Physical education in early childhood education in Maringá-pr: construction and implementation of an educational public policy / Educação física na educação infantil em Maringá-pr: construção e implementação de uma política pública educacional

ABSTRACT This research aimed to describe and analyze the process of structuring and implementing Law No. 8392/2009, of the Municipality of Maringá-PR, which includes Physical Education as a mandatory component in the Early Childhood Education curriculum. It is characterized as both a descriptive case and a documentary study, conducted through semi-structured interviews with the researcher in charge and with the parliamentary author of the Law; questionnaires, applied to 27 Physical Education teachers working at Municipal Child Education Centers; and consultation to the legislation and internal documents of the Municipal Department of Education. From the information obtained, it was concluded that the analyzed process took place in a satisfactory way, consolidating the educational public policy in focus.

RESUMO Esta pesquisa objetivou descrever e analisar o processo de estruturação e implementação da Lei nº 8392/2009, do Município de Maringá-PR, que inclui a Educação Física como componente obrigatório no currículo da Educação Infantil. Caracteriza-se como um estudo de caso descritivo e documental, por meio de realização de entrevistas semiestruturadas com o parlamentar responsável pelo projeto de lei e com a pesquisadora, cujo estudo subsidiou o referido projeto; aplicação de questionários a 27 professores de Educação Física atuantes nos Centros Municipais de Educação Infantil; e consulta à legislação e documentos internos da Secretaria Municipal de Educação. A partir das informações obtidas, concluiu-se que o processo analisado ocorreu de forma satisfatória, consolidando a política pública educacional em questão.

The evidence for the impact of policy on physical activity outcomes within the school setting: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Despite the well-established health benefits of physical activity (PA) for young people (aged 4-19 years), most do not meet PA guidelines. Policies that support PA in schools may be promising, but their impact on PA behavior is poorly understood. The aim of this systematic review was to ascertain the level and type of evidence reported in the international scientific literature for policies within the school setting that contribute directly or indirectly to increasing PA. METHODS: This systematic review is compliant with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Six databases were searched using key concepts of policy, school, evaluation, and PA. Following title and abstract screening of 2323 studies, 25 progressed to data synthesis. Methodological quality was assessed using standardized tools, and the strength of the evidence of policy impact was described based on pre-determined codes: positive, negative, inconclusive, or untested statistically. RESULTS: Evidence emerged for 9 policy areas that had a direct or indirect effect on PA within the school setting. These were whole school PA policy, physical education, sport/extracurricular PA, classroom-based PA, active breaks/recess, physical environment, shared use agreements, active school transport, and surveillance. The bulk of the evidence was significantly positive (54%), 27% was inconclusive, 9% was significantly negative, and 11% was untested (due to rounding, some numbers add to 99% or 101%). Frequency of evidence was highest in the primary setting (41%), 34% in the secondary setting, and 24% in primary/secondary combined school settings. By policy area, frequency of evidence was highest for sport/extracurricular PA (35%), 17% for physical education, and 12% for whole school PA policy, with evidence for shared use agreements between schools and local communities rarely reported (2%). Comparing relative strength of evidence, the evidence for shared use agreements, though sparse, was 100% positive, while 60% of the evidence for whole school PA policy, 59% of the evidence for sport/extracurricular PA, 57% of the evidence for physical education, 50% of the evidence for PA in classroom, and 50% of the evidence for active breaks/recess were positive. CONCLUSION: The current evidence base supports the effectiveness of PA policy actions within the school setting but cautions against a "one-size-fits-all" approach and emphasizes the need to examine policy implementation to maximize translation into practice. Greater clarity regarding terminology, measurement, and methods for evaluation of policy interventions is needed.

