I itttNaperville, Illinois,
ytdf nineteen thousand
lofjgadne entire class of
^,t\versus the national
EigprStunningis that
jjjtit(3>sbme of the smart-
Ktirtygraders were among
WMHwhd took an inter-
feen^S' in International
kvfatees knowledge of
tm|iH;!hina, Japan, and
plfeese'crucial subjects,
fterfci >Yiihen its students
fllfeal&ifirst in the world
l^e-alaim about falter-
(l^ffi'iu'CfiStudents being
economy,
[shews.
Ij^giting^as Naperville's
icjtiilialded withsadnews
lieying adolescents,
iter, I'll take you to
[fowjsite this book.
1
Welcome to the Revolution
A Case Study on Exercise
and the Brain
on a slight swell of land west of Chicago stands a brick build
ing, Naperville Central High School, which harbors in its base
ment a low-ceilinged, windowless room crowded with treadmills
and stationary bikes. The old cafeteriaits capacity long dwarfed
byenrollmentnumbersnow serves as the school's "cardio room."
It is 7:10 a.m., and for the small band of newly minted freshmen
t lounging half asleep on the exercise equipment, that means it's
time for gym.
A trim young physical education teacher named Neil Duncan
lays out the morning's assignment: "OK, once you're done with
your warm-up, we're going to head out to the track and run the
mile" he says, presenting a black satchel full of chest straps and
digital watchesheart rate monitors of the type used by avid ath
letes to gauge their physical exertion. "Every time you go around
the track, hit the red button. What that's going to doit's going
to give you a split. It's going to tell you, this is how fast I did my first
lap, second lap, third lap. On the fourth and final lapwhich will
be just as fast if you do it right" he says, pausing to survey his
sleepy charges, "you hit the blue button, OK? And that'll stop your
watch. Your goal iswell, to try to run your fastest mile. Last but
not least,youraverage heart rate should be above 185."
i
 SPARK Welc

Filing past Mr. Duncan, the freshmen lumber upstairs, push Y" ^Bring iton in, Doug
through a set ofheavy metal doors, and in scattered groups they i$;'"Nine minutes." j
hit the track under the mottled skies of a crisp October morning. ^;!'Tlat?" |
Perfect conditions for a revolution. ^*Yeah." j
This is notgood old gym class. This is Zero Hour PE, the latest ;jiv"Nice work." j
in a long line ofeducational experiments conducted by a group of ,; When Michelle and
maverick physical education teachers who have turned the nine feci
>:"
itheir times, but Midi"I
teen thousand students in Naperville District 203 intothe fittest in :s|e (didn't hit the Hue by
the nationand also someof the smartest..(The name of the class ate1 the same. She holds?!
refers to its scheduled time before first period.) The objective ofZero isafs, noting the time on>
Hour isto determine whether working out before school gives these lookedlike you two were1
kids a boost in reading ability and in the rest oftheir subjects. The fact is, they weni
The notion that it might is supported by emerging research monitor, he'll findthat He
showing that physical activity sparks biological changes that en mile was 191, a serious we
courage brain cells to bind to one another. For the brain to learn, an;A for the day. !
these connections mustbe made; theyreflect the brain's fundamen V: The kids in Zero Hoii
talability toadapt tochallenges. Themore neuroscientists discover men required to take a I
about this process, the clearer it becomes that exercise provides an wk 'prehension up to par, wor
unparalleled stimulus, creating an environment inwhich thebrain Cher PEstudents. They'ri
is ready, willing, and able to learn. Aerobic activity has a dramatic 3?ent of their maximum h
effect on adaptation, regulating systems that might be out of bal itig to get them prepared
ance and optimizing those that are notit's an indispensable tool Duncan. "Basically, we're
&
for anyone who wants to reach his orher full potential. awareness and then sendi!
Out at the track, the freckled and bespectacled Mr. Duncan How do they feel al>
supervises as his students run their laps. .guess it's OK," says Miehi
"My watch isn't reading," says one ofthe boys as hejogs past. all sweaty and gross, I'm b
"Red button," shouts Duncan. "Hit the red button! At the end, cranky all the time last ye
hit the blue button." Beyond improving he
Two girls named Michelle and Krissy pass by, shuffling along doing much better with j
side by side. .classmates: at the end ofj
A kid with unlaced skateboarding shoes finishes his laps and improvement in reading!
turns in his watch. His time reads eight minutes, thirty seconds. 10.7 percent improvemen;
Next comes a husky boy in baggy shorts. opted to sleep in and take

10
 .' ;*
ffi lumber upstairs, push
teisea'ttered groups they
t0fep)October morning.
*
jf^'Mour PE, the latest
^ffeted by a group of
i0>1%v;e^turned the nine-
IKi^iPinto the fittest in
s6fl|ihe;name oftheclass
$$fIheobjective ofZero
fefepsehool gives these
&$d$0ek subjects.
;ei!y/(emterging research
statical' changes that en-
ef.:I^DjF{the brain to learn,
r
iMfiliteferain's fundamen-
eiflBijgygscientists discover
i^lactScercise provides an
|jffi0E'inrwhich the brain
|||$G&vity has a dramatic
<$teimight be out ofbal-
<4f|p''indispensable tool
^Iffbtential.
I^ectacled Mr. Duncan
fe boys ashe jogs past,
tared button! At the end,
sy pass by, shuffling along
i
&oes finishes his laps and
minutes, thirtyseconds.
I
brts.
L_...
Welcome to the Revolution
"Bring it on in, Doug," Duncan says. "What'd you get?"
"Nine minutes."
"Flat?"
"Yeah."
"Nice work."
When Michelle and Krissy finally saunter over, Duncan asks
for their times, but Michelle's watch is still running. Apparently,
she didn't hit the blue button. Krissy did, though, and their times
are the same. She holds up her wrist for Duncan. "Ten twelve," he
says, noting the time on his clipboard. What he doesn't say is "It
looked like you two were really loafing around out there!"
The fact is, they weren't. When Duncan downloads Michelle's
monitor, he'll find that her average heart rate during her ten-minute
mile was 191, a serious workout for even a trained athlete. She gets
an A for the day.
The kids in Zero Hour, hearty volunteers from a group of fresh
men required to take a literacy class to bring their reading com
prehension up to par, work out at a higher intensity than Central's
other PE students. They're required to stay between 80 and 90 per
cent of their maximum heart rate. "What we're reallydoing is try
ing to get them prepared to learn, through rigorous exercise," says
?
Duncan. "Basically, we're getting them to that state of heightened
awareness and then sending them off to class."
How do they feel about being Mr. Duncan's guinea pigs? "I
guess it's OK," says Michelle. "Besides getting up early and being
all sweaty and gross, I'm more awakeduring the day. I mean, I was
cranky all the time last year."
Beyond improving her mood, it will turn out, Michelle is also
doing much better with her reading. And so are her Zero Hour
classmates: at the end of the semester, they'll show a 17 percent
improvement in reading and comprehension, compared with a
10.7 percent improvement among the other literacy students who
opted to sleep in and take standard phys ed.
11
 SPARK

pjaxtieularly sincersta!
The administration is so impressed that it incorporates Zero l!arly are likely todod
Hour into the high school curriculum as afirst-period literacy clas , But it's the impj
called Learning Readiness PE. And the experiment continues. The
^cy tudenaresplit into two classes: onesecond peahen whitethey're stilliinsS!
'Mfew PE curriculum!!
AsheyJstiUfeel^^^
expected, the second-period literacy class performs best. The ifeieffectshave showl
'gilassroom.
iaLgy spreads beyond freshmen who need to boost their reading
^SX.kiaJe counselors begin suggesting that all students . '. ,: It's no coincident
.ranksamong thestato
schldule their hardest subjects immediately after gym, to capitalize ifespendson eachip^B
on the beneficial effects of exercise. tdtctor of success-Wis
It's atruly revolutionary concept from which we can all learn. l^schools. Napersjd
Sve junior highs,: an]
FIRST-CLASS PERFORMANCE ;j0B, let's look atMara
|egan. Its peivpupilu
Zero Hour grew out of Naperville District 203's unique approach 5;403 at Evanstoj
to physical education, which has gained national attention and 1on averagefi*
become the model for atype of gym class that Isuspect wou d keams (26.8), butM
be unrecognizable to any adult reading this. No getting nailed in ;p>site of mandator^
dodgeball no flunking for not showering, no living in fear ofbeing liojt just those appl|
Spore for the gradual
pierage of 20.1. ^
fitness instead ofsports. The underlying philosophy is that ifphysi- Those examsHac
1education clasLn be used to instructkidshow to monitorand $onal Mathematics
maintain their own health and fitness, then the lessons they learn I; |o,icompare studeiij
will serve them for life. And probably alonger andhappier life at
Thlt What's being taught, really, is alifestyle.The stents are pKb key subject; arg
editorialist Thdmaj
developing healthy habits, skills, and asense of fun, along with a iljte,laments that stu
kn^edg ofhow their bodies work. Naperville's gym teachers are Iilrieh." The educati
opening up new vistas for their students by exposing them to such widening, Friedmai
1wide range of activities that they can't help but find something pearly half of tVie^
they enjoy. They're getting kids hooked on moving instead of si UyliS. students hit.th
ting in fit of the television. This couldn't be more important,
12

aHSSESWHB:
 ' '1 r i

Welcome to the Revolution 1

'

I ithat it incorporates Zero

i
particularly since statistics show that children who exercise regu
iSj[aVfirst-period literacy class :
.

larly are likely to do the sameas adults.

Experiment continues. The But it's the impact of the fitness-based approach on the kids
.

t
.

bsvone second period, when j

while they're still in school that initially grabbed my attention. The
jeis&.and oneeighthperiod, \ New PEcurriculum has been in placeforseventeen years now, and

^lass performs best. The t

its effectshave shown up in some unexpected placesnamely, the
:

fesflfajoiboost their reading '

suggesting that all students
ifeiy/after gym, to capitalize
>m which we can all learn.
I&MftNCE
EpiGt 203's unique approach
^Jntratiional attention and
fes'(that I suspect would
s
classroom.
It's no coincidence that, academically, the district consistently
ranks among the state's top ten, even though the amount of money
?'
it spendson each pupilconsideredby educators to be a clear pre
.
dictor of successis notably lower than other top-tier Illinois pub
lic schools. Naperville 203 includes fourteen elementary schools,
;
five junior highs, and two high schools. For the sake of compari
r
:
son, let's look at NapervilleCentral High School, where Zero Hour
j
| began. Its per-pupil operating expense in 2005 was $8,939 versus
$15,403 at Evanston's New Trier High School. New Trier kids

scored on averagetwo points higher on their ACT college entrance

\
IfffMsi No getting nailed in exams (26.8), but they fared worse than Central's kids on a com
I posite of mandatory state tests, which are taken by every student,
igi,rtio living in fear of being "

j. not just those applying to college. And Central's composite ACT

jtNaperville 203 is teaching
J
score for the graduating class of 2005 was 24.8, well above the state
'

"

^philosophy is that ifphysi- 1

'c
i average of 20.1.

lctkids how to monitor and
then the lessons they learn
a longer and happier life at
lifestyle. The students are
a sense of fun, along with a
feperville's gym teachers are
Those exams aren't nearly as telling as the Trends in Interna
i
1
tional Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), a test designed
j t to compare students' knowledge levels from different countries in
two key subject areas. This is the exam cited by New York Times
I editorialist Thomas Friedman, author of The World Is Flat, when

^
he laments that students in places like Singapore are "eating our
\
fcs by exposing them to such F
;
lunch." The education gap between the United States and Asia is

n't help but find something i I

widening, Friedman points out. Whereas in some Asian countries
id on moving instead of sit- .

nearly half of the students score in the top tier, only 7 percent of
buldn't be more important, U.S. students hit that mark.
1
\
^

i 13
*
.

i.
i
 ita*!?':''-;''
.Bp'fi;,,:::v
BiC'
SPARK
flM Welcome!
K
B9!'"''
"''
$Rpfe...
TIMSS has beenadministered every four years since 1995. The scores. The correlation is sire
1999 editionincluded 230,000 studentsfrom thirty-eight countries, couldn't resist visiting Napes
59,000 of whom were from the United States. While New Trier ilBS,:":
iffliSR*'''
pening there. I've long beenJ
and eighteen other schools along Chicago's wealthy North Shore Wm points to the failings ofpublic
formed a consortium to take the TIMSS (thereby masking individ WW/'< Naperville 203 kids aced the;;!
ual schools' performance), Naperville 203 signed up on its own to the only wealthy suburb inthi
get an international benchmark ofits students' performance. Some parents. And in poordistricts;
97 percent ofits eighth graders took the testnot merely the best root, such as Titusville, Penns:
and the brightest. How did they stack up? On the science section scores have improved measun
of the TIMSS, Naperville's students finished first, just ahead of J!;:; tion to Naperville, is that its4
Singapore, and then the North Shore consortium. Number one in ;f! y its students' academic achteven
the world. On the math section, Naperville scored sixth, behind
only Singapore, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan.
THE
As a whole, U.S. students ranked eighteenth in science and
nineteenth in math, with districts from Jersey City and Miami The Naperville revolution stai
scoring dead last inscience and math, respectively. "We have huge
M equal parts idealism and self-pJ
.w!!.li :\

discrepancies among our school districts inthe United States," says IS physical education teacher nan
Ina Mullis, who is a codirector of TIMSS. "It's a good thing that m off the ground after he came J
we've at least got some Napervillesit shows that, itcan be done." reporting that the health ofU^
I won't go sofar as tosay that Naperville's kids are brilliant spe "It said the reason they we]
cifically because they participate in an unusual physical education very active," recalls Lawler, aJ
program. There are many factors that inform academic achieve glasses, who dresses in khakis!
ment. To be sure, Naperville 203 is a demographically advantaged everybody knows we have an btj
school district: 83 percent white, with only 2.6 percent in the low pick up a paper seventeen yean
income range, compared with 40 percent in that range for Illi unusual. We said, We have the
nois asa whole. Itstwo high schools boast a 97 percent graduation able to affect their health? If tjj
rate. And the town's major employers are science-centric compa Ifc
going bankrupt." I
nies such as Argonne, Fermilab, and Lucent Technologies, which He already felt like his pro
suggests that the parents of many Naperville kids are highly edu had started cutting phys ed frd
cated. The deckin terms of both environment and geneticsis Aformer college baseball pitch]
stacked in Naperville's favor. Lawler is a sincere salesmanand*
On the other hand, when we look at Naperville, two factors teacher to stay close to sports, Ii
really stand out: its unusual brand ofphysical education and its test trict 203's Madison Junior High]
14

:ty/ifour years since 1995. The
jslftomthirty-eight countries,
:edi States. While New Trier
iieagd's wealthy North Shore
^(thereby masking individ-
fP&signed up on its own to
fsTBudjents' performance. Some
Iteitest^not merely the best
cfupin the science section
>[finished first, just ahead of
enisonsoEtiium. Number one in
pervlille scored sixth, behind
vKofigi and Japan,
ij&ieigftteenth in science and
ii0rxC' ijjejcsey City and Miami
ycg^lfiiMely. "We have huge
Gtssii^lilieHJnited States," says
$& '"Us a good thing that
iifi sfeowsithat it can be done."
SBi^ille'&kids are brilliant spe-
i
Hrunusual'physical education
atf (MPcMm academic achieve-
^effiographically advantaged
|fii!^ly//2'j6 percent in the low
gtQienJE in that range for Illi-
kfast;a 97 percent graduation
sate science-centric compa-
ijkacent Technologies, which
jfperville kids are highly edu-
ivironment and geneticsis
ok at Naperville, two factors
physical education and itstest
Welcome to the Revolution
scores. The correlation is simply too intriguing to dismiss, and I
couldn't resist visiting Naperville to see for myself what was hap
pening there. I've long been aware of the TIMSS test and how it
points to the failings of public education in this country. Yet the
Naperville 203 kids aced the test. Why? It's not as if Naperville is
the only wealthy suburb in the country with intelligent, educated
parents. And in poor districts where Naperville-style PE has taken
root, such as Titusville, Pennsylvania (which I'll discuss later), test
scores have improved measurably. My conviction, and my attrac
tion to Naperville, is that its focus on fitness plays a pivotal role in
its students' academic achievements.
THE NEW PE
The Naperville revolution started, as such things often do, with
equal parts idealism and self-preservation. A visionary junior high
physical education teacher named Phil Lawler got the movement
off the ground after he came across a newspaper article in 1990
reporting that the health of U.S. children wasdeclining.
"It said the reason they weren't healthy was that they weren't
very active," recalls Lawler, a tall man in his fifties, with rimless
glasses, who dresses in khakis and white sneakers. "These days
everybody knows we have an obesity epidemic," he continues. "But
pick up a paper seventeen years ago and that kind of article was
unusual. We said,'We have these kids every day; shouldn't we be
able to affect their health? If this is our business, I thought, we're
going bankrupt."
He already felt like his profession received no respect; schools
had started cutting phys ed from the curriculum, and now this.
A former college baseball pitcher who missed out on the majors,
Lawler is a sincere salesman and a natural leader who became a gym
teacher to stay close to sports. In addition to teaching PE at Dis
trict 203's Madison Junior High, he coached Naperville Central's
15
 w
m
SPARK Weld

1lBJB.il-1
v

baseball team and served as the district coordinator for PE, but heart rate monitor, whicB
m
even in these respectable posts, sometimes he was embarrassed to lars. He couldn't help him
admit what he did for a living. Part ofwhat he saw in that article Mi- that son ofa buck," he frel
" 1
was anopportunitya chance to make his job matter. for Madison Junior High!.]
When Lawler and his staffat Madison tooka close look at what During the weekly rriii
was happening in gym, they saw alot of inactivity. It's the nature of girl who was thin but notlj
team sports: waiting for a turn at bat, waiting for thecenter's snap, loaded her stats, he couldj
waiting for the soccer ball to come your way. Most of the time, heart rate was 187!" he exj
most of the players just stood around. So Lawler decided to shift mum heart rate would ha
the focus to cardiovascular fitness, and he instituted a radical new plugging away pretty close)
feature to the curriculum. Once a week in gym class, the kids would line, she went up to 207,""^
run the mile. Every single week! His decision met with groans from You gotta bekidding me! I
students, complaints from parents, and notes from doctors. and said, You need to get yd
He was undeterred, yet he quickly recognized that the grading S moment that caused drama
scale discouraged theslowest runners. To offer nonathletes ashot at heart rate monitors were ;
good marks, the department bought a couple ofSchwinn Airdyne thinking back to all the ki
bikes and allowed students to earn extra credit. They could come because we weren't able to g
in on their own time and ride five miles to raise their grades. "So in class who knew how to \j
any kid who wanted toget an A could get an A ifheworked for it," He realized that being-
Lawler explains. "Somewhere in this process, we got into personal do with being fit.
bests. Anytime you got a personal best, no matter what it was, you One of Lawler's favorii
moved up a letter grade." And this led to the founding principle of of adults over the age ofti
the approach he dubbed the New PE: Students would be assessed fir ing team sports, and thisun
on effort rather than skill. You didn't have to be a natural athlete class. But he knew he could]
to do well in gym.
I day, so he set up a program]
But how does one judge the individual effort of forty kids at sports" three-on-three bj
a time? Lawler found his answer at a physical education confer the students are constantly
ence he organized every spring. He worked hard to turn the event says. "We just do them wit
intoan exchange offresh ideas and technologies, and to encourage tested on such trivia as the
attendance he talked the vendors into donating door prizes. Each court, Naperville's gymstudl
year at the beginning of the conference, he would push a towel spend in their target heart rs
cart through the aisles, collecting bats and balls and other sport "We developed the prog)
ing goods. Cast in among the bounty one year was a newfangled Lawler says. Andyet, the Ne

16

*&

tct coordinator for PE, but
fries he was embarrassed to
Swhatke saw in that article
Mis job matter.
)6n/took aclose look atwhat
^inactivity. It's the nature of
iraMrig'for the center's snap,
iouif way. Most of the time,
[So Lawler decided to shift
I he instituted a radical new
[ingym class, the kids would
kision met with groans from
Hinotesfrom doctors,
[.recognized that the grading
feoffor nonathletesa shot at
mmpk ofSchwinn Airdyne
accredit. They could come
fles-to raise their grades. "So
I'get an Aif he worked for it,"
process, we got into personal
jt, no matter what it was, you
i tothefounding principle of
;: Students would be assessed
i have to be a natural athlete
t
ividual effort of forty kids at
a physical education confer-
rarked hard to turn the event
Ichnologies, and to encourage
to donating door prizes. Each
ence, he would push a towel
ats and balls and other sport-
ty one year was a newfangled
Welcome to the Revolution
heart rate monitor, which at the time was worth hundreds of dol
lars. He couldn't help himself; he stole it for the revolution. "I saw
that sonofa buck," he freely admits, "and Isaid, That's a door prize
for Madison Junior High!"
During the weekly mile, he tested the device on a sixth-grade
girl who was thin but not the least bit athletic. When Lawlerdown
loaded her stats, he couldn't believe what he found. "Her average
m heart rate was 187!" he exclaims. As an eleven-year-old, her maxi
mum heart rate would have been roughly 209, meaning she was
plugging away pretty close to full tilt. "When she crossed the finish
line, she went upto 207," Lawler continues. "Ding, ding, -ding! Isaid,
You gotta be kidding me! Normally, I would have gone to that girl
andsaid, You need togetyour ass ingear, little lady! It was really that
moment that caused dramatic changes in our overall program. The
heart rate monitors were a springboard for everything. 1 started
thinking back to all the kids we must have turned off to exercise
because we weren't able to give them credit. I didn't have an athlete
in class who knew how to work as hard as that little girl."
He realized that being fast didn't necessarily have anything to
do with being fit.
One of Lawler's favorite statistics is that less than 3 percent
of adults over the age of twenty-four stay in shape through play
ingteam sports, and this underscores the failings of traditional gym
class. But he knew he couldn't have the students run the mile every 1
day, so he set up a* program of what they have termed "small-sided
sports" three-on-three basketballor four-on-four soccer where
the students are constantly moving. "We still play sports," Lawler
says. "We just do them within a fitness model." Instead of being
tested on such trivia as the dimensions of a regulation volleyball
court, Naperville's gym students are graded on how much time they
spend in their target heart ratezones during anygiven activity.
"We developed the program not knowing what we were doing,"
Lawler says. And yet, the New PE has managed to put into practice
17
 SPARK Welcome

principles consistent with all the new research about exercise and It's because of their releri
the brain.
know thesetwo men. Lawler!
Public Radio program The 1
to a protein that's elevated d
CARRYING THE TORCH brain." Unbeknownst to me,;
Every revolutionary leader needs a lieutenant, and Lawler couldn't interviews of his own, indue
have chosen a more able agitator than Paul Zientarski, Naperville mentary film about obesity fa
Central High School's physical education coordinator and former I had beenlooking for a^c
football coach. To students and colleagues, Zientarski is Mr. Z, a exerciseon learningfor this;!: i

