Han Soo Kim Effects of No Child Left Behind On Physical Education In 2002, President eor!e "# Bush si!

ned into la$ the No Child Left Behind %NCLB& 'ct of 200(%'SH'&# )his la$ intended for students, focusin! on the Elementary and *iddle School children, to im+ro,e academically# )he No Child Left Behind 'ct focused mainly on stduents reachin! certain standards for readin! and math# )he 'ct +ushed schools to increase the time, finance, and teachers- focus to .core/ curriculum, $hile decreasin! the studentsin,ol,ements for .e0tra/ curriculum, $hich included +hysical acti,ity# )he im+lementation itself sho$s its effects on the 1nited States- o2esity rate, alon! $ith their 3no$led!e on +hyical education and fitness# )he No Child Left Behind 'ct had !ood intents, 2ut 2ac3fired 2y de!ressin! the youth of 'merica in our !eneration# Schools $ere ,ery strict in enforcin! the No Child Left Behind 'ct u+on the students# )his $as not mainly 2ecause of their a!reement $ith the 'ct, 2ut 2ecause the la$ demanded schools to meet yearly +ro!ress achie,ements or 2e faced $ith +enalties# Schools $ould lose federal money if the s+ecific core curriculums did not im+ro,e to meet the 4uota# )he No child Left Behind 'ct defines core su25ects as En!lish, 6eadin!7Lan!ua!e 'rts, *athematcis, Science, 8orei!n Lan!ua!es, Ci,ics 9 o,ernment, Economincs, 'rts, History, and eo!ra+hy 2ut not Health Education or Physical Education%'SH'&# )o act u+on the No Child Left Behind 'ct, many schools decreased si!nificant time on Physical Education and 6ecess# 'n a,era!e decrease of :0 minutes +er $ee3 in Physical Education and ;0 minutes +er $ee3 in 6ecess has !reatly affected ho$ much children o2tain their daily acti,ity# 'n elementary<school +hysical education s+ecialist may ha,e a class that

meets only once a $ee3# "ith such little time, it is difficult for si!nificant outcomes to 2e achie,ed# O,er the +ast decade, the increase in o,er$ei!ht and o2ese children has 2een a concern# 'lthou!h many states ha,e 2een tryin! to im+lement the time re4uirements for +hysical education, financial +ro2lems and lac3 of accounta2ility mechanisms results in ineffecient outcomes for the students# So many school systems ha,e 2een stuc3 in a loo+ of not 2ein! a2le to afford more finances and time for +hysical education for the students# )he No Child Left Behind 'ct $as im+lemented to 2rin! the children u+ to an a++ro,a2le education le,el in com+arison to the states and international schools# Ho$e,er, the decrease finances and time for +hysical education does not e0ecute in the $ays the 'ct $as meant to 2e# No$ there are e,idences that sho$ that +hysical acti,ity durin! the day $ill im+ro,e a student-s attention and en!a!ement in his or her classroom# So a student-s increase in his or her in,ol,ement in, for e0am+le, recess and +hysical education classes $ill 2e 2eneficial in a student-s academic de,elo+ment# 'n increase in a student-s +hysical education does not im+ede a student-s academic achie,ement# Particularly for !irls, more in,ol,ement in +hysical education may increase academic achie,ements# Because +hysical acti,ity is 2enefical to one-s co!niti,e functionin!, students should 2e in,ol,ed in +hysical education and acti,ity daily# I a!ree that core curriculum is a necessity and ,ery im+ortant for not only the students 2ut for the future achie,ements of a country# )he No Child Left Behind 'ct is a La$ that is +ut into +lace to 2enefit the students and country, 2ut it is a stum2lin! 2loc3 for them# E,en $ith the +ro,ided e,idence, schools are enforcin! decreased time for +hysical education and acti,ity, and re+lacin! it $ith increased time for core curriculum# )o increase students- academic achie,ements in their core curriculum, I 2elie,e students should also ta3e +art in +hysical education and acti,ity 5ust as much to further enhance their education# =ecrease in +hyiscal

education does not mean an increase in academic achie,ements for core curriculum#

"or3s Cited

Siedento+, =aryl# >Pro2lem, Issues, and the 8uture of Physical Education#> Introduction to physical education, fitness, and sport# ?th ed# *ountain @ie$, Calif#A *ayfield Pu2# Co#, (BB0# ((?# Print#

>No Child Left Behind La$ and School Health#> American school Health Association # N#+#, n#d# "e2# ; No,# 20(C# Dhtt+A77$$$#asha$e2#or!7files7+u2lic76esolutions7NoEChildELeftEBehindEandESchoolEHealth# +dfF#