Nicholas J. Cutforth

Early Impact of the Federally Mandated Local Wellness Policy on Physical Activity in Rural, Low-Income Elementary Schools in Colorado

The Whats Working project described the initial impact of the United States’ federally mandated Local Wellness Policy in rural, low-income elementary schools located in Colorado. Before and after the Local Wellness Policy mandate went into effect, a survey about school features related to nutrition and physical activity was sent to a random sample of 45 rural elementary schools (i.e., schools located outside of urban areas), in which at least 40% of students qualified for free or reduced-cost lunch. Overall, opportunities for physical activity did not change after the policy went into effect: although time in physical education increased by 14 min per week (P=0.10), time for recess decreased by roughly 19 min per week (P=0.10). Policies supporting student participation in physical education and recess (an unstructured time during school hours when students are allowed to play outside) did not change. The researchers coded Local Wellness Policies and found them to have weak wording that produced minimal impact. Content analysis of key informant interviews suggested several barriers to the impact of the Local Wellness Policies: (1) competing pressures facing school districts, (2) lack of resources devoted to the Local Wellness Policy, (3) principals’ lack of knowledge about the policy, and (4) lack of accountability mechanisms to ensure policy implementation. Financial resources and more effective communication about Local Wellness Policies among school districts and principals are needed to elevate the importance of and increase opportunities for physical activity in rural, low-income Colorado elementary schools.

An Investigation into the Organization, Challenges, and Impact of an Urban Apprentice Teacher Program

Service learning programs are being advanced as effective vehicles for preparing young people for active citizenship and promoting growth in self-esteem, interpersonal skills, leadership skills, and personal responsibility. Although there is a burgeoning literatue addressing service learning programs in school subject areas such as language arts, math, science, and social studies, little consideration has been given to the potential of physical activity programs to provide meaningful service learning experiences for youngsters. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data, this article describes an apprentice teacher program in which a group of urban youngsters taught basketball to young children attending a summer sports camp. The apprentice teacher program captured the interests and talents of this group of young people who, in their school career, had been characterized as behavior problems, poor attenders, and low achievers. The experience improved their self-confidence, concern for others, intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, and enthusiasm for learning. The apprentice teachers completed the program aware of the contributions they could make toward helping others and eager to continue the work the following year.

Connecting School Physical Education to the Community through Service-Learning

Ser vice-learning is a teaching method that provides opportu nities for students to acquire academic, career, social, and personal skills through community service projects. The rationale for servicelearning is that students learn best by doing, by serving, and by reflecting on their experience. Students become actively engaged in the needs of the community, and the experiences they bring back to the classroom become the basis for their classroom learning. Increasingly, service-learning experiences are being incorporated into school subject areas such as language arts, math, science, and social studies (Wade, 1997). In physical education, however, opportunities to engage in service-oriented activities have been limited. While examples exist in other curricular areas, few examples of infusing meaningful service-learning experiences into the physical education curriculum appear in the literature. This isunfortunate because physical education programs provide a practical setting in which young people can identify and meet the sport and recreational needs of their communities by planning and implementing a service activity. As students undertake the service activity, they can bring their experiences back into school and reflect on issues that arise. On completion, their efforts can be recognized and celebrated. Finally, program evaluation can be conducted to inform future service-learning initiatives. In service-learning programs, attention must be given to the clear articulation of responsibilities and goals, as well as to the provision of structured opportunities for students to reflect

What's Worth Doing: Reflections on an After-School Program in a Denver Elementary School

How can concerned physical educators in higher education show more of a commitment to addressing the growing crisis among children and youth? A physical activity-based after-school program in a Denver elementary school provides the context for an account of how I, as a third-year tenure track assistant professor, have answered the question, “Whats worth doing?” Ongoing program evaluation and dissemination of demonstrable results ensures that my work is not merely a service activity but also applied, scholarly research. In this essay, I trace the three-year history of the program, describe my struggles and successes, and conclude with my reflections on the personal benefits and strains which accompany my commitment to undertaking community work.

Adapted intervention mapping: a strategic planning process for increasing physical activity and healthy eating opportunities in schools via environment and policy change.

BACKGROUND School environment and policy changes have increased healthy eating and physical activity; however, there has been modest success in translating research findings to practice. The School Environment Project tested whether an adapted version of Intervention Mapping (AIM) resulted in school change. METHODS Using a pair randomized design, 10 rural elementary schools were assigned to AIM or the School Health Index (SHI). Baseline measures were collected fall 2005, AIM was conducted 2005-2006, and follow-up measures were collected fall 2006 and 2007. Outcome measures included number and type of effective environment and policy changes implemented; process measures included the extent to which 11 implementation steps were used. RESULTS AIM schools made an average of 4.4 effective changes per school with 90% still in place a year later. SHI schools made an average of 0.6 effective changes with 66% in place a year later. Implementation steps distinguishing AIM from SHI included use of external, trained facilitators; principal involvement; explicitly stating the student behavior goals; identifying effective environment and policy changes; prioritizing potential changes based on importance and feasibility; and developing an action plan. CONCLUSION The AIM process led to environment and policy changes known to increase healthy eating and physical activity.

