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Educating the Student Body
moderate-intensity physical activity can be increased through daily physical 
education, recess, classroom physical activity, active transport to school, 
and before- and after-school activities (see Chapter 6).
State- and district-level policies related to physical activity have the 
potential to exert a positive influence on the physical activity behaviors of 
large numbers of children and adolescents. Evidence that such policies have 
not only potential but actual influence is emerging. Also emerging is evi-
dence of slippage between the intent and implementation of these policies, 
such that their ultimate impact is commonly less, sometimes appreciably 
so, than expected. The factors that create an effective policy are still being 
elucidated. Policies that include required reporting of outcomes, provision 
of adequate funding, and easing of competing priorities appear to be more 
likely to be effective, as well as implemented, compared with policies that 
lack these features. Further evaluation of policies on physical activity and 
physical education is needed to fully understand their impact in changing 
health behavior.
Monitoring of state and district policies has improved over the past 
decade. In general, the number of states and districts with policies per-
taining to physical education has increased, although many such policies 
remain weak. For example, most states and districts have policies regard-
ing physical education, but few require daily physical education or a mini-
mum number of minutes of physical education per week. Although some 
comprehensive national guidelines exist, more are needed to define quality 
standards for school-based physical activity policies so that more uniform 
programs and practices can be created across states, school districts, and 
ultimately schools.
An important need going forward will be augmentation of the few 
monitoring systems that exist for school-related physical activity behaviors. 
It is important to know not only how much vigorous- or moderate-intensity 
physical activity youth are performing but also how much of that activity 
is taking place in each segment of the school day (i.e., physical education, 
recess, classroom, transport to and from school, school-related before- and 
after-school activities). The YRBS, the NHANES, and Monitoring the 
Future provide much useful information but not enough about physical 
activity during and related to school. Such national surveys are not designed 
to provide local or even state estimates. State departments of education, 
local school districts, and state and local health departments will need to 
collaborate to provide adequate monitoring.
Finally, in addition to improved monitoring of physical activity behav-
iors, there is a need for augmented monitoring of physical activity–related 
guidelines, policies, and practices at the federal, state, and local levels. 
Surveillance of both student behavior and policy is necessary.

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Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
Status and Trends of Physical Activity Behaviors and Related School Policies
 
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