A survey of physical education programs and policies in Texas schools

To better understand key physical education program factors and policies that may affect Texas students' physical fitness, a 39-question survey, administered as part of the Texas Youth Fitness Study (TYFS), was sent to 5651 Texas schools via e-mail. The survey consisted of five sections: (a) demographics, (b) physical education/recess frequency and duration, (c) resources/environment, (d) school physical education polices, and (e) experience/perception of fitness testing. A total of 2576 responses were received, of which 1505 responses (elementary = 58.1%, middle school = 21.2%, high school = 19.4%, and "mixed" school = 1.3%) were used for the report. Most of the findings are consistent with those reported in recent national studies. In addition, there were four distinct aspects: (a) broad support among teachers for the Senate Bill 530 mandate, (b) strong evidence of adherence to the mandated testing protocols, (c) teachers' negative experiences related to the testing, and (d) lack of recess in some Texas elementary schools. The survey provided rich updated information on physical education programs and policies in Texas schools.