Essay - Introduction the Role of Physical Education in the Public School...

Introduction

***** role of physical education in the public school system has been under pressure from a number of fronts. In ***** contracting budgetary environment, the amount of dollars dedicated to non-core curriculum studies have experiences forced cut backs. When academic achievement levels are suffering across the board, many school systems make the mistake ***** *****ting phys ed budgets in order to bolster focus on core academic **********. However, ***** systems that make this choice are often starv*****g the goose that can help lay the golden egg. Studies and experiential evidence demonstrate that academic ***** is ti***** ***** both proper *****al methods in the classroom, and a curriculum which focuses on developing the entire student, including his or her body through physical education.

F***** example, according to Maier (2001) 49 states no longer have a daily requirement for physical education. Illi*****is is a lone exception, and the school system is reaping the dividends ***** area *****s *****re. In Naperville, a community 35 miles west of Chic*****go, residents feared that so much attention was being paid to physical ***** that test s*****s would drop. The concern however has proven ***** be misdirected. In 1999, the school district competed in ***** Third *****ternational Mathematics and Science Study with 38 countries and 14 school jurisdictions in the United States, and Naperville scored ***** highest in the United ***** on both math- and science-achievement tests and highest overall ***** the world in science. Phil Lawler, coord*****ator of *****'s K-12 physical-educati***** program says, "Daily physical education certainly was a positive factor. Brain researchers say ***** activity is fertilization for the brain. If you want to classify it, ***** ***** the Miracle Grow." (*****, 2001)

In other areas of the nation, the competitive nature of physical education programs is ***** called in***** question because of misplaced ***** theory. Educators are question*****g that because competition creates winners and losers, the losers may experience a diminished self esteem, which could consequentially harm their academic per*****mance (Shoemaker, 2001) Naperville is demonstrating the folly of ***** kind of academic doublespeak.

The goal of ***** education is to allow students to learn by epxereince the benefits of including physical fitness in their evolv*****g lifestyle. According ***** AAHPERD National Youth Task Force report, physical fitness ***** "a ***** state of well being ***** allows people to:

1) perform ***** activity ***** vigor, 2) reduce their risk of health problems related ***** lack of exercise, and 3) establish a fitness base for participation in a variety of physical activities." (McSwegin et al., 1989).

This research seeks to find evidence ***** the beneficial affects of well rounded physical educational ***** in elementary and secondary schools. By reviewing literature, news reports and studies, we attempt to show that in order to create a schol*****stic environment which is beneficial to ***** student for academic achievement, that physical education should be *****cluded as part of the core *****.

Literature Review

Educating students about the benefits of improved per*****nal fitness will help make other lifetime skill ***** more