What is PASS?

PASS, a Physically Active School System, is a program through which school districts can utilize opportunities for school-based physical activity that contribute to overall fitness and enhanced cognition and which can be broken down into four integral parts. First, there needs to be an understanding of the important connection between mind and body. Making this connection is crucial to the success of the program and on a bigger scale, to have an impact on childhood obesity. The positive effects of connecting physical activity to learning have been around for many years (Berg & Sady, 1983; McKenzie et al., 1996; Sallis & McKenzie, 1998; Stone, McKenzie, Welk, & Booth, 1998; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS] 2000). However, it wasn't until Ratey (2008) published his book, Spark: the Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain; that we have begun to take notice.

Second, cooperation among administrators (superintendents & principals), faculty (classroom teachers, physical educators, and other "special" subject areas), parents, and children needs to occur. Administrators need to be supportive of training for classroom teachers, so they are comfortable implementing informal, formal and contentrich physical activities in the classroom. They also need to recognize the importance of daily, quality physical education programs. These types of comprehensive programs not only provide health benefits for students, but can also reinforce the classroom curriculum, through such programs as the ABC's of Fitness (Katz, 2007) and Action Based Learning (Blaydes, 2000). There needs to be support of and cooperation among these groups in order for PASS to be successful.

Third, collaboration among legislators, institutions of higher education, community leaders, school administrators and parents needs to occur. Legislators need to provide opportunities for grants and service learning projects throughout their districts. Colleges and universities need to prepare their pre-service teachers to not only understand the benefits of physically active classrooms, but to be able to effectively implement a physically active program in their student teaching placement and eventually in their full-time employment. Partner with organizations (i.e. parks and recreation departments, youth development organizations, local governments, health service providers, faith-based organizations, and parents) to build communities around good nutrition, and positive and inclusive physical activity. Legislators need to provide policy change, incentives, enabling resources, guidance and support to this end.

Finally, it takes a village to raise one healthy child, and in that vein, a mass communication effort needs to take place to craft the message and image of physical activity and physically active learning as an expectation and a right! Advertise the good news regarding physical activity and learning, and the cooperation and collaboration that is taking place among the schools, community leaders, legislators, and parents for the success of their children and our future. Comprehensive school health and physical education programs are a good start, but as we know from past experience they are not enough on their own. Physically active classrooms, intramurals, before and after school programs, community outreach programs, and parks and recreation programs all have to work together to provide the most optimum experiences for children and adults to participate in physical activities.

In order for PASS to be successful the roles and responsibilities of the key stakeholders should be addressed. These individuals should have a vested interest in PASS the best approach is to include representatives from: school boards, administrators, school faculty and staff, students, parents, and community partners. Chapter Two will elaborate on who the key stakeholders are and their respective roles and responsibilities.

Having a solid understanding of the benefits of a PASS program and why it is needed will help the reader to make important connections between mind and body in order to make a lasting commitment for creating a physically active environment. Being physically active is important in combating hypokinetic diseases and certain types of cancer (United States Department of Health and Human Services USDHHS, 1996-present). We can now add to the long list of benefits of physical activity; increased cognition, focus, and overall readiness to learn. It is the intent of the authors, in this chapter, to help all educators understand and be able to feel comfortable using the powerful tool of movement to enhance students' physical, emotional, spiritual, and cognitive abilities.

Whether an administrator, faculty member, classroom teacher, or special area teacher, (Art, Music and Physical Education) everyone wants students test scores to improve and know that they contributed to it. These improved scores validate the roles and influence of educators and administrators. The purpose of this book is threefold: First to provide compelling information through a review of literature, for why movement needs to be incorporated into the school culture. Interviews with Pre K-12 educators to gather ideas and best practices for interdisciplinary teaching will be shared, along with an analysis of pre-existing data from state standardized test scores. Secondly the book will provide a framework on how to get started creating a physically active school system for administrators and educators. A variety of teaching strategies and techniques will be included in order to better understand the role physical activity plays in the classroom, which will in turn contribute significantly to improved cognition among students. Physical activity differentiates instruction, increases retention, motivation, attention and engagement in the learning process. Thirdly the book will provide a variety of activities that can be incorporated before and after school, during school, at home with the family and within the community. The primary focus of this book will emphasize the importance of using physical activity to its full potential by all educators.

