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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Physical education should be viewed as a public
3health tool that can be used to educate students and empower
4them to maintain and improve their life-long physical, social,
5and emotional well-being; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Physical education is valued as a foundational
7component for the health and well-being of students by health
8experts and policy leaders and has been shown to have a
9positive association with academic performance as well as
10mental and social-emotional health; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Quality physical education programs enhance the
12social-emotional learning skills of self-management, social
13awareness, self-awareness, decision-making, exhibiting
14responsible behaviors, and relationship skills; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Physical education provides opportunities for
16students to authentically use and evaluate personal
17Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies in a safe and
18inclusive setting; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Being enrolled in physical education provides an
20opportunity for students to be active during the school day;
21the CDC has stated that there are many benefits of physical

 

 

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1education in schools; when enrolled in physical education,
2students can increase their level of physical activity, can
3improve their grades, cognition, and standardized test scores,
4and are better able to focus and stay on-task in the classroom;
5and
 
6    WHEREAS, All physical education programs should follow the
7same standards; research suggests there are access gaps from
8school to school; students are entitled to a comprehensive
9physical education program; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Physical education is required to be taught;
11there is little oversight of compliance to the School Code,
12and the waiver process is not being strictly followed; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP) found
14that budget cuts had differential impacts on physical
15education, resulting in racial disparities; NPAP maintains
16that Black and Latinx students are less likely to be
17physically active and to have access to certified physical
18education teachers; these factors lead to lower fitness, which
19is correlated with poor academic performance, among other
20adverse outcomes; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Another public health concern cited by the NPAP
22is the lack of a consistent, equitable opportunity for kids to

 

 

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1get physical activity; physical education, through the public
2education system, can mitigate health disparities; physical
3education classes may be the only organized way for many
4lower-income kids to get much-needed exercise; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Physical education classes may be the only
6opportunity for students in alternative education programs and
7students with disabilities to be introduced, to learn, and to
8develop the knowledge, skills, behaviors, attitudes, and the
9confidence needed to be active throughout their lives; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The Society for Health and Physical Education
11reports that students who have physical education are 2.5
12times more likely to be active adults; the patterns of
13inactivity in childhood and adolescence track to higher rates
14of inactivity, obesity, and other health issues (diabetes,
15heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis) in
16adulthood; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Physical education provides opportunities for
18movement that in turn lead to decreasing medical costs; the
19World Health Organization estimates that for every $1.00
20invested in physical activity $3.20 will be saved in medical
21costs; and
 
22    WHEREAS, The COVID-19 pandemic has, in some cases, eroded

 

 

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1physical education programming; steps need to be taken to
2ensure that all students have standards-based physical
3education programming when they return to school without the
4constraints of COVID-19; these steps should include, but are
5not limited to, making sure that physical education programs
6teach the Illinois Physical Development and Health Goals and
7Standards; therefore, be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL
9ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that physical education is
10an essential and integral part of educating the whole child
11and that ALL students in the State of Illinois should have
12access to equitable, high quality, standards-based physical
13education programming being supported by equitable resources
14and funding; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That all physical education programs are urged
16to be in compliance with and accountable for following the
17Illinois School Code; and be it further
 
18    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
19delivered to the State Superintendent of Education, the
20Illinois Association of School Boards, the Illinois
21Association of School Administrators, the Illinois Principal
22Association, the Illinois Education Association, the Illinois
23Federation of Teachers, and the Illinois Association of

 

 

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1Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance.