Standardization is one of the defining aspects of modern life, its presence so pervasive that it is usually taken for granted. However cumbersome, onerous, or simply puzzling certain standards may be, their fundamental purpose in streamlining procedures, regulating behaviors, and predicting results is rarely questioned. Indeed, the invisibility of infrastructure and the imperative of standardizing processes signify their absolute necessity. Increasingly, however, social scientists are beginning to examine the origins and effects of the standards that underpin the technology and practices of everyday life. Standards and Their Stories explores how we interact with the network of standards that shape our lives in ways both obvious and invisible. The main chapters analyze standardization in biomedical research, government bureaucracies, the insurance industry, labor markets, and computer technology, providing detailed accounts of the invention of "standard humans" for medical testing and life insurance actuarial tables, the imposition of chronological age as a biographical determinant, the accepted means of determining labor productivity, the creation of international standards for the preservation and access of metadata, and the global consequences of "ASCII imperialism" and the use of English as the lingua franca of the Internet. Accompanying these in-depth critiques are a series of examples that depict an almost infinite variety of standards, from the controversies surrounding the European Union's supposed regulation of banana curvature to the minimum health requirements for immigrants at Ellis Island, conflicting (and ever-increasing) food portion sizes, and the impact of standardized punishment metrics like "Three Strikes" laws. The volume begins with a pioneering essay from Susan Leigh Star and Martha Lampland on the nature of standards in everyday life that brings together strands from the several fields represented in the book. In an appendix, the editors provide a guide for teaching courses in this emerging interdisciplinary field, which they term "infrastructure studies," making Standards and Their Stories ideal for scholars, students, and those curious about why coffins are becoming wider, for instance, or why the Financial Accounting Standards Board refused to classify September 11 as an "extraordinary" event.

Focused on physical literacy and measurable outcomes, empowering physical educators to help students meet the Common Core standards, and coming from a recently renamed but longstanding organization intent on shaping a standard of excellence in physical education, National Standards & Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education is all that and much more. Created by SHAPE America — Society of Health and Physical Educators (formerly AAHPERD) — this text unveils the new National Standards for K-12 Physical Education. The standards and text have been retooled to support students’ holistic development. This is the third iteration of the National Standards for K-12 Physical Education, and this latest version features two prominent changes: •The term physical literacy underpins the standards. It encompasses the three domains of physical education (psychomotor, cognitive, and affective) and considers not only physical competence and knowledge but also attitudes, motivation, and the social and psychological skills needed for participation. • Grade-level outcomes support the national physical education standards. These measurable outcomes are organized by level (elementary, middle, and high school) and by standard. They provide a bridge between the new standards and K-12 physical education curriculum development and make it easy for teachers to assess and track student progress across grades, resulting in physically literate students. In developing the grade-level outcomes, the authors focus on motor skill competency, student engagement and intrinsic motivation, instructional climate, gender differences, lifetime activity approach, and physical activity. All outcomes are written to align with the standards and with the intent of fostering lifelong physical activity. National Standards & Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education presents the standards and outcomes in ways that will help preservice teachers and current practitioners plan curricula, units, lessons, and tasks. The text also • empowers physical educators to help students meet the Common Core standards; • allows teachers to see the new standards and the scope and sequence for outcomes for all grade levels at a glance in a colorful, easy-to-read format; and • provides administrators, parents, and policy makers with a framework for understanding what students should know and be able to do as a result of their physical education instruction. The result is a text that teachers can confidently use in creating and enhancing high-quality programs that prepare students to be physically literate and active their whole lives.

Implementing the National Dance Education Standards presents a wealth of tools that help you apply the standards in a way that makes dance education come alive for your students. The standards-updated from the original seven standards created by the National Dance Association in 1994-are more action oriented and outcomes based than the original set, and they present new benchmarks for four grade-level groups and expert guidance in implementing the standards. Implementing the National Dance Education Standards Will Help you develop a curriculum that engages students in developmentally appropriate learning experiences and makes dance fun and exciting for every student.

