School Physical Activity Policy Assessment (S-PAPA)

Abstract

The School Physical Activity Policy Assessment (S-PAPA) is a structured instrument designed to systematically evaluate policies related to the promotion of physical activity within elementary schools. The assessment is comprehensive, encompassing seven background items and three distinct modules focused on: Physical Education, Recess, and Other Before, During, and After School Programs. Utilizing a variety of response formats, including open-ended, dichotomous, multichotomous, and checklist items, the S-PAPA provides researchers and practitioners with reliable data regarding the environmental and policy supports for student movement. The estimated total administration time for the instrument is approximately 23 minutes.

Keywords

School Physical Activity Policy Assessment, S-PAPA, Physical Activity Policy, Elementary Education, Physical Education, Recess, School Health, Policy Evaluation

Authors

Monica Lounsbery, PhD, Thomas McKenzie, James Morrow, & Kathryn Holt, BS

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Purpose

The primary objective of the School Physical Activity Policy Assessment (S-PAPA) is to serve as a standardized tool for the evaluation of policies governing physical activity within elementary school environments. This assessment is critical for identifying specific strengths and weaknesses in institutional support for student movement.

The S-PAPA specifically targets three core areas where policy implementation significantly impacts student behavior: the formal curriculum of Physical Education; the unstructured physical activity time provided during Recess; and organized opportunities available outside of regular school hours, such as Before, During, and After School Programs.

Construct

The central construct measured by the S-PAPA is the comprehensiveness and implementation fidelity of School Physical Activity Policy. This construct is understood not merely as the existence of written rules, but the systematic organizational framework that promotes, facilitates, and mandates student physical activity across the school day.

The instrument operationalizes this construct by breaking down policy evaluation into measurable domains, ensuring that policies related to instructional time, supervision, facilities use, and program availability are assessed rigorously. By focusing on observable policy components, the S-PAPA provides an empirical basis for understanding how school environments support or hinder active lifestyles among children in elementary schools.

Validity

While the initial development focused primarily on establishing the reliability of the items, detailed studies concerning the validity of the S-PAPA (such as construct validity, criterion validity, or predictive validity) are not explicitly detailed in the primary reference provided. Researchers utilizing the S-PAPA should consider conducting localized validity studies to ensure the instrument accurately measures policy implementation within their specific context.

Reliability

The psychometrics of the S-PAPA, particularly its reliability, were established through rigorous testing. Test-retest results indicated that the individual items within the S-PAPA modules possess sufficient stability and consistency over time.

The findings, documented by Lounsbery et al. (2011), confirm that the assessment is a reliable instrument for assessing physical activity policies in elementary school settings. This strong test-retest reliability suggests that the S-PAPA can yield consistent results when administered multiple times to the same policy context, making it suitable for monitoring policy changes or tracking compliance over time.

Factor Analysis

Information regarding specific Factor Analysis results or the underlying factor structure of the S-PAPA is not detailed in the foundational documentation provided. The structure is organized conceptually into three distinct modules (Physical Education, Recess, and Other Programs), suggesting domain-specific policy assessment rather than relying on a singular latent factor structure.

Instrument

Test Type: Policy Assessment Instrument / Observational Checklist

Format: Utilizes a mixed-format approach, including open-ended questions, dichotomous (yes/no) items, multichotomous options, and various checklist formats.

Language Available: English (Primary developmental language)

Population Group: School Administrators, Physical Education Specialists, or researchers collecting data on institutional policy.

Age Group: Policies assessed pertain to elementary school students (typically ages 5–11).

Population Details: The instrument is designed for application in elementary school settings where formalized physical activity policies are expected to be in place.

Test Methodology: Structured self-report or interview-based assessment of institutional policies and practices related to physical activity. The assessment is divided into modules, with a total administration time of approximately 23 minutes.

Keywords

School Policy, Test-Retest Reliability, Policy Implementation, Before School Programs, After School Programs, Health Promotion, Psychometrics

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Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in the source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in the source material.

Correspondence Address: Not specified in the source material.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions and Fee: Information regarding specific permissions for use or associated licensing fees is not provided. Users should consult the primary authors or the publishing institution for current usage guidelines.

Test Year: The key publication detailing the reliability of the S-PAPA was submitted in 2011 (Lounsbery et al., 2011).

Reference’s

• Lounsbery, M. A. F., McKenzie, T. L. Morrow, J. R., Holt, K. A. & Budnar, R.G. (2011). School Physical Activity Policy Assessment (SPAPA): Test-Retest Reliabilities. Manuscript submitted for publication, April 15.

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Items of the School Physical Activity Policy Assessment (S-PAPA)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

The School Physical Activity Policy Assessment (S-PAPA) includes 7 initial background items and is structured into three distinct modules, totaling 82 scored items:

• (a) Physical Education (comprising 40 items);
• (b) Recess (containing 27 items); and
• (c) Other Before, During, and After School Programs (consisting of 15 items).

The original PDF instrument provides the full list of assessment items and can be downloaded here: School Physical Activity Policy Assessment (S-PAPA)