gray-haired furnace of a man with steady eyes and a facts-is-facts was a natural way todo thaci
delivery. He has the presence of Mike Ditka and Bill Parcells rolled Naperville experiment gives]
into one formidable figure ofauthority. "Ittook me thelongest time about students, but the lesso
to convince him of this stuff," says Lawler of his friend and ally. ville provides is a powerful a
"But once he buys into it, get out ofhis way. Because he's going to transform not only the body j
shove it downyour throat ifhe has to." be a wonderful template for r
As their movement grew, Lawler would take the lead in pros So I made the journey to!
w
elytizing the outside world with the fitness-not-sports message, Zientarski in the atrium ofthe
talking to Newsweek and testifying before the U.S. Senate, and them say things I never expee
Zientarski would become the unwavering enforcer of the mission "In our department, we create
back home, transforming the phys ed program at Naperville Cen up to the other teachers to fill
tral into a well-oiled working model ofthe New PE. Lawler retired I
from teaching in 2004 after being diagnosed with colon cancer, ANEWSTEREOfj
but he has continued to lobby for daily physical education even
during hisback-and-forth battle with thedisease. Lawler's tack runs opposite tj
They've both become grassroots experts on the subject of of cutting physical education!
exercise and the brain. They learned by grilling speakers from the math, science, and English -4
conferences Lawler organized, attending sports physiology semi dictated by the NoChild Lefti
nars, reading neuroscience research papers, and constantly e-mailing high schools offer a daily phi
their findings to each other. And they've taken itupon themselves time, kids are spending anaye
to educate their colleagues as well. It's not uncommon for Zien screen of some sorttelevisib";
tarski to buttonhole an English teacher in the hallway and hand not surprising that American j
her a stack of the latest brain research homework from the gym ever been. j
teacher. That is why I was so inspip

18

[search about exercise and
IpCH
jfiahtj and Lawler couldn't
t&utlientarski, Naperville
^(Coordinator and former
[ygsj, (Zientarski is Mr. Z, a
Icty/teyesand afacts-is-facts
litika atvd Bill Parcells rolled
ISitook me the longest time
wlet of his friend and ally.
}way. Because he's going to
I
1
ouldttake the lead in pros-
ifitness-nOt-sports message,
ifere ithe U.S. Senate, and
injgKeriforcer of the mission
jtogram atNaperville Cen-
(tifre New PE. Lawler retired
ignosed with colon cancer,
%(physical education even
^disease.
(.experts on the subject of
>y grilling speakers from the
pyg sports physiology semi-
tirs, and constantly e-mailing
ei
'ive taken it upon themselves
:'s not uncommon for Zien-
er in the hallway and hand
homework from the gym
Welcome to the Revolution
It's because oftheir relentless spirit ofinvestigation that Igot to
know these two men. Lawler heard me interviewed on the National
Public Radio program The Infinite Mind, during which I referred
to a protein that's elevated during exercise as "Miracle-Gro for the
brain." Unbeknownst to me, Lawler began repeating the phrase in
interviews of his own, including one with the director of a docu
mentary film about obesity in America, Super Size Me (2004).
I had been looking for a concrete way to illustrate the effects of
exercise on learning for this book, and focusing on a school district
was a natural way to do that. But I also think the sheer size of the
Naperville experiment gives it a broader resonance. The story is
about students, but the lessons apply to adults too. What Naper
ville provides is a powerful case study on how aerobic activity can
transform not only the body but also the mind. It also happens to
be a wonderful template for reshaping oursociety.
So I made the journey to Illinois, and as 1sat with Lawler and
Zientarski in theatrium ofthe Naperville Holiday Inn,1listened to
them say things I never expected to hear from a couple ofcoaches.
"In ourdepartment, we create the brain cells," Zientarski says. "It's
up to the other teachers to fill them."
A NEW STEREOTYPE: THE SMART JOCK
Lawler's tack runs opposite the trend in American public schools
ofcutting physical education in favor of increasing study time in
math, science, and English an effort to help students pass tests
dictated by the No Child Left Behind Act. Only 6 percent of U.S.
high schools offer a daily physical education class. At the same
time, kids are spending an average of 5.5 hours a day in front of a
screen of some sorttelevision, computer, or handheld device. It's
not surprising that American children are less active than they've
ever been.
That is why I was so inspired by what's going on in Naperville.
19
 SPARK Welcome

The first time 1visited, it was justbefore school letout for the sum their fitness is so far off thej
mer, but you wouldn't have known that by watching gym class at NaperviUe." \
Madison Junior High. There must have been thirty kids jumping Butwhat, exactly, do well
around with the sort of energy and enthusiasm you would only Few researchers have tackled I
expect tosec at thebeginning oftheschool year: lining up toget on Virginia Tech showed thatct
the climbing wall, arguing about who was going to get to use a new time to math, science, and re
exercise bike attached to a video-game monitor, running wildly on so many school administratcj
treadmills, playing a video game called Dance Dance Revolution, can mean so many things, res
where you dance on a control pad. They were all wearing heart rate correlation between physical
monitors, andmost importantthey were allengaged. The most telling studies con
Some 30 percent of U.S. schoolchildren are overweightsix of Education (CDE). Overt!
times more than in 1980and another 30 percentareon the cusp. sistently shown that students]
In Lawler's district, an astonishing 97 percent of freshmen in 2001, higher test scores. 1
and again in 2002, were at a healthy weight according tobody mass The CDE correlated scori
index guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). In with scores from the FitnessGj
the spring of 2005, an independent assessment ofNaperville 203 sessment, for more than onej
students' fitness showed even better results. A sports physiologist measures six areas: aerobic cap;
named Craig Broeder and a team of his graduate students from inal strength and endurance,!!
Benedictine University came in and tested a random sampling of body strength, and overall flex
270 students, from sixth graders through high school seniors. "I each area ifthey pass the mini!
can tell you that theNaperville school system is miles ahead ofthe on the FitnessGram is six. It's
national norm in terms of fitness," says Broeder, a former regional measure how fit a student is, iui
president of the American College of Sports Medicine. "It's not in each area. In other words, M
even close. They had one male out of a hundred thirty something In 2001 fit kids scored twic]
who was obese. It's amazing. Their percentages of body fat were unfit peers. Among California^
way below national norms using the CDC's height and weight those who scored a six on the!
standards. On other fitness variables, something like ninety-eight the sixty-seventh percentile in!
percent of the students passed." in reading on the Stanford Aeh
Broeder is perfectly aware ofNaperville's demographics, yet he's less than stellar, consider thosj
still impressed. "The numbers are too high for it to just be that," one ofthe six areas: they rankee
he says. "The PE program itself hasto have had an additive impact percentiles, respectively. j
on what that population would achieve otherwise. Let me put it When the CDE repeated the!
this way: you can't say for sure that the PE program does it, but economic status. As expected;!

20

*school letout for the sum-
i!by watching gym class at
ajfeeen thirty kids jumping
rithusiasm you would only
Kjbiiyear: lining upto geton
?as]going to get to use a new
jmbnitor, running wildly on
IPance Dance Revolution,
|swete'allwearing heart rate
iy/were all engaged.
iiMren are overweightsix
irjOipercent are on the cusp,
percent offreshmen in 2001,
light according to body mass
pisease Control (CDC). In
tesessment ofNaperville 203
fesults. Asports physiologist
fcfis graduate students from
(tested arandom sampling of
lugh high school seniors. "1
Isystem is miles ahead of the
to Broeder, a former regional
If Sports Medicine. "It's not
tahundred thirty something
percentages of body fat were
fe CDC's height and weight
^something like ninety-eight
;tville's demographics, yet he's
-ij
io high for it to just be that,"
IS
phave had anadditive impact
Mr
jieve otherwise. Let me put it
[the PE program does it, but
Welcome to the Revolution
their fitness is so far off the scale that it can't be just because it's
Naperville."
But what, exactly, do we know about the effectof gym on GPA?
Few researchers have tackled the question,although one study from
Virginia Tech showed that cutting gym class and allocating more
time to math, science, and reading did not improve test scores, as
so many school administrators assume it will. Because gym class
can mean so many things, research in this area has focused on the
correlation between physical fitness and academic achievement.
The most telling studies come from the California Department
of Education (CDE). Over the past five years, the CDE has con
sistently shown that students with higher fitness scores also have
higher test scores.
The CDE correlated scores from standard achievement tests
with scores from the FitnessGram, the state-mandated physical as
sessment, for more than one million students. The FitnessGram
measures sixareas: aerobic capacity, percentageof bodyfat, abdom
inal strength and endurance, trunk strength and flexibility, upper
body strength, and overall flexibility. Students earn one point for
each area if they pass the minimum requirements, so the top score
on the FitnessGram is six. It's worth noting that this test doesn't
measure how fit a student is, just whether he or she is acceptably fit
in each area. In other words, it'spass-fail.
In 2001 fit kids scored twice as well on academic tests as their
unfit peers. Among California's279,000 ninth graders,for instance,
those who scored a six on the FitnessGram ranked, on average, in
the sixty-seventh percentile in math and the forty-fifth percentile
in reading on the Stanford Achievement Test. If these scores seem
less than stellar, consider those of the students who passed only
one of the six areas: they ranked in the thirty-fifth and twenty-first
percentiles, respectively.
When the CDE repeated the study in 2002, it factored in socio
economic status. As expected, students with a higher standard
21
 SPARK Welcome