Although it is important that high quality physical education programs exist within a school, it is only the beginning to solving the childhood obesity problem and how sedentary we as a nation have become. With all the research being done about the effects of physical activity on focus, cognition, readiness to learn (California State Board of Education, 2007, Ratey, 2008), and armed with the fact that aerobic activity can actually help create new neurological pathways, and the Naperville, IL model, (Ratey, 2008) we now have proof that fit kids are smarter. We cannot over emphasize the importance of making the connection between the mind and body. How the information is disseminated is where the problem lies. History tells us that using the doom and gloom approach, the threat of disease, or even staving off diseases doesn't work. Educators have to change the Nation's story from the detrimental effects of a sedentary lifestyle to one about improved health and performance beginning with physical activity as the basis of the pyramid. Our social, emotional and spiritual health all depend on our physical health.

Americans have a million excuses not to be physically active, with the number one reason being not enough time. Other barriers to full engagement include but are not limited to technology, multi-tasking, denial, self-deception and it's easier not to! (CDC 2001) Educators need to understand the barriers and that it is not the stress that is bad, but rather the lack of recovery time that we don't allow ourselves or our students. We need to get students fully engaged. Stress is not the enemy, it is how we grow, get stronger, and produce energy. It is only when we fail to manage the recovery period properly that problems arise (Groppel, 2011). In this day and age of smart phones, I-pads, and information at our fingertips, we are so busy multi-tasking and trying to handle multiple stimuli; that we never really fully disengage. This is what is hazardous to our health and well-being. Making excuses and telling ourselves the wrong story may give us meaning and significance, but it prevents real change, becoming fully engaged and disengaged. You can make a difference one student at a time by understanding the barriers to full engagement. Including Gardner's (1999) eight multiple intelligences, and Glasser's (1998) five basic human needs in your teaching is a great way to reach all the very different individuals that make up your classes. Furthermore, Lengel & Kuczala's (2010) framework for movement in the classroom, Blayde's, (2000) action based learning, Katz's (2010) ABC's for fitness, brain breaks in the classroom, Gilbert's (2000), brain dance, Ratey's (2008), Naperville, IL model, and before and after school programs which lead to community involvement, are all available tools that can help achieve the mission. We need to arm ourselves with these tools, reframe the story, collect data, and disseminate the information to the classroom teacher, administrators, board of education members, parents and most importantly our students.

In order to understand the connection between the mind and the body, educators need to fully comprehend what physical activity/ movement is and the benefits of imbedding it throughout the day. According to Blaydes (2000) there are three distinctions of movement, that need to be addressed when reviewing brain research: 1) movement, 2) physical activity, and 3) exercise. Movement is the navigation of one's environment. Physical activity is any movement of the skeletal muscle that expends energy. Exercise is physical activity that is planned and repetitive, with an increase in physical fitness as the goal. The two aspects of movement that benefit learners most are physical fitness and use of kinesthetic activities to anchor academic concepts resulting in cognitive reinforcement. According to Blaydes (2000), "movement prepares the brain for optimal learning" (p. 2).

Early research dealing with physical activity and cognition showed that physical activity enriches the learning environment; physical fitness is positively related to academic performance, and aerobic fitness aids cognition (Diamond, 1998; Gage, 1999; Gardner, 1983; Jensen, 1998). More recent research has documented the positive benefits physical activity/movement and exercise, have on cognition. In 2008, Ratey introduced the world to Spark: The New Revolutionary Science of Exercise and the Brain. He began prescribing various types of physical activity and exercise to his patients as treatment for everything from anxiety, stress, and depression to Alzheimer's disease. He also researched the effect of aerobic exercise on academic performance. With regular and prolonged aerobic activity, such as brisk walking or bike riding, new neurological pathways in the brain are created, which benefit old and young alike.

Movement differentiates instruction, increases retention, motivation, attention and engagement in the learning process, and should be utilized for its full potential benefits in both the classroom and in the gymnasium (Lengel & Kuczala, 2010; Ratey, 2008). "The research confirms that students perform better in school when they are emotionally and physically healthy. They miss fewer classes, are less likely to engage in risky or antisocial behavior, concentrate more and attain higher test scores" (NASPE, 2011 p.1).