State laws governing school physical education in relation to attendance and physical activity among students in the USA: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study systematically synthesized and quantified the relationship linking state laws governing school physical education (PE) to PE attendance and physical activity (PA) in class and throughout the day and week among students in the USA. METHODS: A keyword search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Academic Search Complete, and EconLit. Meta-analyses were performed to estimate the effects of state PE laws. RESULTS: A total of 17 studies were included in the review, and five contributed to the meta-analyses. A total of 8 studies used nationally representative school- or student-level data, three focused on multiple states, and the remaining six examined the PE laws of a single state. The presence and strength of state PE laws were positively associated with PE attendance and the frequency and duration of PA during PE classes and throughout the school day. Compared to those residing in states with weak or no PE laws, students in states with strong PE laws had an additional 0.2 days (95% confidence interval (95%CI): 0.1-0.4) of PE attendance per week and spent an additional 33.9 min (95%CI: 22.7-45.0) participating PE classes per week. State PE laws affected girls' PA more than boys'. Different aspects of state PE laws tended to affect students' PE attendance differently. Disparities in the implementation of state PE laws existed across schools. CONCLUSION: Future studies should adopt objective measures on PE and PA participation and examine the roles schools and districts play in mediating the effect of state PE laws on students' PE attendance and PA.

Adolescent Physical Activity at Public Schools, Private Schools, and Homeschools, United States, 2014.

INTRODUCTION: Physical activity overall and during school-related opportunities among homeschool adolescents are poorly documented. METHODS: We used data from the National Cancer Institute's Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating (FLASHE) study, a national sample of parent-child dyads. We examined reported frequency of physical activity in middle-school and high-school respondents (N = 1,333). We compared the overall physical activity by school type (ie, public school, private school, and homeschool), compared school-related contexts (eg, recess, physical education [PE] class), and tested for level of physical activity by school for those reporting PE. RESULTS: Middle-school homeschool adolescents reported less physical activity during school hours compared with public school, but not private school, adolescents. Physical activity was not different by school type for out of school or weekends. Physical activity of high-school homeschool adolescents was not different from that of high-school adolescents at traditional schools; homeschool adolescents in both middle and high school reported less physical activity in PE compared with public and private school adolescents. Other school-related contexts of physical activity were not different by school type. More homeschool students reported not having PE (middle school, 54.8%; high school, 57.5%) compared with public (middle school, 18.7%; high school, 38.0%) or private schools (middle school, 13.5%; high school, 41.5%). CONCLUSION: Homeschool adolescents in middle school reported less physical activity compared with middle-school adolescents in traditional schools during school hours, likely because of having fewer PE classes and less physical activity during PE.

Los primeros auxilios en el currículo de la educación obligatoria en España / First aid in the curriculum of compulsory education in Spain

La formación en primeros auxilios es fundamental para poder intervenir en un primer momento en situaciones de emergencia y es por ello que numerosas instituciones han señalado a la educación obligatoria como una de las claves para llevar a cabo dicha formación. En esta investigación se ha analizado la evolución de la presencia de los primeros auxilios en la legislación educativa en España, que han ido perdiendo peso en el currículo educativo desde la LGE, en 1970, hasta la LOE, en 2006, especialmente en el bachillerato y han recuperado su importancia desde ese año hasta la actual LOMCE, de 2013, donde se incluyen estos contenidos en la educación primaria y la educación secundaria obligatoria. Aunque los contenidos se incluyen principalmente en la asignatura de educación física, actualmente se dividen en varias asignaturas del currículo. La evidencia científica actual nos dice que, aunque estos contenidos están presentes en el currículo, no se suelen aplicar por falta de material y también en la formación en el profesorado para impartirlos, sin embargo, ciertas comunidades autónomas aportan material y formación para que puedan ser los propios docentes los que impartan las maniobras de primeros auxilios en las escuelas. Por todo esto, creemos que los primeros auxilios deben ser un contenido obligatorio y relevante en las escuelas y que deben ser los docentes, formados previamente, los que impartan dichos contenidos