of living scored better on the academic tests, but the results also called PE41ife, which has ad!
showed that within the lower-income students, fitter kids scored is the only state thatrequires
better than unfit kids. This is a powerful statistic in itself. It sug tochange thatas well as t|
gests that although parents may not have immediate control over e?v.
and announces, "Now, we're)
their financial situations, they can improve their kids' chances of He leads theway, moving
performing well by encouraging them to get in shape. Exercise erate stride of a seasoned U
\\y.
could break the cycle. three student helpers are adn
The California studies don't stand alone. In 2004 a panel of nostics to a group of sophort
thirteen noted researchers in fields ranging frpm kinesiology to w TriFit. Giving the kids target
pediatrics conducted a massive review of more than 850 studies
about the effects of physical activity on school-age children. Most
Isi.:,
fat, and the rest, he announc
W people to stay fit. Indeed, stud
of the studies measured the effects of thirty to forty-five minutes scale every morning improve!
of moderate to vigorous physical activity three to five days a week. overweight will shed pounds;]
They covered a wide range of issues, such as obesity, cardiovascu extend far beyond concernssal
lar fitness, blood pressure, depression, anxiety, self-concept, bone "I tell people it's not my J
density, and academic performance. Based on strong evidence in Zientarski says. "My job is to!
a number of these categories, the panel issued a recommendation they need to know to keep tl
that schoolchildren should participate in one hour (or more) of fun. It's work. So ifyou canto
moderate to vigorous physical activity a day. Looking specifically at the benefitsthat's a radio
academic performance, the panel found enough evidence to sup coaches. We're control freaks.
port the findings ofthe California studies, and it also reported that white line ifIsay Hut!, andfoi
physical activity has a positive influence on memory, concentration, Students in Naperville 203
and classroom behavior. It didn't specify gym class, but you can see ihad the Internet. When you w3
how the students in Naperville aregetting a healthy jump start. SUM'*1' schools today, it feels like you
'
elub. Each has a TriFit assessn
A WHOLE NEW BALLGAME
which in the junior highs are]
idents at that age. There are cl
"I'm not a researcher; I'm a PE teacher," says Zientarski to a dozen taerobic machines. (Throughla1
educators packed into his cinderblock office atNaperville Central, Seating, most of the equipmeril
as he hands them copies of the CDEstudies. The educators come ; The curriculum is designed
from a neighboring suburb, a school inSouth Side Chicago, as well 1%
m
tice, and importance of fitnei
as a rural district in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and they're here because ithey're given a broad menu of
Naperville 203 serves as a training academy for a nonprofit agency asv.-./-- ing to rock climbing to typic

22

fijeltests, but the results also
fcstudents, fitter kids scored
^statistic in itself. It sug-
i^immediate control over
ipoveitheir kids' chances of
rffi(to),get in shape. Exercise
liafeie; In 2004 a panel of
jtariging from kinesiology to
^i#iffiore than 850 studies
biischoStage children. Most
)f!th%ty to forty-five minutes
jvjity three to five days aweek.
Ipeiras obesity, cardiovascu-
ppcietyj self-concept, bone
psedionstrong evidence in
iflet issued a recommendation
jte iin one hour (or more) of
ya day. Looking specifically at
jund enough evidence to sup-
udies, and italso reported that
iceon memory, concentration,
icify gym class, but you can see
jetting ahealthy jump start.
iBALLGAME
iher," says Zientarski toa dozen
ck office atNaperville Central,
fe studies. The educators come
1in South Side Chicago, as well
ioma, and they're here because
'academy for anonprofit agency
L,,
Welcome to the Revolution
called PE4life, which has adopted the New PE philosophy. Illinois
is the only state that requires daily phys ed, and PE41ife is lobbying
tochange thatas well as the way it's taught. Zientarski stands up
and announces, "Now, we're going to take a tour."
He leads the way, moving through the hallways with the delib
erate stride of a seasoned U-boat commander. At the first stop,
three student helpers are administering computerized health diag
nostics to a group of sophomores with a computer system called
TriFit. Giving the kids targets for heart rate, blood pressure, body
fat, and the rest, he announces, is a proven method ofmotivating
people tostay fit. Indeed, studies suggest that simply getting on the
scale every morning improves the likelihood that someone who's
overweight will shed pounds. But Lawler and Zientarski's ambitions
extend far beyond concerns about their students' body mass index.
"I tell people it's not my job as a PE teacher to make kids fit,"
Zientarski says. "My job is to make them know all of the things
they need to know to keep themselves fit. Exercise in itself is not
fun. It's work. So if you can make them understand it, show them
the benefitsthat's a radical transformation. Especially for us
coaches. We're control freaks. I can getsixty-five kids to stand on a
white line ifI say Hut!, and for years that's what we did."
Students inNaperville 203 had heart rate monitors before they
hadthe Internet. When you walk into thegym atany ofthedistrict's
schools today, it feels like you're in a state-of-the-art adult health
club. Each has a TriFit assessment machine and weight machines,
which in the junior highs are custom-made to accommodate stu
dents at that age. There are climbing walls and video-game-based
aerobic machines. (Through Lawler's lobbying andZientarski's brow
beating, most of the equipment has been donated.)
The curriculum is designed to teach kids the principles, prac
tice, and importance of fitness. When they reach high school,
they're given a broad menu of optionsfrom kayaking to danc
ing to rock climbing to typical team sports like volleyball and
23
 SPARK Weli

basketballand shown how todraw up their own fitness plans. It's cooperating, not compel
all centered around TriFit assessments students complete each year lessons he and his staff t;-
starting in fifth grade. They design their plans as freshmen and "If you ask people, i
track their improvement until they graduate, at which time they able to know and do vi
get a fourteen-page health assessment. It combines fitness scores explains, "They'll say, %
with factors like blood pressure and cholesterol levels, along with We want them to be able
lifestyle and family history surveys, to predict risk of disease and be able to problem solve
suggest preventive measures. It is an astonishingly comprehensive does that happen?" he a!
document by any professional health standard, let alone one that don't think so." {
an eighteen-year-old can carry in his hand as he steps into adult i
life. Ifonly the rest ofus could be so lucky. GOODFORTHE
Sports physiologist Craig Broeder, who conducted the fitness
study in Naperville, remarks that students can choose from eigh About 135 miles south
teen activities for gym. "One of the things that too many people nois at Urbana-Champa
forget is that you have to find something that allows astudent to Hillman conducted hisj
feel comfortable at excelling," he says. "So that it feels like them group of 216 third and I
when they're doing it. When you only give a kid a limited option, tion between fitness anc
like playing basketball, and you make it seem like punishment Castelli, noticed someth
or boot camp, there's no way he's going to continue doing it. At FitnessGram measures, i
Naperville, they give kids lots of options by which to excel; they relation to academic pen
design lifetime fitness activities." It's important for adults to remem fitness really stuck out ij
berthis when considering how to get in shape. "Theywere the most sign
Zientarski leads his group into the old girl's gym to show off it was that clear-cut." |
the jewel of Central's physical education program: a twenty-four- Hillman went beyoc
foot-high, ninety-foot-long climbing wall and a high-ropes course to dig into the neuroscie
they recently started using in a new leadership class. He gives an of forty kidshalf fit, h!
example of a drill he uses to teach trust and communication: the working memory, and j
climber is blindfolded and has to rely on commands from his part testing, the kids wore soi
ner to reach thenext hold onthe wall. The newest part ofthe wall electrodes that measured]
is set at an easier pitch for PE students with physical and mental troencephalogram (EEGj
disabilities. Answering the obvious concerns about liability, Zien indicating that more hi
tarski says they have very few injuries in here because the kids are recruited for a given task!

