| Obesity is a national epidemic that has gained much attention in educational communities as decisions are being made to focus on areas of accountability, or core content areas, over physical education, recess, fine arts, and other electives. With growing pressures of accountability and meeting Adequate Yearly Progress, physical education is being left behind without school administrators and teachers truly understanding the importance and effects this may have on the future of this country and its youth. Furthermore, if physical fitness is related to academic achievement, then educational leaders may be making decisions that are counterproductive. This quantitative, causal comparative study investigated this problem in a rural south Texas district; more specifically, it investigated the extent to which Body Mass Index is reflected in academic achievement of 520 eighth graders in mathematics and how gender, socioeconomic status and ethnicity relate. This research is important in that the findings may influence the decisions being made by educational leadership in regard to physical fitness, health and nutrition and their relationship to academic achievement. Data were collected from the school district's Eduphoria database as well as from the Fitness Gram. Pearson Correlation Coefficients, ANOVA and T-tests were used to test the null hypotheses and recommendations and suggestions were made. Results showed a statistically significant link between body mass of students and their academic achievement in mathematics; therefore, further research into these phenomena needs to be completed. Literature discussing physical education, poverty, nutrition and Michele Obama's Initiative Let's Move was reviewed.;Keywords; academic achievement, body mass, physical fitness, health, Fitness Gram, standardized test. |