Learning first aid is essential to be able to act in an emergency situation and that is why many institutions have pointed at compulsory education as one of the keys to carry out such learning. The evolution of the presence of first aid in educational legislation in Spain has been analyzed in this research. These contents have been losing weight in the educational curriculum from the LGE, in 1970 to the LOE, in 2006, especially in the baccalaureate and have increased its importance since that year until the current LOMCE, 2013, which includes these contents in primary education and compulsory secondary education. Although the contents are mainly included in the subject of physical education, they are currently divided into several subjects of the curriculum. The current scientific evidence tells us that, although these contents are present in the curriculum, they are not usually taught due to the lack of material and training for teachers to teach them. However, certain autonomous communities provide material and training, so that the teachers can teach by themselves the first aid techniques in schools. For all this, we believe that first aid must be a compulsory and relevant content in schools, and teachers, trained in advance, must teach these contents

The Association Between State Physical Education Laws and Student Physical Activity.

INTRODUCTION: This study examined the association between state physical education time requirements and physical activity and physical education outcomes among high school students. METHODS: State physical education time requirement laws for 2004-2016 from the Classification of Laws Associated with School Students database were linked with 2005-2017 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey data using state and year identifiers. Analyses were conducted between 2018 and 2019 to assess associations between physical education time requirement laws and physical activity or physical education outcomes using multinomial logistic regressions, while controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, year-fixed effects, and state confounders. RESULTS: State laws requiring ≥90 minutes of physical education per week were associated with 3.1 percentage points lower probability of no days of physical activity ≥60 minutes (95% CI= -5.0, -1.1), 3.7 percentage points lower probability of no days of moderate exercise ≥30 minutes (95% CI= -6.2, -1.3), 4.2 percentage points lower probability of no days of vigorous exercise ≥20 minutes (95% CI= -5.2, -3.3), and 19.3 percentage points lower probability of not attending physical education class (95% CI= -34.4, -4.2). The laws were associated with a 2.4 percentage point higher probability of daily moderate exercise ≥30 minutes in male students (95% CI=0.6, 4.2) and a 3.4 percentage point higher probability in female students (95% CI=1.9, 4.9), with larger associations for female students (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study help support the role that physical education state requirements can play in enhancing adolescents' ability to meet recommended amounts of daily physical activity and the related public health benefits.

Legislators' Perceptions and Knowledge of the Athletic Training Profession: Specific Considerations for Secondary Schools.

CONTEXT: Legislation has played a role in advancing the athletic training profession and improving the health and safety of student-athletes. However, few researchers have examined state legislators' perceptions and awareness of the skills and qualifications accompanying the athletic trainer (AT) role. OBJECTIVE: To explore state legislators' perceptions of the athletic training profession and knowledge related to qualifications and responsibilities of ATs. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Web-based questionnaire. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: State legislators representing 34 states (N = 143; 67.13% male, 32.87% female). Their average age was 58.7 ± 11.7 years, and they had served 7.4 ± 6.9 years in their current role. A majority served as members of the state house or assembly (n = 98, 68.5%), and 31.5% served in the state senate. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Spearman ρ correlations assessed relationships between perceptions and knowledge of the profession. Stepwise regression analysis determined predictors of knowledge and perceived value of athletic training. Qualitative data were analyzed inductively. RESULTS: Approximately 69% of respondents considered an AT to be a trusted source of medical information, and 16% considered an AT as the most appropriate individual to provide medical care to an injured athlete on a daily basis. Thirty percent of state legislators selected AT employed at the school as a top sports safety measure. Three themes emerged from the inductive analysis: (1) recognition of the prevention domain, (2) misconception of ATs as personal trainers or strength and conditioning coaches, and (3) lack of knowledge regarding ATs' educational requirements. CONCLUSIONS: Legislators demonstrated limited knowledge of the AT profession. When legislator knowledge of AT qualifications and responsibilities was high, value of the AT profession also significantly improved. Future efforts should focus on enhancing legislators' knowledge to increase the value placed on the athletic training profession and improve health and safety for secondary school athletes.

