Re: phys ed testing in TX

[<kceh@airmail.net>]

Comments from Susan Ohanian's website. It's yet another case of follow the money.
Kinda makes me want to park my fat lard in the recliner with a box of Fig Newtons
and a glass of whole milk, as long as it's not from James Leininger's (sp?)
dairy.

Carol

=============

Physically Fit Students Perform Better on Tests, Texas Lawmakers Say Stephen
Krashen's comments are, as always, vital. he has done what reporters rarely do on
education stories--followed the money. Stephen Krashen Comment: Texas plans to
test all children, starting at grade 3, on pushups, sit-ups, a mile run, and
measure flexibility and body fat (â??PE not just fun, games anymore,â?? July 11).
Everything is wrong with this. The passing mark is scoring in the top 20% of all
children. Thus, no matter how well the children do, 80% will fail the test and be
declared unfit. To get children to pass, PE will focus on sit-ups, pushups, and
running. Gone is the idea that a major goal of PE is to introduce children to a
variety of sports to encourage them to become fit for life in enjoyable ways. We
are told that the reason for the test is to see if there is a relationship
between fitness and academic performance. The way to do studies is with small
groups, not entire populations. Not mentioned by the Morning News is that the
developer of the tool to be used to measure fitness (which includes software),
Kenneth Cooper, has served as personal physician to President Bush, and is known
as â??Bushâ??s exercise guru.â?? Cooper donated $12,000 to the campaigns of Gov.
Perry and State Senator Nelson, the author of the fitness legislation.



On Thu Jul 12 15:10 , 'Monty Neill' <monty@fairtest.org> sent:

  This is a fairly long article, so I am including only first section and the
  URL.

  It is good they are focusing some on physical fitness, bad it is a reaction
  to problem of their own making (high stakes test), good that it is a
  performance task (hope no kids die running a mile), and bad in that they set
  the bar at the 80th percentile and then say they expect poor performance.
  Well, duh! The same great minds that bring us high stakes standardized tests
  in which all will be very far above average if only we set the bar high
  enough.

  http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-fitnesstest_11met.ART.State.Edition2.435fb67.html


  PE not just fun, games anymore

  State to test students, tally results by school, district


  12:00 AM CDT on Wednesday, July 11, 2007

  By STACI HUPP / The Dallas Morning News
  shupp@dallasnews.com

  The newest standardized test in Texas will make millions of children sweat
  next year. It also will make them run a mile and touch their toes.



  Texas will be the first state to comprehensively gauge students' physical
  health as part of a new fitness-focused law that targets growing waistlines.

  "We're treading new water here," said Jeff Kloster, an associate commissioner
  at the Texas Education Agency, which will oversee a state fitness test for
  children in grades three through 12.

  The test will measure aerobic endurance, body fat, flexibility and muscle
  strength, Mr. Kloster said.

  TEA officials expect to spend $2.5 million to equip schools with Fitnessgram,
  a testing tool developed by Dallas physician Kenneth Cooper, founder of
  aerobics. The tool includes computer software to train teachers how to
  conduct the test.

  To pass, students must score in the 80th percentile, or better than seven out
  of 10 peers, for their age and sex. Students with disabilities or a doctor's
  note don't have to take the test.

  Students who fail will not be penalized.

  TEA officials say the test results will help guide state research into
  possible links among physical health and student achievement, school
  attendance and discipline problems.

  "What Texas is doing, which could be a really great thing, is they're
  creating accountability" for student health, said Charlene Burgeson,
  executive director of the National Association for Sport and Physical
  Education. "It's a really important part of giving the student ownership of
  their own health, too. They need to understand what those different
  components of fitness are and how they're doing on them."

  TEA officials will tally test results by grade level, campus and school
  district. Parents who want to know their child's score need only call the
  school, which will keep files for every student.

  "It is not a competition to the extent that if you don't achieve a certain
  number, you don't get rewarded," Mr. Kloster said. "This is about identifying
  where we are."

  State officials say they have low expectations for the first round of tests
  next spring.

  About one-third of Texas' 4 million public school children are considered
  overweight, health data show, putting the state above the national average.

  Only two-thirds of the state's students were enrolled in PE classes in 2005,
  according to TEA data.

  Monty Neill, Ed.D.
  Co-Executive Director
  FairTest
  342 Broadway
  Cambridge, MA 02139
  617-864-4810 fax 617-497-2224
  monty@fairtest.org
  http://www.fairtest.org
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