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Westside students show measurable gains from adapted physical education program
Summary
Westside Elementary staff told the Elkhorn Area School District board that their adapted physical education (APE) program serves five special‑education students with regular 1‑on‑1 sessions and visual supports, helping most pupils participate in general PE.
At the Elkhorn Area School District board meeting on Nov. 24, Westside Elementary staff presented the school’s adapted physical education program and the progress students have made since its launch.
Megan Reynold, identified in the presentation as a physical therapist, and Gary Brelefin, identified as Westside’s gym teacher, described adapted physical education (APE) as a specially designed component of special education included in students’ individualized education programs. Presenters said the program at Westside currently supports five students and uses structured tools — a repeated “social story,” visual schedules and task‑by‑task instructional breakdowns — to reduce anxiety and teach motor plans.
Presenters told the board that most students receive one to two APE sessions in addition to general physical education and that Westside aims to schedule brief sessions before general PE so students have a preview of activities. Staff described frequent collaboration with classroom teachers, paraeducators and related services, and said data on student progress are collected and stored in individual folders.
School staff stressed outcomes: older students who initially would not enter the gym are now participating and in many cases are able to take part in general‑education PE classes nearly full time. The presentation included a short video of students working in the gym; presenters said parents granted permission to share the footage.
Board members asked about scheduling logistics and whether other elementary schools offer similar programming; presenters answered that all district schools provide some APE format, though Westside’s program currently serves a small number of students and has become more structured over the past three to four years.
The presentation did not include a formal request for additional funding or an action item; it was presented as an informational update to illustrate instructional methods and student outcomes.