If you are looking for the definitive resource to help you measure your students’ achievement, your search is over. PE Metrics: Assessing Student Performance Using the National Standards & Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education, Third Edition, aligns with SHAPE America’s National Standards and Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education, was created by SHAPE America and its writing team, and was reviewed by researchers and teachers with expertise in assessment. The result is a text that you can use with confidence as you help develop physical literacy in your students. Written for physical educators, administrators, and curriculum writers (and for physical education majors and minors), this latest edition offers the following: • 130 ready-to-use assessments for kindergarten through grade 12 (65 elementary, 43 middle school, and 22 high school) • Worksheets, checklists, and rubrics that support the assessments • Guidance on creating your own assessments for any lesson or unit These assessments are aligned with the three SHAPE America lesson planning books for elementary, middle, and secondary school and dovetail with SHAPE America’s The Essentials of Teaching Physical Education. The assessments can be used as they are, or you can modify them or use them as samples in creating assessments that are best suited to your needs. PE Metrics, now in a four-color design, is organized into four main parts: Part I introduces the purpose and uses of assessment, how to develop an assessment plan, and the various types of assessments and tools you can use. Part II contains sample assessments for students in grades K-5, focusing on fundamental motor skills; as such, the elementary-level assessments center heavily on Standard 1. In part III, the emphasis shifts to middle school assessments, with a concentration on Standard 2 and on the categories of dance and rhythms, invasion games, net/wall games, fielding/striking games, outdoor pursuits, aquatics, and individual-performance activities. Part IV offers sample assessments for high school students, with a priority on providing evidence of the knowledge and skills students will need to remain active and fit after they leave high school. This resource provides a comprehensive, performance-based assessment system that enables you to incorporate assessment into every facet of your teaching, create assessments that are unique to your program, and measure your students’ performance against the grade-level outcomes. The assessments are process focused and are designed to measure multiple constructs as well as provide meaningful feedback to students—ultimately helping them to develop holistically across all three learning domains (psychomotor, cognitive, and affective). PE Metrics will help you instill in students the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity.

The third edition of the National Standards for Sport Coaches outlines the standards for quality sport coaching based on the latest research and practical work in coaching science and the varied fields of exercise science. This useful resource outlines the standards which highlights the core responsibilities coaches should possess along with supporting competencies that provide insight into the knowledge and skills needed to support a quality amateur sport experience for athletes. Coaches, sport administrators, and coach educators and developers who are informed about core coaching responsibilities and competencies can improve the preparation, training, and evaluation of sport coaching. Ultimately the National Standards for Sport Coaches should assist in improving the sport experiences for all athletes and will elevate the profession of coaching.

As a physical education teacher, you are ideally positioned to help students become physically literate individuals—that is, to gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity. And Lesson Planning for Middle School Physical Education will empower you to do just that. Through this text, you can develop and implement lesson plans that will help your students attain the outcomes detailed in SHAPE America’s National Standards & Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education. Lesson Planning for Middle School Physical Education provides lesson plans from experienced middle school physical educators that • will help middle school students meet SHAPE America’s National Standards and Grade-Level Outcomes; • provide progressive practice tasks and integrate appropriate physical education assessments to evaluate and monitor student progress; • make the best use of technology in your physical education classes; • include handout materials, homework tasks, lists of needed materials and equipment, questions for student understanding, and reflection questions to ask yourself; and • offer guidance on best instructional practices for involving and engaging all students. The plans offer instructional strategies and pointers on issues such as teaching for transfer, using grid and small games, differentiating instruction for varying ability levels, and integrating conceptual material. You can use the lessons as they are or modify them to meet your needs. Ultimately, these lessons provide a structure for developing your own learning activities and curriculum. Lesson Planning for Middle School Physical Education is organized into two parts. Part I addresses important factors in planning for student success, including an introductory chapter that helps you consider the issues that influence student learning and understand the instructional environment and the scope and sequence for K-12 physical education. The other two chapters in this part guide you in planning lessons and modules based on outcomes and on meeting the National Standards and Grade-Level Outcomes. You also learn about the developmental characteristics of middle school students. Part II supplies lesson plans (arranged in modules of eight lessons each) that are based on the Grade-Level Outcomes, offering you a step-by-step guide for building students’ skills and knowledge in these areas: • Dance and rhythms • Invasion games • Net and wall games • Fielding and striking and target games • Outdoor pursuits • Individual-performance activities • Physical activity participation outside of school • Personal fitness and fitness program design In addition, the book comes with a web resource that includes all of the lesson plans in PDF format for easy printing and for easy access from a tablet or computer. Lesson Planning for Middle School Physical Education is brought to you by SHAPE America, which created the National Standards and Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education and is the only national professional organization for health and physical educators. Among the book’s editors are two of the principal writers of SHAPE America’s National Standards & Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education. Lesson Planning for Middle School Physical Education brings those standards and outcomes into your classroom as concrete lesson objectives and planning tools.

Physical Best, Fourth Edition, is an all-inclusive resource that combines three previous books in one. The text is updated to address SHAPE America's standards and outcomes and to reflect the latest research and best practices. More than 100 activities for K-12 students are offered on the accompanying web resource.