Health is Vital for Student Success: An Overview of Relevant Research | Page 6
Jump-starting Students’ Brains
Members of the Physical Education Department at
Naperville Central High School in Chicago believed
that increasing the amount of physical activity
students received might have an impact on learning,
so they decided to jump-start students’ brains. After
implementing a morning exercise routine, reading
scores went up nearly twice as much and math scores
went up by a factor of 20. Students are reporting that
the exercise is helping them stay alert and focused.
Research also indicates that schools have the potential to positively influence
student achievement through gains in health.
• ne study found that after implementing a program to improve nutrition and
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physical activity, an elementary school reported a year-over-year decrease in the
number of counseling and disciplinary referrals per 100 students and an increase
in standardized test scores.13
• nother study found that students with low nutrient intake were more likely to be
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absent, experience behavioral trouble in school, and get poorer grades compared
to their nutritionally adequate peers. However, six months after implementation of
a universal school breakfast program, absenteeism declined, grade-point averages
(GPAs) improved, and student- and parent-reported hunger decreased.14
• esearchers generally find that a higher quality diet is associated with better
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performance on exams. Other studies find that improving the quality of students’
diets leads to students being on task more often, increases math test scores,
possibly increases reading test scores, and increases attendance.15,16
• early 2 million—or one in 10—U.S. youths ages 12 to 17 had a major depressive
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episode; 60 percent of these youths did not receive any treatment.17 Students who
experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, or substance abuse are more likely
to report difficulty concentrating in class and completing homework.18 Conversely,
students who receive social and emotional learning instruction have academic
achievement scores an average of 11 percentage points higher than students who
do not participate in social and emotional learning programs.19
• oday’s adolescents are chronically sleep-deprived. Those who sleep more, on
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average, have higher grades and better behavior in school.20 One in four students
regularly falls asleep in class and an additional one in five falls asleep while doing
homework.21 One study found that when students cut into their sleep for extra
study time, they have more trouble understanding material taught in class and are
more likely to struggle with an assignment or test the following day.22
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