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Are Policies the Answer?
Although state and local physical educa-
tion mandates exist, they vary in content and scope and almost always 
lack adequate implementation and evaluation. A “top-down” federal-
level mandate could help guide a collective effort in addressing the 
prevalence of childhood inactivity.
Impact on Other Outcomes
Fitness Physical fitness (such as aerobic capacity or maximal oxygen con-
sumption [VO
2
max]) is a marker of successful interventions addressing 
physical activity (Dobbins et al., 2009). In a physical education intervention 
study in middle schools, Dorgo and colleagues (2009) observed that the 
experimental groups improved significantly on the six fitness measures used 
and showed greater improvements than the control group on most fitness 
measures at 9 and 18 weeks.
In the SPARK study, which aimed to increase physical activity in physi-
cal education classes, Sallis and colleagues (1997) found that, compared 

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Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
The Effectiveness of Physical Activity and Physical Education Policies and Programs
 
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with girls in the control condition, girls in the specialist-led condition 
were superior on abdominal strength, endurance, and cardio respiratory 
endurance after the 2-year intervention period. Consistent with the 
findings presented above, a review of interventions focused primarily 
in school settings found good evidence that school-based physical activ-
ity interventions had positive effects on physical fitness (measured by 
VO
2
max) among adolescents aged 6-18 (Dobbins et al., 2009). Similarly, 
in an earlier systematic review, Kahn and colleagues
(2002) concluded that 
strong evidence supports the effectiveness of school-based physical educa-
tion in increasing physical fitness levels, as measured by aerobic capacity. 
Compliance with physical education policies appears to be important as 
well. In a cross-sectional observational study of elementary public schools 
in California, investigators found that school district compliance with state 
physical education policies was related to a greater likelihood of children 
being classified as meeting or exceeding fitness standards relative to stu-
dents in districts that failed to comply with the physical education policy 
(Sanchez-Vaznaugh et al., 2012). The study also found that the favorable 
association between compliance with physical education policy and chil-
dren’s fitness levels did not differ significantly by race/ethnicity, with all 
groups being more likely to be classified as meeting or exceeding fitness 
standards if they attended school in districts that complied with the state’s 
physical education policy; however, the level of the association was signifi-
cant only among white and Hispanic children.
Evidence is limited concerning the effects of school-based physical 
activity and physical education interventions, including policies on physi-
cal activity and fitness levels, across subgroups of children based on gen-
der, race/ethnicity, immigrant generation, or socioeconomic status.