Legislation pending in Congress, called the "Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids Act" (FIT Kids Act), would update current physical fitness standards in K-12 schools and hold educators accountable for a portion of their students' health. For full details on this act click here.
If passed, the bill would redefine gym class from what it has come to mean for many students and teachers, and the bill also would implement new data tracking and reporting requirements that could necessitate a change in student information system (SIS) software. This is great news for FootGaming and Exerlearning - we have the "plug and play" solution busy teachers and over-burdened schools need.
Introduced by Reps. Ron Kind, D-Wis., Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., and Jay Inslee, D-Wash., in July 2007, the FIT Kids Act now has 70 co-sponsors, and support for the bill is growing. The measure recently got another boost when several professional athletes publicly endorsed it.
If enacted, the bill would amend the No Child Left Behind Act to require that all schools, districts, and states include the quantity and quality of physical education (PE) in the "report cards" they send to parents and to Washington, D.C.
By next year, it's estimated that 20 percent of children in the U.S. will be obese, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As students' weight increases, so will their chances of developing diseases typically associated with adults such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, reports the American Heart Association (AHA).
"What better place than our schools to teach kids how to best nourish their body as well as their mind," said Rep. Kind, a member of the Congressional Fitness Caucus. "Ensuring that our schools are providing comprehensive physical education will give every child an opportunity--regardless of [his or her] background--to learn healthy habits and get moving. We will see the benefits in their math and reading scores, to get to the root of the obesity epidemic, and get kids on a healthy path early in life."
The FIT Kids Act, or H.R 3257, adds measures that would require changes to the state accountability system.
These measures include demonstrating progress toward meeting the national goal for required physical education of 150 minutes per week for students in elementary schools and 225 minutes per week for students in middle and high school. FootGaming and ExerLearning provide easy to implement solutions for this mandate.
Introduced by Reps. Ron Kind, D-Wis., Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., and Jay Inslee, D-Wash., in July 2007, the FIT Kids Act now has 70 co-sponsors, and support for the bill is growing. The measure recently got another boost when several professional athletes publicly endorsed it.
If enacted, the bill would amend the No Child Left Behind Act to require that all schools, districts, and states include the quantity and quality of physical education (PE) in the "report cards" they send to parents and to Washington, D.C.
By next year, it's estimated that 20 percent of children in the U.S. will be obese, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As students' weight increases, so will their chances of developing diseases typically associated with adults such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, reports the American Heart Association (AHA).
"What better place than our schools to teach kids how to best nourish their body as well as their mind," said Rep. Kind, a member of the Congressional Fitness Caucus. "Ensuring that our schools are providing comprehensive physical education will give every child an opportunity--regardless of [his or her] background--to learn healthy habits and get moving. We will see the benefits in their math and reading scores, to get to the root of the obesity epidemic, and get kids on a healthy path early in life."
The FIT Kids Act, or H.R 3257, adds measures that would require changes to the state accountability system.
These measures include demonstrating progress toward meeting the national goal for required physical education of 150 minutes per week for students in elementary schools and 225 minutes per week for students in middle and high school. FootGaming and ExerLearning provide easy to implement solutions for this mandate.
In addition, FIT Kids would amend the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling program, the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities program, and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program to foster healthy habits and increased physical activity. It also would expand the uses of the Healthy High-Performing Schools program to support the provision of adequate space and facilities for supervised PE activities during and after school.
The bill would require implementing pilot programs that would measure knowledge gain in PE classes and cognitive development in relation to physical activity skills.
"Not all children have role modeling at home, but this bill can make sure they have it at school. Giving kids the physical and mental benefits of exercise will help them excel in the classroom and throughout life," said Rep. Inslee.
Data-tracking requirements of the bill are easy for those using the FoorPOWR peripheral in the classroom. The FootPOWR plugs in to the USB port of a computer and tracks every step students make as they actively communicate with the computer. Learn more about the logging capability here.
The bill would require implementing pilot programs that would measure knowledge gain in PE classes and cognitive development in relation to physical activity skills.
"Not all children have role modeling at home, but this bill can make sure they have it at school. Giving kids the physical and mental benefits of exercise will help them excel in the classroom and throughout life," said Rep. Inslee.
Data-tracking requirements of the bill are easy for those using the FoorPOWR peripheral in the classroom. The FootPOWR plugs in to the USB port of a computer and tracks every step students make as they actively communicate with the computer. Learn more about the logging capability here.
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