Key Physical Education Resources to Support Healthy Schools

This quick reference guide identifies resources and guidance from SHAPE America – Society of Health and
Physical Educators and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that support evidence-based
policies, practices, and programs related to the essential components within the framework of a comprehensive
school physical activity program (CSPAP).

Resources to Support Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs

Increasing Physical Education and Physical Activity: A Framework for

Schools
This document provides school health professionals, school
administrators, physical education teachers, other school staff,
and parents with detailed information on the components of a
CSPAP framework. It identifies key professional development
opportunities and resources to help schools implement the
framework.

Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs Guide

This guide, developed collaboratively by SHAPE America and
CDC, provides step-by-step guidance on how to develop a
CSPAP program by coordinating across all components:
effective physical education; physical activity before, during,
and after school; staff involvement; and family and community
engagement.

School Health Index: A Self-Assessment and Planning Guide

This online self-assessment and planning tool, developed by CDC, aids schools in making
improvements to their health and safety policies and programs (includes Module 3: Physical Education
and Physical Activity Programs).

SHAPE America CSPAP Toolbox

This microsite provides information and resources from SHAPE America and many national
organizations around the five components of a CSPAP and how to get started developing your school’s
physical activity program.

The Essential Components of Physical Education

Physical education includes four essential components that provide the structure for this fundamental subject
area: 1) Policy and environment; 2) Curriculum; 3) Appropriate instruction; and 4) Student assessment. Defining
the essential components of physical education raises awareness for the critical policies and practices that
guide school districts and schools in addressing students’ education needs.

Physical educators, district wellness committees, and school

administrators can use this resource menu to identify key
resources that support each of the four essential components of
physical education.

© 2019, SHAPE America – Society of Health and Physical Educators ● www.shapeamerica.org

1900 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191 ● 800.213.9527 ● [email protected]
2 Key Physical Education Resources to Support Healthy Schools

Resources to Support Physical Education:

Essential Components of Physical Education
This guidance document outlines the essential components of effective physical education — policy and
environment, curriculum, appropriate instruction, and student assessment — and outlines why physical
education is a key element of a well-rounded education for all students.

Physical Education Program Checklist

This checklist is designed to help school administrators, principals, teachers, and parents review their
school’s physical education program to ensure it includes the essential components of physical
education.

Getting to Know Your Child’s PE Program: A Parent’s Guide

This guidance document identifies opportunities for physical educators to support parental involvement
priorities and build parent support for physical education programs.

Adapted Physical Education Resource Manual

This manual, found in the SHAPE America Teacher’s Toolbox, can assist parents, educators,
administrators, and other professionals in finding resources related to adapted physical education.

Adapted PE FAQ Document

This guidance document answers common questions about providing physical education services for
students with disabilities. It was developed to provide consistent adapted physical education (APE)
services for students with disabilities.

Strengthen Physical Education in Schools Data Brief

This data brief, developed by Springboard to Active Schools, outlines national data that describes the
state of physical education and identifies key policies and practices that will promote and strengthen
physical education programs.

Resources to Support the Physical Education Component of POLICY AND ENVIRONMENT:

Physical Education Policy Guide
This guidance document provides in-depth policy guidance, recommended policy language,
accountability measures, and rationale for both state and district-level policy components in an easy-to-
use table.

No Substitutions, Waivers or Exemptions for Physical Education Position Statement

This position statement provides a rationale for why all students should participate in physical education
and affirms that state, school district, and school policies should not allow substitutions, waivers or
exemptions for physical education courses, class time, or credit requirements.

Resources to Support the Physical Education Component of APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION:

Appropriate Instructional Practice Guidelines
This document outlines developmentally appropriate and inappropriate practices in elementary, middle
and high school physical education classes and is organized into five separate sections: learning
environment, instructional strategies, curriculum, assessment, and professionalism.

20 Indicators of Effective Physical Education Instruction

This indicators checklist provides a user-friendly tool for school administrators to use when observing
physical education classes and emphasizes the practices and policies that should be in place, as
defined in the Essential Components of Physical Education guidance document.

What PE Teachers Should Know About Concussion

This document details best practices in concussion management and the implications for physical
education, and provides additional resources that can be used in developing policies and practices for
concussion identification and management.

© 2019, SHAPE America – Society of Health and Physical Educators ● www.shapeamerica.org

1900 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191 ● 800.213.9527 ● [email protected]
3 Key Physical Education Resources to Support Healthy Schools

Resources to Support the Physical Education Component of CURRICULUM:

National Standards and Grade-Level Outcomes
SHAPE America’s National Standards and Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education define
what a student should know and be able to do because of a highly effective physical education program.

Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (PECAT)

This tool, developed by CDC, is a self-assessment and planning guide designed to help school districts
and schools conduct clear, complete, and consistent analyses of physical education curricula, based on
SHAPE America’s National Standards for K-12 Physical Education.

State Physical Education Standards Database

Access your state standards for health and physical education, as well as fact sheets, presentation
templates, and links to key stakeholders for health and physical education.

Resources to Support the Physical Education Component of STUDENT ASSESSMENT:

Appropriate and Inappropriate Practices Related to Fitness Testing Position Statement
This position statement outlines why fitness testing is a valuable part of fitness education when
appropriately integrated into physical education.

Presidential Youth Fitness Program (PYFP)

This voluntary program offers physical educators a free health-related assessment for youth fitness,
along with free professional development on how to implement this program in your school.

Student Growth Outcomes Template

This template will help physical educators annually measure student learning as a result of effectively
teaching a standards-based curriculum.

Standards-Based Student Progress Report Template

This template was created to provide K-12 physical educators with a user-friendly way to report
assessment results to students and their families, as well as to align their physical education instruction
and curricula with national and/or state standards. To access, scroll to the e-Templates section and click
the hyperlink to download the document.

National Data on Physical Education and Physical Activity:

SHAPE of the Nation™ 2016 (SON)
SHAPE of the Nation 2016 provides an update on national progress of the implementation of physical
education, school-based physical activity, and related areas in each of the 50 states and the District of
Columbia. Physical education questions include: time requirements, waivers/substitutions, class size,
student assessment, teacher evaluation, and much more.

CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)

YRBSS is a national study of public and private high school students. It also provides a representative
sample of mostly public high school students for all states and selected territories, tribes, and districts.
The YRBS has one question about physical education attendance among high school students.

CDC’s School Health Policies and Practices Study (SHPPS)

SHPPS assesses school health policies and practices and is nationally representative at the state,
district, school (elementary, middle, and high schools), and classroom levels. There are several
questions about physical education on the 2012 state questionnaire, 2012 and 2016 district
questionnaires, 2014 school questionnaire, and 2014 classroom questionnaire.

CDC’s School Health Profiles (Profiles)

Profiles is a system of surveys conducted biennially by education and health agencies among middle
and high school principals and lead health education teachers. There are approximately 10 questions
about physical education.

© 2019, SHAPE America – Society of Health and Physical Educators ● www.shapeamerica.org

1900 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191 ● 800.213.9527 ● [email protected]