Impact of Physical Education Litigation on Fifth Graders' Cardio-Respiratory Fitness, California, 2007-2018.

Objectives. To examine the impact of physical education (PE) litigation on changes in cardio-respiratory fitness among racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse students.Methods. We used annual school-level data for all California schools with measures of fifth graders' cardio-respiratory fitness spanning 2007-2008 through 2017-2018. A difference-in-difference design assessed changes before and after lawsuits in the proportion of students meeting fitness standards in schools in districts that were parties to PE lawsuits (n = 2715) versus in schools in districts not involved (n = 3152). We ran separate models with the proportion of students meeting fitness standards by sex, race/ethnicity, and low-income status as outcomes.Results. PE litigation led to a 1-percentage-point increase in the proportion of fifth-grade students meeting cardio-respiratory fitness standards (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.03%, 2.0%). Effects were especially pronounced for female (1.3-percentage-point increase; 95% CI = 0.1%, 2.5%), African American (3.4-percentage-point increase; 95% CI = 0.5%, 6.2%), and low-income (2.8-percentage-point increase; 95% CI = 0.5%, 6.0%) students.Conclusions. Schools in districts subject to PE litigation showed greater improvements in student fitness, particularly among students typically at higher risk for inactivity and low fitness. Litigation may be an impactful tool for enforcing PE provision in accordance with the law.

California Districts and Schools Underutilize Websites to Demonstrate Compliance to a Physical Education Lawsuit.

Purpose: Quality physical education (PE) reaches many objectives (e.g., knowledge, physical fitness, and physical skills) and could provide at least half the dose of recommended daily physical activity for youths if their opportunity to learn is provided according to national professional recommendations (min/week) and related state mandates. A 2015 California class-action lawsuit required affected schools to post data indicating they scheduled PE time meeting the state mandate of 200 min per 10-day period. The extent to which schools posted PE schedules on their websites and demographic factors related to their compliance was investigated in this study. Method: We performed a quantitative, cross-sectional content analysis of the websites of 37 school districts plus a random sample of 860 elementary schools in them. Z tests were used to analyze frequencies/proportions and associations among demographic (e.g., Hispanic enrollment, PE specialist) and PE schedule variables (e.g., schools meeting state-mandated PE time). Results: Twenty-two districts (59.4%) had websites with ≥1 page/document related to PE opportunities. Only 11% of schools posted PE schedules, an event that was associated with employing a PE specialist (p = .01). Of schools posting schedules, 68% specified a PE volume that met the state mandate. Meeting the mandate was independently associated with enrolling a minority of Hispanic students (p = .02). Conclusion: Websites can provide information about the importance/occurrence of PE; however, schools in the lawsuit did not use the potential of their websites to inform constituents either about the lawsuit or their PE programs. Non-compliant schools should adjust PE schedules to meet statutory requirements.

Impact of State Laws Governing Physical Education on Attendance Among US High School Students, 2003 to 2017.

PURPOSE: This study assessed the influence of state laws governing physical education (PE) on weekly PE class attendance among US high school students. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: 2003 to 2017 US national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 533 468 high school students. MEASURES: Data on state laws governing PE came from National Cancer Institute's Classification of Laws Associated with School Students (CLASS). Eight distinct state PE policies were scored, with higher scores denoting stronger laws. ANALYSIS: Individual-level YRBS data were merged with CLASS data based on students' residential state and survey year. State fixed-effect negative binomial regressions were performed, adjusting for individual-level characteristics and YRBS survey design. RESULTS: A 1-score increase in state laws governing PE class time, staffing for PE, joint use agreement for physical activity, assessment of health-related fitness, and PE curriculum was associated with an increase in weekly PE attendance by 0.30, 0.28, 0.22, 0.20, and 0.13 days (P < .001), respectively. In contrast, a 1-score increase in state laws governing moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity time in PE, PE proficiency, and recess time was associated with a reduction in weekly PE attendance by 0.25, 0.15, and 0.09 days (P < .001), respectively. The effects of most state PE policies on PE class attendance were larger among girls than boys. CONCLUSION: State PE policies differentially impacted US high school students' PE class attendance, with larger effects on female students.

