Taking a Small Break

The 2009 PEP submission process is now over and after working for about six weeks straight (weekends, etc.), I am taking a couple of days off. I know the annual Progress Reports are due anywhere between March 16th and April 1st, so I will start work back up on Monday. My people and I both need a couple of days off!

Enjoy your weekend -- I know I will.

Great Suggestions from Teachers Like You...

One feature I love about this blog is that PE Instructors from across the country are able to share the different approaches that make their PEP projects successful. They also take the time to share with me some of the shortcuts that they use to save themselves time and energy in the evaluation of their projects.

So, I am going to start publishing those suggestions each week. Make sure you create an RSS feed for this site so you know when it is updated. I hope you find the information informative. If there are topics you would like to see additional discussion about, please email me and I will publish an article regarding the area you suggest.

1. Save Time in Data Transfer: One PE Instructor in Kenosha WI suggested that instead of writing all of the student names into the data tracking sheets, you cut and paste the names onto the appropriate sheets instead. That will save you from having to write in all of the names yourself.
2. When Timelines are Out of Order: When you have already conducted your fitness pre-test and you now need your students to note their performance data to assist in goal setting, copy the sheet you noted their data on and cut out the data for each student along with their name. This will same you significant time and effort. You will not have to meet with each student individually to help them note their data.
3. Partner Up: Use SPARK classroom management strategies and have your students partner up for the portions of the fitness test that they can. Try and get them to accurately count for their partner and then have them switch positions. That will help you move more quickly through your evaluation piece.
4. Work with Classroom Teachers: A classroom teacher can be your best friend when you are trying to get your students to journal the amount of time they spend each week exhibiting MVPA. As classroom teachers to give students time to record the data and they add the number of minutes up they have at the end of the week. Most classroom teachers will be happy to oblige.

If there are other tips and strategies that you would like to share, please email me and I will of course credit you and let the whole world know how smart and impressive you are!

2009 PEP Applications Being Accepted

Yep, it is true, the DoEd recently announced they will be accepting applications for new projects under the Carol M. White PEP Program. The CFDA number is 84.215F if you would like to look up the new guidelines once they are published. The guidelines are scheduled to be released sometime on or shortly after 01.15.2009.

I will take some time and publish my thoughts on the new guidelines once I have had the chance to carefully review them. I don't think they will change too much, but I do expect clearer guidance on the GRPA requirements for grant recipients. I am also hopeful that the guidance published for reviewers by the DoEd is clearer and put an emphasis on research-based programs.

It seems a larger than desired percentage of recipients that are approved are not exactly clear on what type of program they would like to implement nor the true scope and sequence of their program. It is a shame that some of the federal dollars go to these districts. Trust me, I have seen it first hand and it is a waste of this resource.

Too long between posts...excuses, excuses

Alright, it is hard to admit, but it was entirely too long between my last post and this one. The dog ate my homework, my gym shorts, and my car keys. No really, this post is all about the excuses your students give you and how you can motivate them with simple contests and strategies. Believe it or not, simple, crazy promotions will often lead students to perform a desired behavior.

For PEP projects, it seems the Student Activity Level tracking (MVPA) that is required by the DoEd is the most difficult. I have seen some electronic solutions as well as solutions that require simple paper and a pencil. Whatever your budget and level of motivation, getting your students to recall and record that data is the challenge here.

Let me remind you of the five simple strategies we advocate to help motivate your PE students to complete a desired task:

1. Make sure the behavior is easily measured. If you students are required to spend hours a week recording and reporting data, it won't happen. If you as the teacher or Project Director are required to spend hours a week compiling data, yep, you guessed it, your data will be raw for weeks. And you know what they say about raw data -- it starts to stink after a while.
2. Group competition instead of individual competition. Make any competitions you conduct based on group performance instead of individual performance. Embed individual performance within the competition.
3. Set clear criteria. Your students have to know how they are being judged. Without this information, they will undoubtedly throw in the towel before the end of the competition.
4. Reward positive behavior. Enough said.
5. Constantly remind and promote. Your students will need gentle and clear reminders of the expected outcomes. Make sure they know deadlines and are clear on what they are required to submit.

This post may seem like a rehash of the previous information and to a certain extent it is. But this topic is one of the most difficult issues that confront PE instructors. So tell me this -- what have you used in the past to motivate your students? What has been successful and what has failed?

How Do I Motivate My Students?

