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2006 TAKS Scores in Reading and Math

Austin, Texas ISD

8189 5th and 7th Grade Students

SAD SHAPE.” Other states became involved and reported similar sto- ries. In California, where 1.5 mil- lion students in grades five, seven and nine were tested in 2006, only 25% passed. A staggering 43% of students could not run or walk one mile in the allotted time. In states like Texas and Kansas,

Episcopal School of Dallas

Ages 3 – K

25 minutes 2 x / week

Grades 5 – 6

45 minutes 5 x / week

(concentrating on physical sport, fitness and motor skills

Grades 1 – 4

30 minutes 5 x / week

Grades 7 – 8

45 minutes 5 x / week (P.E. classes can be replaced with a)

either team or individual.)

Grades 9 – 12

6 trimesters over 4 years, but all students are encour- aged to participate in daily activities. Athletic partic- ipation will be given credit as a P.E. class. All athletic teams meet for 2 hours and 15 minutes daily.

public reaction immediately sup- ported exercise testing and pro- grams in the schools. In California, $500 million was proposed for fit- ness equipment and teacher train- ing. But there was no funding for the PE program, so the state saw lit- tle change in test results.

The Program is a Success

The latest reports on the results

of Senate Bill 530 and the coopera- tion between the Texas Educational Authority (TEA) and The Cooper Institute were released on March 9, 2009 by the TEA.

The following is an excerpt

from the report:

2007 Grades in Reading and Math

Dallas ESD

224 Students, Ages 9 - 15 Years

Physically Fit Students More Likely To Do Well In School, Less Likely To Be Disciplinary Problems

A first-of-its-kind study of more

than 2.4 million Texas students found that students who are physically fit are more likely to do well on the state’s standardized tests and have good school attendance. Fit students are also less likely to have disciplinary referrals. The findings are based on the re-

Percentage of Students in Healthy Fitness Zone

Woodland Elementary School, Kansas City PSD #33 Fall 2005 - Spring 2006, Grades 4 and 5

Fitnessgram Results:

sults of a battery of six FITNESSGRAM® tests taken by students in grades 3-12 during the 2007-2008 school year. The FITNESSGRAM tool, created by

The Cooper Institute of Dallas, used six types of assessments to measure five areas – body composition, aerobic capacity, muscular strength, endur- ance and flexibility. The assessments determine whether students are in a “healthy fitness zone” for their age and gender. The study analyzed data from 6,532

schools, which represents about 75 percent of the schools in Texas and about 84 percent of the school districts. “Our state and nation are struggling

with obesity, thanks to the combina- tion of increasingly sedentary lifestyles and the declining quality of diets,” Gov. Rick Perry says. “We owe it to our chil- dren to take the appropriate steps to encourage fitness, steps that are made more clear by the information con- tained in this first round of testing. I am confident we are on our way to making a difference that will improve and even save lives.” Commissioner of Education Robert

Scott says, “Texas is the first state to require an annual physical fitness as- sessment of public school students. Today’s research results show that im- proving our children’s physical fitness can have positive results not only for the children, but for the schools as well.” The study found that cardiovascular

health, measured by a walking/running test, had a higher correlation to school success than did the Body Mass Index (BMI), which is a measure of body fat based on height and weight, adjusted for age and gender. “The impact exercise has on the

growing brain is unparalleled, says “fa- ther of aerobics” Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., M.P.H., founder and chairman of The Cooper Institute. “Increased

more than 2.4 million Texas stu- dents found that students who are physically fit are more likely to do well on the state’s standard- ized tests and have good school attendance.”

“A first-of-its-kind study of

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