LitReview

PhysicalActivityandAcademics

Formostschools,PhysicalEducationclassesarethefirsttobecutsincetheytakeaway
fromclasstime.Manyschoolsarefocusedonincreasingstandardizedtestscores,anditis
assumedP.E.doesnothelptoimprovethosescores.Theoverallwellbeingofthestudentbody
isoftenoverlookedwhenaPhysicalEducationclassiscancelledfromtheschooldayschools
believethathealthisnotsomethingofhighconcerninstudentslearning.
Shockingly,manystudieshaveshownthatthereisnocorrelationbetweenacademic
achievementandphysicalactivity.Meaning,byprovidingaP.E.classtostudents,schoolsare
notsacrificingtheirstudentseducationandtestscores.AccordingtoastudydonebyMichigan
StateUniversityandTarletonStateUniversity,(2006)onlyabouttwentyofthehundredsof
studieshaveshownanegativerelationshipbetweenP.E.andacademics.Aresearchbrieffrom
theRobertWoodJohnsonFoundation(____)statesthatelevenoffourteenstudies,which
spannedaround58,000studentsbetween1967and2006,showedimprovedacademicscores
fromstudentswhotookaPhysicalEducationcourse.
IfaP.E.classisnotdamagingtestscores,thenwhystillnotoffertheclass?Amajorityof
thetimeaP.E.classisnoteffectingastudentsgrades,thereforeacourseshouldbeimplemented
tocontributetotheoverallhealthofthestudent.