2012 Shape of the Nation Report

© 2012 National Association for Sport and Physical Educationan association of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). All rightsreserved. This document is intended for individual use only.

Reproducing this work in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means—including photocopyingor storage in any information-retrieval system—is expressly forbidden without the written permission of thepublisher. For permission to reprint or copy portions of this work for public or other dissemination, visitwww.naspeinfo.org or e-mail [email protected].

ISBN: 978-0-88314-958-4

Suggested citation for this book:

National Association for Sport and Physical Education & American Heart Association. (2012). 2012 Shapeof the Nation Report: Status of Physical Education in the USA. Reston, VA: American Alliance for Health,Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

i

Table of Contents

About this Report.......................................................................................................................................................................iii

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................1

Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................................................3■ Background: The Current Shape of the Nation.................................................................................................................3■ Metrics .............................................................................................................................................................................4

■ Key Guidelines for Children and Adolescents ...........................................................................................................4■ Physical Activity Participation by Young People.........................................................................................................4 ■ Public Support for Physical Education.......................................................................................................................5■ Overweight Among Youths .......................................................................................................................................5■ Physical Fitness and Academic Performance............................................................................................................5■ Expenditures on Physical Education ........................................................................................................................ 6

■ Overview of 2012 Survey Results ....................................................................................................................................7■ Recommendations for Action ..................................................................................................................................................9

2012 Survey Results: The Shape of the Nation■ Key State Physical Education Policies and Practices Chart ............................................................................................12■ Individual State Profiles ..................................................................................................................................................15■ State Standards for Physical Education Chart................................................................................................................67■ State Requirements for Teacher Certification/Licensure in Physical Education Chart....................................................71■ State Requirements for Student Assessment in Physical Education Chart ...................................................................75

Appendix A: National Standards and Guidelines for K-12 PE...................................................................................................77

Appendix B: Federal Legislation Affecting PE ..........................................................................................................................79

Appendix C: The Fight for PE in the States..............................................................................................................................81

Appendix D: Public Policy Agenda for PE Research.................................................................................................................83

2012 SHAPE OF THE NATION REPORTii

PREFACE iii

This report provides current information on the status ofphysical education in each of the states and the Districtof Columbia. Advocates can use this information in pre-sentations, letters and other means of communicationwith federal and state policymakers, the media and thegeneral public as part of the basis for expanding andimproving physical education.

About the Project

This project was supported by the professional membersand leaders of the National Association for Sport andPhysical Education (NASPE), an association of theAmerican Alliance for Health, Physical Education,Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD), and by the volun-teers and leaders of the American Heart Association(AHA). NASPE/AAHPERD and AHA are committed toeducating and advocating for the importance and needfor quality physical education programs for all childrenand adolescents in grades K–12. We are confident thatthe information in this latest edition of the Shape of theNation Report will help bring attention to the need forquality physical education programs that increase thehealth, academic performance and well-being of all chil-dren and adolescents. This report is available online fordownloading at www.naspeinfo.org/shapeofthenation.

Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this Shape of the Nation Report is to pro-vide current information about the status of physicaleducation in each of the 50 states and the District ofColumbia in the following areas:■ Time Requirements■ High School Graduation Requirements■ Exemptions/Waivers and Substitutions■ Physical Activity■ Local School Wellness Policy■ Standards, Curriculum and Instruction

About this Report

■ Class Size■ Student Assessment and Program Accountability■ Body Mass Index (BMI) Collection ■ Physical Education Teacher Certification/Licensure■ National Board Certification in Physical Education■ State Physical Education Coordinator Requirements

This report not only brings attention to the impor-tance of quality, daily physical education programs for allschool-age children, it also provides information that canbe used as a basis for expanding and improving physicaleducation programs in those states that need assistance.Quality physical education programs for all of our chil-dren are the foundation for healthy, physically activelifestyles as adults. The vision is that every student willbecome physically educated and thus possess the knowl-edge, skills and confidence to be physically active andhealthy for a lifetime.

Methodology

During the winter of 2011-12 NASPE asked physicaleducation coordinators in all 50 state education agenciesand the District of Columbia (which is counted as astate in this report) to complete an online questionnaireabout physical education mandates and practices in theirstates. Follow-up email messages and phone callsachieved complete response by all 51 entities. The datawere reviewed and compiled into individual state profilesand summary charts. The profile for each state wasreturned to the respective state education agency repre-sentatives for confirmation of the contents and revisionswere made as needed.

2012 SHAPE OF THE NATION REPORTiv

BACKGROUND 1

Introduction

Since 1987, the National Association for Sport andPhysical Education (NASPE) has compiled the Shape ofthe Nation Report on a periodic basis to measure physicaleducation standards in the American education system.The report is made available to the profession and publicto raise awareness and provide data for ongoing evalua-tion of progress made and challenges remaining.

As with the 2010 Shape of the Nation Report, NASPEpartnered with the American Heart Association (AHA)to collect and assimilate these data, and to provide addi-tional supporting information. The two organizationswork together to support physical education and healthin schools and advocate at the federal and state levels.

NASPE is the preeminent national authority on physi-cal education and a recognized leader in sport and physi-cal activity, and the AHA is a national voluntary healthagency whose mission is to build healthier lives, free ofcardiovascular diseases and stroke. Both NASPE andAHA believe in the importance of physical educationprograms as regular physical activity not only improvesone’s overall well-being, it is one of the best preventers ofsignificant health problems—including overweight orobesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol levels—linked to many chronic diseases.

The Shape of the Nation Report seeks to track our suc-cess, as a nation, in providing daily quality physical edu-cation in our schools. The report looks at each state andthe guidelines it sets forth toward this goal. The ongoingchallenge of such a report, of course, is that there is nostandard benchmark against which to measure. Mandatesdiffer widely from state to state. Many state policies are

broad and leave details open to interpretation by localschools, while others are quite prescriptive.

With this in mind, the Shape of the Nation Reportsurvey was limited to categories of information thatcould be measured across most states; an attempt tocompare “apples to apples.” But not all states had every“apple,” so there may not be 51 answers across every cat-egory.

A few other things to remember as you review surveyresults:■ No federal law requires physical education to be pro-

vided to students in American schools.■ There are no incentives to states or schools to offer

physical education programs.■ States define guidelines and set requirements, but individ-

ual school districts are responsible for implementation.■ School districts may choose to meet the minimum

standards or might (and often do) go above andbeyond basic recommendations.

■ A few states opt for “local control,” delegating respon-sibility for education decisions—including health andphysical education—to local school districts.

Despite all the variables, the Shape of the Nation Reportdoes reveal one truth with absolute clarity: that in everystate and every school, there are still men and women whodo care about the shape of our nation’s children and adoles-cents and they work every day to improve their students’lives and health. This report shows just a fraction of thework that these dedicated individuals undertake, and is atestament to their progress.

2012 SHAPE OF THE NATION REPORT2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3

Executive Summary

Background: The Current Shape of the Nation and Why We Need Physical Education in Schools

The National Association for Sport and PhysicalEducation (NASPE) believes that every child in theUnited States deserves a quality physical education andneeds physical activity, whether that activity occurs with-in a formal program or is outside the classroom at recess,through intramurals or in recreational play.

Physical education is based on a sequence of learning.These formalized courses are taught by professionals andfocus on the skills and knowledge needed to establishand sustain an active lifestyle. Physical education classesfocus on physical activity—running, dancing and othermovement but physical education also includes health,nutrition, social responsibility and the value of fitnessthroughout one’s life.

Why is this so important? The U.S. Department ofHealth and Human Services (HHS) has noted a directcorrelation between regular physical activity and healthamong children and adolescents. For example, kids whoare physically active have vigorous cardiopulmonary andrespiratory systems: strong hearts and lungs. They haveless body fat. And they have strong bones and muscles.All these factors, according to HHS not only make for ahealthy childhood, they increase the chance of a healthyadulthood. Risk factors for chronic diseases such as heartdisease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and osteo-porosis can develop early in life and regular physicalactivity can be a significant preventative measure.1

Most health organizations, including NASPE, suggestthat “regular physical activity” add up to about an hourper day or more, every day. If this sounds like a lot,remember that the physical activity is cumulative: a childdoes not need to be active for an hour straight, nor doeshe or she have to engage in many of the activities thatadults consider to be exercise. In fact, kids should engagein variety and activities that are fun and appropriate for

their age.1 For example, unstructured play during recessor in the backyard counts toward that 60-minute total.Why? Running around wildly is both aerobic and bone-strengthening. Climbing a tree or navigating playgroundequipment such as monkey bars increases musclestrength by lifting and moving a child’s own body weightor working against resistance.1

Also, children tend to be active intermittently, alter-nating moderate or vigorous activity with brief periods ofrest. They run around for awhile, then slow down a bit.This is true even as children grow into adolescents.Older kids can play more organized games, includingsports, and thus sustain longer periods of activity.Regardless, according to HHS guidelines, no period ofmoderate- or vigorous intensity activity is too short tocount toward the recommended daily activity.1

The reality, of course, is that children and adolescentsin the United States are primarily sedentary. Most kidsunder age 18 spend the majority of their day sitting inclassrooms, and a big part of their free time outside ofschool watching television, playing sedentary video gamesor surfing the Internet. A required physical educationperiod assures that, at a minimum, they’ll get at least aportion of the recommended physical activity in a day.2

But quality physical education goes far beyond thatsmall role. “Physical activity is a behavior,” writes oneexpert, “and physical education is a curricular area thathelps students to develop physical and cognitive skillswhile engaging in physical activity. Providing time forunstructured physical activity is not the same as providinginstructional time for meeting the goals of quality physi-cal education.”3 More than just getting our kids movingonce a day, “meaningful and appropriate instruction”2

provides opportunities to learn important life skills.The most obvious lesson, of course, is the importance

of being physically active throughout life. Researchshows a real link between quality physical education andpresent and future physical activity participation.2 Onepossible reason for this link is that youth “choose to par-


ticipate in physical activities if they have skills thatenable them to participate.”2 Through physical educationcourses—instruction and specific, constructive feedbackfrom a certified teacher—students learn motor skills suchas running, jumping, throwing or catching. If you’vebeen taught the correct way to catch a baseball, throw abasketball through a hoop or perform a dance, you’ll bemore likely to go out and do them on your own, nowand 10 years from now.

If this nurturing environment doesn’t sound like thephysical education class from your youth, you’re proba-bly right. Gone are the days of calisthenics, mindlessexercise and contests that favored the most athletic kids.The focus has shifted to a more equitable curriculumthat stresses “performance and personal challenges, highlevels of fitness that support good health and exposure toa variety of sport and fitness activities.”3

“The new message that schools are giving kids aboutexercise is simple,” says one article. “Physical activitycomes in many forms, and there is something for every-one. Physical activity must be a regular part of everydaylife, as commonplace and important for good health asbrushing one’s teeth. Quality physical education andhealth education programs provide the foundation forhealthy, active lifestyles that support all learning and helpensure success in future pursuits.”3

This more balanced approach not only makes physicaleducation class a better experience for the less athleticstudent, it dramatically expands the skills that each par-ticipant gains: social, cooperative and problem-solvingcompetencies and hands-on experience in making selfassessments, planning personal programs, setting goals,self-monitoring (through keeping physical activity diariesor logs) and decision making.2

Finally, the benefits of physical education extend out-side the gym or playing field and across a student’sentire education experience. Research shows that dailyphysical education has a positive correlation with aca-demic performance and attitude toward school.4 Thismay be simply because physically fit students have bet-ter school attendance records and fewer disciplinaryreferrals.5 But recent research indicates that physicalactivity might impact academic performance “through avariety of direct and indirect physiological, cognitive,emotional and learning mechanisms”6 that we have yetto fully understand.

The conclusion, however, is clear: quality physicaleducation is an essential element in the formativegrowth of children and adolescents. At a minimum, itassures some degree of regular physical activity for mostschool-aged students. At its best, however, it creates a

framework of life skills which shape the whole person,encouraging smart choices and influencing a healthylifestyle. Physical education is, in short, the best hopefor the shape of our nation.

Metrics

Key Guidelines for Children and Adolescents

U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesPhysical Activity Guidelines for Americans1

■ Children and adolescents (ages 6-17) should engage in60 minutes or more of physical activity daily, includ-ing aerobic, muscle strengthening and bone strength-ening exercises. ■ Aerobic: Most of the 60 or more minutes a day

should be either moderate- or vigorous-intensity aer-obic physical activity, and should include vigorousintensity physical activity at least three days a week.

■ Muscle-strengthening: As part of their 60 or moreminutes of daily physical activity, children andadolescents should include muscle-strengtheningphysical activity at least three days of the week.

■ Bone-strengthening: As part of their 60 or moreminutes of daily physical activity, children andadolescents should include bone-strengtheningphysical activity at least three days of the week.

■ It is important to encourage young people to partici-pate in physical activities that are appropriate for theirage, that are enjoyable and that offer variety.

In support of these guidelines, NASPE recommendsthat schools provide 150 minutes per week of instruc-tional physical education for elementary school children,and 225 minutes per week for middle and high schoolstudents throughout the school year.7

Physical Activity Participation by Young People

The 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey8 indicates:■ 14% of students did not participate in at least 60 min-

utes of physical activity on any day during the sevendays before the survey.

■ 71% of students were physically active at least 60 min-utes per day on less than seven days during the sevendays before the survey.

■ 48% of students did not attend physical educationclasses in an average week when they were in school.

■ 69% of students did not attend physical educationclasses daily when they were in school.

■ 32% of students watched television three or morehours per day on an average school day.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5

■ 31% of students used computers three or more hoursper day on an average school day.

Public Support for Physical Education

■ The American Academy of Pediatrics, NASPE, theAHA, the U.S. Department of Health and HumanServices (HHS), the U.S. Department of Education,the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sport,and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) all are on record as supporting the need forphysical activity for youth and for quality physicaleducation in schools.2

■ Some 31% of physical education teachers perceiveincreased interest and support from parents regardingstudents’ physical activity; and 27% perceive increasedinterest/support from parents regarding students’ phys-ical education.9

■ According to one survey, nearly all parents (95%)think that regular daily physical activity helps childrendo better academically and should be part of a schoolcurriculum for all students in grades K-12.10

■ Three out of four parents (76%) think that moreschool physical education could help control or pre-vent childhood obesity.11

■ The majority of parents believe that physical educationis at least as important as other academic subjects. Thepercentages range from 54% to 84%, depending onthe subject being compared.16

■ A survey report from the Harvard Health Forum indi-cates that 91% of parents surveyed feel that thereshould be more physical education in schools, particu-larly for fighting obesity.12

Overweight Among Youths

■ In 2009-2010, 9.7% of infants and toddlers had ahigh weight-for-recumbent length.13

■ In 2009-2010, 16.9% of children and adolescentsfrom two through 19 years of age were obese.13

■ There was a significant increase in BMI among adoles-cent males aged 12 through 19 years, but not amongany other age group or among females.13

■ Childhood obesity continues to increase in some coun-tries while in other countries and U.S. demographicgroups has apparently plateaued.13

■ Some have suggested that the prevalence of obesityamong children will reach 30% by 2030.14 Howeverrecent data presented herein suggest that the rapidincreases in obesity prevalence seen in the 1980s and

1990s have not continued in this decade and may beleveling off.13

■ During the past 20 years, there has been a dramaticincrease in obesity in the United States and ratesremain high. In 2010, no state had a prevalence ofobesity less than 20%. Thirty-six states had a preva-lence of 25% or more; 12 of these states (Alabama,Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi,Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texasand West Virginia) had a prevalence of 30% or more.15

Physical Fitness and Academic Performance

■ A 2010 CDC report analyzed a large body of evidencelinking physical education and school-based physicalactivity with academic performance, including cogni-tive skills and attitudes, academic behaviors and aca-demic achievement.16 This report notes: ■ Eleven of 14 studies found one or more positive

associations between physical education and indi-cators of cognitive skills and attitudes, academicbehavior and/or academic achievement.

■ Overall, increased time in physical educationappears to have a positive relationship, or no rela-tionship, with academic achievement.

■ Increased time in physical education does notappear to have a negative relationship with aca-demic achievement.

Critical Elements of a Quality Physical Education Program

1. Physical education is delivered bycertified/licensed physical education teachers.

2. Adequate time (i.e., 150 minutes per week forelementary school students; 225 minutes per weekfor middle and high school students) is providedfor physical education at every grade, K–12.

3. All states develop standards for student learningin physical education reflective of the NationalStandards for Physical Education.

4. All states set minimum standards for studentachievement in physical education.

5. Successfully meeting minimum standards in phys-ical education is a requirement for high schoolgraduation.


Expenditures on Physical Education

■ The median physical education budget for schools inthe United States is only $764 per school year ($460for elementary, $900 for middle, and $1,370 for highschools), and 61% of physical education teachersreport an annual budget of under $1,000. Only 15%report funding of $2,000 or more.10

■ “School budget” is the most-cited source for programfunding (64%), followed by school district budget(38%), PTA/PTO (34%), and grant programs(28%).10

■ It is estimated that obesity will cost the United States$344 billion in medical-related expenses by 2018,about 21% of our nation’s health-care spending.17

References (background section)

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2008). 2008Physical activity guidelines for Americans. Washington, D.C.

2. Le Masurier, G. and Corbin, B. (2006). Top 10 reasons for qualityphysical education. The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation

& Dance, 77(6). Reston, VA: American Alliance for Health,Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

3. Burgeson, C. R. (2004). Physical education’s critical role in edu-cating the whole child & reducing childhood obesity. The StateEducation Standard, 5, no. 2: 27–32. Arlington, VA: NationalAssociation of State Boards of Education (NASBE).

4. National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (2001).Physical education is critical to a complete education [Positionstatement]. Reston, VA: Author.

5. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). Physicalactivity, physical education and academic performance: A reviewof the literature. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services. 2010. Austin, TX. Texas Education Agency.

6. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). Physicalactivity, physical education and academic performance: A reviewof the literature. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services. 2010.

7. Is it physical education or physical activity? American Alliance forHealth, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/publications/teachingTools/PAvsPE.CFM. Accessed August 28, 2012.

8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [2011] Youth RiskBehavior Survey. www.cdc.gov/yrbs. Accessed August 8, 2012.

9. National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (2009).Physical education trends in our nation’s schools: A survey ofpracticing K-12 physical education teachers. Port Washington,NY: Roslow Research Group.

10. National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (2003).Parents’ views of children’s health and fitness: A summary ofresults. Reston, VA.

11. National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (2009).Physical education trends in our nation’s schools: A survey ofpracticing K-12 physical education teachers. Port Washington,NY: Roslow Research Group.

12. Harvard School of Public Health. (2003). Obesity as a publichealth issue: A look at solutions. Boston.

13. Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, Flegal KM. Prevalence of obesityand trends in body mass index among US children and adoles-cents, 1999-2010. JAMA. 2012;307(5):483-490.

14. Wang Y, Beydoun MA, Liang L, Caballero B, Kumanyika SK. Willall Americans become overweight or obese? Estimating the pro-gression and cost of the US obesity epidemic. Obesity (SilverSpring). 2008;16(10):2323-2330.

15. Ogden C, Carroll M, Kit B Flegal K. Prevalence of Obesity in theUnited States, 2009–2010. NCHS Data Brief. Number 82,January 2012. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db82.pdf.Accessed April 28, 2012.

16. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). Theassociation between school-based physical activity, includingphysical education, and academic performance. Atlanta, GA: U.S.Department of Health and Human Services. 2010.

17. United Health Foundation, American Public Health Associationand Partnership for Prevention. (2009). America’s HealthRankings™ –2009 edition. Minnetonka, MN: Author.

Positive Physical Education Pledge (naspe, 2004)

As a highly qualified physical education teacher, I pledge to:■ Establish a positive, safe learning environment for

all students;■ Teach a variety of physical activities that make

physical education class fun and enjoyable;■ Create maximum opportunities for students of all

abilities to be successful;■ Promote student honesty, integrity and good

sportsmanship;■ Guide students toward becoming skillful and con-

fident movers;■ Facilitate the development and maintenance of

physical fitness;■ Assist students in setting and achieving personal

goals;■ Provide specific, constructive feedback to help stu-

dents master motor skills;■ Afford opportunities for students to succeed in

cooperative and competitive situations; and■ Prepare and encourage students to practice skills

and be active for a lifetime.

tion. At the middle school/junior high school level, only35.3% (18 of 51 respondents to this question) specify aminimum “minutes per week” or “minutes per day” thatstudents must participate in physical education. Threestates—Montana, West Virginia and Utah—require thenationally-recommended 225+ minutes per week/30minutes per day.

There is a state mandate in 86.3% of states (44 of 51respondents to this question) that high schools must pro-vide their students with physical education.

Mandate for Number Percentage Number Percentage physical of states in 2012 of states in 2010education in 2012 (51 states in 2010 (51 states

responding) responding)

Elementary 43 84.3% 43 84.3%

Junior High 41 80.4% 40 78.4%

High School 44 86.3% 46 90.2%

Required minutes per week for elementary students (based on 16 survey respondents)

0-29 minutes 0

30-59 minutes 4 (25.0% of responses)




150 minutes or more 3 (18.8% of responses)

Required minutes per week for middle school/junior high school students (based on 14 survey respondents)



90-134 minutes 3 (21.4% or responses)



225 minutes or more 3 (21.4% of responses)

Required minutes per week for high school students (based on 10 survey respondents)

0-44 minutes 1 (10% of responses)





225 minutes or more 3 (30% of responses)

Overview of 2012 Survey Results

The 2012 survey of physical education coordinators inall 50 state education agencies and the District ofColumbia finds areas of both improvement and declinesince the 2010 Shape of the Nation survey. The majorityof states (74.5%) mandate physical education in elemen-tary, middle/high, and high school, but most do notrequire a specific amount of instructional time and morethan half allow exemptions, waivers, and/or substitu-tions. These “loopholes” continue to reduce the effective-ness of the mandate.

Another pattern with differential impact on physicaleducation is local control of education. Some statesestablish standards or very broad guidelines for curricu-lum content but defer specific decisions regarding time,class size, and student assessment to local school districtsor even schools. This results in very diverse patterns ofdelivery for physical education within states.

Other results, including accountability, assessments andeven teacher certification, vary widely among the states.Thus, most states can measure their progress only againsttheir own past performance and not a standard benchmark.

Grade-level Mandates and Time Requirements

The majority of states mandate that students must takephysical education of some kind. Physical education ismandated in elementary schools in 84.3% of states (43of 51 responding to this question). This has not changedfrom 2010. In middle school/junior high schools 80.4%(41 of 51 that responded to this survey question) requirephysical education, up from 75.5%. There has been adrop in high schools mandating physical education, with86.3% of states (44 of 51 states responding to this surveyquestion) mandating physical education , compared to

90.2% of states in the 2010 report.Of those who mandate physical education for elemen-

tary school students, 72.3% (34 of 47 respondents)require physical education classes in kindergarten. At theelementary school level, only 31.4% (16 of 51 respon-dents to this survey question) specify a minimum “min-utes per week” or “minutes per day” that students mustparticipate in physical education; three states—New Jersey,Louisiana, and Florida—require the nationally-recom-mended 150+ minutes per week/30 minutes per day.Further, only 17.6% (9 of 51 respondents to this ques-tion) require elementary schools to provide daily recess.