An Adapted Version of Intervention Mapping (AIM) Is a Tool for Conducting Community-Based Participatory Research

The field of public health is increasingly using community-based participatory research (CBPR) to address complex health problems such as childhood obesity. Despite the growing momentum and funding base for doing CBPR, little is known about how to undertake intervention planning and implementation in a community-academic partnership. An adapted version of Intervention Mapping (AIM) was created as a tool for university and elementary school partners to create school-level environment and policy changes aimed at increasing student physical activity and healthy eating. After AIM was completed, interviews were conducted with school partners. Findings indicate AIM is closely aligned to 7 of 9 CBPR principles. Examples include equitable involvement of all partners, co-learning, and balancing knowledge generation and community improvement. Shortcomings, lessons learned, and suggestions for strengthening the AIM process are described.

The Journey of a Community-Engaged Scholar: An Autoethnography

Community engagement is central to the public and civic mission of a growing number of colleges and universities, and numerous faculty members are applying their expertise to issues of importance to local communities and the larger society. However, there have been few first-hand descriptions of the career paths of faculty who engage in community-engaged scholarship. Faced with the current traditional typology of faculty work—teaching, research, and service—junior faculty in particular are often advised to postpone their community engagement work until after they secure their foundation in research and teaching. The author is a tenured full professor who regards community-engaged scholarship as central to his work. Using an autoethnographic style, he reflects on the motivations, influences, and experiences that have informed his intentional efforts to integrate teaching, research, and service into his professional identity as a community-engaged scholar. His story is an invitation for present and future scholars to view their work through an engaged lens: specifically to think imaginatively about how engaging in pressing social issues and developing respectful and productive relationships with individuals and organizations at the local community level might improve and advance their scholarship. The authors reflections contribute to the theory and practice of community-engaged scholarship by addressing the tensions facing community-engaged scholars as they navigate faculty roles and rewards in higher education.

Local Wellness Policy 5 Years Later: Is It Making a Difference for Students in Low-Income, Rural Colorado Elementary Schools?

Introduction The federally mandated Local Wellness Policy (LWP) was intended to promote student health in schools. This study assesses the 5-year effects of the LWP on the health practices of rural elementary schools in Colorado. Methods One year before and 5 years after the LWP mandate, a survey was administered to a random sample of principals, physical education (PE) teachers, and food-service managers in 45 rural, low-income elementary schools in Colorado. Response rates were 71% in 2005 and 89% in 2011. Results Minutes for PE and recess did not increase, nor did offerings of fresh fruits and vegetables. More schools adopted policies prohibiting teachers from taking recess away as punishment (9.7% in 2005 vs 38.5% in 2011, P = .02) or for making up missed instructional time, class work, or tests in other subjects (3.2% in 2005 vs 28.2% in 2011, P = .03). More schools scheduled recess before lunch (22.6% in 2005 vs 46.2% in 2011, P = .04) and developed policies for vending machines (42.9% in 2005 vs 85.7% in 2011, P = .01) and parties (21.4% in 2005 vs 57.9% in 2011, P = .004). Conclusion Changes in school practices are modest, and arguably the important school practices such as increased PE and recess time and increased offerings of fruits and vegetables in the lunch line have not changed in the 5 years since the mandate went into effect. Further investigation is needed to identify the knowledge, skills, and attitudes as well as financial and physical resources required for school administrators to make changes in school practices.

A Community-Engaged Approach to Translating Research into Practice: A Physical Education Story

Background: The National Institutes of Health’s Clinical and Translational Sciences Award program emphasizes the need to speed up the process of putting evidence-based practices into place. One strategy they promote is community engagement; however, few studies describe a process for meaningfully engaging communities in the translation process.Objective: This article describes steps taken by a university– community partnership to create a plan for implementing evidence-based physical education (PE) practices in rural schools. This partnership’s efforts resulted in the acquisition of a

Community-Based Research and Higher Education: Principles and Practices

1.86 million grant to implement the plan.Methods: Qualitative data collected during the planning process were analyzed using content analysis.Results: Key steps included undertaking a baseline assessment of community needs, reviewing and selecting evidence-based practices, developing a multilevel, community-driven action plan and establishing its feasibility with community stakeholders.Lessons Learned: These steps could be applied to other health topics across a variety of settings. Several strategies that made the process successful are described. Recommendations are made for expanding the roles of Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs) and local health foundations in supporting community-engaged translational research.Conclusions: University–community partnerships have the potential to create plans and obtain large-scale funding for translating evidence-based research into practice.