Charlene Burgeson, Executive Director of the Active Schools, presented a National Physical Activity Society webinar on April 17, 2017 titled, “The Active Schools Movement: Strategic Plan for 2017-2020. This initiative was formally known as the Let’s Move! Active Schools, originally led by former first lady, Michelle Obama.

The purpose behind this initiative is to provide an evidence-based argument on how important it is to offer an active school environment for children and how important it is when compared to learning other subjects in the school day. Approximately 2 in 3 kids are not reaching their daily 60 minutes of physical activity, and 1 in 5 school aged kids (6-19 years) are considered obese. In efforts to combat these numbers, policy change is required.

So, why do schools insist that cuts to these programs are necessary to increase academic performance? Time? Money? What the policy makers and decision makers do not realize is that what they are doing is counter-productive. Cutting these programs will have detrimental effects on the very thing they want to improve! Michelle Obama says that we, as a nation, should try harder and come together for the future lives of our kids.

Research consistently suggests that participating in daily physical activity has numerous benefits, especially for children. Examples of benefits include increases in brain activity, grades, and performance on standardized tests, as well as decreases in wasted class time and behavior issues. Students tested better in reading, spelling, and math, and were likely to read above their grade level. These benefits help everyone, including the students, teachers, and parents, as well as administration.

Charlene presented a variety of statistics on children who had about 20 minutes of physical activity:

  • 20% more likely to earn an A in math and English
  • 6% increase in standardized test scores over three years
  • 13% increase in student’s physical activity level for the week after 1 PA lesson
  • 21% decrease in teachers’ time managing behavior issue

The program itself relies on these strategies:

  • Improve supply
    • Influence current teacher practices by helping teachers with time management and the confidence to do so
    • Give teachers the information on how to incorporate physical activity into the classroom environment by showing the benefits (ex. increased performance and time students are on task/attentive)
  • Increase demand
    • Repackage and enhance evidence base
    • Show parents that their children can become well-rounded
    • Convince administration that attendance and grades will increase
    • Communicate strategically with stakeholders/policy makers

In order to accomplish future goals of the program, it requires the assistance and involvement of various partners in a collaborative effort. CDC now funds Healthy School Programs in all 50 states in efforts to reduce childhood obesity. Approximately 23,000 K-12 school are currently enrolled in the program, which includes over 12 million students, along with 43 partnering organizations. Active Schools hopes to partner with more organizations to create a more substantial impact. Limitations include financial resources and dependent assistance from partnering organizations, as well as the current assumptions that academics should be valued more than health and alternative means of improving the learning process.