Calories In, Calories Out:
Food and Exercise in
Public Elementary Schools, 2005
Mark Schneider
Commissioner
National Center for Education Statistics
May 16, 2006
1
Introduction
• NCES releasing Calories In, Calories Out:
Food and Exercise in Public Elementary
Schools, 2005 on its website this morning
• First U.S. Department of Education study to
focus on food and exercise in public
elementary schools
• Prompted by concern about obesity among
school-age children
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Study obtained information on:
• Calories in:
– Availability of foods outside of full school meals
• Calories out:
– Opportunities for physical activity in school
• Weighing students and notifying parents:
– Extent to which schools weigh students, calculate body
mass index, and report to parents
3
Study
• Nationally representative sample of 1,198
regular public elementary schools
• Conducted in spring 2005 through NCES’s
Fast Response Survey System (FRSS)
• Response rate of 91 percent
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Calories In
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Figure 1a: Schools offering food for sale outside of full
school meals
Yes 94
No 6
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics,
Fast Response Survey System (FRSS), “Foods and Physical Activity in Public Elementary
Schools: 2005,” FRSS 87, 2005.
6
Figure 1b: Of schools that offered foods for sale outside
of full school meals, percent that sold foods
to generate funds for food service operations
Yes 36
No 54
Don't know 10
0 20 40 60
Percent
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics,
Fast Response Survey System (FRSS), “Foods and Physical Activity in Public Elementary
Schools: 2005,” FRSS 87, 2005.
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Figure 2: Availability of vending machine foods and
school store/snack bar foods
In school 23
35
At mealtimes 8
15 Any vending machine foods
At other times in school day 11 Any school store or snack bar foods
11
14
Outside of school day 14
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent
NOTE: Vending machines and school stores/snack bars may or may not be located in the school cafeteria.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Fast Response Survey
System (FRSS), “Foods and Physical Activity in Public Elementary Schools: 2005,” FRSS 87, 2005.
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Figure 3: Contract with companies to sell drinks/snack
foods, by school locale
All schools 23
By locale
City 18
Urban fringe 21
Town 19
Rural 31
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics,
Fast Response Survey System (FRSS), “Foods and Physical Activity in Public Elementary
Schools: 2005,” FRSS 87, 2005.
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Figure 4: Contract with companies to sell drinks/snack
foods, by region
All schools 23
By region
Northeast 20
Southeast 29
Central 25
West 19
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics,
Fast Response Survey System (FRSS), “Foods and Physical Activity in Public Elementary
Schools: 2005,” FRSS 87, 2005.
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Figure 5: Contract with companies to sell drinks/snack
foods, by percent minority enrollment
All schools 23
By minority enrollment
Less than 6 percent 26
6 to 20 percent 24
21 to 49 percent 20
50 percent or more 20
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics,
Fast Response Survey System (FRSS), “Foods and Physical Activity in Public Elementary
Schools: 2005,” FRSS 87, 2005.
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Calories Out
12
Figure 6: Schools with no scheduled recess, by grade
level
Grade 1 7
Grade 2 7
Grade 3 8
Grade 4 9
Grade 5 9
Grade 6 13
0
0 20
20 40
40 60
60 80
80 100
100
Percent
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics,
Fast Response Survey System (FRSS), “Foods and Physical Activity in Public Elementary
Schools: 2005,” FRSS 87, 2005.
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Figure 7: Distribution of schools’ days per week of
scheduled physical education, by grade level
Grade 1 22 33 11 18 15
Grade 2 22 33 12 17 15
Grade 3 22 33 11 17 16
Grade 4 22 33 11 17 16
Grade 5 22 32 12 17 16
Grade 6 22 28 14 22 14
0 20 40 60 80 100
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Percent
1 day 2 days 3 to 4 days 5 days Varies by week
NOTE: One percent of the schools did not have any scheduled physical education for elementary grades
(not shown in figure). Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Fast Response Survey
System (FRSS), “Foods and Physical Activity in Public Elementary Schools: 2005,” FRSS 87, 2005.
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Differences by poverty concentration
• The percent of students eligible for free or reduced-
price lunch at the school was used as a proxy for
poverty concentration.
• High poverty schools (75-100% free or reduced-price
lunch) were less likely to have any scheduled recess
or daily recess, compared to schools with lower
poverty concentrations.
• When the times for physical education and recess
were combined, high poverty schools had lower
averages in minutes per week.
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Figure 8: Grade 1—Time spent in recess and physical
education, by poverty concentration
Mean minutes per week 102
of recess 148
Mean minutes per week 89 High poverty schools
of physical education 84 All other schools
Mean minutes per week of recess 191
and physical education combined 232
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240
Minutes
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics,
Fast Response Survey System (FRSS), “Foods and Physical Activity in Public Elementary
Schools: 2005,” FRSS 87, 2005.
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Figure 9: School programs to encourage physical activity
Use nontraditional activities to make
physical education enjoyable
64
Provide opportunities during the school day for
organized physical activities (excluding physical 58
education)
Offer school-sponsored before- or after-school activities
that emphasize physical activity
51
Participate in the President's Challenge
Physical Activity and Fitness Award
55
Other activity/program 30
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics,
Fast Response Survey System (FRSS), “Foods and Physical Activity in Public Elementary
Schools: 2005,” FRSS 87, 2005.
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Weighing students and notifying parents
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Figure 10: Extent schools calculated students’ BMI
and measured height and weight
Body mass index
66 19 16
(BMI)
Height 28 33 38
Weight 29 32 38
0
0% 20
20% 40
40% 60
60% 80
80% 100
100%
Percent
Never calculated Selected grades only Yearly for all grades
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics,
Fast Response Survey System (FRSS), “Foods and Physical Activity in Public Elementary
Schools: 2005,” FRSS 87, 2005.
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Figure 11: Sent information on students’ BMI, height,
and weight to parents
Body mass index
17
(BMI)
Height 28
Weight 28
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics,
Fast Response Survey System (FRSS), “Foods and Physical Activity in Public Elementary Schools:
2005,” FRSS 87, 2005.
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Availability of Report
• http://nces.ed.gov
• Print copies available from ED Pubs in June 2006
• Contacts for more information:
Mike Bowler, IES Communications Director
(202) 219 1662 mike.bowler@ed.gov
Bernie Greene, FRSS Project Director
(202) 502 7348 bernard.greene@ed.gov
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