Forty-one of 51 respondents (80.4%) indicated thereis a state mandate that middle schools/junior highschools must provide their students with physical educa-

Withholding physical activity, including recess, is pro-hibited in 11 of 51 states (21.6%) that responded to thesurvey. Additionally, 11 of 51 reporting states indicatethat the state prohibits the use of physical activity aspunishment for inappropriate behavior.

Substitutions and Exemptions/Waivers

More than half of all states (33 of 51 respondents) per-mit school districts or schools to allow students to substi-tute other activities for their required physical educationcredit. Among those states, common allowances includeJunior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) (18),interscholastic sports (18), marching band (13), cheer-leading (11), and community sports (4).

More than half of all states (28 of 51 survey respon-dents) allow schools or school districts to grant exemp-tions/ waivers for physical education time or creditrequirements—though these are not necessarily the samestates that allow substitutions. Common reasons forexemptions include health, physical disability, religiousbeliefs or early graduation. Of the states allowing exemp-tions or waivers, all but six states leave the reasons for, andgranting of, waivers to the local school or school district.

Standards and Assessment

Fifty of 51 survey respondents (98.0%) have adoptedtheir own state standards for physical education, but only76.0% (35 states of 46 survey respondents) require localdistricts to comply or align with these standards.

The six national standards for physical education areusually addressed within these state standards:

100% (46 survey respondents) address standard 1:development of motor/movement skills, standard 2:knowledge and application of movement concepts,standard 4: development and maintenance of physicalactivity, and standard 5: personal/social responsibility.

95.7% (44 of 46 respondents) address standard 3: reg-ular participation in physical activity and standard 6:valuing physical activity.

Of 51 states responding, 50.9% (26) require someform of student assessment in physical education.

Among the states responding that they require assess-

ment, 73.7% (14) require assessment of physical fitness,52.6% (10) require assessment of knowledge of physicaleducation content, 47.4% (9) require performance ofmotor/movement skills and personal and social responsi-bility in physical education, 42.1% (8) require assess-ment of participation in physical activity outside physicaleducation class, and 36.8% (7) assess valuing physical activity.

Online Physical Education

Currently, 59.0% of states (30) allow required physicaleducation credits to be earned through online physicaleducation courses. Only 17 out of the 30 states thatallow online courses require that they be taught only bystate-certified physical education teachers.

Accountability

Of 49 states responding 53.1% (26) require physicaleducation grades to be included in a student’s gradepoint average (GPA).

Body Mass Index (BMI) Collection

Nine states (17.6%) of 51 states responding to the sur-vey question require schools to measure Body MassIndex (BMI) for each student and 23.5% (12) requireheight and weight measurement for each student. TheDistrict of Columbia, Georgia, and Pennsylvania are theonly states which require this collection in every grade.

Seven (53.8%) of 13 states responding indicated thatcongregate BMI data for the school district are sent tothe state department of health. Individual studentresults are sent to the parents of that student in 38.5%(5 of 13 responses) of states.

Teacher Certification/Licensure

The majority of states require that physical educationteachers have some sort of licensure or certification.Licensure is required at the elementary school level in78.4% of states reporting (40 of 51), although 68.6%(35 of 51 states reporting) allow elementary classroomteachers (generalists) to teach required elementaryschool physical education classes. Certification orlicensure of middle school/junior high physical educa-tion teachers is required in 82.4% of states (42 of 51

Number Percentage Number Percentage of states in 2012 of states in 2010in 2012 (51 states in 2010 (51 states


Assessments 26 50.9% 19 37.3%

Number Percentage Number Percentage of states in 2012 of states in 2010in 2012 (51 states in 2010 (51 states


Substitutions 33 64.7% 32 62.7%

Waivers 28 54.9% 30 58.8%

Of 51 states reporting, 60.8% (31) of states activelysupport physical education teachers going through theNational Board Certification process

Six of 50 reporting states (12.0%) provide partial fund-ing for cost only if the teacher receives board certification.Four of 50 states reporting (8.0%) provide partial fundingregardless of whether the teacher receives certification.Four states give a one-time monetary bonus if the teacherreceives board certification, seven states provide an on-going higher level of pay to all teachers who are nationalboard certified; three provide one or more forms of non-monetary recognition for national board certified teachers.

Only New York requires each school district to have alicensed physical educator serving as a physical edu-

cation coordinator.

reporting). Certification or licensure of high schoolphysical education teachers is required in 90.2% ofstates (46 of 51 reporting).

Thirty-five states (68.6% of 51 states reporting)require those who desire to teach physical education topass a certificate/licensure exam before they can teachphysical education.

Physical education teacher certification must berenewed every five years in 71.4% of states (based on 25of 35 state responses). Certification/licensure renewal islonger than five years in 11.4% of states (4 of 35responses), every three years in 8.6% of states (3 of 35responses), less than three years in 5.7% of states (two of35 responses) and every four years in 2.9% of states (1 of35 responses).

Most states (72.5% or 37 of 51 states reporting) havea requirement for professional development/continuingeducation hours/credits for a physical education teacherto maintain or renew their certification. Twenty-four(47.1% of 51 states reporting) require professional devel-opment for physical education teachers on physical edu-cation topics, comparable to other curricular areas.However, only 19.6% (10 of 51 states responding) pro-vide any funding for professional development that isspecifically for physical education teachers.

Of 51 states reporting, 28 (54.9%) granttemporary/emergency certificates to teach elementary, mid-dle/junior high school and high school physical education.Of 29 states that responded to having a minimum require-ment for receiving a temporary/emergency certificate, 14(48.3%) require a bachelor’s degree in teaching in any areaand 10 require a bachelor’s degree in any area but notphysical education. In 51.7% of the 28 states respondingto this question, the temporary/emergency certificate isvalid for one year; it’s valid for two years in 13.8% of statesresponding to the survey; and valid for three years in17.2% of the states responding.

Temporary Number Percentage Number Percentage Certification of states in 2012 of states in 2010

in 2012 (50 states in 2010 (51 statesresponding) responding)

Elementary 28 56.0% 26 50.9%

Junior High 28 56.0% 29 56.9%

High School 28 56.0% 28 54.9%

Recommendations for Action

NASPE and AHA know that physically active, healthykids learn better. School-age youths need at least 60 min-utes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day.

To achieve that level of activity, NASPE and AHA rec-ommend that schools across the country make physicaleducation instruction the cornerstone of a comprehensiveschool physical activity program that also includes healtheducation, elementary school recess, after-school physicalactivity clubs and intramurals, high school interscholasticathletics, walk/bike to school programs, and staff wellnessprograms. It is particularly important that voluntary pro-grams (i.e. after school physical activity clubs, intramu-rals) are designed to attract all students, especially thosenot interested in traditional athletic programs.

Physical education is a planned instructional programwith specific objectives. An essential part of the total cur-riculum, physical education programs increase the physi-cal competence, health-related fitness, self-responsibility,and enjoyment of physical activity for all students so thatthey can establish physical activity as a natural part ofeveryday life.

For elementary school students, recess provides anopportunity for needed physical activity. Children learnhow to make decisions, cooperate, compete constructive-ly, assume leader/follower roles, and resolve conflicts byinteracting in play. Play is an essential element of chil-dren’s physical and social development.

NASPE and AHA recommend that schools and com -munities work together to offer a variety of physical

activities as part of before- and after-school child careand recreation programs. Child care providers, recreationstaff, and coaches need training to provide developmen-tally appropriate, safe, and enjoyable activities.

Parents need to be proactive and effective advocates forquality physical education and school physical activityprograms, and communities need to develop and pro-mote the use of safe, well-maintained and close-to-homesidewalks, bike paths, trails, and facilities for physicalactivity and sport participation. Most of all, parents andother adult role models need to set a good example bybeing active themselves.

In summary, NASPE and AHA recommend the following:1. Quality physical education is provided to all students

as an integral part of K-12 education.

2. Physical education is delivered by certified/licensedphysical education teachers.

3. Adequate time (i.e., 150 minutes per week for ele -mentary school students; 225 minutes per week formiddle and high school students) is provided forphysical education at every grade, K-12.

4. All states develop standards for student learning inphysical education reflective of the NationalStandards.

5. All states set minimum standards for student achieve-ment in physical education.

6. Successfully meeting minimum standards in physicaleducation is a requirement for high school graduation.

7. Other courses and activities that include physicalactivity should not be substituted for instructionalphysical education.

8. Physical activity is incorporated into the school day,in addition to physical education, through elementaryschool recess, physical activity breaks, physical activityclubs, special events, etc.

9. Parents monitor and support their child’s physicaleducation progress and regular participation in physi-cal activity.

10. Communities provide and promote the use of safe,well-maintained and close-to-home sidewalks, bikepaths, trails, and recreation facilities.


11EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA

State mandates elementary school physi-cal education

State mandates middle school/junior highschool physical education

State mandates high school physical education

State grants exemptions/waivers toschool districts regarding physical educa-tion time or credit requirements

State permits school districts or schoolsto allow students to substitute other activ-ities for required physical education credit

State has its own physical educationstandards

State requires student assessment inphysical education

State requires physical education gradesto be included in student’s GPA

State requires all who teach elementaryschool physical education to becertified/licensed

State requires all who teach middleschool/junior high school physical educa-tion to be certified/licensed

State requires all who teach high schoolphysical education to be certified/licensed

State requires professionaldevelopment/continuing education tomaintain/renew physical educationteacher certification/licensure

State provides funding for professionaldevelopment for physical education teachers

State actively supports the National BoardCertification process

State requires each school district to havea licensed physical educator serving as PE coordinator

MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WV WI WY Total

43

41

44

28

33

50

26

28

40

42

46

37

10

31

1


STATE PROFILES 15

State Profiles

Alabama Amount of Required Physical Education:

Alabama mandates at least 30 minutes of physical edu-cation per day in grades K-5. The state also recommends,but does not require, at least 50 minutes per day of phys-ical education in grades 6-8.

High School Graduation Requirements: Students mustalso complete a 1.0 credit personal wellness course,Lifelong Individualized Fitness Education (LIFE), forgraduation.

Substitutions: State law allows the state superintendentto grant individual students a substitution of inter-scholastic sports, Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps(JROTC), or marching band for their required physicaleducation credit.

Exemptions/Waivers: Only the state superintendent cangrant an exemption to an individual student regardingphysical education time or credit. The exemption is validfor a two-year period.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the state requirea minimum weekly amount of physical activity time formiddle school/junior high school and high school stu-dents. Classroom physical activity breaks are not required,and Alabama does not prohibit the use of withholdingphysical activity, including recess, as punishment for dis-ciplinary reasons, nor prohibit the use of physical activityas punishment for inappropriate behavior. Alabama doessupport Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state does requireschools or school districts to provide their local school well-ness policy to the state education agency, but does not mon-itor the implementation of local school wellness policies.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school dis-tricts must comply. The 2009 Alabama Course of Study:Physical Education was last revised in 2009.

State Curriculum: The state requires the use ofDepartment of Education-created curricula for elemen-tary, middle school/junior high and high school physi-cal education, all of which contain a technology com-ponent. These curricula specifically do not permit yogato count as physical education or physical activity.

Class Size: The state mandates 1,000 contacts perweek and recommends that physical education classesmaintain a teacher-to-student ratio comparable toother curricular areas.

Online Physical Education Courses: The state doesnot allow required physical education credits to beearned through online physical education courses.

Student Assessment Requirements: The staterequires student assessment in physical education everyyear starting in grade two.

Grade Point Average (GPA): Physical education gradesare not required to be included in a student’s GPA.

Fitness Assessment: The state mandates, beginning inthe academic year 2012-2013, that all students ingrades 2-12 must be assessed using the state specific fit-ness assessment, the Alabama Physical EducationAssessment. Results must be reported to the AlabamaState Department of Education annually.

Body Mass Index (BMI): The state does not requireschools to collect BMI or students’ height and weight.

Certification/Licensure of Physical Education

Teachers: The state requires certification or licensure ofphysical education teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may teach required ele-mentary school PE classes. A score of 141 on thePRAXIS exam is required for certification.

Professional Development of Physical Education

Teachers: Professional development, continuing educa-tion hours or credits are required in order tomaintain/renew one’s physical education teacher certifi-cation or licensure. No state funding is provided forthis professional development.


withholding physical activity, including recess, as punish-ment for disciplinary reasons, nor prohibit the use ofphysical activity as punishment for inappropriate behav-ior. Alaska does support Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state does not requireschools or school districts to provide their local school well-ness policy to the state education agency, but does monitorthe implementation of local school wellness policies.

State Standards: The state developed voluntary stan-dards for physical education in 2009.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education.

Class Size: The state does not mandate a teacher-to-stu-dent ratio comparable to other curricular areas.

Online Physical Education Courses: Decisions are madeat the local level as to whether physical education creditsmay be earned through online physical education cours-es, which courses are offered online, and who is eligibleto take online courses.

Student Assessment Requirements: The state does notrequire student assessment in physical education.

Grade Point Average (GPA): Physical education gradesare required to be included in a student’s GPA.

Fitness Assessment: The state does not require the useof a particular fitness assessment protocol.


Certification/Licensure of Physical Education Teachers:

While the state requires certification of teachers at the ele-mentary, middle school/junior high and high school levels,decisions are made at the local level regarding the need forPE endorsements for physical education teachers.

National Board Certification: The state does not activelyencourage physical education teachers to become certi-fied through the National Board Certification.

District Physical Education Coordinator: The state doesnot require each school district to have a licensed physi-cal educator serving as a PE coordinator.

Contact Person:

Terri CampbellEducation SpecialistState of Alaska Department of EducationP.O. Box 110500Juneau, AK [email protected]

National Board Certification: The state actively encour-ages physical education teachers to become certifiedthrough the National Board Certification process by pro-moting and encouraging teachers to register for theNational Board Certification process, providing fullfunding only if the teacher receives board certification,and providing a one-time monetary bonus if the teacherreceives board certification.


Other Notes: The state has developed and implemented theAlabama Physical Education Instructional Guide, the compan-ion to the 2009 Alabama Course Study: Physical Education.

Contact Person:

Nancy RayPhysical Education and Health SpecialistAlabama Department of EducationCurriculum and Instruction50 North Ripley StreetMontgomery, AL 36130-2101334 [email protected]

AlaskaAmount of Required Physical Education:

Alaska does not mandate physical education in ele-mentary or middle school/junior high school. The statemandates high school physical education, but it does notspecify the grades of participation, nor the required min-utes per week of physical education.

High School Graduation Requirements: The staterequires students to earn 1.0 health/physical educationcredits for graduation. No additional personal fitness orwellness courses are required.

Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute sports or otheractivities for their required physical education credit.

Exemptions/Waivers: The state does not grant exemp-tions to a school district regarding physical educationtime or credit.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and Alaska does not prohibit the use of

STATE PROFILES 17

Arizona Amount of Required Physical Education:

Arizona mandates physical education for ele-mentary and middle/junior high school, but does notdictate specific grades or minutes per week. Competencyin health/physical education in K-8 is required, but isdetermined at the local level.

High School Graduation Requirements: The state doesnot mandate the number of high school physical educa-tion credits required for a student to graduate.

Exemptions/Waivers: The state does not have a policyon granting exemptions/waivers for school districtsregarding physical education time or credit requirements.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, but Arizona does prohibit the use of with-holding physical activity, including recess, as punishmentfor disciplinary reasons, as well as the use of physicalactivity as punishment for inappropriate behavior.Arizona also supports Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state requires schoolsor school districts to provide their local school wellnesspolicy to the state education agency and monitors theimplementation of local school wellness policy throughthe USDA Coordinated Review Effort.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, but school districts do nothave to comply. The “Arizona Physical EducationStandards” was last revised in 2009.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh and high school physical education. The stateallows the local school system, individual schools, andphysical education teachers to use a commercial curricu-lum such as SPARK or CATCH.


Online Physical Education Courses: The state allowsonline physical education courses.




Body Mass Index (BMI): The state does not requireschools to collect Body Mass Index (BMI) or students’height and weight.


The state requires only an Arizona Teaching Certificatefor physical education teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may teach required ele-mentary school PE classes.


Teachers: Professional development, continuing educa-tion hours or credits are required in order tomaintain/renew one’s teacher certification or licensure. Nostate funding is provided for this professional development.

Temporary Certification: Temporary/emergency teachercertification to teach physical education may be grantedfor up to one year to anyone holding a bachelor’s degreein any subject area.

National Board Certification: The state actively encour-ages physical education teachers to become certifiedthrough the National Board Certification process by pro-moting and encouraging teachers to register for theNational Board Certification process.


Other notes: The state currently provides professionaldevelopment around physical education and standardsthrough the coordinated school health approach.

Contact Person:

Keri SchoeffPhysical Education SpecialistArizona Department of Education1535 West Jefferson Street, Bib #7Phoenix, Arizona [email protected]

ArkansasAmount of Required Physical Education:

Arkansas mandates at least 60 minutes of physicaleducation and instruction in grades K-6. The state alsomandates that students in grades 7-8 must receive 60minutes of physical education and instruction each weekor an equivalent amount in each school year (Act 317 of2007). These requirements are enforced through theArkansas Standards for Accreditation.

High School Graduation Requirements: The staterequires students to earn 0.5 physical education creditfor graduation.

Substitutions: The state permits schools to allow stu-dents to substitute an “organized physical activity course”for their required 0.5 physical education credit for gradu-ation. The “organized physical activity course” must betaught by a licensed physical education instructor,aligned with the Arkansas Physical EducationCurriculum Framework, and must be taught within theschool day (Act 660 of 2005).

Exemptions/Waivers: Exemptions and waivers are permit-ted by local school boards, but must abide by state statutes.

Physical Activity: The state does require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and requires a minimumweekly amount of 90 minutes of physical activity time forelementary school students. The state does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time formiddle school/junior high school and high school stu-dents. Classroom physical activity breaks are not required.The state does prohibit the use of withholding physicalactivity, including recess, as punishment for disciplinaryreasons, but does not prohibit the use of physical activityas punishment for inappropriate behavior. Arkansas doessupport Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state requires schoolsor school districts to provide their local school wellnesspolicy to the state education agency, and monitors theimplementation of local school wellness policies throughthe State Department of Education School ImprovementPlan.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school dis-tricts must comply. The State Department of EducationSchool Improvement Plan was last revised in 2011.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh and high school physical education. Arkansas allowsthe local school district the option of utilizing a curricu-lum based on the needs of the district.

Class Size: The state mandates a teacher-to-studentratio in grades K-6 of 30:1. In grades 7-12 physical edu-cation is considered a course that lends itself to largegroup instruction, therefore, teacher to student ratio isnot applicable.

Online Physical Education Courses: Physical educationis not offered via distance learning for graduation credit.


Grade Point Average (GPA): Physical education gradesare included in a student’s overall GPA.

Fitness Assessment: The Arkansas Physical EducationCurriculum Framework does require students to partici-pate in a nationally recognized health fitness assessment.

Body Mass Index (BMI): The state requires schools tocollect Body Mass Index (BMI) and/or students’ heightand weight in grades K, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10. Individualresults and information on BMI are sent to the parent orguardian of each student.


The state requires a licensed physical education teacher at themiddle school/junior high and high school levels. In gradesK-6 a licensed and/or qualified physical education teacherwill directly supervise physical education instruction.


Teachers: All certified employees of public schools mustcomplete 60 hours of approved professional developmenteach year to maintain/renew one’s license.

Temporary Certification: Temporary/emergency teachercertification may be granted for up to two years to any-one holding a bachelor’s degree in any subject area.

National Board Certification: The state actively encour-ages physical education teachers to become certifiedthrough the National Board Certification process andprovides full funding if the teacher receives certification.


Contact Person:

CaliforniaAmount of Required Physical Education:

California mandates at least 200 minutes of phys-ical education every 10 school days in grades 1-6. Thestate also mandates at least 400 minutes every 10 schooldays of physical education in grades 7-12.

High School Graduation Requirements: The state man-dates that to fulfill the requirement for high school gradua-tion, students must take two courses of physical education

John I. "Don" KaminarForeign Languages and Health/Physical Education Specialist Arkansas Department of EducationDivision of Learning ServicesFour Capitol Mall Little Rock, AR [email protected]

STATE PROFILES 19

Substitutions: Substitutions are allowed.

Exemptions/Waivers: Exemptions/waivers are allowed,granted by the school district. Exemptions/waivers canbe valid for up to two years.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and California does not prohibit the use ofwithholding physical activity, including recess, as punish-ment for disciplinary reasons, nor the use of physicalactivity as punishment for inappropriate behavior.California does support Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state requires schoolsor school districts to provide their local school wellnesspolicy to the state education agency, but does not moni-tor the implementation of local school wellness policies.

State Standards: The state has developed “ModelContent Standards” for physical education, thoughschool districts are not required to comply. The “PhysicalEducation Framework for California Public Schools” waslast revised in 2009.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle or junior highschool physical education. Local districts have the optionof utilizing a commercial curriculum. For high schools,the state requires local school districts to provide a courseof study that includes instruction in eight areas over thespan of the physical education classes offered as part ofthe school’s course of study The eight areas are themechanics of body movement, aquatics, gymnastics andtumbling, individual and dual sports, rhythms anddance, team sports and combatives (Education Code51220 and 33352).

Class Size: The state does not mandate a teacher-to-stu-dent ratio comparable to other curricular areas

Online Physical Education Courses: The state allowsrequired physical education credits to be earned throughonline physical education courses.

Student Assessment Requirements: The state requiresstudent assessment in physical education in grades 5, 7and 9. Results are sent to the state as congregate data forthe school and for the district. Students must also benotified verbally or in writing of their individual results.The state requires the use of FitnessGram®, to measureperformance of motor/movement skills and physical fit-ness levels.


Fitness Assessment: The state requires schooldistricts/schools to assess students’ physical fitness levelsin grades 5, 7 and 9 using FitnessGram®.

Body Mass Index (BMI): The state requires schools to col-lect BMI or students’ height and weight in grades 5, 7 and9. Results are sent to the state as congregate data for theschool and for the district and may be shared publicly.


The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may teach required ele-mentary school PE classes.


Teachers: No professional development, continuing edu-cation hours or credits are required in order to main-tain/renew one’s physical education teacher certificationor licensure.

Temporary Certification: Temporary/emergency teachercertification may be granted for up to one year to anyoneholding a bachelor’s’ degree in any subject area.

