Time allocated for school Physical Education Programs in the United States

Making Time for Physical Education

A study of trends and practices

Despite well-publicized efforts by the United States government to promote physical education in schools , the actual time students spend in PE has gone down in recent years . There is a well-known obesity epidemic among young people . Recognition of this has led to new dietary guidelines and healthier food offerings at school . The exercise side of the equation has gotten less attention , however

PE classes are forced to compete for limited class time and resources Qualified PE instructors are also in

short supply . The crowded nature of PE classes and the details of classroom management also limit the amount of time students are active . The result of these factors is , despite the fact that PE class enrollment has remained static , the amount of time kids are actually active has declined (Lowry , 2001

Most states do not require the amount of PE time recommended by experts Dietary improvements are important , but the state of our children 's health also requires a renewed effort to provide adequate time and a variety of choices in physical education

A Varied Landscape

A study by Lowry , Wechsler , Kann and Collins reported that .the prevalence of students who were physically active 20 minutes in an average PE class both decreased significantly among nearly all demographic subgroups (J Sch Hlth , 2001

In Physical Education and Sport : a Contemporary Introduction , Angela Lumpkin describes a gloomy state of affairs for those promoting more physical education time in schools

In many states the time allotted to physical education has been

shortened or eliminated often classes are too large for effective

instruction (1990 ,

. 211

The State of California has attempted to buck the trend of shrinking PE time . Starting in 1984 , with amendment in 1990 and 1999 , the state has mandated the following minimum requirements for PE time

Elementary grades - 200 minutes each 10 days

Secondary grades - 400 minutes each 10 days (California Board of Education , 1999

Exploding class sizes , budget concerns , a large immigrant population and a national focus on academic achievement could endanger this effort in the future . For example , if classes grow too large instructors will be unable to offer the individualized motor skills training that many students need

A study in the 1980 's found that only the state of Illinois had physical education time requirements that met government recommendations . As a required in Illinois . Several states had no requirement whatsoever (Lumpkin , 2006

Some states that had a PE requirement in the 1980 's no longer have one A few states have increased requirements slightly . Other legislatures have stated that time allotted for PE should be increased , but have not taken assertive action to do so . Twenty years later , some students are offered a greater array of PE courses but requirements , funding and participation have , in general , not increased

The Resource Crunch

Are school systems serving the needs of the citizens ? Would kids take more PE if it was offered ? The evidence would appear to...