PE and Concussions

Looking at my nephew recently it dawned on me how much taller and bigger today's teenagers and young men appear to be compared to my youth. Seems like they started hitting the weight room at a much younger age or they are consuming some strange substance containing growth hormones!

So it was fascinating to read in the media that the number of sports-related concussions reported by young athletes is on the rise, prompting awareness campaigns from athletic- and medical groups to set minimum standards for concussion management not unlike steps taken recently by the National Football League. Even politicians are getting into the fray as the House Education and Labor Committee is planning to introduce legislation in this regard.

A study published in September in the medical journal, Pediatrics, noted that visits to the emergency room for concussions for children ages 8 to 19 had doubled from 1997 to 2007. In came despite a decrease in participation in organized sport. Furthermore, the U.S. Government Accountability Office released a report on concussion in high school sports that said there was no mechanism to track overall estimate of occurrence, but the injuries may be under reported because of athletes not wanting to be removed from games (EdWeek, Sept, 2010).

This 'macho' image is understandable amongst teenagers but unacceptable from coaches. One cannot simply shake off a hard knock, or 'walk it off' as some coaches prefer to handle it. A coach can't be everywhere, can observe all parts of a play, or prevent students from hitting harder. But they can intervene immediately when having any doubts and that is where awareness education should be focused.

How does this relate to PE? Any PE professional will tell you that a proper PE program teaches anatomy and physiology in addition to practical applications: how to roll, fall, run, kick, dive, tackle, and so on. Practical skills to be applied anywhere and in any sport. Somehow this fact escapes the legislators, medical professionals,  and week-end coaches. It is one of the reasons that there are over 500 middle and high schools with the emphasis on sports in the U.K. called Sports Colleges: to produce better prepared sportsmen and women at club and national levels - and prevent injuries where possible.

As for my nephew, he beats me in arm wrestling. I am OK with it. Chess is a different matter.
Michael Cordier

3 million TX Students Can't Be Wrong

Recently the results of the Texas Youth Fitness Study was announced. It provided an in-depth analysis and evaluation of data collected through state-mandated health-related fitness testing of all public school children in Texas, from grades 3 through 12. James Martin and Scott Morrow from the University of North Texas co-authored the document and presents key findings and issues associated with fitness in Texas.

Key points include:

• Higher physical fitness test achievement is related to higher state academic test scores and higher attendance, fewer negative school incidents and overall school quality, as indicated by the state ranking system (exemplary, recognized, acceptable, or unacceptable);
• Teachers work hard to conduct important and quality testing and do a good job of testing despite often challenging school settings;
• Teachers share their positive and negative experiences and provide ways to improve testing in challenging school settings and for large-scale testing across a state;
• Reliability and validity of large-scale testing is good; and suggestions for testing in challenging school settings and in large-scale testing for regional, state, and national settings are provided.

The study funded by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation was coordinated by the Cooper Institute. The study's focused on the relation between fitness test achievement and academic achievement; the reliability and validity of fitness testing with large samples; teacher interviews regarding large-scale fitness testing; psychosocial variables related to cardiorespiratory fitness and body mass index, and school and teacher characteristics associated with fitness test achievement.

Clearly, the proof of the pudding is in the eating and any doubts about the impact of physical activity on academic performance can be put to bed. Student behavior modification as a result of physical activity was an interesting component. Obviously, healthy students as a whole perform better and behave better. If 3 million Texas students can't be wrong, why are physical education not a bigger part of every school, every day?
Michael Cordier

Our Priorities Backward?

Over the years billions of dollars have been spent on ELL programs in schools and rightly so. These programs help students who have a different home language than English to get up to speeed in regular schooling. In addition, billions are spent on Title 1 programs to provide day care, after school programs, and school meals to students from under-priviledged communities. This spending is equally neccesary to improve scholastic performance and create safe environments for children to function properly. Add to that the discretionary spending of $5 billion dollars by the Secretary of Education in the Race to the Top money (to improve schools, student assessment, and teacher development), and it is clear that education speding is doing well.

Obviously a lot of tax payer money goes to the upliftment of our student population so it is with trepedation to learn about federal funding for gifted education being on the verge of elimination. Christina Samuels from Education Week reports that the ONLY funding at federal level for gifted education (Jacob Javits Gifted  and Talented Education Act) might be cut. If it was to the amount of billions one could emphasize with such a decision but it is a measly $7.5 million - a drop in the education-spending bucket. To blame the current administration will not be fair as the program was repeatedly dropped during the previous administration.

Two issues comes to mind:
1) How can we afford not to support the one segment of our student population that will guarantee academic performance;
2) Why is the amount so small to develop the gifted in our society who has the best potential to become leaders in any field they choose?

It is unimaginable that China or India place such a small premium on their best and brightest. It is equally unimaginable to assume that gifted students will excell without any help. But the most scary part is the fact that there is no federal mandate to provide gifted education. This means local districts dictates the services provided and a lot of the Javits program money goes to teacher training to accommodate gifted students in some shape or form.

I was not a gifted student but I grew up with a few. One committed suicide in our junior year because he hated school and was bored out of his mind. The system failed him. How many others with such potential has suffered as well?
Michael Cordier