National Board Certification: The state actively supportsphysical education teachers to become certified throughthe National Board Certification process by promotingand encouraging teachers to register for the NationalBoard Certification process.


Contact Person:

Jim Greco, Education AdministratorMathematics and Science Leadership Office California Department of EducationEnglish Learner and Curriculum Support Division 1430 “N” Street, Suite 4309Sacramento, CA [email protected]

ColoradoAmount of Required Physical Education:

Colorado does not mandate physical education in ele-mentary, middle school/junior high or high school.

High School Graduation Requirements: The state doesnot mandate the number of high school physical educa-tion credits required for a student to graduate.


Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute other activities forrequired physical education credit.

Exemptions/Waivers: The state does not grant exemp-tions/waivers regarding physical education time or creditrequirements.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess, but does require a mini-mum weekly amount 101-150 minutes per week ofphysical activity time for elementary school students.The state does not require a minimum weekly amount ofphysical activity time for middle school/junior highschool and high school students. Classroom physicalactivity breaks are not required, and Colorado does notprohibit the use of withholding physical activity, includ-ing recess, as punishment for disciplinary reasons, norprohibit the use of physical activity as punishment forinappropriate behavior. Colorado does support SafeRoutes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state requires schoolsor school districts to provide their local school wellnesspolicy to the state education agency and does monitorthe implementation of local school wellness policies aspart of their Food and Nutrition unit evaluations.

State Standards: The state has developed its ownstandards for physical education, and school districtsmust comply. The standards were last updated inDecember 2010.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. Local school sys-tems have the option of using a commercial curriculumsuch as SPARK or CATCH.

Class Size: The state does not mandate a teacher-to stu-dent ratio comparable to other curricular areas.

Online Physical Education Courses: The state allowsphysical education credits to be earned through onlineclasses, and all students are eligible to take these classes.

Student Assessment Requirements: The state doesrequire student assessment in physical education ingrades 1-12.



Body Mass Index (BMI): The state does not requireschools to collect students’ BMI or height and weight.


The state does not require certification or licensure ofphysical education teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high or high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) are allowed to teach ele-mentary school physical education classes.

Temporary Certification: Temporary/emergency teachercertification may be granted for up to one year to anyoneholding a bachelor’s degree in any subject area.

National Board Certification: The state actively encour-ages physical education teachers to become certifiedthrough the National Board Certification process by pro-viding partial funding for the cost if the teacher receivesboard certification, and by providing a one-time mone-tary bonus.


Contact Person:

Terry JonesPrevention InitiativesColorado Department of EducationState Office Building201 East Colfax Ave.Denver, CO [email protected]

ConnecticutAmount of Required Physical Education:

Connecticut mandates physical education in grades K-8,and high schools must provide physical education courses.


Substitutions: Substitution of other activities for physi-cal education credit required for high school graduationis not permitted.

Exemptions/Waivers: Students need a physician’s writ-ten order for a medical exemption from high schoolphysical education credit and this medical exemptionrequires an appropriate alternative.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activity

STATE PROFILES 21

time for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, but Connecticut does prohibit the use ofwithholding physical activity, including recess, as punish-ment for disciplinary reasons, as well as the use of physi-cal activity for inappropriate behavior. Connecticut doessupport Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state requires schoolsor school districts to provide their local school wellnesspolicy to the state education agency and monitors theimplementation of local school wellness policies throughschool food service program compliance reviews.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, although school districts arenot required to comply. The Healthy and BalancedLiving Curriculum Framework for ComprehensiveSchool Health Education and Comprehensive PhysicalEducation was last revised in 2006 and is based on thenational standards.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the useof specific curricula for elementary, middleschool/junior high or high school physical education,but allows local school systems and individual schoolsthe option of using a commercial curriculum such asSPARK or CATCH.

Class Size: The state mandates a teacher-to-student ratiocomparable to other curricular areas.

Online Physical Education Courses: The state does notallow required physical education credits to be earnedthrough online physical education courses.

Student Assessment Requirements: The state requiresstudent assessment for physical fitness in grades 4, 6, 8and 10. The data are sent to the state as congregate datafor the school and for the district.


Fitness Assessment: The state requires schooldistricts/schools to assess students’ physical fitness levelsusing the “Third Generation Connecticut PhysicalFitness Assessment.”



The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Physical edu-cation is taught only by certified physical educationteachers. For certification, teachers must earn a score of

at least 175 on the “Physical Education Content &Design Test #0095.” This certification must be renewedevery five years.


Teachers: Professional development, continuing educa-tion hours or credits are required in order tomaintain/renew one’s physical education teacher certifi-cation or licensure. No state funding is provided for thisprofessional development.

Temporary Certification: Temporary/emergency teachercertification may be granted for less than one year toanyone holding a bachelor’s degree in any subject area.

National Board Certification: The state does not activelyencourage physical education teachers to become certi-fied through the National Board Certification process.


Other Notes: Connecticut is a “local control” state, so inmany of these areas, the state has recommendations forlocal districts and schools rather than requirements.

Contact Person:

Dr. Jean MeePhysical Education & School Health Education ConsultantConnecticut State Department of Education25 Industrial Park Rd.Middletown, CT [email protected]

DelawareAmount of Required Physical Education: Delawaremandates physical education in grades K-8, and

requires that high schools provide physical educationcourses. These requirements are enforced through theDelaware Department of Education Regulation 503.

High School Graduation Requirements: The staterequires students to earn 1.0 physical education creditsfor graduation.

Substitutions: The state does not permit school districtsor schools to allow students to substitute other activitiesfor their required physical education credit.

Exemptions/Waivers: School districts are given authori-ty to grant waivers from physical education requirementson the basis of medical status from a certified physicianor because of a student’s religious beliefs. The waivermust be renewed annually.


Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, but Delaware does prohibit the use ofwithholding physical activity, including recess, as punish-ment for disciplinary reasons, as well as the use of physi-cal activity as punishment for inappropriate behavior.Delaware does support Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state requires schoolsor school districts to provide their local school wellnesspolicy to the state education agency and monitors theimplementation of local school wellness policies.

State Standards: The state has developed its ownstandards for physical education, with which all schooldistricts must comply. The standards were last revisedin 2008.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. Local school sys-tems must develop or utilize a curriculum that meets theDelaware Standards for Physical Education.



Student Assessment Requirements: Delaware passedlegislation that requires FitnessGram® andActivityGram® assessments to be given annually to allstudents in grades 4, 7, 9 or 10. Results must be sharedwith parents, guardians or relative care givers. Results aresent to the state as congregate data for the district, andstatewide trends are shared publicly each year. Manyschools also assess students at additional grade levels thanthose required.

Fitness Assessment: The state requires schooldistricts/schools to assess students’ physical fitness levelsusing FitnessGram® and ActivityGram® (web-basedversion 9.2).

Grade Point Average (GPA): Physical education gradesare included in a student’s GPA.

Body Mass Index (BMI): The state does not recommendor require schools to collect BMI or students’ heightand weight.


The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. A score of 152on the PRAXIS II exam is required for certification andthis certification must be renewed every five years.


Teachers: Professional development, continuing educa-tion hours or credits are required in order tomaintain/renew one’s physical education teacher certifi-cation or licensure. State funding is provided for thisprofessional development.

Temporary Certification: Temporary/emergency teachercertification may be granted for up to three years to any-one holding a bachelor’s degree in any subject area.

National Board Certification: The state actively encour-ages physical education teachers to become certifiedthrough the National Board Certification process by pro-moting and encouraging teachers to register for theNational Board Certification process, providing or facili-tating mentoring for teachers going through the process,and providing one or more forms of non-monetaryrecognition for National Board Certified teachers.


Contact Person:

John RayPhysical Education SpecialistDelaware Department of Education401 Federal Street, Suite 2Dover, DE 19901302-735-4180 [email protected]

District of ColumbiaAmount of Required Physical Education: The

District of Columbia mandates physical education ingrades K-8. The District requires one year of physicaleducation in high school.

High School Graduation Requirements: Students musthave one credit of physical education and one semesterof health to graduate.

Substitutions: The District does not permit schools toallow students to substitute other activities for theirrequired physical education credit.

Exemptions/Waivers: Exemptions are not allowed.

STATE PROFILES 23

Physical Activity: The District does not require elemen-tary schools to provide daily recess, but does require aminimum weekly amount of 45-60 minutes per week ofphysical activity time for both elementary and middleschool/junior high school students. There is no mini-mum weekly requirement for physical activity for highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, but the District of Columbia does prohibitthe use of withholding physical activity, including recess,as punishment for disciplinary reasons, as well as the useof physical activity as punishment for inappropriatebehavior. The District does support Safe Routes toSchool programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The District requiresschools to provide their local school wellness policy tothe city education agency and monitors the implemen-tation of local school wellness policies through schoolfood service program compliance reviews through visit-ing schools.

State Standards: The District has developed its ownstandards for physical education. The Physical EducationStandards were last revised in 2007.

State Curriculum: The District does not require the useof specific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. Individualschools have the option of using a commercial curricu-lum such as SPARK or CATCH and are currently evalu-ating all potential curriculums to offer variety.

Class Size: The District mandates a teacher-to-studentratio comparable to other curricular areas.

Online Physical Education Courses: The District doesnot allow required physical education credits to beearned through online physical education courses.

Student Assessment Requirements: Beginning in2012, the District will use the District of ColumbiaComprehensive Assessment System (DC-CAS) healthevaluation administered in grades 5, 8 and high schoolyear when health is taken. This will include questionsrelated to the physical education standards.


Fitness Assessment: The District does not require theuse of a particular fitness assessment protocol.

Body Mass Index (BMI): The District requires schools tocollect students’ BMI or height and weight, pre-school-12.


Beginning in September 2012, the District will requirecertification or licensure of physical education teachers.

National Board Certification: The state actively encour-ages physical education teachers to become certifiedthrough the National Board Certification process by pro-viding or facilitating mentoring for teachers goingthrough the process and providing monetary assistancewith the application fee.

District Physical Education Coordinator: The Districtdoes not require each school district to have a licensedphysical educator serving as a PE coordinator.

Contact Person:

Heather HoladayProgram Manager for Health and Physical EducationDC Public Schools1200 1st Street NE, 8th FloorWashington, D.C. 20002 202-442-9439 [email protected]

FloridaAmount of Required Physical Education:

Florida mandates a minimum of 150 minutes of physicaleducation each week (with a minimum of 30 consecutiveminutes any day physical education instruction is provid-ed) for grades K-5. The state also mandates one classperiod per day of physical education for one semester ofeach year for students enrolled in grades 6 through 8.High schools must provide physical education courses.Schools must report participation in physical educationthrough student membership surveys showing enroll-ment numbers for each school and/or school district.

High School Graduation Requirements: The staterequires students to complete 1.0 credit in physical edu-cation, with the specific course chosen by the school,Personal Fitness or Health Opportunities throughPhysical Education (HOPE).

Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute interscholasticsports, community sports, Junior Reserve OfficerTraining Corps (JROTC), marching band or dance fortheir required physical education credit.

Exemptions/Waivers: Schools and school districts canwaive the physical education requirement only for speci-fied options. For K-8, this waiver is valid for the currentschool year only and must be renewed annually.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and high

school students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and Florida does not prohibit the use ofwithholding physical activity, including recess, as punish-ment for disciplinary reasons, nor prohibit use of physi-cal activity as punishment for inappropriate behavior.Florida does support Safe Routes to School programs.


State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school dis-tricts must comply. The “Next Generation SunshineState Standards for Physical Education” was last revisedin December 2008.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula. Local school systems have the optionof determining which curricula are used, including, butnot limited to, commercial options.


Online Physical Education Courses: The state allowsrequired physical education credits to be earned throughonline physical education courses. A course in compre-hensive physical education (addressing all state or nation-al standards) is currently offered online. All students areeligible to take online courses. Those courses at the highschool level, grades 9-12, must be taught only by statecertified physical education teachers.

Student Assessment Requirements: The state requiresstudent assessment in physical education for grades 1-8.



Body Mass Index (BMI): The state requires schools tocollect students’ BMI or height and weight in grades 3,5, 7 and 9. These data are sent to the State Departmentof Health as congregate data for the school district.


Certification or licensure of physical education teachersis required only at the high school level. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may teach required ele-mentary school physical education classes. The FloridaTeacher Certification Exam is required for certification,which must be renewed every five years.


Teachers: Professional development continuing education

hours or credits are required to maintain/renew one’s physi-cal education teacher certification or licensure. No statefunding is provided for this professional development.

Temporary certification: Temporary teacher certificationmay be granted for up to three years to anyone holding abachelor’s degree in any subject area.

District Physical Education Coordinator: The state doesnot require each school district to have a licensed physi-cal educator serving as a physical education coordinator.

Contact Person:

Nichole WilderPhysical Education CoordinatorFlorida Department of Education325 West Gaines St., Suite 432Tallahassee, FL [email protected]

GeorgiaAmount of Required Physical Education:

Georgia mandates physical education in gradesK-8. The state also mandates that high schools providetheir students with physical education courses.


Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute Junior ReserveOfficer Training Corps (JROTC) for their required phys-ical education credit.


Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the state requirea minimum weekly amount of physical activity time formiddle school/junior high school and high school stu-dents. Classroom physical activity breaks are not required,and Georgia does not prohibit the use of withholdingphysical activity, including recess, as punishment for dis-ciplinary reasons, nor prohibit the use of physical activityas punishment for inappropriate behavior. Georgia doesnot support Safe Routes to School programs.


State Standards: The Georgia Performance Standardsfor Physical Education, last revised in June 2009, arebased on NASPE standards.

State Curriculum: The state recommends that a sequential,developmentally appropriate curriculum should be designedand implemented to help students acquire the knowledge,skills, attitudes and confidence needed to adopt and main-tain a physically active and healthy lifestyle.

Class Size: The state mandates a teacher-to-student ratiocomparable to other curricular areas, with a maximum of40 students per physical education class.

Online Physical Education Courses: The state allowsrequired physical education credits to be earned throughonline physical education courses, and currently offerscourses in personal fitness/wellness and in weight train-ing. All students are eligible.

Student Assessment Requirements: The state requiresstudent assessment in physical education. Georgia House Bill 229, signed in April 2009, requires that beginning inthe 2011-2012 school year, students in grades 1-12 thatare enrolled in physical education class must have anannual fitness assessment. The fitness assessment and data collection an will be determined by the state’s department of education.


Fitness Assessment: The state requires the use ofFitnessGram®.



The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may teach required ele-mentary school physical education classes. Certificationsmust be renewed every five years.


Teachers: There are no specific physical educationrequirements for professional development continuingeducation hours or credits.



Contact Person:

Therese McGuire, EdSProgram Specialist, Health and Physical EducationGeorgia Department of EducationSuite 1754 Twin Towers East205 Jesse Hill Jr. Dr.Atlanta, GA [email protected]

Hawaii Amount of Required Physical Education:

Hawaii mandates at least 30 minutes of physical edu-cation per week in grades K-6. The state also mandatesthat high schools provide students with physical educa-tion and high school students are required, for gradua-tion, to take one year of physical education, duringwhich they must participate in at least 200 minutesper week.


Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute other activities fortheir required physical education credit.

Exemptions/Waivers: Principals have the authority inextreme cases to waive any course requirement.

Physical Activity: The state requires elementary schoolsto provide daily recess, but does not require a minimumweekly amount of physical activity time for elementaryschool students. Neither does the state require a mini-mum weekly amount of physical activity time for middleschool/junior high school and high school students.Classroom physical activity breaks are not required, butHawaii does prohibit the use of withholding physicalactivity, including recess, as punishment for disciplinaryreasons, as well as use of physical activity as punishmentfor inappropriate behavior. Hawaii does support SafeRoutes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state requires schoolsor school districts to provide their local school wellnesspolicy to the state education agency and monitors theimplementation of local school wellness policies throughthe Safety and Wellness survey.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school dis-tricts must comply. The Hawaii Content andPerformance Standards III for Physical Education werelast revised in 2007.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education, but does have alist of approved curricula for school use. Local schoolsystems have the option of using a commercial curricu-lum such as SPARK or CATCH.

Class Size: The state does not mandate a teacher-to-stu-dent ratio.

Online Physical Education Courses: Online physicaleducation courses are available in some schools.

Student Assessment Requirements: Teachers mustassess students based upon the Hawaii Content andPerformance Standards (HCPS III) for PE grade levelbenchmarks in grades 1-12.



Body Mass Index (BMI): The state requires schools tocollect students’ BMI or height and weight on healthforms upon entrance and in grade seven.


The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the high school level. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may teach required ele-mentary school physical education classes.


Teachers: Professional development continuing educa-tion hours or credits are not required.

National Board Certification: The state actively encour-ages physical education teachers to become certifiedthrough the National Board Certification process by pro-viding or facilitating mentoring for teachers goingthrough the process, and providing a one-time monetarybonus for the teachers who receive board certification.

District Physical Education Coordinator: The state doesnot require each school district to have a licensed physi-cal educator serving as a PE coordinator. However,Hawaii does have a physical education/health resourceteacher in each district. The positions are fundedthrough a memorandum of agreement with theDepartment of Health and use tobacco settlement funds.

Contact Person:

Ann HoriuchiActing Educational Specialist, Health and Physical EducationHawaii State Department of EducationOCISS, SLII

475 22nd AvenueHonolulu, HI 96816808-203-5538Ann_Horiuchi/OIS/[email protected]

IdahoAmount of Required Physical Education: Idaho

mandates physical education in grades K-8. There is nostate mandate at the high school level.

High School Graduation Requirements: There is nostate mandate at the high school level.

Substitutions: There is no state mandate regarding sub-stitutions.

Exemptions/Waivers: School districts may allow exemp-tions; however, Idaho does not have a graduationrequirement for physical education at the high schoollevel, so waivers are generally unnecessary.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and Idaho does not prohibit the use ofwithholding physical activity, including recess, as punish-ment for disciplinary reasons, nor the use of physicalactivity as punishment for inappropriate behavior. Idahodoes support Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state does not requireschools or school districts to provide their local schoolwellness policy to the state education agency, but doesmonitor the implementation of local school wellnesspolicies as part of the review process for schools/schooldistricts by Child Nutrition Staff.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school dis-tricts must comply. The Idaho Content Standards forPhysical Education were last revised in 2010.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. Local school sys-tems have the option of using any curriculum, includinga commercial option, which has been approved throughthe state curriculum review process.


STATE PROFILES 27

Online Physical Education Courses: Since physical edu-cation is not a graduation requirement, online coursesare sometimes offered.






The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers only at the high school level.Elementary classroom teachers (generalists) may teachrequired elementary school physical education classes.Certification must be renewed every five years.


Teachers: Professional development continuing educa-tion hours or credits are required to maintain/renewone’s physical education teacher certification or licensure.No state funding is provided for this professional devel-opment.



Contact Person:

Rhonda HeggenPANT CoordinatorIdaho State Department of EducationPhysical Activity, Nutrition and Tobacco Prevention650 W. State St.Boise, ID [email protected]

IllinoisAmount of Required Physical Education: Illinois

mandates daily physical education in grades K-12.The state enforces this mandate by requiring writtenassurances from the schools.

High School Graduation Requirements: The state doesnot mandate the number of high school physical education

credits that are required for high school graduation, howev-er PE is mandated daily for all high school grade levels.

Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute inter scholasticsports, Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC),marching band, and competitive cheerleading for theirrequired physical education credit.

Exemptions/Waivers: Districts may request a two-yearwaiver from the state board of education and can appealthe decision to the legislature. This waiver may berenewed a maximum of twice, for a total of six years.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the state requirea minimum weekly amount of physical activity time formiddle school/junior high school and high school stu-dents. Classroom physical activity breaks are not required,and Illinois does not prohibit the use of withholdingphysical activity, including recess, as punishment for dis-ciplinary reasons, nor prohibit the use of physical activityas punishment for inappropriate behavior. Illinois doessupport Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state does not requireschools or school districts to provide their local schoolwellness policy to the state education agency, but doesmonitor the implementation of local school wellnesspolicies during the routine administrative review at eachschool district, which occurs every five years.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school dis-tricts must comply. The “Illinois Learning Standards”were last revised in 1996.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. Local school sys-tems have the option of utilizing a commercial curricu-lum of their choice.






High School Graduation Requirements: Two credits inphysical education (PE I & PE II) are required for allIndiana diplomas.

Substitutions: Through credit flexibility, any activitycan be worked into an individual education plan if ithelps the student meet the physical education coursedescriptions and standards. Schools may award credit inany course based on demonstration of proficiency againstthe academic standards without regard to a minimumamount of instruction. The physical education teacherdevelops the course requirements, assesses performanceand grants the grade and credit.

Exemptions/Waivers: There is no exemption regardingphysical education time or credit available in Indiana,with the exception of the credit flexibility mentionedabove.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students although daily physical activ-ity is required. Neither does the state require a minimumweekly amount of physical activity time for middleschool/junior high school and high school students.Classroom physical activity breaks are not required, andIndiana does not prohibit the use of withholding physi-cal activity, including recess, as punishment for discipli-nary reasons, nor prohibit the use of physical activity aspunishment for inappropriate behavior. Indiana does notsupport Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state does not requireschools or school districts to provide their local schoolwellness policy to the state education agency, nor doesthe state monitor the implementation of local schoolwellness policies.

State Standards: The state has developed standards forphysical education with which all school districts arerequired to comply. The Indiana Academic Standardswere adopted in 2008.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. Local school sys-tems have the option of using the SPARK program.

Class Size: There is no teacher-to-student ratio requirement.

Online Physical Education Courses: The state allowsrequired physical education credits to be earned throughonline physical education courses. Local schools deter-mine what their policy is for allowing students to takePE online or through other alternative methods. Localschools also determine the online providers from which


Body Mass Index (BMI): The state requires schools tocollect BMI or students’ height and weight in grades 1, 6and 9. This information is collected by the doctor whogives the student his/her required school physical at thesegrade levels.




Teachers: Professional development, continuing educationhours or credits are required in order to maintain/renewone’s physical education teacher certification or licensure.The state also requires professional development for physi-cal education teachers on physical education topics, com-parable to other curricular areas. No state funding is pro-vided for this professional development.

National Board Certification: The state actively encour-ages physical education teachers to become certifiedthrough the National Board Certification process by pro-moting and encouraging teachers to register for theNational Board Certification process, providing or facili-tating mentoring for teachers going through the process,providing full funding only if the teacher receives boardcertification, and providing one or more forms of non-monetary recognition for national board certified teachers.


Contact Person:

Jessica GerdesPrincipal Consultant/School Nurse, HealthIllinois State Board of Education100 West Randolph Street, Suite 4-800Chicago, IL [email protected]

Indiana Amount of Required Physical Education:

Indiana mandates physical education in grades K-8,and daily physical activity is required, which can includerecess. The state also mandates that high schools providephysical education courses for students.