Análisis de la reforma educativa en México, desde la perspectiva de educación física / Analysis of the educational reform in México, from the perspective of the physical education subject

El propósito de este trabajo es analizar el Nuevo Modelo propuesto recientemente en México desde la perspectiva de la Educación Física, dada la importancia de la asignatura en proceso formativo de los alumnos de la educación básica. El análisis de la documentación se realizó utilizando la técnica V de Gowin, que como estrategia permitió analizar críticamente el nuevo modelo educativo. El currículo plantea el enfoque competencial desarrollando el pensamiento complejo de los educandos, que es la base para que gestionen sus conocimientos. Este cambio de programa pudiera ser una gran oportunidad para que los educadores físicos cambiaran a estilos de enseñanza que permita la participación activa y reflexiva de los alumnos. Las prácticas educativas de los docentes tienen una gran relación con su formación inicial y la actualización en activo, por lo que es importante atender el proceso formativo y de actualización, ya que son las mismas autoridades las que permiten que se sigan utilizando enfoques tradicionales en lugar de los propuestos en la actualidad.

The purpose of this work is to analyze the New Educational Model proposed recently in Mexico f rom the physical education perspective, given the importance of the subject in the formative process of elementary education students. The analysis of the documentation was carried out using Gowin's V technique, which, as a strategy, allowed for a critical analysis of the new educational model. The curriculum raises the competence approach by developing the learner's complex thinking, which is the basis for managing their knowledge. This change in the program could be a great opportunity for physical educators to change teaching styles that allow the active and reflexive participation of students. The teachers' educational practices have a great relationship with the initial training and active updating, so it is important to attend newtraining and updating process since they are the same authorities that continuously use traditional approaches instead of currently proposed ones. The teacher is the one who organizes the learning and interacts directly with learners.

Impact of Litigation on Compliance With California Physical Education Laws in Elementary Schools.

BACKGROUND: School physical education (PE) is one of the most effective public health tools to increase youth physical activity, yet compliance with PE mandates is low. In an effort to ensure adherence to state PE law, a 2013 lawsuit was filed against 37 California school districts that were found to be noncompliant. This study sought to assess school personnel's perceptions of the lawsuit's impact on PE mandate compliance, understand barriers and facilitators to lawsuit compliance, and identify potential unintended consequences of the lawsuit. METHODS: Phone interviews (n = 97) were conducted with personnel in districts/schools that were parties to the lawsuit and in matched control districts/schools that were not parties to the lawsuit. RESULTS: Interviewees reported that PE minutes increased in schools that were parties to the lawsuit, primarily due to settlement requirements mandating PE tracking and reporting, thereby increasing accountability for PE. Time lost on paperwork was the most often cited barrier to compliance. Unwillingness to participate in PE-related research for fear of incrimination was the primary unintended consequence. CONCLUSIONS: When existing PE minute laws are not implemented or enforced, greater accountability is needed. In this case, litigation appears to be an effective accountability mechanism to increase compliance with law.

Evaluation of Implementation of Massachusetts Sports Concussion Regulations: Results of Focus Groups With School Nurses and Athletic Trainers.

In 2015, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health conducted focus groups with school nurses (SNs) and athletic trainers (ATs) from Massachusetts middle and high schools to assess implementation of legislated regulations relative to the management of students' head injuries incurred during extracurricular sports. Four tape-recorded focus groups were conducted by experienced facilitators. Lists of themes were synthesized by investigators for each focus group. Participating SNs and ATs supported the sports concussion legislation, felt that implementation had gone well, indicated that the law empowered them in managing return-to-school/play for students with concussion, and experienced support from their school administrators. Some SNs reported that they had applied relevant procedures to all students with head injuries, regardless of how or where the injury occurred. Challenges identified included protocols for away games, inconsistent concussion care by physicians, and a need for teacher education. Further research is required to quantify these findings.

