Y-S child fitness lagging

Sutter and Yuba county schools are taking a critical look at their programs in the wake of a new report showing that students need to do a better job of exercising their young minds and bodies.

Children Now, an Oakland-based national health-care research and advocacy group, ranked the state’s 58 counties based on 45 criteria.

Among the local findings: Less than one-third of Yuba-Sutter students are considered physically fit, and local students need improvement in meeting English and math proficiency standards.

Other data from the 2007 California Counties Data Book shows:

• 42 percent of Yuba County’s second- through sixth-graders are proficient in English language arts, which ranked the county 33rd out of 58 counties.

• The same grade levels ranked 32nd in math, with 50 percent of students being proficient.

• Sutter County ranked slightly better. The data determined 43 percent of second- through sixth-graders are proficient in English, which ranks the county 31st. The same grade levels ranked 27th in math, with 52 percent of students being proficient.

• The scores are slightly lower in both counties for the seventh- through 11th-graders.

“Our efforts are to bring students to grade level and beyond,” said Nancy Aaberg, superintendent of the Yuba City Unified School District

The students continually increase in math and English, but their proficiency results still “do not come as good news,” Aaberg said.

Jeff Holland, Sutter County superintendent of schools, said the county remains about comparable to Yuba County and the state in both health and education.

“We’d like to see us do better, but it’s a real challenge until students have a grasp of the English language.” Holland said.

The data showed that about one-fourth of Sutter County students are English-learners.

The students and teachers motivate each other to do better, said Ramiro Carreon, assistant superintendent for personnel services at the Marysville Joint Unified School District. Schools push to be noted for their success as other schools are recognized.

“We’re all driven by competition,” he said.

The schools also are concerned with the counties’ fitness and nutrition statistics.

Data showed that 29 percent of Yuba County children and 31 percent of Sutter County children are physically fit - and almost the same percentage are overweight.

It also showed that 81 percent of Sutter County children and 74 percent of Yuba County children never exercise.

Aaberg said area schools have practiced physical education but are implementing a formal approach for kindergartners through fifth-graders in the fall, she said.

The approach is like a lesson plan that outlines grade-appropriate activities, Aaberg said.

Yuba County also is making efforts to improve children’s health, but schools can only be so effective, Carreon said.

“One of the missing ingredients is parent participation,” Carreon said.

The schools are doing the best they can and are trying to focus on nutrition by offering more fresh food, Carreon said.

“If you look into the garbage cans, students are eating more of their lunches, but lunches are healthier than in the past,” Carreon said.

Good health goes beyond nutrition, he added. Physical education must change from “glorified recess” to an outcome-based program that encourages students to be active at school and home.

Michele Blake, Sutter County’s public health program coordinator, said the statistics always surprise and sadden her, even though she sees the reasons behind them.

Kids are no longer encouraged to walk to school, physical education has little structure, and kids play with technology-driven items, such as computer video games, instead of being physically active, she said.

The lack of exercise and rising obesity contribute to heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

It will take a while to turn this trend around, Blake said.

“It’s re-learning and re-living,” she said.

The health and education data was compiled from state and national departments, school testing scores, California health surveys and the the U.S. 2005 and 2000 Census.

To view all the data or compare with other counties, go to www.childrennow .org/databook.

Appeal-Democratic intern Ashley Gebb can be reached at 749-4724 or agebb@appealdemocrat.com.