STATE PROFILES 29

they will accept credit. For credit to be recognized by alocal high school, the course must meet the state physicaleducation course description and standards. Localschools decide who is eligible to take online courses.

Student Assessment Requirements: The state does notrequire standardized student assessment in physical education.





The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may not teach requiredelementary school physical education classes. A score of153 on the PRAXIS II exam is required for certification.


Teachers: Professional development continuing educa-tion hours or credits are required to maintain/renewone’s physical education teacher certification or licensure.State professional development funding has been provid-ed in the past, but fiscal difficulties have resulted insevere cutbacks in professional development funding.

Temporary Certification: Temporary/emergency teachercertification may be granted for up to one year to anyoneholding a bachelor’s degree in any subject area.



Contact Person:

Eric OgleInterim Physical Education SpecialistIndiana Department of Education - College and CareerReadiness 151 W Ohio St, Indianapolis, IN 46204(317) [email protected]

Iowa Amount of Required Physical Education: Iowa

mandates physical education in grades K-12. High

school students must participate in at least 45 minutes ofphysical activity per week. The state checks on compli-ance every five years.


Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute interscholasticsports or Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps(JROTC) for their required physical education credits.

Exemptions/Waivers: Local schools may grant waiversto students for one semester at a time.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess, but does require a mini-mum weekly amount of 101-150 minutes per week ofphysical activity time for elementary school students.Additionally, the state requires a minimum weeklyamount of 101-150 minutes per week of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and Iowa does not prohibit the use ofwithholding physical activity, including recess, as punish-ment for disciplinary reasons, nor prohibit the use ofphysical activity as punishment for inappropriate behav-ior. Iowa does support Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state requires schoolsor school districts to provide their local school wellnesspolicy to the state education agency and monitors theimplementation of local school wellness policies throughaccreditation site visits done by state officials.

State Standards: The state does not have its own stan-dards for physical education.

State Curriculum: The state requires the use of specificcurricula for elementary, middle school/junior high andhigh school physical education. Local school systemshave the option of using any of the following commer-cial curricula: SPARK, CATCH, or PE4Life.

Class Size: The state does not mandate a teacher-to stu-dent ratio comparable to other curricular areas.

Online Physical Education Courses: Online courses arepermitted and are open to students who request permis-sion to take online courses and are approved by theschool. Online courses are taught only by state-certifiedphysical education teachers.




Exemptions/Waivers: Waivers may be granted for spe-cial education students, students with physical handi-caps, and for religious reasons. The waiver durationdepends on the student’s Individualized EducationPlan (IEP).

Physical Activity: The state does require elementaryschools to provide daily recess of 11-15 minutes, butdoes not require a minimum weekly amount of physicalactivity time for elementary school students. Neitherdoes the state require a minimum weekly amount ofphysical activity time for middle school/junior highschool and high school students. Classroom physicalactivity breaks are not required, but Kansas does prohib-it the use of withholding physical activity, includingrecess, as punishment for disciplinary reasons, as well asthe use of physical activity as punishment for inappro-priate behavior. Kansas does support Safe Routes toSchool programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state requires schoolsor school districts to provide their local school wellnesspolicy to the state education agency and monitors theimplementation of local school wellness policies throughindividual follow-up on each school wellness policy.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, though school districts donot have to comply. The Kansas State Department ofEducation Physical Education Standards were last revisedin 2005 and are based upon the National PhysicalEducation Standards.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. Local school sys-tems or individual schools have the option of utilizingcommercial curricula or choosing their own.


Online Physical Education Courses: The state does notallow online physical education courses.






The state requires certification or licensure of physical




The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may teach required ele-mentary school physical education classes. Certificationmust be renewed every five years.


Teachers: Professional development continuing educa-tion hours or credits are not required.

Temporary Certification: Temporary or emergencyteacher certification may be granted for up to two yearsto anyone holding a bachelor’s degree in education or teaching.

National Board Certification: The state activelyencourages physical education teachers to become certi-fied through the National Board Certification processby providing partial funding only if the teacher receivesboard certification.


Contact Person:

Edward ThomasConsultantIowa Department of Education400 E 14th St.Des Moines, IA [email protected]

KansasAmount of Required Physical Education: Kansas man-dates physical education from kindergarten throughgrade 6 (if the school is configured K-6) or grade 8 (ifthe school is configured K-8). High schools must alsoprovide students physical education.

High School Graduation Requirements: The state requiresstu dents to earn 1.0 Carnegie Unit (credit) of physical edu-cation, which shall include health, for graduation.

Substitutions: The state does not permit school districtsor schools to allow students to substitute other activitiesfor physical education credit.

STATE PROFILES 31

tion may exempt a child from the graduation require-ment when the local board receives an affidavit from thechild’s parents and church leader. In the alternative, alocal board may maintain the physical education gradua-tion requirement if the basis of the religious objectionscan be accommodated.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and Kentucky does not prohibit the use ofwithholding physical activity, including recess, as punish-ment for disciplinary reasons, nor prohibit using physicalactivity as punishment for inappropriate behavior.Kentucky does support Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state does not requireschools or school districts to provide their local school well-ness policy to the state education agency and does not mon-itor the implementation of local school wellness policies.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, and all school districts mustcomply. The “Kentucky Core Academic Standards”, for-merly called the “Program of Studies”, were last revisedin 2006.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. In March 2009,Kentucky’s General Assembly passed Senate Bill 1.Passage of this bill requires the design and developmentof a state-level model curriculum framework. Model cur-riculum framework for physical education is currentlyunder development.






Body Mass Index (BMI): The state requires BMI per-centile on the physical exam form that is required forschool entrance.

education teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may teach required ele-mentary school PE classes. Certification must berenewed every five years.


Teachers: Professional development continuing educa-tion hours or credits are required in order tomaintain/renew one’s physical education teacher certifi-cation or licensure.

Temporary Certification: Temporary or emergencyteacher certification may be granted for less than oneyear to anyone holding a bachelor’s degree in any area.



Contact Person:

Dr. Darrel LangProgram ConsultantKansas State Department of EducationHealth, Physical Education, HIV/AIDS and Human SexualityEducation120 SE 10thTopeka, KS [email protected]

KentuckyAmount of Required Physical Education: Kentuckymandates that high schools must provide their studentsphysical education. There is no state mandate for ele-mentary schools or middle/junior high schools.


Substitutions: The state allows substitutions for medicalreasons. A local board of education may authorize a sub-stitute physical education course based on a child’s capa-bilities as specified by the child’s physician. JuniorReserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) may be substi-tuted for the PE graduation requirement.

Exemptions/Waivers: The state allows exemptions fromthe 0.5 high school physical education graduationrequirement for religious reasons. A local board of educa-


Exemptions/Waivers: Waivers and exemptions aregranted for health reasons only.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, but Louisiana does prohibit the use ofwithholding physical activity, including recess, as punish-ment for disciplinary reasons, as well as using physicalactivity as punishment for inappropriate behavior.Louisiana does support Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state does not require schools or school districts to provide their localschool wellness policy to the state education agency anddoes not monitor the implementation of local schoolwellness policies.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school dis-tricts must comply. The Louisiana Physical EducationGrade-Level Expectations Handbook from the LouisianaDepartment of Education was last revised in 2009.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. Local school sys-tems or individual schools have the option of utilizing acommercial curriculum.








The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the middle school/junior high andhigh school levels. Elementary classroom teachers (gener-alists) may teach required elementary school PE classes.An exam is required for certification.


The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may teach required ele-mentary school PE classes. A certification/licensure examis required for certification.



Temporary Certification: Temporary or emergencyteacher certification may be granted for one year to any-one holding a bachelor’s degree in teaching or education.

National Board Certification: The state actively supportsphysical education teachers to become certified throughthe National Board Certification process by actively pro-moting and encouraging teachers to register for theNational Board Certification process, providing or facili-tating mentoring for teachers going through the processand providing an on-going higher level of pay to allteachers who are National Board Certified.


Contact Person:

Todd Davis, MA, ATCSchool Health ConsultantKentucky Department of EducationOffice of Next Generation Learners 500 Mero Street, 19th Floor, Room 1928Frankfurt, KY 40601502-564-2706, ext. [email protected]

LouisianaAmount of Required Physical Education:

Louisiana mandates 150+ minutes of physicaleducation per week in grades K-8. The state also requireshigh schools to provide physical education to their students.

High School Graduation Requirements: The staterequires stu dents to earn 1.5 physical education creditsfor graduation.


STATE PROFILES 33

ment for disciplinary reasons, nor prohibit the use ofphysical activity as punishment for inappropriate behav-ior. Maine does support Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state does not requireschools or school districts to provide their local schoolwellness policy to the state education agency but doesmonitor the implementation of only specific parts oflocal school wellness policies.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school dis-tricts must comply. The 2007 Maine Learning Results:Parameters for Essential Instruction have not been revised.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. Local school sys-tems or individual schools have the option of using acommercial curriculum.



Student Assessment Requirements: The state requiresstudent assessment in physical education annually ingrades 3-8. School districts and teachers decide how touse data. Data are not sent to the Maine Department ofEducation. The assessment measures performance ofmotor/movement skills, physical fitness levels, knowledgeof physical education content and personal and socialresponsibility in physical education.



Body Mass Index (BMI): The state requires BMI data tobe collected in grades 1, 5 and 9. The congregate datafor each school is sent to the state department of healthand the state department of education.


The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may teach required ele-mentary school PE classes, but only if a school districtshows that an undue hardship exists. The PRAXIS examis required for certification, and certification must berenewed every five years.



National Board Certification: The state actively sup-ports physical education teachers to become certifiedthrough the National Board Certification process bypromoting and encouraging teachers to register for theNational Board Certification process, providing fullfunding only if the teacher receives board certification,and providing a one-time monetary bonus if the teacherreceives board certification.


Contact Person:

Michael Comeaux, MS, MHSAHealth and Physical Education CoordinatorLouisiana Department of EducationDivision of Student Learning and Support1201 North 3rd StreetBaton Rouge, LA [email protected]

MaineAmount of Required Physical Education: Maine

mandates physical education in grades K-8. The statealso requires high schools to provide physical educationto their students.



Exemptions/Waivers: The state Commissioner ofEducation may grant waivers for one year at a time.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and Maine does not prohibit the use ofwithholding physical activity, including recess, as punish-


ment for disciplinary reasons, nor prohibit using physicalactivity as punishment for inappropriate behavior.Maryland does support Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state requires schoolsor school districts to provide their local school wellnesspolicy to the state education agency and monitors theimplementation of local school wellness policies.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, which all local school sys-tems must include in their curricular documents. TheMaryland State Curriculum for Physical Education waslast revised in May 2009.

State Curriculum: The state requires local schools to uti-lize curriculum that aligns to the state standards. Thelocal school systems determine the instructional materialsand activities that will allow their students to meet theMaryland physical education standards.

Class Size: The state does not specify a teacher-to-stu-dent ratio.







The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. A score of 169on the PRAXIS exam is required for certification.


Teachers: Professional development continuing educa-tion hours or credits are required in order tomaintain/renew one’s physical education teacher certifi-cation or licensure. No state funding is provided for thisprofessional development.

National Board Certification: The state actively encour-ages physical education teachers to become certifiedthrough the National Board Certification process by pro-viding or facilitating mentoring for teachers goingthrough the process, providing partial funding for costonly if the teacher receives board certification and pro-


Teachers: Professional development continuing educa-tion hours or credits are required to maintain/renewone’s physical education teacher certification or licensure.The state also requires professional development forphysical education teachers on physical education topics,comparable to other curricular areas. No state funding isprovided for this professional development.

Temporary Certification: Temporary or emergencyteacher certification may be granted for one year. A con-ditional license requires 24 college credits in the area; atransitional license requires a bachelor’s degree in anotherteaching area and six credits in a new content area.

National Board Certification: The state encouragesteachers to become certified through the National BoardCertification process.


Contact Person:

Jayne ChasePhysical Education ConsultantState of Maine, Department of Education23 State House StationAugusta, ME [email protected]

MarylandAmount of Required Physical Education:

Maryland mandates physical education in grades K-8.The state also requires high schools to provide physicaleducation to students. This is enforced by the Code ofMaryland Regulations.


Substitutions: Substitutions are not allowed.


Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and Maryland does not prohibit the use ofwithholding physical activity, including recess, as punish-

STATE PROFILES 35

time for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and Massachusetts does not prohibit theuse of withholding physical activity, including recess, aspunishment for disciplinary reasons nor prohibit the useof physical activity as punishment for inappropriatebehavior. Massachusetts does support Safe Routes toSchool programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state does not requireschools or school districts to provide their local schoolwellness policy to the state education agency, but schoolfood service reviewers check the local school wellnesspolicy to make sure all required components, includingimplementation plan, are present. Food service reviewscurrently take place every five years.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education. The MassachusettsComprehensive Health Curriculum Framework was lastrevised in 1999.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. Local school dis-tricts decide their own physical education curricula,which may include commercial curricula.


Online Physical Education Courses: The use of onlinephysical education courses is up to individual school districts.

Student Assessment: The state does not require studentassessment in physical education.

Grade Point Average (GPA): Physical education gradesare not included in a student’s overall GPA.


Body Mass Index (BMI): The state has a newly-adoptedpolicy which requires collection of students’ BMI orheight and weight in grades 1, 4, 7 and 10. BMI datawill be reported directly and confidentially to a parent orlegal guardian and without identifiers to theMassachusetts Department of Public Health. Theserequirements were to be met by June 30, 2010, by publicschool systems receiving direct funding from the depart-ment for school nursing services, and by June 30, 2011,by all other public schools.


The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementary

viding partial reimbursement for teachers going throughthe process.

District Physical Education Coordinator: The state doesnot require each local school system to have a licensedphysical educator serving as a PE coordinator.

Other Notes: Maryland policy provides local control tothe school systems. Most decisions are specific to eachlocal school system regarding grading, assessments andreport cards.

Contact Person:

Michael MasonSpecialist for Physical EducationMaryland Department of Education200 West Baltimore St.Baltimore, MD [email protected]

MassachusettsAmount of Required Physical Education:

Massachusetts mandates physical education in grades K-12The state requires high schools to provide studentswith physical education. Compliance with physical edu-cation law is monitored during the coordinated programreview that is conducted with all school districts on arotating basis every six years. A school that does notrequire physical education in every grade is required todevelop corrective action plans.

High School Graduation Requirements: State law doesnot specify the number of physical education creditsrequired for graduation.

Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute other activitiesfor their required physical education credit. Local schoolofficials have discretion to determine whether and how astudent, particularly at the high school level, may meetthe physical education requirement through an organ-ized program of instructed physical activity. This discre-tion is similar to the authority of school officials to per-mit students to fulfill the requirements of an academiccourse by taking a course elsewhere that the officialsdeem to be equivalent.

Exemptions/Waivers: Individual school districts maygrant waivers or exemptions.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activity


Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and Michigan does not prohibit the use ofwithholding physical activity, including recess, as punish-ment for disciplinary reasons, nor prohibit using physicalactivity as punishment for inappropriate behavior.Michigan does support Safe Routes to School programs.


State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school dis-tricts must comply. The “Grade Level ContentExpectations for Physical Education” for grades K-8 andwas last revised in 2007. There are also Michigan MeritCurriculum Guidelines for high school.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh and high school physical education. Local schoolsystems have the option of utilizing a commercial cur-riculum, including Exemplary Physical EducationCurriculum (EPEC), CATCH, and SPARK.


Online Physical Education Courses: The state doesallow required physical education credits to be earnedthrough online physical education courses. However,there are many skills-based requirements and contentthat cannot be effectively taught in an online course.

Student Assessment Requirements: The state doesrequire student assessment in physical education.





The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementary

classroom teachers (generalists) may teach required ele-mentary school physical education classes, as long as theyare tested in the licensure exam for the content area ofphysical education.


Teachers: There is a requirement for professional devel-opment continuing education hours or credits for main-taining licensure and it must be on physical educationtopics, equivalent to professional development timerequirements for other subject areas. The state does notprovide funding for this professional development.



Contact Person:

Holly Alperin, EdM, MCHESHealth Education/Physical Activity and Nutrition (PANT)CoordinatorMassachusetts Department of Elementary and SecondaryEducation74 Pleasant St.Malden, MA [email protected]

Michigan Amount of Required Physical Education:

Michigan does not mandate that elementary,middle/junior high and high schools provide their stu-dents with physical education.

High School Graduation Requirements: The staterequires students to earn 0.5 credits in physical education.

Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute inter scholasticsports, Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC),marching band and cheerleading for their required physi-cal education credit. Beginning in 2010-2011, studentswill still be required to show proficiency in the physicaleducation standards even with a substitution in order tobe awarded the credit for graduation.

Exemptions/Waivers: Local school districts can grantan exemption to individual students for physical educa-tion time or credit. The exemption is valid for a one-year period.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and Minnesota does not prohibit the use ofwithholding physical activity, including recess, as punish-ment for disciplinary reasons, nor prohibit using physicalactivity as punishment for inappropriate behavior.Minnesota does support Safe Routes to School programs.


State Standards: Minnesota has adopted the NationalStandards for Physical Education, which were developedby the National Association for Sports and PhysicalEducation. Every Minnesota school district is required toadopt these standards, beginning with the 2012-13school year. Additionally, every school district must havelocally developed standards in health education.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. The local schooldistrict determines the curriculum, which includes theoption of utilizing a commercial curriculum.


Online Physical Education Courses: Physical educationcredits may be earned through online physical educationcourses. Content of all online physical education coursesare determined by the online providers. Local districtscan review the online course syllabus to determine if thecourse meets the local physical education programrequirements in order to extend the credit. All studentsare eligible, and all courses are taught by state-certifiedphysical education teachers.

Student Assessment Requirements: The state requiresstudent assessment in physical education. Local school districts must develop assessments that meet the state standards.

Grade Point Average (GPA): The state does not requirephysical education grades to be included in a student’s GPA.



classroom teachers (generalists) may teach required ele-mentary school PE classes. The Michigan Test forTeacher Certification exam is required for certification,which must be renewed every five years.


Teachers: Professional development continuing educa-tion hours or credits are not required in order to main-tain/renew one’s physical education teacher certificationor licensure

Temporary certification: Temporary or emergency certi-fication may be granted to teach at the middleschool/junior high school or high school level to anyoneholding a bachelors’ degree in teaching or education.This certification is valid for one year.



Contact Person:

Mary Teachout, MTACoordinated School Health Education Consultant Michigan Department of Education608 West Allegan St.Lansing, MI 48909(517)[email protected]

MinnesotaAmount of Required Physical Education:

Minnesota mandates physical education in grades K-8.There is also a state mandate that high schools providetheir students with physical education. Local schoolboards are responsible for ensuring that all state require-ments are met.

High School Graduation Requirements: There is no staterequirement of physical education credit for graduation.

Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute other activities fortheir required physical education credit. Each districtmust develop local standards in physical education andsubstitutions are permitted if the local district determinesthat the participation in the activity meets all the stan-dard requirements.

Exemptions/Waivers: The state recognizes exemptionsfor only religious or health purposes. The local schoolboard can grant these waivers or determine exemptions.


Exemptions/Waivers: Only physicians can grant waiversor exemptions.

Physical Activity: The state requires elementary schoolsto provide daily recess, but does not require a minimumamount of time required for recess. The state alsorequires a minimum weekly amount of 101-150 minutesof physical activity time for elementary and middleschool/junior high school students, but does not requirea minimum weekly amount of physical activity for highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arerequired in elementary and middle/junior high schools,but Mississippi does not prohibit the use of withholdingphysical activity, including recess, as punishment for dis-ciplinary reasons, nor prohibit using physical activity aspunishment for inappropriate behavior. Mississippi doessupport Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state requires schoolsor school districts to provide their local school wellnesspolicy to the state education agency and monitors theimplementation of local school wellness policies everyfive years.

State Standards: All instruction in physical education,health education, and physical activity must be based onthe most current state standards provided by the StateDepartment of Education. The Mississippi PhysicalEducation Framework was last revised in 2006.

State Curriculum: The 2006 Mississippi PhysicalEducation Framework provides a planned, sequential K-12 framework that provides cognitive content and learn-ing experiences in a variety of activity areas such as basicmovement skills; physical fitness; rhythms and dance;games; team, dual, and individual sports; tumbling andgymnastics; and aquatics. The 2006 Physical EducationFramework, Physical Education Evaluation Tool, PhysicalEducation Curriculum Analysis Tool (PECAT), Health inAction, and You’ve Gotta Move are the resources availableon the state department of education’s website.

Class Size: The state does not have a mandate for ateacher-to-student ratio, but recommends a ratio of 35:1for schools that are K- 5 or K-6 and a ratio of 40:1 forgrades 6 through 12.With a licensed teacher and ateacher assistant, it is recommended the maximum classsize for physical education shall not exceed 70 studentsfor grades K-6. If there is a licensed teacher and a teacherassistant it is recommended the maximum class sizeshould not exceed 80 students for grades 7-12.





Teachers: Professional development continuing educationhours or credits are required in order to maintain/renewone’s physical education teacher certification or licensure.The state also requires professional development for phys-ical education teachers on physical education topics, com-parable to other curricular area. No state funding is pro-vided for this professional development.

Temporary Certification: Temporary or emergency teachercertification may be granted for three years to anyoneholding a bachelor’s degree in teaching or education.



Contact Person:

Mary Thissen-Milder, PhD School Improvement Specialist Health and Physical Education Minnesota Department of Education 1500 Highway 36 WestRoseville, MN [email protected]

Mississippi Amount of Required Physical Education:

Mississippi mandates 150 minutes of activity-based instruction per week for K-8. At least 50 of thoseminutes must be physical education class. The state alsomandates at least 45 minutes per week of health educa-tion in grades K-8.


Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute interscholasticsports, Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC),marching band, and cheerleading for their required phys-ical education credit.

STATE PROFILES 39

Student Assessment Requirements: The state requiresstudent assessment in physical education in grades 5 andin high school the year the students receive their 0.5Carnegie unit (credit). Results are not required to be sentto the state as aggregate data for the school, and individ-ual student’s results are not required to be sent to theirparent or guardian. There are suggested assessmentsdesigned to assess the objectives and competencies in theMississippi Physical Education Framework and someenvironment assessment tools to support quality physicaleducation programs in Mississippi Schools.

Grade Point Average (GPA): The state does require phys-ical education grades to be included in a student’s GPA.

Fitness Assessment: The state does not require the useof a particular fitness assessment protocol but doesrequire fitness assessment in the grade which the studentreceives credit.



The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the high school level only.Elementary classroom teachers (generalists) may teachrequired elementary school PE classes. A score of 138 onthe PRAXIS exam is required for certification.


Teachers: The state does require teachers to attend pro-fessional development in order to obtain continuing edu-cation credit to renew their teaching license outlined inthe Licensure Guidelines from the Commission onTeacher and Administrator Education, Licensure, andDevelopment. The content of professional developmentis left to the teachers/districts.