O novo Ensino Médio: implicações ao processo de legitimação da Educação Física / The New High School: implications to the process of legitimizing Physical Education / La nueva Escuela Secundaria: implicaciones para el proceso de legitimación de la Educación Física José Ângelo Gariglio, Admir Soares Almeida Junior, Cláudio Márcio Oliveira

O presente trabalho apresenta reflexões acerca da questão mobilizadora desse periódico, qual seja: "como é possível encontrar ou construir fundamentos para justificar a Educação Física no currículo escolar [do ensino médio] hoje?". Para tanto, apresentamos uma discussão sobre os principais aspectos do "Novo" Ensino Médio, dando ênfase às concepções de conhecimento, de currículo, de juventudes e à ruptura da articulação entre as dimensões de formação humana (Ciência, Cultura, Trabalho e Tecnologia) previstos na legislação anterior. Em seguida, retomamos o debate acerca da legitimidade da Educação Física na escola, tomando como referência, entre outras produções, as Orientações Curriculares Nacionais do Ensino Médio escritas em 2006. Por fim, pretendemos apresentar estratégias de enfrentamento do atual contexto, bem como refletir sobre a possibilidade de construirmos outras formas de legitimação da presença e permanência da Educação Física no Ensino Médio.

The present work presents reflections about the mobilizing issue of this journal, namely: "how is it possible to find or construct foundations to justify Physical Education in the [high school] curriculum today?". In order to do so, we present a discussion about the main aspects of "New" High School, emphasizing the conceptions of knowledge, curriculum, youth and the rupture of the articulation between the dimensions of human formation (Science, Culture, Work and Technology) as they are treat in previous Legislation. Then, we return to the debate about the legitimacy of Physical Education in school, taking as reference, among other productions, the National Curricular Guidelines of Secondary Education published in 2006. Finally, we intend to present coping strategies of the current context, as well as reflect on the possibility of constructing other forms of legitimation of the presence and permanence of Physical Education in High School.

Este artículo presenta reflexiones sobre el tema de la conducción de esta revista, que es: "¿cómo se puede encontrar o construir las bases para justificar la educación física en los programas escolares [secundaria] hoy en día?". Por lo tanto, se presenta una discusión de los aspectos clave de la "nueva" de la escuela secundaria, haciendo hincapié en los conceptos de conocimientos, planes de estudio, los jóvenes y la ruptura de la relación entre las dimensiones del desarrollo humano (Ciencia, Cultura, Trabajo y Tecnología), siempre la legislación anterior. Luego reanudó el debate sobre la legitimidad de la educación física en la escuela, con referencia a, entre otras producciones, la plan nacional de estudios Directrices de Educación Secundaria escritas en 2006. Por último, tenemos la intención de presentar las estrategias de afrontamiento el contexto actual, así como reflexionar sobre la posibilidad de construir otras formas de legitimar la presencia y permanencia de la educación física en la escuela secundaria.

Educação Física e o mundo do trabalho: um diálogo com a atual reforma do Ensino Médio / Physical education and the world of work: a dialogue with the present reform of the High School / Educación Física y Mundo del Trabajo: un Diálogo con la actual reforma de la Educación Secundaria

Objetivamos com este artigo realizar uma análise do lugar da Educação Física no contexto da Reforma do Ensino Médio, implementada pelo atual governo, sob a Lei nº 13.415, de 16 de fevereiro de 2017, que institui a Política de Fomento à Implementação de Escolas de Ensino Médio em Tempo Integral. Para tanto, apresentamos como a área dialoga com as políticas educacionais, relacionando-a com o mundo do trabalho. Salientamos, em nossas sínteses, o quanto a Educação Física, hoje, continua subordinada aos ditames do mercado de trabalho, fato que não levou a Educação Física a legitimar a sua autonomia pedagógica.

