Santa Monica and Malibu kids are starting to shape up.
According to results from a recent state-mandated fitness test, elementary students in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District improved nearly 25 percent in 2002 over the previous year, said Chris Corliss, a district employee in academic services.
Fifth graders saw the most dramatic difference as they passed five or six of the six physical fitness tests given to them by the state.
The test, given to fifth, seventh and ninth graders in 90 percent of California school districts, measures physical fitness in six areas: cardiovascular endurance, percentage of body fat, abdominal strength, endurance and overall flexibility. The tests included a one-mile run/walk, push-ups, curl-ups, trunk lifts, sit and reaches and body mass index.
To be considered physically fit, the state requires students pass all six tests, which places them in the “healthy fitness zone.”
However, the local school district believes the state’s requirements are too stringent. It bases its students’ level of fitness cumulatively and compares the scores to previous years, Corliss said.
“We had set up preliminary targets in the school,” he said. “It’s very good compared to other school districts, and over last year, our fifth grade is much better.”
Last year, the school district got a below average grade for student fitness. But that seems to be changing.
“We are improving every year,” Corliss said. “District-wide we showed a 15 percent increase in the number of students who met five out of six tests or six out of the six tests.”
In the fifth grade, 57.5 percent of the students met the school district’s target of fitness. Last year, only 32 percent met the requirements.
Seventh grade only saw a slight improvement, with 41 percent meeting the district’s expectations. In 2001, 39.4 percent met the requirements.
“There is a tremendous amount of work to do in this area,” Corliss said. “It’s not anything I would like to see.”
The ninth grade showed an 18 percent improvement — with 55 percent meeting the target in 2002 and only 37 percent making the grade in 2001.
The district’s overall target was to get 56 percent of its students to pass at least five of the six tests. The goal last year was 47 percent, Corliss said. Throughout the state last year, only 25 percent of students achieved six out of the six tests.
“We are doing a lot better than other districts in the state,” Corliss said. “We as a district just started a theme to focus on fitness.”
The district has new health-related curriculums in the classrooms, new playgrounds at the elementary schools and a new gym facility at Santa Monica High School.
“We are trying to pull together fitness, nutrition and knowledge,” Corliss said.
“We are trying to pull together fitness, nutrition and knowledge.” — — CHRIS CORLISS SMMUSD employee
But nutrition may be difficult to instill into the young minds of Santa Monica’s children as McDonalds and Taco Bell are both served on Samohi’s campus.
And fitness could be difficult to maintain as well — with looming cuts from the state, the school district finds itself about $14 million short. One of the items proposed to be cut is elementary physical education, Corliss said.
“We are going to lose what we have worked on for five years,” he said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 3, 2003. Read the original PDF.