Examining Physical Education And Physical Activity Policies Across Western New York School Districts

School district wellness policies regarding physical education and physical activity (PEPA) are important for ensuring students are offered many opportunities to be physically active during the school day. The strength (i.e., weak language: recommends action; versus strong language: requires action) and comprehensiveness (i.e., inclusion of all policy components as required by federal law and evidence-based practice) of school district PEPA policies may vary by school district demographics. PURPOSE: This study examines the strength and comprehensiveness of district PEPA policies by district socioeconomic status (SES), geographic locale (i.e., rural, suburban, urban), and district size (i.e., student enrollment). METHOD: 80 school district wellness policies across 5 Western New York counties were collected via school district websites. Demographic data (including district SES, locale, and size) were collected from the National Center for Education Statistics website and district websites. PEPA policies (16 items) were located in each district policy document and scored on their strength and comprehensiveness using the WellSAT WSCC (a validated school wellness policy evaluation tool). Means and standard deviations were calculated for continuous variables. One-way ANOVAs with post-hoc tests compared PEPA scores by district SES, locale, and size. RESULT: Districts (n = 80) were primarily low SES (50%), located in rural areas (63%), and had large student populations (44%). Strength (p < 0.001) and comprehensiveness (p = .008) significantly differed by locale. Rural districts had higher strength (M = 32.72) and comprehensiveness (M = 59.34) compared to urban (Mstrength = 17.23, Mcomp = 31.36), while suburban districts (Mstrength = 30.73, Mcomp = 57.73) had higher scores compared to urban. Strength (p > .001) and comprehensiveness (p > .001) significantly differed by SES. High SES districts had higher strength (M = 32.70) and comprehensiveness (M = 62.60) compared to low SES districts (Mstrength = 12.10, Mcomp = 26.90). No significant differences were found for district size. CONCLUSION: School district PEPA policies vary by district locale and SES. Urban and low SES school districts should improve the language of their wellness policies to increase physical activity opportunities for students.