Active School Environments

The Opportunity

With over 50 million students enrolled in grades K-12 nationally, schools are critical settings to promote physical education and physical activity (PE/PA). National guidelines recommend that elementary and secondary school-age youth participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily. Research demonstrates that physically active students have better health and educational outcomes; furthermore, engaging students in physical activity can also improve school climate. Despite studies citing the numerous benefits of physically active young people, most do not engage in the recommended levels of 60 minutes of daily physical activity.

The Approach

Young people are not born in a vacuum, and their health and well-being is not just a sum of their genetics and behaviors. There are many factors, such as their school and community, that play a part in how they develop.  

Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Model

The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model, developed by ASCD and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), visualizes ten school health components that support the development of young people who are safe, engaged, supported, challenged, and healthy.

Physical education and physical activity (PE/PA) are highlighted as one of the ten core components of the WSCC model.  Schools can offer multiple opportunities for youth physical activity throughout the school day through the creation of active school environments. This includes:

• Opportunities offered to students to be physically active before, during, and after school.
• Policies and practices schools used to address physical education and physical activity before, during, and after school.

Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP)

The Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) framework, was developed by CDC, in collaboration with SHAPE America and other experts in the field. It strategically supports schools to establish and support environments supportive of physical education and physical activity.

CSPAP is a multi-component approach by which school districts and schools use all opportunities for students to be physically active. This includes:

• Physical education;
• Physical activity during school;
• Physical activity before and after school;
• Staff involvement; and
• Family and community engagement.

For more in-depth detail and resources on CSPAP, go to The CSPAP Framework.