Temporary Certification: Temporary or emergency certi-fication may be granted to teach at the elementary ormiddle school/junior high school level to anyone holdinga bachelor’s degree in any subject area. This certificationis valid for one year.

National Board Certification: The state actively encour-ages physical education teachers to become certifiedthrough the National Board Certification process.


Contact Person:

Dale Dieckman, ATC, CSCSPhysical Education SpecialistMississippi Dept of Education Office of Healthy Schools239 North Lamar Street, 6th Floor

P. O. Box 771Jackson, MS [email protected]

MissouriAmount of Required Physical Education:

Missouri requires all school districts to imple-ment a minimum of 150 minutes of physical activityeach week for elementary students (grades K-6). Thestate-mandated 50 minutes of physical education perweek and mandated 20-minute daily recess may bothcount toward this 150-minute total. Schools report theamount of physical education time that they offer stu-dents in elementary school in the state’s Core Datareporting system. The state also mandates at least 45minutes per week of physical education in grades 7-8and encourages districts to implement at least 225 min-utes of physical activity per week at this level. The statealso requires high schools to provide physical educationto students.


Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute Junior ReserveOfficer Training Corps (JROTC) for their required phys-ical education credit at the high school level.


Physical Activity: The state does require elementaryschools to provide daily recess for a minimum of 20minutes, as well as requiring a minimum weekly amountof 150 minutes per week of physical activity time for ele-mentary school students. The state does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time formiddle school/junior high school and high school stu-dents. Classroom physical activity breaks are notrequired, and Missouri does not prohibit the use of with-holding physical activity, including recess, as punishmentfor disciplinary reasons, nor prohibit using physicalactivity as punishment for inappropriate behavior.Michigan does support Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state does not requireschools or school districts to provide their local schoolwellness policy to the state education agency, but doesmonitor the implementation of local school wellnesspolicies if the school district’s academic performance trig-gers an accreditation review.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school dis-


tricts must comply. The Grade Level Expectations forPhysical Education were last revised in 2007.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. School districtshave the option of using a commercial curriculum aslong as it adheres to the state standards.

Class Size: The state specifies a teacher-to-student ratiocomparable to other curricular areas.


Student Assessment Requirements: The state requiresstudent assessment in physical education in grades 5 and9. Results are sent to the state as aggregate data for theschool; it is expected that the state will soon requirereporting of individual student physical fitness assess-ment scores.


Fitness Assessment: The state requires the use of the“Missouri Physical Fitness Assessment Model.” Physicalfitness grades are included in a student’s grade pointaverage.



The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may not teach requiredelementary school physical education classes. A score of153 on the PRAXIS Physical Education ContentKnowledge exam is required for certification.


Teachers: Professional development continuing educa-tion hours or credits are required in order tomaintain/renew one’s physical education teacher certifi-cation or licensure. State funding is provided to eachschool district for professional development activities,but no additional funds are provided specifically forphysical education teachers.

Temporary Certification: Temporary or emergency certi-fication may be granted to teach at the elementary ormiddle school/junior high school level to anyone holdinga bachelor’s degree in teaching or education. This certifi-cation is valid for two years.

National Board Certification: The state actively encour-ages physical education teachers to become certified byproviding one or more forms of non-monetary recogni-tion for National Board Certified teachers.

District Physical Education Coordinator: The staterequires each school district to have a licensed physicaleducator serving as a PE coordinator.

Contact Person:

Janice RehakCoordinator, Office of College and Career ReadinessMissouri Department of elementary and SecondaryEducationP.O. Box 480Jefferson City, MO [email protected]

MontanaAmount of Required Physical Education: Montana

mandates physical education in grades K-6. The statealso mandates 225+ minutes per week of physical educa-tion in grades 7-8 and at the high school level.

High School Graduation Requirements: The staterequires students to earn 1.0 health-enhancement credit,with 0.5 credits earned each year, for graduation.



Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and Montana does not prohibit the use ofwithholding physical activity, including recess, as punish-ment for disciplinary reasons, nor prohibit using physicalactivity as punishment for inappropriate behavior.Montana does support Safe Routes to School programs.


State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school districtsmust comply. The Accreditation Standards–Student Contentand Performance Standards were last revised in 2001.

STATE PROFILES 41

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. Local school dis-tricts have the option of using a commercial curriculumof their choice.



Student Assessment Requirements: The state does notrequire student assessment in physical education.However, districts have the flexibility to determine theirown requirements, which may include student assessment.





The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may teach required ele-mentary school physical education classes.


Teachers: Professional development continuing educationhours or credits are required to maintain/renew one’s physi-cal education teacher certification or licensure. No statefunding is provided for this professional development.

Temporary Certification: Temporary or emergency certi-fication may be granted to teach at the elementary ormiddle school/junior high school level to anyone holdinga bachelor’s degree in teaching or education. This certifi-cation is valid for one year.

National Board Certification: The state actively encour-ages physical education teachers to become certifiedthrough the National Board Certification process by pro-viding or facilitating mentoring for teachers goingthrough the process, providing partial funding if theteacher receives board certification, providing a one-timemonetary bonus if the teacher receives board certificationand providing one or more forms of non-monetaryrecognition for National Board Certification teachers.


Contact Person:

Susan CourtHIV Prevention and the Youth Risk Behavior SurveyPrograms SpecialistMontana Office of Public InstructionP.O. Box 202501Helena, MT, [email protected]

NebraskaAmount of Required Physical Education: Nebraskamandates physical education in grades K-8. At the highschool level, all high schools must offer physical educa-tion, but it is up to local school districts as to whetherthey require the students to take it. The state’s Rule 10requires that schools comply with these regulations toreceive state accreditation.

High School Graduation Requirements: The statedepartment of education does not set graduation require-ments for schools; this is a local control decision. Themajority of Nebraska high schools require a minimum ofone semester (1.0 credit) of physical education for gradu-ation. Schools must offer two full years of health andwellness instruction, but local school districts determinewhat students are required to take for graduation.

Substitutions: The state permits schools or school dis-tricts to allow students to substitute interscholasticsports, Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC),or marching band for required physical education credit.

Exemptions/Waivers: Local school districts can grantwaivers or exemptions. The length of the exemptiondepends on the reason for the exemption/waiver and thelocal school district.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and Nebraska does not prohibit the use ofwithholding physical activity, including recess, as punish-ment for disciplinary reasons, nor prohibit using physicalactivity as punishment for inappropriate behavior.Nebraska does support Safe Routes to School programs.



State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, modeled on the NationalStandards for Physical Education. This document is rec-ommended as guidance for local school districts; howev-er, school districts do not have to comply. The NebraskaPhysical Education Essential Learnings were last revisedin 2006.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. Local school dis-tricts have the option of creating their own curriculum,or using a commercial curriculum of their choice,including any of the following: SPARK, CATCH,Fitness for Life, Physical Best, Stay Physically Active forLife (HS), It’s Time to Move! (MS), Michigan Model;Physical Essentials (ES), Physical Focus (MS), or PhysicalDimensions (HS).

Class Size: The state does not mandate a teacher-to-stu-dent ratio for any curriculum area.

Online Physical Education Courses: The state has nopolicy on whether physical education credits may beearned through online physical education courses.


Grade Point Average (GPA): The state does not requirephysical education grades to be included in a student’s GPA.


Body Mass Index (BMI): The state does not requireschools to collect students’ BMI or height and weight forreporting purposes. Schools collect height and weight atthe beginning of each school year as part of the schoolhealth screening process, but do not have to report it.


The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may not teach requiredelementary school physical education classes.


Teachers: Professional development continuing educationhours or credits are required to maintain/renew one’s physi-cal education teacher certification or licensure. No statefunding is provided for this professional development.



Contact Person:

Julane Hill, DirectorCoordinated School HealthNebraska Department of Education301 Centennial Mall South, 6th FloorLincoln, NE [email protected]

NevadaAmount of Required Physical Education:

Nevada requires high schools to provide physicaleducation to students, but does not specify grade levelsor minutes per week. There is no state mandate for theelementary school and middle/junior high levels.

High School Graduation Requirements: The staterequires students to earn 2.0 physical education creditsfor graduation. Students must also complete a 1.0 creditpersonal wellness course.

Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute Junior ReserveOfficer Training Corps (JROTC), marching band, andcheerleading for their required physical education credit.

Exemptions/Waivers: The state can grant an exemption toa school district regarding physical education time or credit.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and Nevada does not prohibit the use ofwithholding physical activity, including recess, as punish-ment for disciplinary reasons, nor prohibit using physicalactivity as punishment for inappropriate behavior.Nevada does support Safe Routes to School programs.


State Standards: The state has developed its ownPhysical Education Content Standards, with which allschool districts must comply. These standards are cur-rently under revision.

STATE PROFILES 43

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use of aspecified curriculum.

Class Size: The state does not mandate a teacher-to-stu-dent ratio for physical education classes.

Online Physical Education Courses: The state doesallow required physical education credits to be earnedthrough online physical education courses.




Body Mass Index (BMI): The state requires schools tocollect BMI or students’ height and weight for a repre-sentative sample of pupils enrolled in grades 4, 7 and 10in the schools within the school district. In addition tothose grade levels, a school district may conduct exami-nations of the height and weight of a representative sam-ple of pupils enrolled in other grade levels within theschool district. The Health Division of the Departmentof Health and Human Services shall define “representa-tive sample” in collaboration with the school districts forpurposes of this requirement.


The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the middle school/junior high andhigh school levels. Elementary classroom teachers (gener-alists) may teach required elementary school PE classes.Certification must be renewed every five years.


Teachers: The state does require professional develop-ment for physical education teachers on physical educa-tion topics, comparable to other curricular areas.

National Board Certification: The state actively supportsphysical education teachers to become certified throughthe National Board Certification process by providingfunding if the teacher receives board certification, pro-viding a one-time monetary bonus, and providing anongoing higher level of pay.


Contact Person:

Donnell BartonDirector, Child Nutrition and School HealthNevada Department of EducationOffice of Child Nutrition and School Health

700 East Fifth Street, Suite 109Carson City, NV [email protected]

New HampshireAmount of Required Physical Education: New

Hampshire mandates physical education in gradesK-8. All high schools are required to provide their stu-dents with physical education.


Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute other activities fortheir required physical education credit on a limitedbasis. The state permits middle and high schools to sub-stitute in-school physical education credits for individualstudents if the local school board has adopted a policyapproving extended learning activities and the studentdevelops an extended learning plan whereas the learningexpectations in the plan align with the local school’scompetencies in physical education. Extended learningrefers to learning opportunities outside of the regularschool day. Broad substitutions for physical educationcredits (such as after-school athletics in place of physicaleducation) are not allowed by the state.

Exemptions/Waivers: Waivers are granted for individualstudents by the office of the Commissioner ofEducation. The length of the exemption is determinedon a case by case basis for individual students or schools.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elemen-tary schools to provide daily recess and does not requirea minimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and New Hampshire does not prohibitthe use of withholding physical activity, includingrecess, as punishment for disciplinary reasons, nor pro-hibit using physical activity as punishment for inappro-priate behavior. New Hampshire does support SafeRoutes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state does notrequire schools or school districts to provide their localschool wellness policy to the state education agency, anddoes not monitor the implementation of local schoolwellness policies.


State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, though school districts arenot required to comply. The “New Hampshire K-12Physical Education Guidelines” was adopted in 2005.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. Local school dis-tricts have the option of utilizing a commercial curricu-lum if they choose to do so.

Class Size: The state mandates a teacher-to-student ratiocomparable to other curricular areas

Online Physical Education Courses: The state allowsrequired physical education credits to be earned throughonline physical education courses. PersonalFitness/Wellness is currently offered online, and is taughtonly by state-certified physical education teachers.Student eligibility is determined by local decision andlocal policy.

Student Assessment Requirements: The state requiresstudent assessment in physical education every year,grades 1-12. Assessment tools and processes are deter-mined at the local level. No state level reporting isrequired. Assessment practices recommended by the stateare classroom-based and student-centered.







Teachers: Professional development continuing educationhours or credits are required in order to maintain/renewone’s physical education teacher certification or licensure.The state also requires professional development for phys-ical education teachers on physical education topics, com-parable to other curricular areas. No state funding is pro-vided for this professional development.



Contact Person:

Marcia McCaffreySchool Improvement New Hampshire Department of Education 101 Pleasant StreetConcord, NH 03229 [email protected]

New JerseyAmount of Required Physical Education: New

Jersey mandates at least 150 minutes of health, safetyand physical education per week in grades 1-12. The “NJQuality Single Accountability System” is the state’sschool district evaluation process, which occurs everythree years. It requires districts to have a health andphysical education curriculum aligned to the most recentversion of New Jersey’s Core Standards and evaluatesinstruction and supervision across all subject areasincluding physical education.

High School Graduation Requirements: The staterequires students to earn 3.75 physical education creditsper year (equal to 150 minutes per week) for each year ofattendance. For students who complete a traditionalfour-year high school program, this means attaining aminimum of 15 total credits in high school. There are isno statute or regulation that dictates how to divide therequired 3.75 credits between health/safety educationand physical education.

Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute other activities fortheir required physical education credits. The options forsubstitution are a local decision.


Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, but New Jersey does prohibit the use ofwithholding physical activity, including recess, as punish-ment for disciplinary reasons, as well as using physicalactivity as punishment for inappropriate behavior. NewJersey does support Safe Routes to School programs.

STATE PROFILES 45

Local School Wellness Policy: The state does not requireschools or school districts to provide their local schoolwellness policy to the state education agency, but doesmonitor the implementation of local school wellnesspolicies during the New Jersey Department of EducationQSAC process every three years.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all public schooldistricts must comply. The New Jersey Core CurriculumContent Standards for Comprehensive Health andPhysical Education were last revised in June 2009.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. School districtshave the option of using any curriculum, including com-mercial options.


Online Physical Education Courses: Option two of thestate’s graduation requirements permits alternative activi-ties for any subject area, which could include substitut-ing online physical education courses for required physi-cal education credits. The options for substitution are alocal decision.


Grade Point Average (GPA): Physical Education gradesare not required to be included in a student’s GPA.


Body Mass Index (BMI): The state requires schools tocollect students’ BMI or height and weight once per yearin grades 1-12. Parents or guardians are notified of spe-cific health concerns.


The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers who wish to teach at the elementary,middle school/junior high or high school levels. The cer-tification is a K-12 licensure. Elementary classroom teach-ers (generalists with K-5 certification) may teach requiredelementary school physical education classes as long asthose classes are not more than one-half of their teachingassignment. A score of 148 on the PRAXIS PE Content10091 or a score of 151 on the Health/PE 20856 exam isrequired for the physical education certification.


Teachers: One hundred hours of professional develop-ment continuing education hours or credits arerequired, but the local district decides the penalty (if

any) for not fulfilling this requirement. The state alsorequires professional development for physical educationteachers on physical education topics, comparable toother curricular areas. State funding is not provided forthis professional development.



Contact Person:

Brendan O’Reilly Coordinator, Comprehensive Health and Physical EducationNew Jersey Department of EducationP.O. Box 500Trenton, NJ 08625-0500609- [email protected]

New MexicoAmount of Required Physical Education: New

Mexico mandates physical education in grades K-12. Thestate receives written assurances from the school districtsthat these requirements are being met.

High School Graduation Requirements: The staterequires stu dents to earn 1.0 physical education creditsfor graduation.

Substitutions: The state does not allow substitutions.

Exemptions/Waivers: The state does not allow exemp-tions or waivers.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and New Mexico does not prohibit theuse of withholding physical activity, including recess, aspunishment for disciplinary reasons, nor prohibit theuse of physical activity as punishment for inappropriatebehavior. New Mexico does support Safe Routes toSchool programs.



State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school dis-tricts must comply. The K-12 Physical EducationContent Standards with Benchmarks and PerformanceStandards were last revised in 2005.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. Local school dis-tricts have the option of writing their own curriculum orutilizing a commercial curriculum of their choice, as longas the curriculum aligns with the state’s K-12 PhysicalEducation Content Standards with Benchmarks andPerformance Standards.


Online Physical Education Courses: The state does notrecognize online physical education courses.

Student Assessment Requirements: The state requiresstudent assessment in physical education in all grades(1-12). Use of assessment data is determined at thelocal level.







Teachers: Professional development, continuing educa-tion hours or credit requirements are determined at thelocal level.



Contact Person:

Dr. William Owen BlairAssistant DirectorSchool and Family Support BureauNew Mexico Public Education Department

120 South Federal Place, Room 206Santa Fe, NM [email protected]

New YorkAmount of Required Physical Education:

New York mandates at least 120 minutes of physicaleducation per week in grades K-6. The state also man-dates at least 90 minutes per week of physical educationin grades 7-12 and requires all schools to provide physi-cal education to all students. All students in grades K-3shall participate in the physical education program on adaily basis. All students in grades 4-6 shall participate inthe physical education program not less than three timeseach week. All students in grades 7-12 shall attend andparticipate in physical education for not less than threetimes per week in one semester, and not less than twotimes per week in the other semester.


Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute interscholasticsports for their required physical education credit.However each student must demonstrate appropriate lev-els of knowledge, skills, and physical fitness first.

Exemptions/Waivers: Exemptions are not allowed.However, a student who has completed all other require-ments to graduate in less than eight semesters does nothave to complete the remaining physical educationrequirement.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess, and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and New York does not prohibit the use ofwithholding physical activity, including recess, as punish-ment for disciplinary reasons, nor prohibit using physicalactivity as punishment for inappropriate behavior. NewYork does support Safe Routes to School programs.


STATE PROFILES 47

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school dis-tricts must comply. The “Learning Standards of NewYork State: Physical Education Learning Standards” werelast revised in 1996, and is currently being reviewed.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. School districtshave the option of utilizing any curriculum, includingcommercial options.



Student Assessment Requirements: The state requiresstudent assessment in physical education every year ingrades 1-12, evaluating performance of motor/movementskills, physical fitness levels, knowledge of physical edu-cation content, participation in physical activity outsideof physical education class, and personal and socialresponsibility in physical education.



Body Mass Index (BMI): The state requires schools tocollect BMI or students’ height and weight, with resultssent to the Department of Health. BMI collection isunder the direction of school health services and notphysical education.


The state requires certification or licensure of physical edu-cation teachers at the middle school/junior high and highschool levels. Elementary classroom teachers (generalists)may teach required elementary school PE classes under thedirection and supervision of a certified physical educationteacher. A licensure exam is required for certification.


Teachers: New York has two certifications: Initial (mustachieve a master’s degree within five years of receivingtheir bachelor’s degree); and professional certification(continuously valid with completion of required profes-sional development hours on a five-year professionaldevelopment cycle). For the latter, professional develop-ment continuing education hours or credits are requiredin order to maintain/renew one’s physical educationteacher certification or licensure. State funding is notprovided for professional development.


District Physical Education Coordinator: The staterequires each school district to have a licensed physicaleducator serving as a PE coordinator. This coordinatormust also have administrative certification.

Contact Person:

Darryl L. DailyAssociate in Physical Education/Associate in School HealthEducationNew York State Education DepartmentCurriculum & Instruction/Student Support Services89 Washington Ave.Room 318 M-EB/320 M-EBAlbany, NY [email protected]

North CarolinaAmount of Required Physical Education: NorthCarolina mandates physical education in grades K-5 andHealthful Living Education (Physical Education andHealth Education) in grades 6-12, although it does notspecify required days or minutes per week for elementaryor middle schools. Schools are expected to follow theNorth Carolina Essential Standards for Healthful Living,which includes teaching and learning of behaviors thatcontribute to a healthful lifestyle and improved qualityof life for all students.

High School Graduation Requirements: The staterequires one unit of Healthful Living Education for highschool graduation which includes one semester of physi-cal education.


Exemptions/Waivers: Local school districts can allow awaiver or exemption under special circumstances that pro-hibit a student from participating in physical education.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess, but does require a mini-mum weekly amount of 101-150 minutes of physicalactivity time for elementary school students and middleschool/junior high school students. The state does notrequire a minimum amount of physical activity for highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, but North Carolina does prohibit the useof withholding physical activity, including recess, as pun-


ishment for disciplinary reasons, as well as using physicalactivity as punishment for inappropriate behavior. NorthCarolina does support Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state requires schoolsor school districts to provide their local school wellnesspolicy to the state education agency, and does monitorthe implementation of local school wellness policies.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school dis-tricts must comply. The Healthful Living EssentialStandards were developed in 2010-2011 and replace theNC Healthful Living Standard Course of Study.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. School districtshave the option of selecting any curriculum, includingcommercial options as long as it meets the objectivesoutlined in the standards.





Fitness Assessment: North Carolina does not man-date that fitness assessment be done. However, thestate has fitness assessment guidelines that have beenadopted by the NC State Board of Education, andteachers must follow those guidelines if they choose toconduct fitness assessments.



The state requires licensure of physical education teach-ers at the elementary, middle school/junior high andhigh school levels. Teachers of health education musthold a health education K-12 teaching license (NCTeaching License 097 or 098); teachers of physical edu-cation must hold a physical education K-12 teacherlicense (NC 090). Also, a combined license option forHealth and Physical Education (NC 095) becomes effec-tive for NC teachers in September of 2012. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may not teach requiredelementary school PE classes.


Teachers: Professional development continuing educa-tion hours or credits are required in order tomaintain/renew one’s physical education teacher certifi-cation or licensure. The state also requires professionaldevelopment for physical education teachers on physicaleducation topics, comparable to other curricular areas.No state funding is provided for this professional devel-opment. All content areas (including PE) require oneCEU out of the required 7.5 per renewal cycle to be inthe teacher-content area.

National Board Certification: The state actively supportsphysical education teachers to become certified throughthe National Board Certification process by promotingand encouraging teachers to register for the NationalBoard Certification process and providing an ongoinghigher level of pay to all teachers who are national boardcertified. NOTE: North Carolina is home to moreNational Board Certified Physical Education teachersthan any state.


Contact Person:

Les Spell, MAEd, NBCTHealth/Physical Education/Athletics ConsultantNorth Carolina Department of Public InstructionK-12 Program Areas6349 Mail Service CenterRaleigh, NC [email protected]

North Dakota Amount of Required Physical Education:

North Dakota mandates specific minutes of physicaleducation per week in grades 1-6, varying per grade upto 119 minutes. The state also mandates at least 45minutes per week of physical education in grades 6-8and requires high schools to provide physical educationto students.


Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute physical educa-tion specialized courses for their required physical edu-cation credit.

STATE PROFILES 49


Physical Activity: The state does require elementaryschools to provide daily recess but does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and North Dakota does not prohibit theuse of withholding physical activity, including recess, aspunishment for disciplinary reasons, nor prohibit usingphysical activity as punishment for inappropriatebehavior. North Dakota does support Safe Routes toSchool programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state does requireschools or school districts to provide their local schoolwellness policy to the state education agency, but doesnot monitor the implementation of local school well-ness policies.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, though school districts donot have to comply. The North Dakota PE Content andAchievement Standards were last revised in 2008 and arecurrently under review.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. School districtshave the option of using commercial curriculum, includ-ing SPARK or CATCH.

