This study examined the initial effects of a participatory-based, competency-/skill-building professional development workshop for physical education (PE) teachers on the use of physical activity (PA) promotion practices (e.g., eliminating lines, small-sided games) and students' moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). A total of 823 students (52.8% boys) wore accelerometers at baseline (fall 2015) and outcome (spring 2016) on PE and non-PE days. The System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time+ measured changes in PA promotion practices. Teachers ( n = 9) attended a 90-minute workshop prior to outcome data collection. Mixed-model linear regressions estimated changes in teacher practices and students' MVPA. Three of the nine targeted PA promotion practices changed in the desired direction (i.e., p < .05; increased motor content and lessons taught outdoors, reduced activities with lines), with three more teacher practices trending in the desired direction (i.e., reduced management time and activities with elimination, increased small-sided games). During PE, boys and girls increased MVPA by 2.0 (95% confidence interval [1.1, 3.0]), and 1.3 (95% confidence interval [0.5-2.0]) minutes, respectively. However, there were no statistically significant changes in boys' or girls' MVPA during the school day. Greater implementation of promotion practices by the PE teachers was associated with boys', but not girls', MVPA during PE. Girls in high- and low-implementing teachers' lessons experienced increases in MVPA, suggesting that even small changes in PA promotion practices can increase girls' MVPA during PE. Overall, the workshops were effective at increasing teachers' PA promotion and students' MVPA in PE. Other school-based strategies that complement and extend efforts targeting PE are recommended to increase children's total daily PA.

No abstract

Purpose: Abbeville v. South Carolina was a nearly three-decade long school funding lawsuit initiated by the education leaders of South Carolina's most rural and impoverished school districts that primarily educated students of color. Recently, the State Supreme Court dismissed the entire case. Guided by a multiperspective framework of social justice, one year after the dismissal, we sought to understand the perspectives and experiences of five of the original plaintiff superintendents who either initiated or engaged in the court hearings for the case. These education leaders shared unique insights on their valiant struggle against systemic inequities in order to improve the quality of their students’ education. Research method: To address our research questions, we relied on an intrinsic retrospective case study methodology that relies on face-to-face semistructured interview data collection with five of the original superintendents who were involved in the legacy case. We then supplemented the qualitative findings with quantitative descriptive data and results from our differences-in-differences analyses to support the qualitative analysis. Findings: Participants shared rich detailed experiences concerning both the struggle their districts faced that necessitated the lawsuit and the struggle they faced while fighting to ameliorate those conditions. There was a mixed reaction concerning whether participants felt the struggle was worth the effort, yet they universally felt the conditions have not improved for their districts. Some further felt that the funding gap between the rich (urban/suburban) school districts and their poor rural counterparts has actually widened. These perceptions were supported by the revenue data.

No abstract