|
| | SR0052 | | LRB102 12176 MST 17513 r |
|
|
1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
|
2 | | WHEREAS, Physical education should be viewed as a public |
3 | | health tool that can be used to educate students and empower |
4 | | them to maintain and improve their life-long physical, social, |
5 | | and emotional well-being; and
|
6 | | WHEREAS, Physical education is valued as a foundational |
7 | | component for the health and well-being of students by health |
8 | | experts and policy leaders and has been shown to have a |
9 | | positive association with academic performance as well as |
10 | | mental and social-emotional health; and
|
11 | | WHEREAS, Quality physical education programs enhance the |
12 | | social-emotional learning skills of self-management, social |
13 | | awareness, self-awareness, decision-making, exhibiting |
14 | | responsible behaviors, and relationship skills; and
|
15 | | WHEREAS, Physical education provides opportunities for |
16 | | students to authentically use and evaluate personal |
17 | | Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies in a safe and |
18 | | inclusive setting; and
|
19 | | WHEREAS, Being enrolled in physical education provides an |
20 | | opportunity for students to be active during the school day; |
21 | | the CDC has stated that there are many benefits of physical |
|
| | SR0052 | - 2 - | LRB102 12176 MST 17513 r |
|
|
1 | | education in schools; when enrolled in physical education, |
2 | | students can increase their level of physical activity, can |
3 | | improve their grades, cognition, and standardized test scores, |
4 | | and are better able to focus and stay on-task in the classroom; |
5 | | and
|
6 | | WHEREAS, All physical education programs should follow the |
7 | | same standards; research suggests there are access gaps from |
8 | | school to school; students are entitled to a comprehensive |
9 | | physical education program; and
|
10 | | WHEREAS, Physical education is required to be taught; |
11 | | there is little oversight of compliance to the School Code, |
12 | | and the waiver process is not being strictly followed; and
|
13 | | WHEREAS, The National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP) found |
14 | | that budget cuts had differential impacts on physical |
15 | | education, resulting in racial disparities; NPAP maintains |
16 | | that Black and Latinx students are less likely to be |
17 | | physically active and to have access to certified physical |
18 | | education teachers; these factors lead to lower fitness, which |
19 | | is correlated with poor academic performance, among other |
20 | | adverse outcomes; and
|
21 | | WHEREAS, Another public health concern cited by the NPAP |
22 | | is the lack of a consistent, equitable opportunity for kids to |
|
| | SR0052 | - 3 - | LRB102 12176 MST 17513 r |
|
|
1 | | get physical activity; physical education, through the public |
2 | | education system, can mitigate health disparities; physical |
3 | | education classes may be the only organized way for many |
4 | | lower-income kids to get much-needed exercise; and
|
5 | | WHEREAS, Physical education classes may be the only |
6 | | opportunity for students in alternative education programs and |
7 | | students with disabilities to be introduced, to learn, and to |
8 | | develop the knowledge, skills, behaviors, attitudes, and the |
9 | | confidence needed to be active throughout their lives; and
|
10 | | WHEREAS, The Society for Health and Physical Education |
11 | | reports that students who have physical education are 2.5 |
12 | | times more likely to be active adults; the patterns of |
13 | | inactivity in childhood and adolescence track to higher rates |
14 | | of inactivity, obesity, and other health issues (diabetes, |
15 | | heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis) in |
16 | | adulthood; and
|
17 | | WHEREAS, Physical education provides opportunities for |
18 | | movement that in turn lead to decreasing medical costs; the |
19 | | World Health Organization estimates that for every $1.00 |
20 | | invested in physical activity $3.20 will be saved in medical |
21 | | costs; and
|
22 | | WHEREAS, The COVID-19 pandemic has, in some cases, eroded |
|
| | SR0052 | - 4 - | LRB102 12176 MST 17513 r |
|
|
1 | | physical education programming; steps need to be taken to |
2 | | ensure that all students have standards-based physical |
3 | | education programming when they return to school without the |
4 | | constraints of COVID-19; these steps should include, but are |
5 | | not limited to, making sure that physical education programs |
6 | | teach the Illinois Physical Development and Health Goals and |
7 | | Standards; therefore, be it
|
8 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL |
9 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that physical education is |
10 | | an essential and integral part of educating the whole child |
11 | | and that ALL students in the State of Illinois should have |
12 | | access to equitable, high quality, standards-based physical |
13 | | education programming being supported by equitable resources |
14 | | and funding; and be it further
|
15 | | RESOLVED, That all physical education programs are urged |
16 | | to be in compliance with and accountable for following the |
17 | | Illinois School Code; and be it further
|
18 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be |
19 | | delivered to the State Superintendent of Education, the |
20 | | Illinois Association of School Boards, the Illinois |
21 | | Association of School Administrators, the Illinois Principal |
22 | | Association, the Illinois Education Association, the Illinois |
23 | | Federation of Teachers, and the Illinois Association of |