Calif. Schools Chief: LA County Kids Need To Work Out More
PASADENA (CBS) — The state's top schools official says most kids in Los Angeles County are out of shape, not unlike their counterparts across California.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson warned that only about one-third of Southland elementary and middle school students meet all of the state's fitness criteria.
"Nothing is more important than the health of our children, and today's results show that many of them need a helping hand to get fit and stay in shape," Torlakson said at a news conference in Pasadena.
About 1.32 million students across California were administered the Fitnessgram test, which measures students' health in six areas — aerobic capacity, body composition, abdominal strength, a trunk-extensor exercise, upper body strength and flexibility.
According to the state Department of Education, scoring in the "Healthy Fitness Zone" would require a ninth-grade male to run a mile within nine minutes, perform a minimum of 16 push-ups and 24 curl-ups.
The test results showed that in Los Angeles County, 26.7 percent of fifth-graders scored in the healthy range in all six categories, along with 31.9 percent of seventh-graders and 36 percent of ninth-graders.
Orange County students faired better, with nearly 35 percent of fifth-graders, over 43 percent of seventh-graders and 45 percent of ninth-graders succeeding in all six criteria.
The statewide success rate was nearly 29 percent for fifth-graders, over 34 percent for seventh-graders and 38.5 percent for ninth-graders. Those results represented a slight decrease from last year's results for fifth-graders, and small increases for seventh- and ninth-graders, according to the DOE.
Torlakson announced plans to begin a campaign called Team California for Healthy Kids to "help students adopt the health habits that will help them succeed in the classroom today — and help them stay healthy over a lifetime."
Torlakson said the new fitness campaign would link schools with community leaders and athletes to generate partnerships and spotlight efforts to get students to exercise more — both at school and at home.
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