In response to calls on physical education teacher education (PETE) programs to better prepare teachers for a broadened role in school-based physical activity promotion, the University of Northern Colorado has recently established a Master of Arts in teaching physical education and physical activity leadership (MAT PE-PAL) degree. The…

Physical activity (PA) policies have the potential to ensure adequate opportunities for children to develop PA behaviors for a lifetime. Examples include mandating that schools provide recess and physical education for a specified amount of time per week; ensuring that physical education teachers are licensed; providing activity breaks in academic…

This article highlights processes for infusing comprehensive school physical activity programming (CSPAP) into the physical education teacher education (PETE) program at the University of Idaho (UI). The PETE program uses a modified leadership framework to target learning outcomes and activities pertinent to CSPAP. Student CSPAP knowledge and…

In recent years, the concept of creating and sustaining healthy school communities (HSC) has increased in popularity and acceptance as a way to link health and education outcomes within school communities across the globe. With the dual goal of enhancing student learning and facilitating action for health through education, schools with…

Schools are important venues for physical activity (PA) promotion, and many are working to develop and sustain high-quality comprehensive school physical activity programs (CSPAPs). Educators interested in serving as PA leaders on school campuses are likely to benefit from continuing professional development (PD) focused on knowledge and skills…

At a recent American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) Leadership Development Conference, presidents-elect representing state, district, and national AAHPERD associations were asked to describe in one sentence why they do what they do. The 67 responses were entered into wordle.net that generated the 20-item…

The purpose of this article is to describe a model for creating a successful service engagement partnership with a community organization that may lead to the development of a short- or long-term service engagement project or course. The article explains how to create a successful partnership, including how to identify and choose the right…

Engaging youth in traditional physical education exercises or ball sports can be a challenging task, especially when they prefer novelty, entertainment, or excitement in their leisure-time activities. In addition, many youth are unaware of the opportunities that exist to exercise or recreate in nature, often preferring to spend time indoors…

Health promotion and disease prevention have become topics of national concern in recent years. Physical educators can provide leadership for the community in meeting national health goals. Suggestions on how physical educators can use the goals set forth in "Healthy People" and "Objectives for the Nation" to develop new programs are discussed.…

This centennial issue reproduces the core of the April 1960, 75th anniversary of the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. In making this material available once again to historians and aficionados, historical information and much of the identical photography in the original edition are presented. In the interest of topical…

The purpose of this article is to describe the multiple roles of a physical education teachers in a school setting for the promotion of physical activity via the use of the CSPAP framework. The roles are organized and presented using the acronym S.M.A.R.T. (Supervise, Motivate, Advocate, Research, and Teach). Strategies for physical educators to…

Testimony from the 1984 Youth Fitness Hearings explores views on the importance of fitness for children, status of physical fitness levels, and current support for youth fitness programs. Responsibilities for fitness programming and leadership training are examined and recommendations for program improvement offered. (DF)

Recess is an important part of a comprehensive school physical activity program by providing physical activity to students during the school day, in addition to physical education and classroom physical activity. Unfortunately, recess in the United States is not an expected part of the school day, especially in middle and high schools. High-stakes…