Overview

Are your students receiving quality physical education each day? A quality PE program that meets national guidelines is the cornerstone for a physically active school and helps support improved classroom behavior, physical fitness, and standardized test scores. Physical education programs provide standards-based daily learning opportunities, age- and developmentally-appropriate instruction, meaningful content and ongoing assessment. The skills, knowledge, and behaviors learned in PE help kids to establish and maintain active lifestyles well into adulthood.

Physical education is best and most impactful when instructed by a certified or licensed physical education teacher. SHAPE (Society for Health and Physical Educators) America recommends that schools provide 150 minutes of instructional PE for elementary students and 225 minutes for middle and high school students per week for the entire school year. Because physical education is based on a comprehensive, content-specific instructional curriculum, it should not be compared to or confused with other school-based physical activities such as recess, intramural sports, brain breaks or classroom energizers.

Take Action

Follow these suggestions to incorporate daily physical education into your school.

• Check out your state’s physical education mandates and ensure that your school is meeting or exceeding the specific guidelines.
• Leverage your school health team to advocate for quality physical education that meets 150 minutes weekly for elementary school children and 225 minutes weekly for middle and high school students.
• Read through your district’s Local School Wellness Policy.
  • • Check to see if your school specifies a required number of instructional PE minutes each week.
    • Determine if students are permitted to sign opt out waivers for physical education. If so, work with the school administration and School Board to decrease the number of waivers granted or to deny waivers entirely.
    • Look for language requiring PE to be taught by licensed or certified physical education teachers.

• Use a comprehensive and age-appropriate physical education curriculum. SHAPE America provides a guide to help align your curriculum with national standards.
• Ensure the teacher/student ratio in physical education is similar to other classroom sizes for optimal instruction and student safety.
• Conduct an inventory of your physical education environment and equipment. Consider activities that can be easily implemented in various areas outside a traditional school gymnasium such as the hallway, classroom, and outside.
• Apply for a grant from Action for Healthy Kids to enhance your PE program and equipment needs.
• Make this activity inclusive for all abilities: Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) that include physical education goals and objectives should be available for all students with identified disabilities.