24

y*--

fisheifrown fitness plans. It's
tpctfentsicomplete each year
teiftiplans as freshmen and
adbatei at which time they
^[combines fitness scores
S^lgsterol levels, along with
pedict risk of disease and
pif^hingly comprehensive
pldlaftdi let alone one that
h&ridhas he steps into adult
^.-::-
\^ho\feonducted the fitness
jjftoan choose from eigh-
luygSiitihat. too many people
infilthat allows a student to
s^giouthat it feels like them
igtve a kid a limited option,
:e; it seem like punishment
ag to continue doing it. At
ns by which to excel; they
iportant for adults to remem-
nshape.
ie old girl's gym to show off
ion program: a twenty-four-
yall and a high-ropes course
leadership class. He gives an
list and communication: the
ton commands from his part-
i The newest part of the wall
its with physical and mental
pncerns about liability, Zien-
Iin here because the kids are
Welcome to the Revolution
1
cooperating, not competing, and this is one of the most important
lessons he and his staff teach.
1
"If you ask people, What is it you want our graduates to be
able to know and do when they leave high school?" Zientarski
explains, "They'll say, We want them to be able to communicate.
We want them to be able to work insmall groups. We want them to
be able to problem solve. We want them to be risk takers. Where
does that happen?" he asks, eyeballing his guests. "Science class? I
don't think so."
GOOD FOR THE BODY, GOOD FOR THE BRAIN
About 135 miles south of Naperville, at the University of Illi
nois at Urbana-Champaign, a psychophysiologist named Charles
Hillman conducted his own version of the CDE study with a
group of 216 third and fifth graders and found the same correla
tion between fitness and academics. He and his coauthor, Darla
Castelli, noticed something interesting. Of the six areas that the
FitnessGram measures, two seem to be particularly important in
relation to academic performance. "Body mass index and aerobic
fitness really stuck out in our regression equation," Castelli says.
"They were the most significant contributors. I was really surprised
it was that clear-cut."
Hillman went beyond correlating data, though. He wanted
to dig into the nenroscience ofthese findings, so he took a group
of forty kidshalf fit, half unfitand measured their attention,
working memory, and processing speed. During the cognitive
testing, the kids wore something like a swim cap embedded with
electrodes that measured electrical activity in the brain. The elec
troencephalogram (EEG) showed more activity in fit kids' brains,
indicating that more neurons involved in attention were being
recruited for a given task. "We see better integrity there," Hillman
25
 SPARK
Welcom

explains. In other words, better fitness equals better attention and, rather than engage with otJ
thus, better results. "In third grade, my mom g!
Hillman also found something telling in how his subjects Jessie recalls, laughing about
responded to making a mistake. While measuring their brain activ hanging out with a bunchy
ity, he used what's called a flanker test, in which a series of five going to be good at that Ij
capital letters (Hs and Ss) are flashed on a screen. The only let played piano for eight yearslj
ter of interest is the one in the middle; the subject hits one button Ofcourse, Phil Lawler dl
when it's an H and another button when it's an S. When something arrived as a studentat Mad^
like HHSHH shows up, at the rate of once a second, it's easy to just like everyone else, and'i
make a mistake, and you know as soon as you've done so. What I it wasn't too terriblecertai
Hillman found, he says, is that "fit kids slow down and make sure lessons about her body thaN
they get that next one right." The ability to stop and consider a When she and her sistei
response, to use the experience of a wrong choice as a guide in divergent class schedules tin
making the next decision, relates to executive function, which is lean on each other, so Jessie |
controlled by an area of the brain called the prefrontal cortex. (I'll often than she felt comfort?!
explore executive function in subsequent chapters, especially when class to deal with her socialaj
we get to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, which is partly her blossom was enrolling, ii
caused by a lapse in the prefrontal cortex. If a child with ADHD intensive sport immediately.i
took the flanker test, she would hit the wrong button before being thing outside the academic rei
able to stop herself, or hesitate too long to hit the right button. But aval*

"If somebody notices tha

you can imagine how much all of us rely on executive function.) ; can't do, you get some attend
Learning from our mistakes isprofoundly important in everyday life, : started to notice me, and the
m.
andHillman's study shows that exerciseor at least the resulting fit the wallpaper. It made me trie;
ness levelscan have a powerful impact on that fundamental skill. somebody is like, How do yqi
*&;
and you just explain it: youhj
ss!:,:
FOLLOW THE LEADERS
jmi!

SfiV
that with your paddle." j
K ,i.0!f The swimming pool levelej
There may be no better embodiment of Naperville's faith in the "Once everybody changes intg
transformative power ofexercise thanJessie Wolfrum. Aself-described I in the popular group," she sal
nerd and a straight-A studentwhile at Central, shegraduated in 2003 3*'. *
boundaries of social standings
and enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Mi-
until I took kayaking."
Beach, Florida, where she is now majoring in engineering physics. Emboldened by her experl
As a twin who tended to rely on her relationship with her sister up for the leadership course-4

26

!.wiiaaife|M<jMEflfrga=

lUals better attention and,
ling, in how his subjects
jeasuiing their brain activ-
Jin which aseries of five
PlMaisereen. The only let-
ihe'sabjeet hits one button
jfeanS. When something
lortce a second, it's easy to
Eatei you've done so. What
sislbw down and make sure
ility to stop and consider a
tng choice as a guide in
utive function, which is
!$iheprefrontal cortex. (I'll
[chapters, especially when
Lfdisorder, which is partly
itex.: If achild with ADHD
;#\wrong button before being
gitohit the right button. But
rely on executive function.)
ily important in everyday life,
ior at least the resulting fit-
act on that fundamental skill.
Headers
itof Naperville's faith in the
JessieWolfrum. Aself-described
LCentral, she graduated in 2003
lautical University in Daytona
ajoring in engineering physics,
ier relationship with her sister
Welcome to the Revolution
rather than engage with other kids, Jessie had been shy all her life.
"In third grade, my mom gave me the option of piano or soccer,"
Jessie recalls, laughing about it now. "I was so scared of the idea of
hanging out with a bunch of girls at something I probably wasn't
going to be good at that I picked something I didn't even like. I
played piano for eight years!"
Ofcourse, Phil Lawler didn't give her the piano option when she
arrivedasa student at Madison Junior High.Jessie had to participate,
just like everyone else, and although she didn't much care for gym,
it wasn't too terriblecertainly not traumatizing. And she learned
lessons about her body that would serve her for years to come.
When she and her sister, Becky, moved on to Central, their
divergent class schedules meant they weren't able to constantly
lean on each other, so Jessie was forced to talk to other kids more
often than she felt comfortable doing. She signed up for speech
class to deal with her social anxiety, but she sayswhat really helped
her blossom was enrolling in kayaking. Jessie took to this skill-
intensive sport immediately, and discovering she was good at some
thing outside the academic realm helped transform her.
"If somebody notices that you're doing something that they
can't do, you get some attention," Jessie says. "In kayaking, people
3
started to notice me, and then I wasn't the person who faded into
il
the wallpaper. It made me more adventurous. Even if you're shy, if %
\l
somebody is like, How do you do that? you forget that you're shy, it
and you just explain it: you have to turn your head this way or do
that with your paddle."
The swimming pool leveled the playing field in other ways too.
"Once everybody changes into their swimsuits, you can't tell who's
in the popular group," she says. "The class totally jumped those
boundaries of social standings. 1 had a lot of problems with that
until I took kayaking."
Emboldened by her experience in kayaking class, Jessie signed
up for the leadership course being taught by Mr. Zientarski. The
27
 SPARK
Welcoi

