly scheduled class periods of the same length
as other subject areas.
Credit for physical education should be required for graduation from high school.
Participation in varsity athletics, sports clubs, marching bands,
ROTC should be considered as extracurricular activities and only
classes or programs which allow student to meet physical education
curricular objectives should be given physical education credit.
Physical education must be adapted for students who have special needs.
To the extent possible, the student should participate in regular
classes, with modification if necessary. If the students IEP objectives
cannot be met in the regular setting, adapted classes should be
provided. Adaptive services should be provided by a properly trained
teacher.
Physical education class size should be the same as other subject areas.
Students should be scheduled in co-educational physical education
classes. All physical education instruction should comply with federal
and state gender equity regulations.
Appropriate supervision should be provided during the entire
physical education class period including dressing and showering areas.
School physical education staff should be encouraged to collaborate
with local parks and recreation and other youth program personnel to
ensure quality community physical activity opportunities are provided
for children and youth.
National and state standards and guidelines should be utilized in
developing, implementing, and evaluating the school physical education
program.
