American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance - AAHPERD

Physical Education

Physical education is the foundation of a comprehensive school physical activity program. It is an academic subject that uses a planned, sequential program of curricula and instruction, based on state and/or national physical education standards, which results in all students, including those with disabilities, developing the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to adopt and maintain a physically activity lifestyle. Physical education should be taught by state-certified physical education teachers.

Alignment with National Public Health Campaigns

• Provide access to and opportunities for high-quality, comprehensive physical activity programs, anchored by physical education, in Pre-kindergarten through grade 12 educational settings.  Ensure that the programs are physically active, inclusive, safe, and developmentally and culturally appropriate.
• Develop and implement state and school district policies requiring school accountability for the quality and quantity of physical education and physical activity programs.

White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity Report to the President

• State and local education agencies should be encouraged to increase the quality and quantity of sequential, age- and developmentally-appropriate physical education for all students, taught by certified physical education teachers.

Healthy People 2020 Objectives

• Increase the proportion of the Nation's public and private schools that require daily physical education for all students.
• Increase the proportion of adolescents who participate in daily school physical education.
• Increase the proportion of adolescents who meet current Federal physical activity guidelines for aerobic physical activity and for muscle-strengthening activity.

Expert Organizations/Agencies/Websites

• National Association for Sport and Physical Education
• PE Central
• PELINKS 4 U
• PE4life
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Division of Adolescent and School Health
• The Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education

National Standards and Guidelines

• Moving Into the Future : National Standards for Physical Education, 2nd Edition
• Opportunity to Learn Documents
• Appropriate Practices Documents
• PE Metrics: Assessing National Standards for Physical Education

Practical Resources

• What Constitutes a Highly Qualified Physical Education Teacher
• Opposing Substitution and Waiver/Exemptions for Required Physical Education
• Appropriate Use of Instructional Technology in Physical Education
• Appropriate Uses of Fitness Measurement
• Adapted Physical Education and Physical Activity Resources
• Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool
• NASPE's Quality Physical Education Documents