HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.C.R. NO. |
24 |
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2013 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education recommends that schools provide 150 minutes of instructional physical education for elementary school children and 225 minutes of instructional physical education for middle school students per week for the entire school year; and
WHEREAS, a quality physical education program provides learning opportunities, appropriate instruction, meaningful and challenging content, and student program assessment; and
WHEREAS, current Hawaii physical education requirements, outlined in the Department of Education's Wellness Guidelines established pursuant to Board of Education Policy 1110-6, consist of only 45 minutes per week for grades K through 3, 55 minutes per week for grades 4-5, 107 minutes per week for elementary grade 6, and no required physical education course for middle school students; and
WHEREAS, physical education is the environment in which students learn, practice, and receive assessment on developmentally appropriate motor skills, social skills, and knowledge; and
WHEREAS, physical activity at a moderate to vigorous intensity level can yield health benefits; and
WHEREAS, obesity has been declared an epidemic in this country; and
WHEREAS, the onset of obesity in Hawaii's school-age students entails a host of serious but largely avoidable health problems in adulthood and an attendant escalation in Hawaii's healthcare costs; and
WHEREAS, physical inactivity contributes to the problem and level of obesity; and
WHEREAS, according to the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, only 21 percent of high school students and 16 percent of middle school students were physically active for the recommended 60 minutes or more per day; and
WHEREAS, quality physical education programs are critical to providing and teaching the knowledge and skills needed to achieve and maintain physical fitness; and
WHEREAS, physical education provides knowledge, attitudes, motor skills, behavioral skills, and confidence needed to adopt and maintain a physically active lifestyle and helps children meet the scientifically-recommended 60 minutes or more of physical activity per day for children and adolescents; and
WHEREAS, research indicates that schools that provide time for quality physical education generate positive effects on academic achievement, including increased concentration; improved mathematics, reading, and writing scores; and a reduction in disruptive behaviors even when provided as part of the regular school day; and
WHEREAS, appropriate facilities, class size, and sufficient equipment can facilitate maximum physical education learning and practice time for all students; and
WHEREAS, schools are the one place that all students can participate in quality physical education and in structured and unstructured physical activity; and
WHEREAS, additional opportunities for all students to be physically active, such as recess, physical activity clubs, interscholastic sports, band, and community youth sports are important to achieving the recommended 60 minutes or more of physical activity a day but should not supplant assessment and standards-based, quality physical education instruction; and
WHEREAS, school grounds, physical plants, athletic facilities, and playground structures must be maintained to ensure a safe and healthy environment for physical activity; and
WHEREAS, the mental, emotional, social, and physical well-being of students are essential components of comprehensive physical education for all students; and
WHEREAS, physical education should be taught by a certified physical education teacher; and
WHEREAS, Hawaii has adopted the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards III for physical education in grades K through 8, which call for quality physical education programs based on national standards; and
WHEREAS, barriers and challenges have impeded Hawaii from fully implementing the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards III for physical education in all grades K through 8; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2013, the Senate concurring, that the University of Hawaii Department of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science, in cooperation with the Department of Education and the Department of Health, is requested to conduct a study:
(1) Assessing the feasibility of adopting the National Association for Sport and Physical Education physical education guidelines for elementary and middle schools in the State; and
(2) Providing a draft policy statement on the implementation of National Physical Education Guidelines in Hawaii's public schools; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study include but not be limited to:
(1) Personnel-to-student ratio, minutes of designated instruction per week, and related variables needed for the Department of Education to implement a quality physical education program based on state or national physical education recommendations in both elementary and middle schools;
(2) Needs for implementation, including certified or licensed instructors, equipment, assessments, and standards-based curriculum; and
(3) Recommended steps needed to implement national physical education recommendations in elementary and middle schools by 2025; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education assist the University of Hawaii at Manoa Department of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science by providing full access to ensure completion of the study; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Hawaii Department of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science submit its findings and recommendations, including a draft policy statement regarding implementation of national physical education guidelines in Hawaii's public elementary and middle schools to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2015; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Dean of the University of Hawaii College of Education, Dean of the University of Hawaii Department of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science, Superintendent of Education, and Director of Health.
National Physical Education Guidelines; Public Schools