Prompt: Summarize the most recent statewide test for a grade
level of your choosing, noting any notable peaks and valleys on subscores
In
Health and Fitness, we do not have any statewide testing, therefore I cannot
speak to my most recent statewide test experience; however, I can talk about
the importance of PE on statewide testing.
The Center for Disease Control recommends children get a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Unfortunately, physical education has been
cut to 35 minutes every third day in grades 1-8. In high school, only 1.5 credits of PE need
to be taken for graduation. Years ago,
kids were given ample time for recess and PE; now, it is crucial that we fight
for more recess and PE time in schools rather than having it cut for more time
in subjects with statewide testing like math and reading in hopes of improving
test scores. A study showed that
children who had PE before learning a new subject had more brain cells developed
than children who did not. Dr. Ratey, a
clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, took a
different approach to increasing test scores.
The school took students who had low tests scores in reading and math
and placed them into an early morning exercise program. The counselors helped students develop their
schedule to put PE in the morning before classes they struggled with. The results of this study were nothing short
of incredible. Over a three-year period
the study showed a 56% increase in reading scores and a 93% increase in math scores. Dr. Ratey says, “the exercise itself doesn’t
make you smarter, but its puts the brain of the learners in optimal position
for them to learn.” If we want to increase our test scores in subjects like
math and reading, we need to think outside the box and get our kids
moving.
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