L.A. KIDS IMPROVE, BUT STILL GET BAD MARKS FOR PHYSICAL FITNESS.

Byline: Jennifer Radcliffe Staff Writer

Los Angeles Unified School District students are getting slightly healthier but are still in far worse physical shape than their peers statewide, according to results of the California Physical Fitness Test released Wednesday.

Just 15.5 percent of LAUSD students passed all six parts of the state's fitness challenge - up less than a percentage point from last year - compared with 27 percent of students statewide. Last year, 25 percent of students statewide passed the tests.

``It's abysmal,'' said board member Marlene Canter, who championed the district's junk food ban that took effect in January this year. ``We have so much work we have to do in this area.''

More than 1.3 million fifth-, seventh-, and ninth-graders took the Fitnessgram, which tests for cardiovascular health, abdominal strength, body fat, flexibility and other physical benchmarks.

For example, a 12-year-old girl must complete a 12-minute mile, 18 curl- ups, which are modified sit-ups, and one pull-up. A 15-year-old boy must complete a nine-minute mile, 24 curl-ups and three pull-ups.

State Superintendent Jack O'Connell called the state results ``unacceptable'' and said students can not perform well academically if they do not exercise, eat properly and get enough sleep.

``We clearly need to do more to eradicate the silent epidemic of childhood obesity,'' O'Connell said at a press conference at Van Nuys Middle.

Ninety-year-old fitness guru Jack LaLanne, wearing his trademark bright blue exercise suit and navy sneakers with Velcro straps, was also on hand to encourage students and educators.

``We've never had more fat kids in America than we do today. Fat is a killer,'' an energetic LaLanne said. ``Students need to be taught at an early age to eat more fruits and vegetables ... We need more perspiration.''

Van Nuys Middle School sixth-grader Ana Vasquez said she had a tough time completing the mile. While she only passed three or four of the six categories, she said she was glad to take the test.

``It's good to know what I'm good at doing and what I'm not. It tells me what I need to improve on,'' she said. ``And I am getting better.''

Classmate Cynthia Paredes was proud to meet the mile challenge. ``I got 10 minutes, 39 seconds,'' she said. ``We had to do stretches, push ups and pull-ups. It was hard, but you get used to it.''

At Van Nuys Middle School, seven physical fitness teachers work to integrate lessons about teamwork, nutrition, exercise and health into all areas of school curriculum. Students keep fitness logs to chart their progress toward state standards.

All California elementary students are supposed to have 3 hours and 20 minutes of physical education every 10 school days. Secondary students are supposed to have 6 hours and 40 minutes every 10 days.

But tighter budgets have forced schools to make physical education cuts and many LAUSD physical ed classes are overcrowded, some with as many as 60 students, officials said.

``Even though there was some improvement, we have a long, long ways to go,'' board member Jon Lauritzen said.

Among the Fitnessgram results:

--Ninth-graders in LAUSD saw slight dips in four of the six categories, while fifth- and seventh-graders saw the majority of their scores increase.

--In LAUSD, Asian seventh-graders were the top performers, with 28.3 percent passing all six parts. Latino ninth-graders performed the worst, with only 9.1 percent passing all six parts.

--24.5 percent of Los Angeles Unified fifth-graders met five of six standards. Another 22.4 percent met four standards. Just 2.8 percent of fifth-graders failed to meet any of the standards, the lowest of any grade level.

In neighboring Ventura County, less than than 40 percent of ninth-graders met the six-part fitness benchmark. They, however, were fitter than seventh-graders, 34 percent of whom met the benchmark, and fifth-graders, 28 percent of whom were deemed fit.

In Simi Valley, 35 percent of fifth-graders met the exam's six criteria - up by more than 1 percentage point from 2002-03. Of seventh-graders, 39 percent were considered fit - up from 36 percent last year. Ninth-graders, however, did not perform as well, with fitness levels falling to 34 percent, down from 39 percent last year.

In Moorpark, fifth-graders posted a 6 percentage point gain this year, to 39 percent achieving the fitness benchmark. Seventh-graders dropped slightly, to 31 percent. And ninth-graders recorded nearly identical numbers from last year at 38 percent.

In the Conejo Valley Unified School District, students fared worse this year than last. Of fifth-graders, 34 percent met the benchmark, compared with 46 percent last year. Seventh-graders plunged to 36 percent, down from 43 percent. Ninth-graders, however, posted slight fitness gains, with 49 percent meeting the benchmark, up from 47 percent.

Jennifer Radcliffe, [phone]

jennifer.radcliffe(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo, chart

Photo:

Students take a run during a physical education class at Van Nuys Middle School.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer

Chart:

UNFIT AT SCHOOL

SOURCE: California Department of Education 

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