Education policymakers and professionals are charged with one of the most critical roles in our society–ensuring that all students have the opportunity to learn in an environment that is safe and that nurtures their intellectual, social and physical growth. In this task education policymakers and professionals are faced with constant obstacles, and must make seemingly impossible decisions on allocating an ever-shrinking pool of resources while ensuring that students are meeting the necessary academic benchmarks. Moreover, schools today are on the front lines of the battle against the childhood obesity epidemic. More than one-third of children and teens–approximately 23 million young people–are overweight or obese, and physical inactivity is one of the major contributing factors. In fact, it is projected that if the current rates of childhood overweight and obesity continue, today’s children will be the first generation of Americans with a shorter life expectancy than their parents. To some, schools may be viewed solely as places of education, where students come to learn. However, it is becoming exceedingly clear that schools are in a prime position to influence the health behaviours of children and adolescents, as no other institution has so much continuous and intensive contact with young people. The large majority of young people ages 5 to 17 are enrolled in schools and spend a significant part of the day and much of the year there. Schools, too, have a stake in the health of their students, as an increasing amount of published research speaks to the positive relationship between health and academic achievement. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a review of the research looking at the relationship between school-based physical activity, physical education and academic performance. The review spanned research conducted within the past 23 years, and covered a broad array of contexts in which youth participate in school-based physical activity. Of the 50 studies included in the review, just over half (50.5 percent) found a positive association between physical activity and academic achievement and only 1.5 percent of the studies found a negative relationship. The researchers concluded that there is substantial evidence that physical activity can help improve academic achievement and that implementing strategies to help students meet national physical activity recommendations may in fact improve student achievement and school performance. In addition to in-school opportunities for physical activity, such as physical education, recess and in-class activities, students can meet the physical activity recommendations through activities outside of the school day. Safe Routes to School (SRTS) helps students be more physically active by making walking and bicycling to and from school safe, convenient and fun. Safe Routes to School projects across the nation are working with diverse partners to secure the funds and resources necessary to get more students safely walking and bicycling to school. This resource guide is intended for education policymakers, administrators and personnel at the state, school district and individual school levels. It provides a detailed examination of the most up-to-date and relevant research linking physical activity and academic achievement, as well as the current rates of activity among school-aged youth. Safe Routes to School is presented as a viable option to not only help increase students’ physical activity levels, but also as a strategy to build community support for schools, help make the school a safer and more pleasant environment, address rising transportation costs and respond to national school health initiatives. (Author/publisher)
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