Class Size: The state does not specify a teacher-to stu-dent ratio.







The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may not teach requiredelementary school physical education classes.


Teachers: Professional development continuing educa-tion hours or credits are required to renew any NorthDakota teaching teacher’s certificate. The state does notprovide funding for this professional development.

Temporary Certification: Temporary or emergency certi-fication may be granted to teach physical education at theelementary or middle school/junior high school level toanyone holding a valid North Dakota teaching certificate.



Contact Person:

Chuck KesslerEducation Coordinator, Safe and Healthy SchoolsDepartment of Public InstructionNorth Dakota State Government600 East Boulevard Ave., Dept. 201Bismarck, ND [email protected]

Ohio Amount of Required Physical Education: Ohio

requires elementary, middle school/junior high andhigh schools to provide physical education to students.In grades K-8, schools are to provide physical educationas a part of their course of study. Schools may assigninstructional time in a manner that best meets thelearning needs of their students. The school district orschool shall provide every student with opportunities toacquire the knowledge and skills to meet local course ofstudy objectives.

High School Graduation Requirements: The staterequires students to earn 0.5 physical education credits(120 hours of course instruction) in order to meet thegraduation requirement.

Substitutions: The state does not permit substitutions.

Exemptions/Waivers: Local school districts can allowwaivers for student participation in interscholastic sports,Junior Reserve Officer Training Core (JROTC), march-ing band, or cheerleading.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the state

require a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and Ohio does not prohibit the use ofwithholding physical activity, including recess, as punish-ment for disciplinary reasons, nor prohibit using physicalactivity as punishment for inappropriate behavior. Ohiodoes support Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state does requireschools or school districts to provide their local schoolwellness policy to the state education agency, but doesnot monitor the implementation of local school well-ness policies.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education. These standards may beused by local districts as a guide and reference in writinglocal curriculum. In December of 2007, the state boardof education adopted the National Standards forPhysical Education as the foundation for the develop-ment of benchmarks and indicators. In June of 2009,the state board adopted the benchmarks and indicatorsalong with the previously adopted standards whichbecame the Ohio Academic Content Standards forPhysical Education.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. School districtshave the option of using commercial curriculum.


Online Physical Education Courses: The state allowsstudents to take online courses to earn physical educa-tion credit. Student eligibility for this option is approvedby the local district.

Student Assessment Requirements: The state requiresstudent assessment in physical education beginning inthe 2012-2013 school year.





The state requires licensure or certification of physicaleducation teachers at the high school level. Physical edu-cation specialists may hold a P-12 license/certificate or a7-12 license/certificate and can teach the appropriate

grade levels. Elementary classroom teachers (generalists)may teach K-8 physical education classes. A score of 153on the PRAXIS exam is required in order to become alicensed physical education teacher. The state licensemust be renewed every five years.


Teachers: Professional development continuing educationhours or credits are required to maintain/renew one’s physi-cal education teacher licensure or certification. No statefunding is provided for this professional development.

National Board Certification: The state does not havefunding and personnel to support teachers to become cer-tified through the National Board Certification process.


Contact Person:

Lisa Lyle HenryPhysical Education ConsultantOhio Department of Education25 South Front St., Mail Stop 509Columbus, OH [email protected]

Oklahoma Amount of Required Physical Education:

Oklahoma mandates a minimum of 60 minutes of phys-ical education per week in grades K-5. Oklahoma alsorequires additional 60 minutes of physical activity forgrades K-5 each week, which may include, but not belimited to, physical education, exercise programs, fitnessbreaks, recess, classroom activities, and wellness andnutrition education. The state also requires middleschool/junior high and high schools to provide physicaleducation to students. These mandates are enforcedthrough annual accreditation reporting.

High School Graduation Requirements: The state doesnot specify the physical education credits for graduation.

Exemptions/Waivers: The state does not allow exemp-tions or waivers of required physical education credit.

Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute inter¬scholasticsports, marching band, and cheerleading for theirrequired physical education credit.

Physical Activity: The state does require elementaryschools to provide 20 minutes of daily recess.Additionally, the state requires a minimum of 60 minutesof weekly physical activity time for elementary school stu-

STATE PROFILES 51

dents which may include but not be limited to physicaleducation, exercise programs, fitness breaks, recess, class-room activities, and wellness and nutrition education.The state does not require a minimum weekly amount ofphysical activity time for middle school/junior high schooland high school students. Classroom physical activitybreaks are not required, and Oklahoma does not prohibitthe use of withholding physical activity, including recess,as punishment for disciplinary reasons, nor prohibit usingphysical activity as punishment for inappropriate behavior.Oklahoma does support Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state does requireschools or school districts to provide their local school well-ness policy to the state education agency and does monitorthe implementation of local school wellness policies.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education. Priority Academic StudentSkills: Health/Safety and Physical Education was lastrevised in 2003.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh and high school physical education.





Grade Point Average (GPA): Physical education gradesare required to be included in a student’s overall GPA.



The state does require certification or licensure of physi-cal education teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Physical edu-cation teachers must pass a licensure exam with a scoreof 240 points or higher. Certification must be renewedevery five years.


Teachers: Professional development, continuing educa-tion hours or credits are required in order tomaintain/renew one's physical education teacher certifi-cation or licensure and the state does provide funding forprofessional development.

National Board Certification: The state actively encour-ages physical education teachers to become certifiedthrough the National Board Certification process bymentoring teachers throughout the process. The statealso provides funding for the certification if the teachercompletes the process.


Contact Person:

Tiffany NeillScience DirectorOklahoma State Department of Education2500 North Lincoln Boulevard, Room 315 Oklahoma City, OK [email protected]

OregonAmount of Required Physical Education: The

state requires high schools to provide physical educationto students. Currently, Oregon does not have a law man-dating PE minutes in grades K-8. However, House Bill3141, passed in 2007 but not effective until 2017-18,will mandate minutes per week in physical education forK-8 students. Oregon is collecting data on current levelof physical education minutes in grades K-8 (currentlyset by local districts) and assessing current school facili-ties. The state has also been providing districts with com-petitive grant money to hire PE teachers to reach theminute requirements.


Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute interscholasticsports and community sports for their required physicaleducation credit. Each district develops its own policiesand procedures for this process. It is on a student bystudent basis and is tied to comprehension of Oregon’sPE standards.

Exemptions/Waivers: Oregon is a local control state. Eachdistrict’s school board develops their own policies and pro-cedures for granting student exemptions/waivers for PE.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and high


school students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, but Oregon does prohibit the use of with-holding physical activity, including recess, as punishmentfor disciplinary reasons, as well as using physical activityas punishment for inappropriate behavior. Oregon doessupport Safe Routes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state does requireschools or school districts to provide their local school well-ness policy to the state education agency, and does monitorthe implementation of local school wellness policies.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school districtsmust comply. The Oregon Physical Education Standardswere last revised during the 2005-06 school year.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh and high school physical education. Since Oregonis a local control state, each district selects its own curric-ula either off the Oregon Board of Education’s approvedlist or through an independent adoption process.


Online Physical Education Courses: The state allowsrequired physical education credits to be earned throughonline physical education courses. Courses include com-prehensive physical education (addresses all state ornational standards); personal fitness/wellness; sports (e.g.,golf ); and weight training. Each district sets its ownrequirements for online physical education. Oregon’sDistance Learning Charter schools also offer a variety ofoptions for PE. All online courses must be tied toOregon’s PE standards.

Student Assessment Requirements: The state does notrequire student assessment in physical education. Thisdecision is made at the local level.

Grade Point Average: Physical education grades areincluded in a student’s overall GPA.




The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the middle school/junior high andhigh school levels. Elementary classroom teachers (gener-alists) may teach required elementary school PE classes.Certification must be renewed every five years, after theinitial three-year license.



Temporary Certification: Temporary or emergency certi-fication may be granted to teach physical education atthe elementary, middle school/junior high and highschool levels.



Contact Person:

Tanya FrisendahlHealth and Physical Education SpecialistOregon Department of Education255 Capitol St. NESalem, OR [email protected]

Pennsylvania Amount of Required Physical Education: Pennsylvaniamandates physical education in grades K-6. The statealso mandates that middle school/junior high schoolsand high schools provide physical education to students.Planned instruction is mandated for every student everyyear in the primary (generally K-3) and intermediate(generally 4-6 but dependent on the district configura-tion) levels. Planned instruction must be provided toevery student in the middle school program but it is notmandated every year. The local school district determinesthe grade level. Planned instruction must be provided toevery student in the high school program but it is notmandated every year. The local school district determinesthe grade level and the number of minutes per week.

High School Graduation Requirements: The statefocuses on the standards rather than physical educationcredits for graduation. The state requires course comple-tion, grades and the results of local assessments alignedto the academic standards.


STATE PROFILES 53


Physical Activity: The state does not require elemen-tary schools to provide daily recess and does not requirea minimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and Pennsylvania does not prohibit theuse of withholding physical activity, including recess, aspunishment for disciplinary reasons, nor prohibit usingphysical activity as punishment for inappropriatebehavior. Pennsylvania does support Safe Routes toSchool programs.


State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school dis-tricts must comply. The Academic Standards for Health,Safety and Physical Education were last revised in 2003.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh and high school physical education. Local school dis-tricts have the option of using any curriculum, as long asthe program aligns with the Pennsylvania state standards.


Online Physical Education Courses: The state allowsonline courses for physical education credits but onlyCyber Charter School students are eligible to take onlinecourses. Currently, a course in comprehensive physicaleducation (addressing all state or national standards) isoffered online and must be taught by a state-certifiedphysical education teacher.

Student Assessment Requirements: Schools must havean assessment system in place to monitor progress on thestandards. Results are used by school districts to deter-mine progress on the Health, Safety and PhysicalEducation Standards. The standard benchmarks aregrades 3, 6, 9, and 12 but may be assessed earlier.Formative assessment is expected to be ongoing withinthe physical education class.


Body Mass Index (BMI): The state requires schools to col-lect students’ BMI or height and weight once per year ingrades 1-12. Results are sent to the state as aggregate data

for the school. Individual student results are sent to the par-ents or guardians with an explanation of the BMI, the BMIscore, BMI classification and, if necessary, recommenda-tions to further discuss the results with a family physician.


The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may teach required ele-mentary school physical education classes within a self-contained classroom.


Teachers: Professional development continuing educa-tion hours or credits are required in order to maintainone’s health and physical education teacher certification.Teachers must obtain 180 hours of professional devel-opment over a five-year period. The state requires thatprofessional development be provided in the area ofassignment. Physical education teachers must be provid-ed professional development on physical education top-ics, comparable to other curricular areas. A certificationcan become inactive if professional developmentrequirements are not met. Upon completion of the pro-fessional development requirements the certification isreactivated. State funding is provided to the schools forprofessional development.

National Board Certification: The state actively encour-ages all teachers to become certified through theNational Board Certification process. Physical education,however, is not one of the priority disciplines.


Contact Person:

Linda BryantHealth & Physical Education AdvisorPennsylvania Department of Education333 Market St., 8th FloorHarrisburg, PA [email protected]

Rhode Island Amount of Required Physical Education: The

state mandates physical education in elementary school,middle school/junior high school and high school. RImandates an average of 100 minutes per week of healthand physical education. Recess, free play, and after-school activities are not counted as physical education.


High School Graduation Requirements: The state doesnot mandate the number of high school physical educa-tion credits that are required for a student to graduate.



Physical Activity: The state requires elementary schoolsto provide daily recess, but does not specify the mini-mum amount of time required. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for elementary, middle school/junior high schooland high school students. Classroom physical activitybreaks are not required, and Rhode Island does not pro-hibit the use of withholding physical activity, includingrecess, as punishment for disciplinary reasons, nor pro-hibit the use of physical activity as punishment for inap-propriate behavior. Rhode Island does support SafeRoutes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state does not requireschools or school districts to provide their local schoolwellness policy to the state education agency, but doesmonitor the implementation of local school wellnesspolicies through the Rhode Island School Health Report.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education. The Rhode Island PhysicalEducation Framework has been endorsed by the RhodeIsland Board of Regents to guide physical education cur-riculum, instruction and assessment. According to thestate law (RI 2008 Public Laws, Chapters 08-254 & 08-463), by September 2012, school PE curricula must bealigned with the standards and performance indicators.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh and high school physical education. Local schoolsystems have the option of utilizing a commercial cur-riculum such as SPARK or CATCH if they choose to do so.

Class Size: There is no state mandate regarding a maxi-mum teacher-to-student ratio in elementary, middleschool/junior high, or high school physical education classes.


Student Assessment Requirements: Student assessmentis not required but schools and school districts areexpected to align any assessments they do conduct withthe Rhode Island Physical Education Framework:Supporting Physically Active Lifestyles through Quality

Physical Education as promulgated by the Rhode Islanddepartment of education and consistent with the instruc-tional outcomes.




Certification/Licensure of Physical Education

Teachers: The state requires certification of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may not teach requiredelementary school PE classes. The All Grades PhysicalEducation Certificate is valid for assignment as an AllGrades Physical Education teacher in grades PK - 12 inRhode Island public schools. The PRAXIS II Principlesof Learning and Teaching Grades K-6 or Grades 7-12 isrequired for certification.


Teachers: The Rhode Island Model Evaluation Systemrequires all educators to write a professional developmentplan as part of their yearly evaluation. No state fundingis provided for this professional development.

Temporary Certification: The Emergency RoutePreliminary Certificate is a preliminary certificate award-ed to prospective educators at the request of an employ-ing agency when a fully-certified and qualified educatorwho meets the criteria for the position cannot besecured. Applicants for an emergency route preliminarycertificate must meet the specific requirements of theRhode Island Department of Education.



Contact Person:

Dr. Midge SabatiniManager, Coordinated School Health Rhode Island Department of Education255 Westminster StreetProvidence, RI [email protected]

STATE PROFILES 55

Student Assessment Requirements: The state requiresstudent assessment in physical education in grades 2, 5,8 and 9. Students’ performance of motor/movementskills, physical fitness levels, knowledge of physical edu-cation content and participation in physical activity out-side of physical education class are assessed. Results areused to evaluate program effectiveness.

Fitness Assessment: The state requires the use ofFitnessGram® in the South Carolina Physical EducationAssessment. FitnessGram® reports are sent to parents orguardians of students in grades 5, 8 and high school.

Body Mass Index (BMI): The state requires schools tocollect body composition, students’ BMI or height andweight once per year in grades 5, 8 and 9. Individualstudent results are sent to parents or guardians.


The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may not teach requiredelementary school physical education classes. Grades of146 on content knowledge and 160 on the video por-tion of the PRAXIS II exam are required for certifica-tion, which must be renewed every five years.



Temporary Certification: Temporary or emergency certi-fication may be granted to teach at the elementary, mid-dle school/junior high school or high school level to any-one completing the Program of Alternative Certificationfor Educators program. This certification is valid forthree years.

National Board Certification: The state encouragesphysical education teachers to become certified throughthe National Board Certification process.


Contact Person:

Chris Beyer, PhDPhysical EducationOffice of Standards and CurriculumSouth Carolina Department of Education1429 Senate St., Room 925Columbia, SC [email protected]

South CarolinaAmount of Required Physical Education: South

Carolina mandates at least 60 minutes of physical educa-tion per week in grades K-5. The state also mandatesthat middle school/junior high and high schools providephysical education to students.

High School Graduation Requirements: The staterequires students to earn 1.0 physical education credit.


Exemptions/Waivers: Waivers are allowed for medicalor religious reasons.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess, but does require a mini-mum weekly amount of 76-100 minutes of physicalactivity time for elementary school students. The statedoes not require a minimum weekly amount of physicalactivity time for middle school/junior high school andhigh school students. Classroom physical activity breaksare required only in elementary schools, and SouthCarolina does not prohibit the use of withholding physi-cal activity, including recess, as punishment for discipli-nary reasons, nor prohibit using physical activity as pun-ishment for inappropriate behavior. South Carolina doessupport Safe Routes to School programs.


State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school districtsmust comply. The South Carolina Academic Standards forPhysical Education were last revised in 2008.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. Commercial cur-ricula may be used.

Class Size: The state mandates a 40:1 student-to-teacherratio, which is not comparable to other curricular areas.

Online Physical Education Courses: Physical educationcredits may be earned through online physical educationcourses. The following are currently offered online: com-prehensive physical education (addresses all state ornational standards), personal fitness/wellness, sports (e.g.,golf ), and weight training. All students are eligible.






The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may not teach requiredelementary school PE classes. A score of 140 on thePRAXIS and PRAXIS II exams are required for certifica-tion. The certification must be renewed every five years.



National Board Certification: The state actively encouragesphysical education teachers to become certified through theNational Board Certification process by providing fullfunding if the teacher receives board certification.


Contact Person:

Karen KeyserHealth and Physical Education CoordinatorCoordinated School HealthSouth Dakota Department of Education700 Governors DrivePierre, SD [email protected]

TennesseeAmount of Required Physical Education: Tennesseemandates health and physical education in grades K-8through Minimum Rules and Regulations from the StateBoard of Education. The state mandates a credit require-ment for high school physical education. There are notime requirements for physical education.

High School Graduation Requirements: The staterequires students to earn 0.5 physical education credit forgraduation but it does not specify the grade or year of par-ticipation during a student’s high school tenure. Studentsmust also complete a 1.0 credit personal wellness course

South DakotaAmount of Required Physical Education:

The state does not mandate physical education in ele-mentary school or middle school/junior high school. Thestate mandates physical education or health education inhigh school, but it does not specify the grade or year ofparticipation during a student’s high school tenure.




Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the state requirea minimum weekly amount of physical activity time formiddle school/junior high school and high school stu-dents. Classroom physical activity breaks are not required,and South Dakota does not prohibit the use of withhold-ing physical activity, including recess, as punishment fordisciplinary reasons, nor prohibit using physical activityas punishment for inappropriate behavior. South Dakotadoes support Safe Routes to School programs.


State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education. The South Dakota PhysicalEducation Standards were last revised in 2006.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh and high school physical education. Commercialcurricula may be used by local districts.

Class Size: The state does not mandate a teacher-to stu-dent ratio for physical education classes.

Online Physical Education Courses: The state allowsonline courses, which currently include comprehensivephysical education (addressing all state or national stan-dards) and personal fitness/wellness. The courses aretaught by state-certified physical education teachers.Students must request permission and be approved totake online courses.


STATE PROFILES 57

(Lifetime Wellness). The course must be based on the statecurriculum standards and must integrate concepts fromthe areas of health and physical fitness.

Substitutions: Credit earned in Junior Reserve OfficerTraining Corps (JROTC), marching band, cheerleading,and interscholastic sports may be substituted for thephysical education requirement provided the local boardof education has complied with the requirements of theState Board of Education.

Exemptions/Waivers: Exemptions and waivers are not allowed.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess, but does require a mini-mum weekly amount of 90 minutes of physical activitytime for elementary school students. The state alsorequires a minimum weekly amount of 90 minutes ofphysical activity time for middle school/junior highschool and high school students. Classroom physicalactivity breaks are not required, and Tennessee does notprohibit the use of withholding physical activity, includ-ing recess, as punishment for disciplinary reasons, norprohibit the use of physical activity as punishment forinappropriate behavior. Tennessee does support SafeRoutes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state requiresschools or school districts to provide their local schoolwellness policy to the state education agency, and eachschool district has a Coordinated School HealthCoordinator who monitors the implementation of localschool wellness policies.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, health education and life-time wellness with which all school districts must com-ply. These were last revised in 2008.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh and high school physical education. Commercialcurricula may be used by local districts.

Class Size: The state requires a maximum student-to-teacher ratio for PE classes following the same require-ments as a standard class. Standard classroom teachershave the following standards: grades K-3, minimum 20,maximum 25 students; grades 4-6, minimum 25, maxi-mum 30 students; grades 7-12, minimum 30, maximum35 students.

Online Physical Education Courses: The state does notallow physical education credits to be earned throughonline courses.




Body Mass Index (BMI): The state requires schools tocollect Body Mass Index (BMI) or students’ height andweight once per year in grades 2, 4, 6, 8 and 9. Resultsare sent to the state as congregate data for the school dis-trict and this information is shared publically. Individualstudent results are sent to each student’s parents orguardian, along with a written screening guide explainingthese results.


The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may not teach requiredelementary school PE classes. The PRAXIS exam isrequired for certification.


Teachers: Professional development continuing educa-tion hours or credits are required in order tomaintain/renew one’s physical education teacher certifi-cation or licensure. State funding is provided for thisprofessional development.

Temporary Certification: Temporary/emergency teachercertification to teach physical education may be grantedfor up to one year to anyone holding a bachelor’s degreein any subject area.


District Physical Education Coordinator: The state doesnot require each school district to have a licensed physi-cal educator serving as a PE coordinator. Each districthas a Coordinated School Health Coordinator and at thestate level the Tennessee Department of Education isrequired to hire a state coordinator and specialist inphysical education through the Office of CoordinatedSchool Health.

Contact Person:

Rebecca Johns-Wommack, EdDExecutive DirectorOffice of Coordinated School HealthTennessee Department of Education710 James Robertson ParkwayAndrew Johnson Tower, 6th FloorNashville, TN [email protected]


Online Physical Education Courses: The state allowsrequired physical education credits to be earned throughonline physical education courses. Currently, Foundationsof Personal Fitness, a course on personal fitness and well-ness, is offered. This option is open to students whorequest permission and are approved to take online cours-es. All online courses provided through the Texas VirtualSchool Network must be taught by teachers with Texascertification in the course subject area and grade level.

Student Assessment Requirements: The state requiresstudent assessment in physical fitness every year startingin grade 3 and continuing through grade 12. Physical fit-ness levels are measured and results are sent to the state ascongregate data for the district and may be shared pub-licly. Individual student results are sent to parents orguardians. The data may also be used for research studies.

Fitness Assessment: The state requires schooldistricts/schools to assess students’ physical fitness levelsusing the FitnessGram®.

Grade Point Average: Physical education grades are notrequired to be included in a student’s GPA.



The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middle school/juniorhigh and high school levels. Elementary classroom teachers(generalists) may teach required elementary school PEclasses. Evidence of “necessary skills and knowledge” mustbe documented through in-service records, seminar atten-dance records, or transcripts of college courses. Teacherscertified in other course content areas may elect to take arequired exam for PE certification.

Temporary Certification: Temporary/emergency teachercertification to teach physical education is available tothose with a Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 24hours of coursework in physical education.Temporary/emergency certification is valid for one year.


Teachers: No professional development, continuing edu-cation hours or credits are required in order to main-tain/renew one’s physical education teacher certificationor licensure.