first thing he did was separate Jessie and her twinand all ofthe you know how to handle i
other inseparable cliques. The leadership students learn to rock have something to fall bac
climb, and it's this sport in particular that captured Jessie's atten justgo eat orsomething. Bi
tion. She joined the Adventure Club, a sort of ad hoc Zero Hour brain activity, and so I thirl
for kids who wanted to come in at 6:30 in the morning to get extra it weren't for my gym class.''
time on the climbing wall or use the pool for kayaking.
Jessie and hersister actually decided togo paddling the morning
of the Prairie State Achievement Examination, the Illinois version BEYC
of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). They were so confident in . Like many people, Igrew up
their preparation, and soattuned tohow exercise helped them focus, some fun, but, to my recoil
that they were comfortable splashing around a cold pool right before tional. As an adult, whentfl
an important exam. How many high school kids do you know who about the positive impact oi
would do that? How many adults do you know who would do that? self-esteem, and social skills!
"When we showed up for the test, we were cold and wet," the antidote. In my experie
recalls Jessie. "We walked into the classroom, and we were theonly Quite the oppositeit disc]
ones who were awake. We ended up doing prettywell." They both that the shy, the clumsy, the
scored 1400 out of a possible 1600top-notch results. could most benefit from exer
When shegot to college, Jessie continued pushing herself both bleachers. Someone like Jess
academically and socially. She is an A/B student and, most sur alized and left to stew inhe^
prisingly, she became a resident adviser, watching over a group of a number of patients recount
underclassmen on her hall, providing them with comfort, disci lines are fertile ground for At
pline, and counsel. She isno longer a wallflower. exercise ameliorates.
It's tough to keep up with exercise in the transition from high Part of the Naperville m
school to college, but Jessie never strayed too far from her regimen. exquisitely tuned in to this i
During her freshman year at Embry-Riddle, whenever anything recalls Zientarski, with a tori
stressful would come up, she and her roommate would run laps about sixty-five percent ofouj
on the stairs in her dorm. That's something she learned back in I
on down to PE class and bed
Napervillehow to manage her brain with exercise. And that's What strikes me about 2
the message 1hope to deliver in this book. sergeant to sculptor of bodies!
"Thesedays, every hourissucked up with somethingwatching been willing togo in redefinir
over residents, classes..." Jessie says. "When I don't have time to innovative changes he made?!
work out, I wish I did. Every time I know that a whole bunch of square-dancing class for freshl
tests are coming upwhen I'm really stressed outI think, OK, but theclass is set up to use mj

28

hd her twinand all ofthe
khip students learn to rock
Ltihat captured Jessie's atten-
[iaisort of ad hoc Zero Hour
0 lathe morning to get extra
iddifor kayaking,
fctoigo paddling the morning
Snination, the Illinois version
f)i They were so confident in
Wexercise helped them focus,
iiround acold pool right before
(school kids do you know who
U'know who would do that?
test, we were cold and wet,"
assroom, and we were the only
[doing pretty well." They both
i'tdp-notch results,
oncinued pushing herself both
It A/B student and, most sur-
jiser, watching over agroup of
jng them with comfort, disci-
Wallflower.
jse in the transition from high
fayed too far from her regimen.
iry-Riddle, whenever anything
her roommate would run laps
Something she learned back in
i>rain with exercise. And that's
shook.
liupwithsomethingwatching
Is. "When 1don't have time to
j:I know that a whole bunch of
ally stressed outI think, OK,
Welcome to the Revolution
you know how to handle this. It's definitely a relief to know that I
have something to fall back on. If I didn't have that, I'd probably
1 just go eat or something. But I know that exercise will spike up my
I brain activity, and so I think, Just go do it. I wouldn't know that if
it weren't for my gym class."
I
'i |
BEYOND FITNESS
'4
m
Like many people, I grew up thinking that gym was a joke. We had
some fun, but, to my recollection, phys ed wasn't especially educa
tional. As an adult, when I began lecturing to teachers and doctors
about the positive impact of physical activity on mood, attention,
self-esteem, and social skills, I certainly wasn't thinking of gym as
the antidote. In my experience, PE wasn't really about exercise.
Quite the oppositeit discouraged exercise. The cruel irony was
that the shy, the clumsy, the out of shapesome of the kids who
could most benefitfrom exercisewere pushed aside to sit on the
bleachers. Someone like Jessie Wolfrum would have been margin
alized and left to stewin her shame.Over the years, I've listened to
m
a number of patients recount tales of humiliation in PE. The side
lines are fertile ground for developing the very sorts of issues that
exercise ameliorates.
Part of the Naperville magic is that Lawler and Zientarski are
exquisitely tuned in to this dynamic. "We used to do chin-ups,"
recalls Zientarski, with a tone bordering on disgust. "I would say
about sixty-five percent of our boys couldn't do one chin-up. Come
on down to PE class and be a failure!"
What strikes me about Zientarski's transformation from drill
sergeant to sculptor of bodies, brains, and minds is how far he has
been willing to go in redefininggym. For example, one of the most
innovative changes he made at Central was to add a mandatory
square-dancing class for freshman. It may not sound cutting edge,
but the class is set up to use movement as a framework for teaching
29
 SPARK
Welcon

social skillsa wonderful idea on many levels. In the first few ffjilr.
Zientarski puts them all in
weeks of the class, all the students receive scripts to use as conver W
and encouragement to buil
sation starters with their partners, and everyone switches partners makes the whole lesson wot
after each dance. As the course progresses, the students are given It's offerings like this, I
time to interact without the scripts, first for thirty seconds and ents in Naperville report t
building up from there. The final exam is based on how accurately mother named Olfat El-M
the students remember ten facts about a partner after spending fif Madison and then Central.;
teen minutes chatting. thing else that happens ins
Some kids who are socially timid never get a chance to learn like a motivational program
how to talk to people and make friends, so they retreat, especially are both very confident aboi
from the opposite sex. By not being singled out or relegated to a way. This is because ofthe;!
special social skills class, Zientarski's square-dance students get to 8ft,-
practice how to talk and interact in a nontoxic setting. The activ
ity serves both as a distraction and as a confidence builder. Some SPREAD]
master the drill, and others merely break through their fears, but There are fifty-two million!
because everybody's doing it, it's less embarrassing. twelth grade, who attend pu
When I talk to colleagues about the Naperville revolution and States. If all of them had tl
tell them that kids are learning these kinds of social skills in gym education, our next generati
Si!!"'
class, the reaction I get is stunned silencethey are in awe, just pier, and smarter. That is dl
as 1was. Throughout my work, I have spent a lot of time trying to that hashired Lawler toteacl
identify and address the problems of what I call the social brain, philosophy and methodology
and Zientarski has found the perfect prescription to help over 350 schools have been throu;
come the growing isolation and solitary nature of our lives today. implemented their own versij
In gym class! By having the structure, opportunity, and expecta One such graduate is a i
tion, socially anxious students log in positive memories about the physical education coordinafi
way to approach someone, how close to stand, and when to let the fa'.
'v:
jr. Pennsylvania, a defunct indu!
other person speak. Exercise serves as the social lubricant, and it's left for dead in a stretch of>
crucial to this kind of learning because it reduces anxiousness. Lake Erie. This is where, bae
Their brains are primed by the movement, and they lay down cir oil well was drilled, but oil i
cuits that record the experience, which at first may be painful but the economy: The median ir|
which becomes less so in the context of an experience shared by the town is below the poveil
the entire class. It's an intuitively brilliantway to bringkids out of Wi 75 percent of the kindergartf
lli-.
their shells, at a poignant age when everyone feels self-conscious. for school lunches. Which is t
Bit.