The objective of this article is to carry out an analysis of the place of the Physical Education in the context of the Reform of the High School implemented by the current government under the Law number 13,415 of February 16, 2017, which establishes the Foster Policy to the Implementation of full time High Schools. Therefore, we present how the area dialogues with educational policies, relating it to the world of work. We emphasize, in our syntheses, how much the Physical Education, nowadays, remains subordinated to the dictates of the labor market, a fact that has not led Physical Education to legitimize to its pedagogical autonomy.

Tenemos como objetivo en este artículo realizar un análisis del lugar de la Educación Física en el Contexto de la Reforma de la Educación Secundaria implementado por el actual gobierno bajo la Ley nº 13.415, de 16 de febrero de 2017 que instituye la Política de Fomento a la Implementación de las Escuelas de Enseñanza Secundaria en Tiempo Integral. Para tanto, presentamos como el área dialoga con las políticas educativas, relacionando esto con el mundo del trabajo. Destacamos en nuestra síntesis cuanto la Educación Física de ayer sigue subordinada a los dictámenes del mercado de trabajo, hecho que no ha llevado la Educación Física a legitimar su autonomía pedagógica.

Not Enough Time in the Day: A Qualitative Assessment of In-School Physical Activity Policy as Viewed by Administrators, Teachers, and Students.

BACKGROUND: In recent decades, the alignment of health and education has been at the forefront of school reform. Whereas the establishment of national in-school physical activity (ISPA) recommendations and state-level mandates demonstrates success, there has been less achievement in areas that address health disparities. The purpose of this investigation was to explore barriers and facilitators to implementing state-mandated ISPA policies in the Mississippi Delta. METHODS: Focus groups or interviews were conducted with district administrators, school principals, teachers, and students. A total of 2 semistructured moderator guides were developed to focus on (1) student ISPA practices and preferences and (2) facilitators and barriers to implementing ISPA policies and practices. RESULTS: A total of 6 themes were developed. In that, 2 themes addressed participant-described barriers (primary challenges and interferences and excuses). Three themes highlighted participant-described facilitators (compromises, things that work, and being active at school). Finally, 1 theme encompassed the participant-described need to address educating the whole child. CONCLUSIONS: There is a critical need for meaningful and relevant solutions to circumvent challenges to implementing ISPA policies and practices in the Mississippi Delta. The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model offers a broad means of visualizing rural, low-income, racially concentrated schools to circumvent challenges and foster ISPA policies and practices.

Implementing Policies to Enhance Physical Education and Physical Activity in Schools.

The purpose of this commentary is to provide an overview of national physical activity recommendations and policies (e.g., from the Institute of Medicine, National Physical Activity Plan, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and to discuss how these important initiatives can be implemented in local schools. Successful policies are illustrated. Specific strategies and ideas are shared regarding how physical educators can assert themselves and impart their knowledge in an effort to build support for policy implementations that enhance the delivery of physical education and physical activity in their schools and communities.

State Legislation Related to Increasing Physical Activity: 2006-2012.

BACKGROUND: Strategies to improve physical activity prevalence often include policy and environmental changes. State-level policies can be influential in supporting access and opportunities for physical activity in schools and communities. The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of state legislation related to physical activity and identify the correlates of enactment of this legislation. METHODS: An online legislative database was used to collect bills from 50 states in the U.S. from 2006 to 2012 for 1010 topics related to physical activity. Bills were coded for content and compiled into a database with state-level variables (eg, obesity prevalence). With enactment status as the outcome, bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Of the 1,542 bills related to physical activity introduced, 30% (N = 460) were enacted. Bills on public transportation and trails were more likely to be enacted than those without these topics. Primary sponsorship by the Republican Party, bipartisan sponsorship, and mention of specific funding amounts were also correlates of enactment. CONCLUSION: Policy surveillance of bills and correlates of enactment are important for understanding patterns in legislative support for physical activity. This information can be used to prioritize advocacy efforts and identify ways for research to better inform policy.