School Physical Activity Success Story

Delano Union School District (DUSD)

Category: Increasing the amount of physical activity for students and staff during the school day
Grades/number of students: 6-8, 937 students

Key Changes and Results:

• Wrote and implemented a K-8 standards-based physical education curriculum and pacing guide to focus all schools on maximizing the amount of time that students spend in "moderate to vigorous physical activity" (MVPA).
• Adopted a district-wide, school year theme of "Healthy Minds and Healthy Bodies Lead to Success."
• District provided resources, PE equipment, and staff development for teachers, including "Station PE," a web-based PE lesson plan and assessment site.
• District created Physical Education Resource Teacher position to bring expertise, staff development, and passion for quality PE to all schools in district. This individual also helps to develop collaboration between schools and PE staff, and ensure that PE across grades and schools is consistent, standards-based, and fun.

Additional Key Changes and Results:

• Scheduled Jean Blaydes-Madigan of "Action Based Learning," brain-based learning expert, to present to DUSD staff and administration on March 24th, 2007.
• Implemented a new wellness policy with strict guidelines and improvement strategies for physical activity and nutrition.
• Analyzing school breakfast and lunch menus to make recommendations for change.
• Developing a before and after school program to increase student physical activity.

Keys to Success:

• The PE department at Cecil Avenue Middle School (CAMS) began changing the way we do PE 9 years ago when it embraced the "New PE," emphasizing lifetime fitness and activities. Teachers restructured the program to focus on children's health and fitness needs.
• CAMS PE dept. reached out to the parents and community with "Parent Nights" and "Health Fairs" to bring adults on campus, let them know what PE in the 21st century was really like, and encourage them to engage in physical activity as a family.
• We ignored the "doomsayers" who told us our grand ideas would never work. We never took "No" for an answer.
• The CAMS PE program receives visits from other districts, has been the subject of numerous articles, and what was once a program at only one school is now the blueprint for the implementation of our district-wide physical education program.

Additional Keys to Success:

• "Parent University" for all of our middle school parents and students. We partner with local and area medical communities to provide health-related services for our parents free of charge (e.g., diabetes and cholesterol screening).
• Purchase of new PE equipment was necessary to complement "New PE" focus to eliminate wait and turn time and increase student MVPA time.
• Honoring the District PE Resource Teacher as one of the "2006 California Teachers of the Year" provided additional credibility to the position and opened doors to further communication and collaboration within the district and beyond.

For more information:

Name and position: Ken Dyar, DUSD Physical Education Resource Teacher, CAMS Physical Education Department Chair
E-mail address: kdyar@duesd.org
School Address: 1430 Norwalk St. Delano, CA 93215