Texas Amount of Required Physical Education: Texas

does not mandate physical education in elementary, mid-dle/ junior high or high school. Local school districtsestablish minimum requirements.


Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute inter scholasticsports, community sports, Junior Reserve OfficerTraining Corps (JROTC), marching band, cheerleading,drill team, and any athletic team participation for theirrequired physical education credit.

Exemptions/Waivers: The State Board of Educationdoes not allow exemptions or waivers.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess, but does require a mini-mum weekly amount of 101-150 minutes of physicalactivity time for elementary school students. The statealso requires a minimum weekly amount of 101-150minutes of physical activity time for middleschool/junior high school, but does not have a minimumweekly requirement for high school students. Classroomphysical activity breaks are not required, and Texas doesnot prohibit the use of withholding physical activity,including recess, as punishment for disciplinary reasons,nor prohibit the use of physical activity as punishmentfor inappropriate behavior. Texas does support SafeRoutes to School programs.

Local School Wellness Policy: The state does not requireschools or school districts to provide their local schoolwellness policy to the state education agency and doesnot monitor the implementation of local school wellnesspolicies.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school dis-tricts must comply. The Texas Essential Knowledge andSkills (TEKS) were last revised in 1998.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh and high school physical education. Local schoolsystems have the option of utilizing the CATCH com-mercial curriculum if they choose to do so.

Class Size: The state specifies a student-to-teacher ratioof 45:1 for physical education classes, which is not com-parable to other curricular areas.

STATE PROFILES 59

tricts must comply. This is called the Utah State Officeof Education Physical Education Core Curriculum, withthe elementary school version last revised in 2008 andsecondary version last revised in 2007.

State Curriculum: The state requires the use ofDepartment of Education standards-based curricula forelementary, middle school/junior high and high schoolphysical education, all of which contain a technologycomponent. The elementary school curriculum specifical-ly prohibits dodge ball as physical education or activity.

Class Size: The state recommends no more than a 40:1student-to-teacher ratio

Online Physical Education Courses: The state allowsrequired physical education credits to be earned throughonline physical education courses. A course in personalfitness and wellness is currently offered. All students areeligible to take online courses, which are taught only bystate-certified physical education teachers.


Fitness Assessment: The state recommends the use ofFitnessGram® for school districts/schools which assessstudents’ physical fitness levels.




The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may teach required ele-mentary school physical education classes. A score of 152on the PRAXIS exam is required for certification. Thiscertification must be renewed every five years.


Teachers: Professional development continuing educa-tion hours or credits are required in order tomaintain/renew one’s physical education teacher certifi-cation or licensure. State funding is provided for thisprofessional development.

Temporary Certification: Temporary/emergency teachercertification to teach physical education is available inmiddle school/junior high and high school. This may begranted for up to two years to anyone holding a bache-lor’s degree in any subject area who have earned a mini-mum of nine hours of physical education credit.

Contact Person

Kathleen Park Unit Director, Enrichment CurriculumCurriculum DivisionTexas Education Agency 1701 North Congress Avenue Austin, Texas 78701-1401 [email protected]

UtahAmount of Required Physical Education: Utah

mandates physical education in grades K-6. The statealso mandates a minimum of 225+ minutes per week ofphysical education in grades 7-8 and a minimum of225+ minutes per week for three years in high school.

High School Graduation Requirements: The staterequires students to earn 1.5 physical education creditsfor graduation, which includes a 0.5 credit personal well-ness course, Fitness for Life. Students are also required tocomplete a 0.5 credit health education course.

Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute two seasons ofinterscholastic sports participation for a one-time, 0.5physical education credits. Substitutions for the Fitnessfor Life requirement are not permitted.

Exemptions/Waivers: Exemptions are governed by statecore curriculum guidelines and may be granted only formedical reasons as outlined in writing by a physician.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess, and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. The state does require aminimum weekly amount of 200+ minutes of physicalactivity time for middle school/junior high schools andrequires a minimum weekly minimum of 225 minutes ofphysical activity for high school students. Classroomphysical activity breaks are not required, and Utah doesnot prohibit the use of withholding physical activity,including recess, as punishment for disciplinary reasons,nor prohibit using physical activity as punishment forinappropriate behavior. Utah does support Safe Routesto School programs.


State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school dis-

Learning Opportunities–Physical Education were lastrevised in 2004.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. Local school sys-tems have the option of using a commercial curriculum;the state does not collect information on what curriculaare used.


Online Physical Education Courses: The state does nothave a position on whether physical education creditsmay be earned through online physical education cours-es. This is a local decision.

Student Assessment Requirements: The state requiresstudent assessment in physical education within the fol-lowing grade clusters, PK-K, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, and 9-12. Performance of motor/movement skills, physical fit-ness levels, knowledge of physical education content,participation in physical activity outside of physical edu-cation class, and personal and social responsibility inphysical education are assessed. Data use is determinedby the local school.




The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may not teach requiredelementary school physical education classes. AllVermont education licensure candidates must pass thePRAXIS 095.


Teachers: Professional development continuing educa-tion hours or credits are required in order tomaintain/renew one’s physical education teacher certifi-cation or licensure. The state offers (but does notrequire) professional development for physical educationteachers on physical education topics, comparable toother curricular areas. No state funding is provided forthis professional development.

Temporary Certification: Temporary/emergency teachercertification to teach physical education may be grantedfor up to two years to anyone holding a bachelor’s degreein any subject area.



Contact Person:

Diana Suddreth, STEM CoordinatorSecondary MathematicsTeaching and LearningUtah State Office of Education250 E. 500 South, PO Box 144200Salt Lake City, UT [email protected]

VermontAmount of Required Physical Education: Vermont

mandates physical education in grades K-12. There areno minutes per week requirements at any level.


Substitutions: Local school districts may decide to allowsubstitutions.

Exemptions/Waivers: The state oversees exemptions andwaivers, but there are currently none on file. The length ofthe waiver depends on the individual proposal submitted.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess, and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and Vermont does not prohibit the use ofwithholding physical activity, including recess, as punish-ment for disciplinary reasons, nor prohibit using physicalactivity as punishment for inappropriate behavior.Vermont does support Safe Routes to School programs.


State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, which are to be addressedand assessed in all school districts. The GradeExpectations for Vermont’s Framework of Standards and

STATE PROFILES 61

of Learning for Virginia Public Schools were last revisedin 2008.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education. Local school sys-tems have the option of utilizing a commercial curricu-lum if they choose to do so.

Class Size: The state mandates a teacher-to-studentratio, but it is not comparable to other curricular areas.Physical education teachers may teach up to 1,000 stu-dents per week.

Online Physical Education Courses: The state allowsrequired physical education credits to be earned throughonline courses. Content must align with the PhysicalEducation Standards of Learning for Virginia PublicSchools. The courses are a local decision, developed byindividual school divisions.

Student Assessment Requirements: The state requiresstudent assessment in physical education every year,grades 3-10. Results are sent to the state as congregatedata for the school, and individual results are sent toeach student’s parent or guardian. The assessment meas-ures performance of motor/movement skills, physical fit-ness levels, knowledge of physical education content,participation in physical activity outside of PE class, andpersonal and social responsibility in physical education.

Fitness Assessment: The state requires school divi-sions/schools to assess students’ physical fitness levelsusing the FitnessGram®.




The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may teach required ele-mentary school PE classes. The PRAXIS exam is requiredfor certification, which must be renewed every five years.


Teachers: Professional development continuing educationhours or credits are required in order to maintain/renewone’s physical education teacher certification or licensure.The state also requires professional development for phys-ical education teachers on physical education topics, com-parable to other curricular areas. No state funding is pro-vided for this professional development.



Contact Person:

Lindsay SimpsonPhysical Education ConsultantVermont Department of Education120 State St.Montpelier, VT [email protected]

Virginia Amount of Required Physical Education: Virginia man-dates physical education in grades K-7, with most schooldivisions allowing physical education as an elective ingrade eight. Students must take two years of health andphysical education in high school.

High School Graduation Requirements: The staterequires students to earn 2.0 health and physical educa-tion credits for graduation, with 1.0 credit given perschool year.

Substitutions: The state does not permit school divi-sions or schools to allow students to substitute otheractivities for their required physical education credit.


Physical Activity: The state does require elementaryschools to provide daily recess, but does not require a min-imum weekly amount of physical activity time for elemen-tary school students. Neither does the state also require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time formiddle school/junior high school and high school stu-dents. Classroom physical activity breaks are not required,and Virginia does not prohibit the use of withholdingphysical activity, including recess, as punishment for disci-plinary reasons, nor prohibit the use of physical activity aspunishment for inappropriate behavior. Virginia does sup-port Safe Routes to School programs.


State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school dis-tricts must comply. The Physical Education Standards


dents. Classroom physical activity breaks are not required,and Washington does not prohibit the use of withholdingphysical activity, including recess, as punishment for disci-plinary reasons, nor prohibit the use of physical activity aspunishment for inappropriate behavior. Washington doessupport Safe Routes to School programs.


State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education. The Essential AcademicLearning Requirements have a health and fitness sectionwhich provides Health and Fitness Grade LevelExpectations, describing what students should know andbe able to do from grade to grade. This section was lastrevised in 2008.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh or high school physical education.


Online Physical Education Courses: The state allowsrequired physical education credits to be earned throughonline physical education courses and does not requireonline courses to be taught by a certified physical educa-tion teacher.

Student Assessment Requirements: The state requiresstudent assessment in physical education in grades 5, 8and 10. School districts must report to the state whetherthey have met this requirement.





The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels and must berenewed every three years.



National Board Certification: The state actively supportsphysical education teachers to become certified throughthe National Board Certification process by actively pro-moting and encouraging teachers to register for theNational Board Certification process, providing or facili-tating mentoring for teachers going through the process,and providing partial funding for cost only if the teacherreceives board certification. The local schools may alsoprovide further incentives.

District Physical Education Coordinator: The staterequires each school division to have a licensed physicaleducator serving as a PE coordinator.

Other Notes: Virginia is currently developing a state spe-cific physical fitness test, curriculum guide, and newquality physical education standards to include adaptedphysical education.

Contact Person:

Vanessa WigandPrincipal Specialist for Driver Education, Health Educationand Physical EducationVirginia Department of EducationP.O. Box 2120Richmond, VA [email protected]

WashingtonAmount of Required Physical Education:

Washington mandates an average of 100 minutes ofphysical education per week in grades K-6. The state alsomandates an average of 100 minutes per week of physicaleducation in grades 7-8.

High School Graduation Requirements: The staterequires students to earn 2.0 health and fitness educationcredits for graduation.

Substitutions: The state permits school districts orschools to allow students to substitute participation indirected athletics or military science and tactics for theirrequired physical education credit.

Exemptions/Waivers: The state permits school districtsor schools to exempt students from participating inphysical education due to physical disability, employ-ment or religious belief.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess, and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time for ele-mentary school students. Neither does the state require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time formiddle school/junior high school and high school stu-

STATE PROFILES 63

Local School Wellness Policy: The state requires schoolsor school districts to provide their local school wellnesspolicy to the state education agency, and the Office ofChild Nutrition monitors the implementation of localschool wellness policies.

State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which all school dis-tricts must comply. The 21st Century PhysicalEducation 5-12 Content Standards and Objectives werelast revised in July 2008.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh and high school physical education. Use of a com-mercial curriculum is not permitted.

Class Size: The state mandates a teacher-to-student ratiocomparable to other curricular areas


Student Assessment Requirements: The state requiresstudent assessment in physical education in grades 1-9.Results are sent to the state as congregate data for theschool. Congregate data for the school district are sharedpublicly and data may be used for research studies. Theassessment measures performance of motor and move-ment skills and physical fitness levels.

Fitness Assessment: The state requires schooldistricts/schools to assess students’ physical fitness levelsusing the FitnessGram®.




The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may teach required ele-mentary school physical education classes. An exam isrequired for certification, which must be renewed everythree years.



National Board Certification: The state actively encour-ages physical education teachers to become certifiedthrough the National Board Certification process by pro-viding partial funding if the teacher receives board certi-fication and providing on-going higher level of pay for tothose who are certified.


Contact Person:

Lisa RakozProgram Supervisor, Health and Fitness EducationState of WashingtonOffice of Superintendent of Public InstructionOld Capitol BuildingPO Box 47200Olympia, WA [email protected]

West VirginiaAmount of Required Physical Education: West

Virginia mandates at least 90 minutes of physical educa-tion per week in grades K-6. The state also mandates atleast 225 minutes of physical education in grades 7-12.



Exemptions/Waivers: Exemptions and waivers may begranted by either the West Virginia Department ofEducation Office of Healthy Schools or the Governor’sHealthy Lifestyles Committee. The exemption is validfor a one-year period.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess, and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the staterequire a minimum weekly amount of physical activitytime for middle school/junior high school and highschool students. Classroom physical activity breaks arenot required, and West Virginia does not prohibit theuse of withholding physical activity, including recess, aspunishment for disciplinary reasons, nor prohibit the useof physical activity as punishment for inappropriatebehavior. West Virginia does support Safe Routes toSchool programs.


ciplinary reasons, nor prohibit the use of physical activityas punishment for inappropriate behavior. Wisconsindoes support Safe Routes to School programs.


State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, though school districts donot have to comply. The Wisconsin Model was lastrevised in 2010.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh and high school physical education. Use of theSPARK commercial curriculum is permitted.







The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels. Elementaryclassroom teachers (generalists) may teach required ele-mentary school PE classes under the direction of a certi-fied or licensed physical education teacher. A PRAXISexam is required for certification, with the minimumpassing score determined by each certifying school ofhigher education. Certification must be renewed everyfive years.



National Board Certification: The state actively supportsphysical education teachers to become certified through

National Board Certification: The state actively encour-ages physical education teachers to become certifiedthrough the National Board Certification process by pro-viding or facilitating mentoring for teachers goingthrough the process, providing full funding if the teacherreceives board certification, and providing an on-goinghigher level of pay to all teachers who are NationalBoard Certified.


Contact Person:

Mary WeikleCoordinator, Health and Physical EducationOffice of Healthy SchoolsWest Virginia Department of EducationBuilding 6, room 3091900 Kanawha Blvd. EastCharleston, WV [email protected]

WisconsinAmount of Required Physical Education:

Wisconsin mandates physical education in grades K-6.The state also mandates physical education in grades 7-12 and requires high schools to provide their studentswith physical education. These directives are enforcedthrough the Content and Learning Requirements.

High School Graduation Requirements: In grades 9-12at least 1.5 credits of physical education incorporatingeffects of exercise, health-related fitness, and lifetimeactivities is required. Credits must be earned over threeseparate years.

Substitutions: Substitutions are allowed. Students maysubstitute 0.5 credits of their 1.5 PE credit requirementfor graduation if they participate in extracurricular sports.

Exemptions/Waivers: Exemptions and waivers are per-mitted. Waivers are valid for two years and school dis-tricts must submit a report on the impact of the waiver.

Physical Activity: The state requires elementary schoolsto provide daily recess for a minimum of 16-20 minutes,but does not require a minimum weekly amount ofphysical activity time for elementary school students.Neither does the state require a minimum weeklyamount of physical activity time for middleschool/junior high school and high school students.Classroom physical activity breaks are not required, andWisconsin does not prohibit the use of withholdingphysical activity, including recess, as punishment for dis-

STATE PROFILES 65


State Standards: The state has developed its own stan-dards for physical education, with which school districtsmust comply. All school districts must have standardsthat align with the state standards; thus, districts mustcomply either by adopting the state standards or byaligning their own standards with the state ones. TheWyoming Content and Performance Standards inPhysical Education were last revised in 2008; the upcom-ing revision began in 2010 and will conclude in 2012.

State Curriculum: The state does not require the use ofspecific curricula for elementary, middle school/juniorhigh and high school physical education. All curriculaare determined by the local districts.


Online Physical Education Courses: The local districtsdetermine whether physical education credits can beearned through online physical education courses.

Student Assessment Requirements: Each district isrequired to have a plan that documents the assessmentprocess and the results. This district-wide plan includescommon assessments that all students must complete.




The state requires certification or licensure of physicaleducation teachers at the elementary, middleschool/junior high and high school levels, which must berenewed every five years. Elementary classroom teachers(generalists) may teach required elementary school PEclasses. A PRAXIS exam is required for initial certifica-tion for generalists.


Teachers: Professional development continuing educa-tion hours or credits are required in order tomaintain/renew one’s physical education teacher certifi-cation or licensure. The back of a license or permit maystate that renewal credits must meet certain professionaldevelopment requirements in content-specific areas suchas physical education. No state funding is provided forthis professional development.

the National Board Certification process by promotingand encouraging teachers to register for the NationalBoard Certification process, providing partial funding forthe cost only if the teacher receives board certification,providing a one-time monetary bonus if the teacherreceives board certification, and providing one or moreforms of non-monetary recognition for national boardcertified teachers.


Contact:

Jon W. HisgenHealth and Physical Education ConsultantWisconsin Dept. of Public InstructionPO Box 7841Madison, WI [email protected]

WyomingAmount of Required Physical Education:

Wyoming is a local control state and, as such, the statedoes not require curriculum, assessment, or other man-dates in physical education. However, every district inthe state of Wyoming does require physical education.

High School Graduation Requirements: Althoughphysical education is not mandated by state law, gradua-tion standards in physical education are required. Thestandards can be met in a variety of ways, includingphysical education class. The state requires districts tosubmit a “Body of Evidence” assessment plan to showstudents meet proficiency in standards.

Substitutions: School districts or schools have theauthority to allow students to substitute other activitiesfor their required physical education credit.

Exemptions/Waivers: Local school districts determinerequirements and waivers.

Physical Activity: The state does not require elementaryschools to provide daily recess, and does not require aminimum weekly amount of physical activity time forelementary school students. Neither does the state requirea minimum weekly amount of physical activity time formiddle school/junior high school and high school stu-dents. Classroom physical activity breaks are not required,and Wyoming does not prohibit the use of withholdingphysical activity, including recess, as punishment for dis-ciplinary reasons, nor prohibit the use of physical activityas punishment for inappropriate behavior. Wyoming doesnot support Safe Routes to School programs.


Temporary Certification: Temporary/emergency teachercertification to teach physical education may be grantedfor up to one year to anyone holding a bachelor’s degreein teaching or education.

National Board Certification: The state actively supportsphysical education teachers to become certified throughthe National Board Certification process by promotingand encouraging teachers to register for the NationalBoard Certification process, providing partial fundingfor cost only if the teacher receives board certification,providing partial funding regardless of whether theteacher receives board certification, and provide an on-going higher level of pay to all teachers who are NationalBoard Certified.


Contact Person:

Stephanie BradyPhysical Education ConsultantWyoming Department of Education2300 Capitol Ave.Hathaway Building, 2nd FloorCheyenne, WY [email protected]

67

State Standards forPhysical Education

The following 50 states and the District of Columbia reported that they have developed their own state standards for physical education. The chart belowindicates what areas are covered by those standards. Iowa is the only state indicated that they do not have state standards for physical education.

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trat

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actic

s

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ular

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ticip

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phy

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l act

ivity

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nten

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of p

hysi

cal f

itnes

s

Pers

onal

and

soc

ial r

espo

nsib

ility

Oth

er a

reas

Alabama YAlabama Course of Study: PhysicalEducation

2009 • • • • • •

Alaska Y Alaska Physical Education Standards 2009 • • • • • •

Arizona Y Arizona Physical Education Standards 2009 • • • • • •Address the use of physical activi-ty as punishment

Arkansas YArkansas Physical Education and Health &Safety Curriculum Frameworks

2005 • • • • • •Benefits of lifetime sports andrecreation

California YPhysical Education Model ContentStandards for California Public Schools

2005 • • • • • •

Colorado YColorado Comprehensive Health andPhysical Education Standards

2010 • • • • •

Connecticut Y

Healthy and Balanced Living CurriculumFramework for Comprehensive SchoolHealth Education and ComprehensivePhysical Education

2006 • • • • • •Comprehensive School HealthEducation

Delaware Y Delaware Standards for Physical Education 2008 • • • • • •

District of Columbia YD.C. Public Schools Health and PhysicalEducation Standards

2007 • • • • • •

Florida YNext Generation Sunshine State Standardsfor Physical Education

2008 • • • • • •

Georgia YGeorgia Performance Standards forPhysical Education

2009 • • • • • •

Hawaii YHawaii Content and PerformanceStandards III for Physical Education

2007 • • • • • •

Idaho YIdaho Content Standards for PhysicalEducation

2010 • • • • • •

Illinois Y Illinois Learning Standards 1996 • • • • • • Decision-making skills

Indiana Y Indiana Academic Standards 2008 • • • • • •

Iowa N

Kansas YKansas Model Curriculum Standards forPhysical Education

2006 • • • • • •

Kentucky Y Kentucky Core Academic Standards 2006 • • • • • •

Louisiana YLouisiana Physical Education Grade-LevelExpectations

2009 • • • • • •

Valu

ing

phys

ical

act

ivity


Maine YThe 2007 Maine Learning Results:Parameters For Essential Instruction

2007 • • • • •Cooperative and ResponsibleBehaviors

Maryland YMaryland State Curriculum for PhysicalEducation

2009 • • • • • •

Massachusetts YMassachusetts Comprehensive HealthCurriculum Frameworks

1999 • • • •

Michigan YPhysical Education Content Standards andBenchmarks

2007 • • • • • •

Minnesota YNational Physical Education Standards andMinnesota Benchmarks

2004 • • • • • •

Mississippi Y Mississippi Physical Education Framework 2006 • • • • • •

Missouri YMissouri Show-Me Standards and PhysicalEducation Grade-Level Expectations

2007 • • • • • Dance, injury prevention, wellness

Montana Y

Accreditation Standards - Student Contentand Performance Standards: MinnesotaHealth Enhancement K-12 Content andPerformance Standards

2001 • • • • • •

Nebraska YNebraska Physical Education EssentialLearnings

2006 • • • • • •

Nevada Y Physical Education Content Standards 2011 • • • • •

New Hampshire YNew Hampshire K-12 Physical EducationCurricular Guidelines

2005 • • • • • •

New Jersey YNew Jersey Core Curriculum ContentStandards for Comprehensive Health andPhysical Education

2009 • • • • • •

New Mexico YNew Mexico Physical Education ContentsStandards with Benchmarks andPerformance Standards

2005 • • • • • •

New York YLearning Standards of New York State:Physical Education Learning Standards

1996 • • • • • •

North Carolina YNC Healthful Living Standard Course ofStudy

2006 • • • • • •

North Dakota YNorth Dakota Content and Standards forPhysical Education

2008 • • • • • •

Ohio YOhio Physical Education AcademicStandards

2009 • • • • • •

Oklahoma YPriority Academic Student Skills:Health/Safety and Physical Education

2003 • • • • • •

Oregon Y Oregon Physical Education Standards 2006 • • • • • •

Pennsylvania YAcademic Standards for Health, Safety andPhysical Education

2003 • • • • • •

Rhode Island YThe Rhode Island Physical EducationFramework

2003 • • • • • •

South Carolina YSouth Carolina Academic Standards forPhysical Education

2008 • • • • • •

South Dakota YSouth Dakota Physical EducationStandards

2000 • • • • • •

Doe

s th

e st

ate

have

its

own

stan

dard

s fo

r phy

sical

educ

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n?

