The Award
The Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, Health & Sports, along with the Michigan Fitness Foundation, presented its highest Exemplary Physical Education Award - Level 8 - to the Western School District on November 9, 2006, at its annual dinner in Kalamazoo. The purpose of the awards program is to recognize school districts, individual teachers or buildings that demonstrate their commitment to high-quality physical education by taking exemplary actions and demonstrating exemplary results in terms of student achievement. High-quality physical education is defined as addressing obesity/chronic disease and is outcome based. This means that the curriculum is consistent with content standards and benchmarks for physical education; curriculum, instruction and assessment are aligned; and the curriculum is taught by certified physical education specialists. Recognition is intended to motivate excellence and identify models of effectiveness for other school districts that seek to provide excellent physical education.
The Story
The Western Physical Education Staff, concerned with the state of our youth’s health and fitness, had a vision to improve the district curriculum, so in the fall of 2002, with the commitment and support of John Dardzinski, Superintendent, the Western Board of Education, Blaine Goodrich, Curriculum Director, Chris Jackson, Principal and the leadership of Charles Kuntzleman, Ed, D., Chair of both the Governor’s council and the Michigan Fitness Foundation, the staff began the initial step of climbing the Exemplary Awards Ladder. A thirty-five member community stakeholder’s task force completed a self-study to assess and determine the life fitness skills Western students should achieve and by the fall of 2003, the district had received the Level 2 District Award. Next, staff focused on receiving district approval and adoption of Michigan’s nationally recognized, award winning K-12 Exemplary Physical Education Curriculum (EPEC), and developing a plan for implementation. With this step in place, Western was Awarded its Level 3 District Award in 2004. The determined staff then began the challenge of curriculum implementation, climbing two levels in one year to reach Level 4 and 5 recognition in 2005. By the fall of 2006, Western’s Physical Education Instructors had successfully completed the final three intensive stages of curriculum implementation, which required pre and post instructional assessment of 16 objectives with scientific valid documentation of student outcomes achieving a minimum of 80% success rate complete with building administrator’s written verification. Not only did the staff complete three levels in one year, but Western became the first Michigan class B school to receive the prestigious Level 8 District Award. In January 2007, William Coale, Ph.D., Superintendent, the Western Board of Education, and Craig Raehtz, Curriculum Director, presented certificates of congratulations in recognition of commitment, hard work, determination and success to elementary instructors: Marilyn Goodrich, Steve Holton, Steve Morrow; middle school instructors: Nancy Estes, Linda Scholl, Mike Wilcox; high school instructors: Jerry Meredith, Chris Lake, and our mentor, Charles Kuntzleman, Ed. D.
The Benefit
The Western School District now offers the ultimate physical education experience for its students. Clearly identified objectives defined by its community stakeholders recognize and support a quality program. Physical educators, through increased student expectations and activity levels, are providing documentation of significant student achievement. The EPEC program begins in childhood to equip students to understand the importance of physical activity by providing fitness levels, motor skills, activity-related knowledge and personal/social skills they need to be active for a lifetime. The most prevalent risk factor for chronic disease is physical inactivity and Michigan is identified as having one of the highest rates. The benefits of the EPEC curriculum. a public health initiative, extend beyond the students themselves. As they become EPEC graduates, their active lifestyles will positively influence their families and communities as they become healthy, productive citizens, for generations to come.
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