30 %

i&Ssrg^iAazto&!E53E&

iy ilevels. In the first few
^sfeiipts to use asconver-
yeiyone switches partners
le*,ifihe students are given
St?|for thirty seconds and
glased on how accurately
iilpther after spending fif-
eve*get a chance to learn
ksoMthey retreat, especially
hgled'out or relegated to a
[uare-dance students get to
tdritoxic setting. The activ-
a^onfidence builder. Some
jgk through their fears, but
ibacrassing.
eNaperville revolution and
kinds ofsocial skills in gym
Lncethey are in awe, just
[spent alot of time trying to
what 1call the social brain,
[ prescription to help over
lay nature of our lives today.
fe, opportunity, and expecta-
jpositive memories about the
to stand, and when to let the
[thesocial lubricant, and it's
iause it reduces anxiousness.
Lent, and they lay down cir-
ich at first may be painful but
itof an experience shared by
Uiant way to bring kids out of
Ieveryone feels self-conscious.
Welcome to the Revolution
Zientarski puts them all in the same boat and gives them the tools
and encouragement to build up their self-confidence. The dancing
makes the whole lesson work.
It's offerings like this, I believe, that explain why so many par
ents in Naperville report that gym is their kids' favorite class. A
mother named Olfat El-Mallak has two daughters who went to
Madisonand then Central. "It'snot just physical exercise; it'ssome
thing else that happens inside of them," she says. "This is almost
like a motivational program. My girls believe in themselves. They
are bothvery confident about themselves, and they didn't start this
way. This is because of the PE program at District 203."
SPREADING THE GOSPEL
There are fifty-two million children, from kindergarten through
twelth grade, who attend public and private schools in the United
States. If all of them had the benefit of Naperville-style physical
education, our next generation of adults would be healthier, hap
pier, and smarter. That is the ultimate goal of PE4life, the group
that has hired Lawler to teach other educators the fitness-not-sports
philosophy and methodology. About one thousand educators from
350schools have been through the training, and many have since
implemented their own versions ofthe program.
One such graduate is a man named Tim McCord. He is the
physical education coordinator for the school district inTitusville,
Pennsylvania, adefunct industrial town ofsix thousand that's been
left for dead in a stretch of hill country between Pittsburgh and
Lake Erie. This is where, back in 1859, the world's first successful
oil well was drilled, but oil has come and gone, right along with
the economy: The median income is now $25,000; 16 percent of
the town is below the poverty line; and a few years back, about
75 percent of the kindergartners received government assistance
for school lunches. Which is to say, this is not a wealthy suburb.
31
 SPARK Welcome

In 1999 McCord visited Naperville, came home, and trans and a littleheavyset, she was
formed physical education inTitusville almost overnight. Thedistrict But as her classmates noticec
has twenty-six hundred students in one high school, one middle "Go, Stephanie!" She made
school, four elementary schools, and one early learning center. her later. "She started to crj
Titusville installed fitness centers in the secondary schools, bought were cheeringheron," McCc
heart rate monitors, and got the local hospital to help fund the fit. herself up." !
TriFit diagnostics. Titusville even restructured the school day, add I The buzz about the brej
ing ten minutes to the schedule and shaving time from academic spreading among other gove
classes to carve out time for daily gym. "It did not.cost usa cent to &' Harkin recently held hearing!
do that," McCord says, noting that it was an administrator's sugges tion in schools based on news
tion."Andit's a huge move with No Child LeftBehindeverybody city reduced its disciplinary pi
else is going in the other direction." & Elementary School in Kansas
NowTitusville's secondaryschoolshaveclimbing walls, and the dents have subsidized meal pi
filr-
fitness centers are brimming with the latest training technology, iv:
tion staffexpanded gym from
most of it donated. The Cybex Trazer, for instance, is a brand-new a day, focused almost entirely <
device that looks like an upright computer station where students ofoneschool year, thestudent
chase flashing lights. There are also cycling trainers, which allow and counselors reported that tl
kids to race one another on video screens or cue up routes from fe lence at Woodland decreasedj
the Tour de France and compete with virtual Lance Armstrongs. For an inner-city school f
McCord has also reached out to the community, opening the (iff
mation, and for such a depresl
schools' fitness centers to members of the senior center. Within as it has, is remarkable. McC
the schools, he's invited teachers in other subjects to get involved: Stephanies of the world rathi
English students use the heart rate monitors during public speak as the schoolchildren grow uj
ing, and math students use the data to learn how to graph. to move and be active. They'll
w:
Since the program started in 2000, the standardized test scores their Game Boy, and their miri
of Titusville's students have risen from belowthe state average to 17 Revolutions rely onyouth,]
percent above it in reading and 18 percentabove it in math.Equally tarski, and McCord, even adu
important are the psychosocial effects McCord has noticed: not ognize how physical activity ir.
a single fist fight among the 550 junior high kids since 2000. The find the spark, so can the rest
district's bootstrap story has prompted visits from state representa these examples as a new cultur
tives and even the president of the CDC. During one such show- thebody and the brain. As you
and-tell, as McCord led a group past the juniorhigh's climbing wall,
he noticed a girl named Stephanie stuck abouthalfway up. Bookish
Willi

32
Ki"i;

same home, and trans
itovernight. Thedistrict
fiiigb school, one middle
esjearly learning center,
idndary schools, bought
ospital to help fund the
tired'the school day, add
ing time from academic
kdidiihot cost us acent to
^administrator's sugges
t-Behindeverybody
pexctimbingwalls, and the
itest training technology,
(^instance, is abrand-new
iter- station where students
ling trainers, which allow
kis or cue up routes from
kftual Lance Armstrongs,
[community, opening the
fche senior center. Within
er subjects to get involved:
iiitors during public speak-
jam how to graph,
foe standardized testscores
elow thestate average to 17
Ltabove itinmath. Equally
McCord has noticed: not
high kids since 2000. The
visits from state representa-
JC During one such show-
Ijuniorhigh's climbing wall,
.; about halfway up. Bookish
Welcome to the Revolution
and a littleheavyset, shewas on display for everyone to see her fail.
But as her classmates noticed her struggling, they began cheering,
"Go, Stephanie!" She made it to the top, and McCord spoke to
her later. "She started to cry and couldn't believe the other kids
were cheering her on," McCord recalls. "Shesaid it helped her pull
herself up."
The buzz about the broad effect of exercise on students is
spreading among other government officials. Iowa Senator Tom
Harkin recently held hearings about reestablishing physical educa
tion in schools based on news that one PE4life school in the inner
city reduced its disciplinary problems by 67 percent. At Woodland
Elementary School in Kansas City, Missouri, nearly all of the stu
dents have subsidized meal programs. In 2005 the physical educa
tion staffexpanded gym from one class a week to forty-five minutes I
a day, focused almost entirely on cardiovascular activity. In the span
!
ofoneschool year, the students' fitness levels improved dramatically,
and counselors reported that the numberof incidents involving vio
lence at Woodland decreased from 228 to 95 for the year.
For an inner-city school to go through such a rapid transfor
mation, and for such a depressed town as Titusville to come alive
as it has, is remarkable. McCord's community rallies around the .i
Stephanies of the world rather than just the football team, and
as the schoolchildren grow up, a larger percentage will continue I
to move and be active. They'll grab their kayak or bike instead of
their Game Boy, and their minds and moods will be sharperfor it.
Revolutions rely on youth, but as we've seen with Lawler, Zien
tarski, and McCord, even adults can make a major shift and rec
ognize how physical activity influences the brain. IfTitusville can
find the spark, so can the rest of us. My hope is that we can use
these examples asa new cultural model and, ultimately, reconnect
the body and the brain. As you'll see, they belong together.
33