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t is

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e of

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stat

e st

anda

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elop

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/mov

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t ski

lls

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plic

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Pers

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69

Tennessee YTennessee K-12 Physical EducationCurriculum Standards

2008 • • • • • •

Texas YTexas Essential Knowledge and Skills(TEKS)

1998 • • • • • •

Utah YUtah State Office of Education PhysicalEducation Core Curriculum

Elementary2008,

Secondary2007

• • • • • •

Vermont YGrade Expectations for Vermont’sFramework of Standards and LearningOpportunities - Physical Education

2004 • • • • • •

Virginia YPhysical Education Standard of Learningfor Virginia Public Schools

2008 • • • • • •

Washington YEssential Academic LearningRequirements

2008 • • • • • •Health standards are woven intophysical education standards.

West Virginia Y

21st Century Wellness PreK-4 ContentStandards and Objectives for West VirginiaSchools, 21st Century Physical Education5-12 Content Standards and Objectives forWest Virginia Schools

2008 • • • • • •

Wisconsin YWisconsin Model Academic StandardsPhysical Education

2010 • • • • • •Strategies to address the variedlearner (adapted).

Wyoming YWyoming Content and PerformanceStandards in Physical Education

2008 • • • • • •

Doe

s th

e st

ate

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dard

s fo

r phy

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and

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phys

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71

State Requirements for Teacher Certification/Licensurein Physical Education

Stat

e

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low

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ss-

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inim

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r-tif

icat

e

Tim

e th

at te

mpo

rary

/em

erge

ncy

cer-

tific

ate

is v

alid

AL • • • •More than

5 years

AK •

AZ • • • • • • •Bachelor’s Degree

in any area1 year

AR • • • • 5 years • • •Bachelor’s Degree

in any area2 years

CA • • • • • • •No minimum educa-tional requirement

CO • 5 years

CT • • • 5 years • • •Bachelor’s Degree

in teaching 1 year

DE • • • 5 years • • •Bachelor’s Degree

in teaching Less than

1 year

DC •

FL • • 5 years • • •Bachelor’s Degree

in any area3 years

GA • • • 5 years

HI • •

ID • • • • •Bachelor’s Degree

in any area1 year

IL • • • • 4 years

IN • • • 5 years • • •Bachelor’s Degree

in any area1 year

IA • • • • 5 years • • •Bachelor’s Degree

in teaching 2 years

KS • • • • • • •Bachelor’s Degree

in teaching Less than

1 year

KY • • • 5 years • • •Bachelor’s Degree

in any area1 year

LA • • • • 5 years

ME • • • 5 years •Bachelor’s Degree

in teaching 3 years


Stat

e

The

Stat

e re

quire

s ce

rtific

atio

n/lic

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of p

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e

Tim

e th

at te

mpo

rary

/em

erge

ncy

cer-

tific

ate

is v

alid

MD • • • 5 years

MA • • • •

MI • • • • • • •Bachelor’s Degree

in teaching 1 year

MN • • • • 5 years • • •Bachelor’s Degreewith minimum of

minor in PE3 years

MS • • 5 years • • •Bachelor’s Degree

in any area1 year

MO • • • • • •Bachelor’s Degree

in any area1 year

MT • • • • • • •Bachelor’s Degree

in teaching 1 year

NE • • •

NV • • • 5 years

NH • • • • 3 years

NJ • • • •

NM • • • •

NY • • • •Less than 3

years

NC • • • 5 years • • •Bachelor’s Degree

in any area3 years

ND • • • 5 years

OH • • 5 years • • •Bachelor’s Degree

in any area1 year

OK • • • 5 years

OR • • • • 5 years • • •Bachelor’s Degree

in teaching 1 year

PA • • • •More than

5 years• • •

Bachelor’s Degree inany area

Less than1 year

RI • • •Less than 3 years

• • •Bachelor’s Degree in

any area1 year

SC • • •

SD • • • 5 years

TN • • •More than

5 years• • •

Bachelor’s Degree in teaching

1 year

TX • • • • 5 years • • •Bachelor’s Degree

with 24 hours of spe-cific PE coursework

1 year

UT • • • • 5 years • •Bachelor’s Degree

in teaching 2 years

73

Stat

e

The

Stat

e re

quire

s ce

rtific

atio

n/lic

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sure

of p

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cal e

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teac

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The

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quire

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The

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re b

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e gr

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ion

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enta

ry s

choo

lTh

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ate

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ts te

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rary

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er-

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y ce

rtific

ates

to te

ach

phys

ical

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n in

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dle/

juni

or h

igh

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ol

The

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ants

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pora

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h ph

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aled

ucat

ion

in h

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Stat

e’s m

inim

um re

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t for

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y ce

r-tif

icat

e

Tim

e th

at te

mpo

rary

/em

erge

ncy

cer-

tific

ate

is v

alid

VT • • •More than

5 years• • •

Bachelor’s Degree in any area

2 years

VA • • •More than

5 years• • •

Bachelor’s Degree in any area

3 years

WA • • • • 3 years • • •Bachelor’s Degree

in any areaLess than

1 year

WV • • • • 3 years

WI • • • • 5 years • • •

Must be working onPE certification.There must be a

proven need by theschool district.

1 year

WY


The following states responded that they require student assessment in physical education. The chart below indicates the areas in which student assessment is required.

Other (Please specify)

AL

CA

CO

DC

DE

FL

GA

HIUnderstanding movement concepts, principles,

strategies, & tactics as they apply to the learn& performance of physical activities.

ME

MI District decision

MN

MO

MS

NH

The physical education teacher develops & imple-ments the assessments at the local or districtlevel. Many schools use Physical Best as one

assessment tool.

NM Determined at the local level.

NYThe state requires student assessment in physical

education every year in grades 1-12.

OH

PA

SC

TX

UT

VA

VT

WA

WV

WY Assessments determined at local level.

Performance ofmotor/movement

skills

Physical fitnesslevels

Knowledge ofphysical educa-

tion content

Participation inphysical activityoutside of PE

class

Personal &social responsi-bility in physi-cal education

ValuingPhysicalActivity

Schools must maintain an assessment system tomonitor student achievement toward the standards.


77

Appendix ANational Standards and Guidelinesfor K-12 PE

Physical activity is critical to the development and main-tenance of good health. The goal of physical education isto develop physically educated individuals who have theknowledge, skills, and confidence to enjoy a lifetime ofhealthful physical activity. There are four essential ele-ments of quality physical education:

1. Opportunity to Learn:

■ Instructional periods totaling 150 minutes per week(elementary) and 225 minutes per week (middle andhigh school)

■ Qualified physical education teachers providing adevelopmentally appropriate program

■ Teacher/student ratio in physical education no greaterthan 1:25 (elementary) and (1:30 middle/high) foroptimal instruction (similar to other classroom settings)

■ Adequate equipment and facilities for all students tobe active at the same time

2. Appropriate Instruction:

■ Use of instructional strategies that provide meaningfulinclusion of all students regardless of skill or fitnesslevel, gender, race or ethnic group

■ Maximum participation and ample practice opportu-nities for class activities

■ Well-designed lessons that facilitate student learning■ Out of school assignments that support learning and

practice of learned skills■ Appropriate discipline and class management (physical

activity should never be used as punishment)■ Use of regular assessment to monitor and reinforce

student learning

3. Meaningful Content:

■ Instruction in a variety of motor skills that aredesigned to enhance the physical, mental, andsocial/emotional development of every child

■ Fitness education and assessment to help childrenunderstand, improve and/or maintain their physicalwell-being

■ Development of cognitive concepts about motor skilland fitness

■ Opportunities to improve emerging social and cooper-ative skills through physical activity and gain a multi-cultural perspective

■ Promotion of recommended amounts of physicalactivity now and throughout life

4. Student and Program Assessment:

■ Assessment is an ongoing, vital part of the physicaleducation program

■ Formative and summative assessment of studentprogress

■ Student assessments align with state/national physicaleducation standards and the written physical educationcurriculum

■ Assessment of program elements that support qualityphysical education

■ Stakeholders periodically evaluate the total physicaleducation program effectiveness

How do we decide what is worth teaching and learningin physical education? The National Standards forPhysical Education define student learning. As nationalconsensus statements about what a student should“know and be able to do,” they provide a basis forinstruction, student assessment, and evaluation of pro-grams at local, district, state, and national levels.

Learning is most effective when learning goals (contentstandards) match both assessment and instructional prac-tices. When the information gathered through assess-ment is consistent with learning goals and is used appro-priately to guide teaching, it can enhance learning as wellas document it. This is known as instructionally alignedphysical education and is the foundation for a qualityphysical education program.

Even the best research-based curriculum and instruc-tional plan cannot be fully effective without a support-ive environment. The elements of “opportunity to learn”are policies and practices that make it possible to pro-vide a quality program. Such elements include certifiedphysical education teachers, adequate time, and safefacilities and equipment.

APPENDIX A


The National Association for Sport and PhysicalEducation (NASPE), the only national professional asso-ciation for K-12 physical educators, has developednational standards and guidelines for quality physicaleducation through a national consensus process. Theresulting documents are listed below:

National Standards for Physical Education

Moving into the Future: National Standards for PhysicalEducation, 2nd Edition (NASPE, 2004)

A physically educated person:

Standard 1: Demonstrates competency in motorskills and movement patterns needed to perform avariety of physical activities

Standard 2: Demonstrates understanding of move-ment concepts, principals, strategies, and tactics asthey apply to the learning and performance of physi-cal activities

Standard 3: Participates regularly in physical activity

Standard 4: Achieves and maintains a health-enhancing level of physical fitness

Standard 5: Exhibits responsible personal and social

behavior that respects self and others in physicalactivity settings

Standard 6: Values physical activity for health,enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and/or socialinteraction

National Guidelines for Appropriate Instruction

Appropriate Instructional Practice Guidelines forElementary School Physical Education, 3rd Edition(NASPE, 2009)

Appropriate Instructional Practice Guidelines for MiddleSchool Physical Education, 3rd Edition (NASPE, 2009)

Appropriate Instructional Practice Guidelines for HighSchool Physical Education, 3rd Edition (NASPE, 2009)

National Standards for Opportunity to Learn

Opportunity to Learn Guidelines for Elementary SchoolPhysical Education, 3rd Edition (NASPE, 2009)

Opportunity to Learn Guidelines for Middle SchoolPhysical Education, 3rd Edition (NASPE, 2009)

Opportunity to Learn Guidelines for High School PhysicalEducation, 3rd Edition (NASPE, 2009)

79APPENDIX B

Appendix BFederal Legislation Impacting PE

On behalf of its membership and in keeping with itsmission, NASPE supports a national public policy agen-da that promotes comprehensive K-12 education byincreasing the quality and quantity of physical educationand sport opportunities available to all children in theUnited States.

Reauthorization of the Elementary and

Secondary Education Act (ESEA):

NASPE believes that physical education, which teachesstudents how to achieve and maintain health, is anessential component of a quality education. Further,research shows that physical activity enhances academicachievement and reduces behavior problems. Regular,moderate-to-vigorous physical activities, as well as ahealthy diet, are critical for any program aimed at reduc-ing childhood obesity. NASPE supports the inclusion ofphysical education and health education as core subjectswithin ESEA.

NASPE encourages schools to provide quality physicaleducation for students from pre-kindergarten through12th grade, thereby encouraging lifelong healthy habits.

FIT Kids Act (S. 576/H.R. 1057)

The Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids Act (FIT KidsAct) was reintroduced in the 112th Congress by Sen.Tom Harkin (D-IA) in the Senate and Rep. Ron Kind(D-WI) and Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-PA) in the House. Thepurpose of the FIT Kids Act is to amend ESEA to sup-port quality physical education and physical activity forall public school children and ensure they receive impor-tant health and nutrition information.

The Senate bill (S. 576) and House bill (H.R. 1057) areidentical. The four main provisions would:

■ Provide information to parents and the public byrequiring all schools to report on the quantity andquality of the schools’ physical education programs:

■ Amount of time spent in required physical educa-tion as measured against the recommendednational standards;

■ Percentage of local educational agencies in thestate that have a required age appropriate physicaleducation curriculum;

■ Percentage of elementary and secondary schoolphysical education teachers who are state licensedor certified;

■ Percentage of schools that have a School HealthCouncil that meets monthly to promote a healthyschool environment; and

■ Amount of physical space in each district that isused primarily for physical education and activity.

■ Ensure that children get the support they needthroughout their educational experience (by encourag-ing more physical activity within NCLB program suchas Smaller Learning Communities and 21st CenturyCommunity Learning Centers).

■ Support professional development for health andphysical education teachers and principals to promotechildren’s healthy lifestyles and physical activity.

■ Fund a research study to examine the impact of healthand physical activity on student achievement and findeffective ways to improve healthy living and physicalactivity for all children.

Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP)

Through the U.S. Department of Education, the PEPgrants provide funding to local education agencies andcommunity-based organizations to support the initiation,expansion and improvement of physical education pro-grams (including after-school programs). The PEPGrants may fund training and education of teachers andstaff, curricula and equipment to enable students to par-ticipate in physical education activities. However, onlyabout 10% of applicants are able to receive grantsbecause of limited funding.

NASPE supports level funding of $79 million for PEPin the FY 2013 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriationsbill so that more school districts have the opportunity toreceive grants for improving their physical education pro-


grams. NASPE further supports maintaining the integrityof PEP as a stand-alone program. At a time when statebudgets are growing tighter and PE programs are beingcut, now is not the time to reduce federal spending.

Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students Act (S. 919)

The Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students Act (SSHSA)was introduced in the 112th Congress by Sen. TomHarkin (D-IA) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).The purpose of SSHSA is to amend ESEA to supportcritical conditions for learning in schools by authorizing$1 billion in grants to states. SSHSA will advance stu-dent achievement by promoting student health and well-ness, preventing bullying, violence and drug use, andfostering a positive school climate.

SSHSA will establish two state grant programs:

1.Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students State Grants:States will receive funding to implement programs tosupport positive conditions for learning. Funds wouldbe distributed by formula to states but if the appropri-ation for this program is below $500 million, thegrants would be awarded competitively.

To be eligible to apply for funding under this programstates must:

■ Establish a statewide physical education requirementconsistent with widely recognized standards

■ Require all LEAs in the state to establish policies thatprohibit bullying and harassment of students.

States receiving funding under this program will berequired to:

■ Distribute grants competitively to LEAs or partner-ships of LEAs and non-profit organizations, givingpriority to those with the highest poverty and great-est needs. At a minimum, states must distribute thefollowing percentage of subgrant funds for the fol-lowing activities:■ 20% for programs to promote physical activity,

education, fitness, and nutrition

■ 20% for drug and violence prevention (includingbullying prevention)

■ 20% for programs to promote mental health andcounseling

■ Use data from the conditions for learning measure-ment system to target funding and program design

■ Annually report on conditions for learning data to thepublic.

2.Grants for State and Local Data Systems: SSHSA willauthorize at least $30 million for formula grants tostates to develop or enhance systems that will givelocal leaders the information they need to improve theconditions for learning in their schools and communi-ties. This grant will help build state capacity to devel-op a high-quality plan for the Successful, Safe, andHealthy Students state grants.

NASPE Advocacy Partners

In addition to the other national associations that com-prise AAHPERD, NASPE joins with numerous groups toadvocate for specific reforms and legislation, including:

■ Action for Healthy Kids■ American Heart Association■ American College of Sports Medicine■ Campaign to End Obesity■ Coalition for Health Funding■ Student Health Advocacy Coalition■ National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity■ National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity■ Partnership for Play Every Day■ Physical Activity Guidelines Supporter Network■ Safe Routes to School National Partnership■ Sporting Goods Manufacturers’ Association■ USA Coaching Coalition

81APPENDIX C

Appendix CThe Fight for PE in the States

States remain a key battleground for the fight to keepphysical education in schools. That fight has becomemore difficult in the last two years as the recessionincreased pressure on schools to cut costs. The goodnews is that no state legislature has rolled back theircommitment to physical education, in spite of the fiscalsituation. The bad news is that momentum in favor oflegislation that requires physical education in schoolsthat meets the standards recommended by AHA andNASPE has slowed.

2011 and 2012 found legislators in more than a dozenstates considering legislation to expand physical educa-tion in schools. Virginia legislators, for two sessions in arow, passed legislation designed to encourage schools tooffer all students in elementary and middle school physi-cal education. Unfortunately, the first bill, which man-dated physical education, was vetoed by the governor.Public health and education activists fought back andwere successful in passing legislation in the last legislativesession which directed the Board of Education to prom-ulgate regulations regarding PE in schools. In Florida,unfortunately, we have had to play defense against legis-

lation that would have expanded avenues schools have toobtain waivers to opt out of PE. The good news is thatwe were successful and Florida’s current regulationsremain in effect.

When it comes to physical activity and schools, thetrend in legislation over the last two years has been tofocus on allowing community members and groups touse school recreational facilities when school is not insession. Over the past two years, eight states have passedlegislation designed to make it easier for schools to opentheir doors afterhours to community groups.

We continue to believe that kids in school todaydeserve the benefits of a quality physical education classand curriculum, and we will continue to work with legis-lators to build support for physical education in allschools. There can be no doubt that quality physicaleducation is a key to building a lifetime of fitness andhealth. States must require schools to provide such a pro-gram if we a re to deal with the myriad of chronic healthproblems currently facing American children.


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Appendix DPublic Policy Agenda for PEResearch

Research shows a strong, positive relationship betweenphysical activity and health for children and adults. Yet,despite the proven value of physical activity, manyyouths, and most adults, do not participate in the rec-ommended amount of daily physical activity. Schoolphysical education programs are often identified as a pri-mary strategy to increase physical activity and reduceobesity among the U.S. population in government,coalition and organizational “calls to action.” There iswidespread understanding that school physical educationprograms help individuals develop the knowledge, skills,and confidence to be physically active for a lifetime.However, as with any program, decision makers want toknow what the return on investment will be. The answerto that question requires rigorous studies that producenationally-representative data. Such studies require sig-nificant funding, typically at a level that is available onlyfrom the federal government or major foundations.

The purpose of this public policy agenda is to outlinecritical research studies that are needed to validate theimportance of school physical education programs andmake a case for further investment in those programs.During the past five years, various members of the U.S.Congress have introduced bills related to increasingphysical activity and healthy eating, and reducing andpreventing chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes.Additionally, many foundations and corporations havefunded physical activity and healthy eating programs foryouths. Programs are critical because they reach youthsand their families in their communities and homes withopportunities to learn, practice and adopt healthy behav-iors. However, programs are only as effective as theirreach, and many programs are provided only to certaintarget populations (e.g., age group, geographic area)because of limited funding or other dissemination chal-lenges. School physical education programs are one ofthe few physical activity programs for youths that reach

almost all school-age youths; thus, they have tremendouspotential to affect healthy behavior (i.e., physically activelifestyles) on a massive scale. This potential could bemaximized with scientific evidence of school physicaleducation’s relationship to lifelong participation in physi-cal activity. Data-based findings would be the neededcatalyst to increase the availability of daily physical edu-cation for all students. The research agenda below identi-fies key research questions whose answers could convincelegislators and education policymakers to more fully sup-port and use physical education programs as a strategyfor reversing the obesity epidemic.

Critical Research Studies Needed:

■ Relationship between physical competence (motorskills) learned in school physical education classes andphysical activity participation throughout the lifespan

■ Relationship between school physical education andphysical activity participation outside of physical edu-cation class during the K-12 school years

■ Relationship between school physical education andschool behavioral and learning outcomes

■ Amount of school physical education necessary for allstudents to meet national and/or state standards forphysical education

■ Development of valid and reliable tools to collectnational data on physical activity, school physical edu-cation, and sport participation in elementary- andmiddle school-age youths (such a tool currently existsonly for high school-age youths—the CDC’s YouthRisk Behavior Survey [YRBS])

■ Development of a “formula” to calculate the cost ofdaily physical education taught by a certified physicaleducation teacher for all K-12 students (cost-per-state;cost-per-school district).

APPENDIX D


85

Quality Physical Education Programs

Meeting the Physical Education Needs of Childrenwith Autism Spectrum Disorder (2012)

Smart PE Moves for Middle School Students:Ready-to-Use Lesson Plans & Assessment Tools forStandards-Based Physical Education (2012)

Flash Fitness & the Incredible Physical Activities: ASuper-Hero Approach to Meeting the NationalStandards in Grades K-5 (2010)

PE Metrics: Assessing National Standards 1-6 inElementary School (2010)

PE Metrics: Assessing National Standards 1-6 inSecondary School (2011)

Concepts and Principles of Physical Education: WhatEvery Student Needs to Know (2010)

Physical Activity & Sport for the Secondary SchoolStudent, 6th Edition (2010)

Moving Into the Future: National Standards forPhysical Education, 2nd Edition (2004)

National Standards & Guidelines for PhysicalEducation Teacher Education (2009)

Quality Coaches, Quality Sports: National Standardsfor Athletic Coaches (2006)

Opportunity to Learn Standards

Opportunity to Learn Guidelines for ElementarySchool Physical Education (2009)

Opportunity to Learn Guidelines for Middle SchoolPhysical Education (2009)

Opportunity to Learn Guidelines for High SchoolPhysical Education (2009)

Appropriate Practices

Appropriate Practices in Movement Programs forChildren Ages 3-5 (2009)

Appropriate Instructional Practice Guidelines forElementary School Physical Education (2009)

Appropriate Instructional Practice Guidelines forMiddle School Physical Education (2009)

Appropriate Instructional Practice Guidelines forHigh School Physical Education (2009)

Appropriate Instructional Practice Guidelines forHigher Education Physical Activity Programs (2009)

Assessment Series

Assessment for Everyone: Modifying NASPEAssessments to Include All Elementary School(2011)

ChildrenAssessing and Improving Fitness inElementary Physical Education (2008)

Assessing Concepts: Secondary Biomechanics(2004)

Assessing Student Outcomes in Sport Education(2003)

Assessment in Outdoor Adventure PhysicalEducation (2003)

Authentic Assessment of Physical Activity for HighSchool Students (2002)

Creating Rubrics for Physical Education (2000)

Resources

Order online at www.naspeinfo.org or call 1-800-321-0789

Shipping and handling additional.

National Association for Sport and Physical Education, an association of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD)

1900 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191, [email protected], 703-476-3410, 703-472-8316 (fax)

Published by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education

RESOURCES

Documents

2012 Shape of the Nation Report