One of the best ways to make sure your students improve in any area is to measure their performance. Since you are looking to increase their MVPA levels during the week for your GRPA data submission, why not hold a contest? But how do you successfully roll out a contest that is fair and does not promote unhealthy competition between students? There are several strategies to achieve this goal, but I will discuss one that has been show to be effective in the districts that I work with. Several great ideas came out of trainings that I recently held at Harlan County Schools and Mercer County Schools. Both districts are in Kentucky but are very different in their approach to PE. One district relies on classroom teachers to deliver PE while the other has PE Instructors at all levels within the district. These ideas will work for both groups.

There are several rules you should follow when putting a contest together. We have found that when you follow these rules, your contest will promote the behavior you are looking to improve and create healthy competition. Those rules are:

1. Easily measured behavior. Whatever you are measuring, be it MVPA minutes per week, steps, performance in fitness test items, make the indicator easy for your students to measure. Try and select criteria that do not require specialized equipment to measure. One example is a teacher who has students report their physical activity minutes as part of a fitness journal. The students then sum up their minutes for the week and report back to the teacher.

2. Group competition instead of individual competition. While you can reward individuals as part of a group competition, the best approach to create a supportive environment and cooperative behavior is to put your students into groups. Organize them according to fair criteria and have them compete against other groups of similar ability. You should post results according to groups and not single out any individuals. Encourage groups to support each other throughout the competition.

3. Set clear criteria. One of the best competitions is to measure the percentage of students in a group who achieve a particular goal. The winner of the contest would be the group with the highest percentage. Make sure your students understand how they will be measured and what is acceptable. Consider posting the rules of the contest where they are accessible.

4. Reward positive behavior. Set your reward before you start your contest and try to spread the wealth around. While your budgets may be small, there are ways to increase the reach of your dollar. Talk with current suppliers to have them help you through discounts or free product. Talk with area merchants so they extend you discounts and possibly provide product at cost.

5. Constantly remind and promote. Have your entire school get involved. Involve classroom teachers and the administration. Have reminders placed in daily announcements. Speak with the staff of the entire school before your contest begins to get their buy-in and support. When you see your students, provide encouragement, especially to those students and groups that are lagging behind.

There are several contests that we have see run effectively. They have made significant improvements in the performance criteria that are being measured. You know your students and what motivates them. A well run contest doesn’t have to include high dollar prizes as a reward. Your attitude and the support you receive from the rest of your school can make a contest wildly successful.

President's Challenge Fitness is Fun

One great resource that is published each month by the people at the President's Challenge is the newletter titled Fitness is Fun. If you would like to access this free resource, click HERE. This information is a great all-around resource that can give you ideas of what other professionals in the field of PE are doing to make improvments in their program.

It is All About the Timelines...

You have heard in elections that “It is All about the Economy Stupid.” Fortunately in our industry the economy has very little to do with grant implementation. However, successful grant implementation and evaluation has everything to do with proper planning – planning of what you will do and almost as important, the timeline to support that plan.

You may look at a district that has successfully implemented their grant and think, “Wow, they must know something I don’t,” or “They must have access to tools that I don’t.” In both cases, you would be wrong. Their personnel are no more talented, skilled, or committed to proper grant implementation that you are. They most likely do not have access to armies of personnel to help them in their efforts. What they do have that you may not is a detailed strategy for implementation of their project.

I have discussed putting together a detailed implementation plan in the past. I will focus instead in this article on the actual timeline and how you should put your first one together.

First you need to evaluate your evaluation needs. Start your assessment process as soon as you can. Evaluate your students, teachers, and process as required by your project. Set clear dates for when you want to conduct the pre and the post-test so that you can plan the rest of your schedule around those dates. Optimally, you will conduct your pre-tests before you begin the actual modifications to curriculum, introduce staff development, and purchase new equipment.

Next, look at your equipment orders. When can your suppliers get you the equipment that you need. Your equipment needs to arrive before the supporting staff development sessions and curriculum introduction. I have clients who have tried to reverse this order and it is less than effective.

Shortly thereafter, plan the dates for your staff development sessions. You most likely scheduled release time for your teachers, so getting this on to the schedule will be dependent on your district process and the amount of lead time they require to schedule substitutes. Make sure you do the paperwork and get the subs scheduled. Send a email to the building principal letting them know the sessions are required if they would like to receive the mountains of equipment that you have purchased. 99.9% of principals will comply. A quick call to your superintendent will make sure that the late bloomers do.

This is the majority of the timeline. Now it is time to start to fill in the gaps. Make sure you set deadlines for your PE Instructors of when you require student test results. Provide clear expectations to your PE Instructors and they will know what your expectations are. How to motivate them to do so will be the subject of the next post.