School P.E. Classes Undergo Changes
By: Megan Hunter
Updated: January 9, 2013
Alabama schools are changing health standards this year.
Joyce Mcmillen, the physical education teacher at Cloverdale Elementary, said educators wanted to combat the high number of students suffering from childhood obesity.
"Alabama was one of the leading states in obesity in school children," said Mcmillen. "We are trying to beef it up and do more running, more calisthenics and strenuous exercise for about 30 minutes a day."
To combat the problem, the state implemented the Alabama Assessment Plan--a physical fitness test that takes the place of the President's Challenge Fitness Test students previously took part in.
Several things were changed, with every child older than eight being required to run a mile.
Instead of pull ups, students are asked to do a modified push up. In the place of sit-ups, students perform crunches.
"We want everybody to make "healthy" on the test, that way we at least know that they are on the road to fitness," said Mcmillen.
This is the first year that the test has been required for Alabama schools.
