National (NASPE, National Association of Sport and Physical ...

NASPE Standards for Physical EducationPhysical activity is critical to the development and maintenance of good health. The goalof physical education is to develop physically educated individuals who have theknowledge, skills, and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity.A physically educated person:Standard 1: Demonstrates competency in motor skills and movement patterns neededto perform a variety of physical activities.Standard 2: Demonstrates understanding of movement concepts, principles, strategies,and tactics as they apply to the learning and performance of physical activities.Standard 3: Participates regularly in physical activity.Standard 4: Achieves and maintains a health-enhancing level of physical fitness.Standard 5: Exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self andothers in physical activity settings.Standard 6: Values physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression,and/or social interaction.

SPARK Compliance to NASPE StandardsNASPE Standard1. Demonstrates competency in motor skillsand movement patterns needed toperform a variety of physical activities.2. Demonstrates understanding ofmovement concepts, principles,strategies, and tactics as they apply tothe learning and performance of physicalactivities.SPARK AlignmentSPARK content (lesson plans provided in scope andsequence) and training sessions (workshopsconducted at school sites) present many movementactivities to meet this standard as well as thenecessary pedagogical skills. Additionally, via bothSPARK content and targeted handouts atworkshops, SPARK assessment tools demonstratestudent achievement of competency and/orimprovement in Standard 1. Additionally, SPARK’scommitment to MVPA, fitness and skills (papersdemonstrate significant student achievement in allthree) further support alignment with this goal.SPARK content (lesson plans provided in scope andsequence) and training sessions (workshopsconducted at school sites) present many movementactivities to meet this standard as well as thenecessary pedagogical skills. Additionally, via bothSPARK content and targeted handouts atworkshops, SPARK assessment tools demonstratestudent achievement of competency and/orimprovement in Standard 1. Additionally, SPARK’scommitment to MVPA, fitness and skills (papersdemonstrate significant student achievement in allthree) further support alignment with this goal.3. Participates regularly in physical activity. During PE:SPARK advocates for quality, daily, physicaleducation. SPARK has been proven to increasemoderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) toabove 50% during PE classes in both specialist andgeneralist settings. SPARK content and instructionare designed to provide all children maximumopportunities to participate and practice skills andengage in health-related fitness activities.

NASPE StandardSPARK AlignmentOutside of PE class:SPARK encourages environmental change thatpromotes PA throughout the school day (e.g.,before and after school programs, recess and lunchbreaks, integration with core subjects and PA in theclassroom). SPARK works with teachers toenhance their PE content to include more lifetimeactivities (e.g., Frisbee, golf, yoga, etc.), as well asmovement opportunities that generalize to thecommunity (e.g., kayaking in Alaska, surfing inSouthern CA, lacrosse in New England, etc.).Additionally, SPARK teachers are trained toencourage regular physical activity outside of PEthrough promotional techniques (e.g., teachers askstudents what activities they have participated inover the weekend, if anyone walked to school, orhow they are doing with their PAL (physical activitylogs) that monitor movement outside of PE classand offer PA goal-setting opportunities).The SPARK Lifelong Wellness (LW) program hasbeen developed for elementary physical educationspecialists, classroom teachers, and after schoolprogram leaders and has also been used effectivelyin middle school environments. SPARK LW isdesigned to teach children and adolescents theskills necessary to be active outside of physicaleducation class, on the weekends, during vacations,and ultimately the rest of their lives. Additionally,students learn how to make healthy food choices,reduce time playing video games and watchingtelevision (low-voltage activities). Behavior changecomponents are woven throughout the LW programand include goal setting, rewards, scheduling timefor activity, obtaining social support, scheduling andplanning skills, environmental stimulus, and positiveself-talk.

4. Achieves and maintains a healthenhancinglevel of physical fitness.5. Exhibits responsible personal and socialbehavior that respects self and others inphysical activity settings.6. Values physical activity for health,enjoyment, challenge, self-expressionsand/or social interaction.SPARK promotes physical fitness in almost everylesson and in grades 3-8, SPARK provides aPersonal Best Day (PBD) fitness test. This teachesstudents how to monitor their fitness progress overtime, and administers three objective fitness tests.Additionally, PBD prepares students systematicallyfor fitness testing via use of the Fitnessgram,Physical Best, or Presidential programs. SPARKoutcomes show measurable and significantimprovement in fitness parameters – compared tonon-SPARK trained teachers’ students.The SPARK LW program was shown to be effectivein increasing the number of minutes students areactive outside of PE class, and anecdotally,teachers and parents reported increases in theirown personal activity programs.SPARK includes the teaching of social skills in allprograms and reinforces this during teachertraining opportunities. Utilizing a t-chart, SPARKtrained teachers learn how to facilitate discussionof the social skill, solicit student responses on whatthat skills looks like and sounds like, and how toassess student compliance during class. BecauseSPARK emphasizes inclusion and spendssignificant time during workshops on studentempowerment techniques and graduateddifferentiated learning, the learning environmentfosters self-confidence, positive self-image, andself-esteem in every child. The no or lowcompetitivenature of SPARK strives to provide anequal opportunity for physical activity for everychild, regardless of skill level. Facilitating individualstudent success everyday enhances one’spersonal skills and enjoyment of PE, and thusencourages repeating movement experiencesoutside of class.Via student surveys, it was demonstrated thatSPARK activities were enjoyed by students, andover the years, SPARK continues to edit andenhance content with student enjoyment in mind.Challenge is a large part of SPARK pedagogy, andin teacher training opportunities, a concerted effortis made to move teachers from direct and commandstyle to using inclusionary techniques andempowering students via greater student centeredlearning strategies. Presenting activities with achallenge and a question instead of a mandate is aSPARK pedagogy trademark. Partner and group

activities, many of which are cooperative, creative,and problem-solving in nature, serve to foster selfexpressionand positive social interactions duringclass.Additionally, the Lifelong Wellness programreinforces these concepts and provides activitiesthat address them in a classroom setting and/orduring inclement weather days where activityopportunities may be limited.Cited references:1. Marcoux, M.F., Sallis, J. F., McKenzie, T. L., Marshall, S., Armstrong, C. A., & Goggin, K. (1999).Process evaluation of a physical activity self-management program for children: SPARK. Psychology andHealth, 14, 659-677.2. McKenzie, T. L., Alcaraz, J. E., Sallis, J. F., & Faucette, F. N. (1998). Effects of a physical educationprogram on children's manipulative skills. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 17, 327-341.3. McKenzie, T. L., Alcaraz, J., & Sallis, J. F. (1994) Assessing children's liking for activity units in anelementary school physical education curriculum. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 13, 206-215.4. McKenzie, T. L., Sallis, J. F., Kolody, B., & Faucette, N. (1997). Long term effects of a physicaleducation curriculum and staff development program: SPARK. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport,68, 280-291.5. Sallis, J. F., McKenzie, T. L., Alcaraz, J. E., Kolody, B., Faucette, N., & Hovell, M. F. (1997). The effectsof a 2-year physical education program (SPARK) on physical activity and fitness in elementary schoolstudents. American Journal of Public Health, 87, 1328-1334.6. Sallis, J. F., McKenzie, T. L., Kolody, B., Lewis, M., Marshall, S., & Rosengard, P. (1999). Effects ofhealth-related physical education on academic achievement: Project SPARK. Research Quarterly forExercise and Sport, 70, 127-134.