Research & Data
Research
This is a non-exhaustive list of resources and initiatives utilized by districts to support instruction in various topics. The following resources and links are for informational purposes only and do not represent official policies, procedures, or guidance of the Tennessee Department of Education (department). Any links to products or services are neither endorsed nor vetted by the department. Additionally, the department bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality, or content of the external sites. Please note that nothing herein constitutes legal advice, and you should consult your district team and legal counsel with any questions.
The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children
A clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics. At a time when early childhood programs are pressured to add more didactic components and less playful learning, pediatricians can play an important role in emphasizing the role of a balanced curriculum that includes the importance of playful learning for the promotion of healthy child development.
Obesity Action Coalition - Childhood Obesity Research and Resources
Before & After School
America After 3PM: Afterschool Programs in Demand – National Report
During School
The CDC has found many health benefits of incorporating physical activity into school curricula. Additionally, they have found significant evidence base suggesting a positive association between physical activity and academic performance.
The Crucial Role of Recess in School
The American Academy of Pediatrics believes that recess is a crucial and necessary component of a child’s development and, as such, it should not be withheld for punitive or academic reasons.
Exploring the Link Between Physical Activity, Fitness and Cognitive Function
The Illinois State Board of Education and Department of Public Health found a positive relationship between physical activity and youth cognitive function and academic achievement.
Critical Connections: Health and Academics
Published in the Journal of School Health, this study finds improvement in health behaviors and academic achievement from increases in school-based physical activity, including improved math test scores.
Keep Recess in Schools: Data Brief
This data brief provides partners in both the education and public health field with national data that describes the state of recess in schools in the United States, and identifies key policies and practices that school districts and schools can put in place in order to promote and implement recess.
Research-Tested Benefits of Brain Breaks
Physical Education
Physical Activity, Fitness, and Physical Education: Effects on Academic Performance
The relationship of physical activity and physical fitness to cognitive and brain health and to academic performance is the subject of this chapter from “Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School”.
Physical Activity Research Center
The Physical Activity Research Center (PARC) is a collaboration of four leading universities building the evidence base for policy changes and practices that will help make physical activity part of everyday life for all children. PARC focuses on strategies that can help children in lower-income communities, often part of African American, Latino, Native American, Asian American and Pacific Islander ethnicity groups, who typically have fewer opportunities to be active.