Exercise is also of extreme importance, as it improves learning on three levels: 1) it optimizes the mindset to improve alertness, attention, and motivation; 2) it prepares and encourages nerve cells to log in new information; and 3) it spurs the development of new nerve cells from stem cells in the hippocampus (Ratey, 2008). By addressing the need for more physical activity during the school day and its positive effect on cognition, attendance and behavior, society can begin to see the possibility of an end to the problems of childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes and declining test scores (Kelly, Kelly & Franklin, 2006; Cotman & Engresser-Cesar, 2002).

According to Lengel and Kuczala (2010), two important keys to improved cognition for educators to understand are the difference between implicit and explicit learning and certain principles the brain seeks out. First, explicit learning occurs on a very conscious level, often through reading, lecture, listening, discussion and work sheets. Second, implicit learning involves more neural pathways and sensory cues, which allow the brain to learn more quickly and remember more accurately. Implicit learning often occurs through movement, life experiences and emotions, and is the preferred way for the brain to acquire information. The brain seeks novelty and likes to operate from concrete experiences. It tries to make meaning through questioning i.e., does this make sense? Emotions and the movement of the body and objects in the environment both contribute to an enhanced learning experience. Movement enhances the teaching/learning process in a variety of ways, including: improving brain function, increasing circulation, refocusing attention, enhancing episodic memory, reducing sitting time (which produces blood pooling and the release of melatonin), changing the brain chemically, providing breaks from learning, (as well as a motivational framework for learning and an opportunity for implicit learning), and stimulating neurogenesis (through prolonged aerobic activity). In addition, movement is the best available manager of state. State management refers to one's ability to manage the brain and body's physical, mental, and emotional states. By understanding the brains need to manage state the educator can better understand students' limited attention spans, their need to self-regulate mood, and the mind/body state that influences the process of meaning making (Hannaford, 1995; Jensen, 2000; Katz, 2007; Lengel & Kuczala, 2010; Ratey, 2008). Knowing this information and all of the other benefits that are associated with movement substantiates the need for physical activity and movement in the classroom (Kuczala, 2010).

Educators and administrators need to understand that from the time of birth we learned to roll over, crawl, walk, talk, and were given many accolades for these achievements. Upon entering school however, the tone changed and we were told to sit still and be quiet. This goes against everything our bodies need to do. Physical activity/movement, music, and novelty are relatively simple means to manage state, and help students make a much smoother transition to the very still and stifled environment in a school setting. As the teacher/facilitator it is important to understand and apply the five basic human needs (Glasser, 1965, 1998), the eight multiple intelligences (Gardner, 1999), and simple brain principles (Lengel & Kuczala, 2010) to the learning environment. Movement creates a joyful atmosphere in the classroom, and Kuczala (2010) provides a framework of movement for teachers to follow. He advocates six purposes for movement which include 1) preparing the brain, 2) providing brain breaks, 3) class cohesion activities, 4) support of exercise and fitness, 5) attaching kinesthetic activity to content and 6) movement-oriented content games (reviewing content). Overall, movement in the classroom helps to support relationships, relevance and/or meaning making, and rigor. Refer to Figure 1 to get a better idea of how to implement Kuczala's framework for movement model in the classroom, gymnasium, art, and/or music rooms. By focusing on the needs of every individual student, there is a greater likelihood of improved cognition.

It can be challenging to motivate students, especially when it comes to a lifestyle change. The most effective way to instill change is to make it simple and attainable. By imbedding physical activity as a part of the school's culture before, during and after school, children will more likely adopt it as a part of their everyday behavior. By providing opportunities for physical activity throughout the school day, students can bring this new behavior home and out into the community so we can all learn the importance of healthy behavior while improving cognition and academic success.

As a school professional, your role in implementing physical activity into your school begins with a commitment to build a healthier, more physically active school environment for the future of your students. The goal is for all children to get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day, with at least 30 minutes attained at school (AAHPERD, 1975; ACSM, 2000). Schools are a key setting for students to get their 60 minutes of physical activity, given the amount of time spent there. Schools can provide a variety of strategies and approaches to help students become more physically active, that include quality physical education programs and opportunities within the school that increases access to physical activity for all students to be physically active not just during physical education class but throughout the day. Students can get most of their physical activity through a quality physical education program that is complemented by activities before, during, and after school, recess, physical activity breaks, intramural programs, interscholastic sports, and walking or biking to and from school. Schools play a key role in shaping the social and physical development of their students.