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participation in 
interscholastic 
athletics at the 
high school level.
No state policy.
House Bill 1264 (2009) 
authorizes local school 
systems to develop and 
implement annual wellness 
policy implementation and 
monitoring plans. 

---

Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
Appendix C
 
427
continued
State
State Statute
and/or Policy
Waivers
Curriculum
Assessment
Certification
Graduation 
Requirement
Recess
Athletics
Walk/Bike
Wellness Policy
Louisiana
Bulletin 741 
(2008) requires 
students in 
grades 1-6 and 
7-8 to receive 
150 minutes 
of physical 
education per 
week. 
Bulletin 741, 
2717, allows 
an approved 
JROTC program 
to be substituted 
for the two 
credits of health 
and physical 
education upon 
board approval. 
Exemptions 
for medical 
reasons only, but 
the number of 
credits required 
for graduation 
remains at 23.
The Louisiana 
State Board 
of Elementary 
and Secondary 
Education 
formally 
adopted Physical 
Education 
Content 
Standards with 
Bulletin 102 
(2009). 
The standards 
document 
also serves as 
a suggested 
curriculum 
framework, 
although local 
schools are 
not required to 
adhere to it.
No state 
policy.
Bachelor’s 
degree, with 
4 semester 
hours in health 
and physical 
education. 
Secondary 
certification 
requires a 
completion of 30 
hours of health 
and physical 
education 
courses.
In Bulletin 
741 (2005), 
Section 2319 
requires 
1.5 units 
of physical 
education.
No state policy.
No state policy.
No state policy.
The Department of 
Education, in collaboration 
with the Dairy Council, 
created a comprehensive 
Model School Wellness 
Policy (2006). 
Maine
Statute Title 
20-A 4711 
(2001) requires 
all elementary 
schools to 
provide the basic 
coursework, 
which includes 
physical 
education, for all 
students.
No state policy.
PreK-12 
standards are 
in place, but 
there is no 
curriculum.
Title 20-A 
Chapter 
207-A and 
Chapter 
222 provide 
guidance on 
instruction 
standards and 
assessment 
requirements.
Bachelor’s 
degree with at 
least 36 credit 
hours in physical 
education.
Education 
Rule Chapter 
127 (2002) 
requires 
one credit 
of physical 
education.
No state policy.
No state policy.
No state policy.
The state Board of Education 
adapted its model local 
wellness policy (2005) 
directly from the Michigan 
State Board of Education’s 
Policy (2005).
Maryland
Codes 7-409 
(2005) and 
2-205 (1996) 
require each 
public school to 
have a physical 
education 
program for all 
students in grades 
K-12. 
State Board 
of Education 
Regulation 
13A.04.13.01 
(2001) outlines 
the requirements 
for the physical 
education 
instructional 
program in 
grades K-12. 
No state policy.
Regulation 
13A.04.13.01 
(2001) provides 
program goals 
for physical 
education in 
grades K-12.
No state 
policy.
Bachelor’s 
degree with 
a major in 
physical 
education or 
completion of 
36 semester 
hours of course 
content work 
in physical 
education and 
completion of 
the professional 
education course 
and experience 
requirements 
found in 
State Board 
of Education 
Regulation 
13A.12.02.06 
(2003).
One-half 
credit of 
physical 
education.
No state policy.
State Board 
of Education 
Regulation 
13A.06.03.02 
(1994) sets 
the eligibility 
requirements 
for student 
participation in 
interscholastic 
athletics at the 
high school level.
No state policy.
House Bill 1264 (2009) 
authorizes local school 
systems to develop and 
implement annual wellness 
policy implementation and 
monitoring plans. 

---

Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
428
 
Educating the Student Body
TAbLE C-1 Continued
State
State Statute
and/or Policy
Waivers
Curriculum
Assessment
Certification
Graduation 
Requirement
Recess
Athletics
Walk/Bike
Wellness Policy
Massachusetts
General Law 
71.1 (no date 
available) 
requires 
all schools 
to provide 
instruction 
in physical 
education, but 
grade levels 
or amounts of 
instruction are 
not specified. 
General Law 
71.3 (no date 
available) states 
that “physical 
education shall 
be taught as a 
required subject 
in all grades for 
all students in the 
public schools 
for the purpose 
of promoting the 
physical well-
being of such 
students.”
General Law 
71.3 allows 
waivers for 
medical reasons.
General Law 
71.1 requires 
instructions 
in “fitness 
and body 
dynamics.” 
The Common 
Core of 
Learning (1994) 
outlines the 
state’s basic 
standards 
for students, 
and the 
Massachusetts 
Comprehensive 
Health 
Curriculum 
Framework 
(1999) provides 
a more detailed 
vision of 
standards for 
what students 
should be able 
to learn and 
know regarding 
physical activity 
and fitness in 
grades PreK-12. 
The framework 
serves as a 
suggested 
curriculum for 
local schools.
No state 
policy.
Bachelor’s 
degree (603 
CMR 7.05 
[2006] provides 
general 
guidelines).
High school 
students are 
not required 
to complete 
specified units 
of physical 
education.
No state policy.
No state policy.
No state policy.
House Bill 4459 (2010) 
requires each School Wellness 
Advisory Council to review 
and evaluate the school 
district’s wellness policy 
every 3 years.

---

Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
Appendix C
 
429
continued
State
State Statute
and/or Policy
Waivers
Curriculum
Assessment
Certification
Graduation 
Requirement
Recess
Athletics
Walk/Bike
Wellness Policy
Massachusetts
General Law 
71.1 (no date 
available) 
requires 
all schools 
to provide 
instruction 
in physical 
education, but 
grade levels 
or amounts of 
instruction are 
not specified. 
General Law 
71.3 (no date 
available) states 
that “physical 
education shall 
be taught as a 
required subject 
in all grades for 
all students in the 
public schools 
for the purpose 
of promoting the 
physical well-
being of such 
students.”
General Law 
71.3 allows 
waivers for 
medical reasons.
General Law 
71.1 requires 
instructions 
in “fitness 
and body 
dynamics.” 
The Common 
Core of 
Learning (1994) 
outlines the 
state’s basic 
standards 
for students, 
and the 
Massachusetts 
Comprehensive 
Health 
Curriculum 
Framework 
(1999) provides 
a more detailed 
vision of 
standards for 
what students 
should be able 
to learn and 
know regarding 
physical activity 
and fitness in 
grades PreK-12. 
The framework 
serves as a 
suggested 
curriculum for 
local schools.
No state 
policy.
Bachelor’s 
degree (603 
CMR 7.05 
[2006] provides 
general 
guidelines).
High school 
students are 
not required 
to complete 
specified units 
of physical 
education.
No state policy.
No state policy.
No state policy.
House Bill 4459 (2010) 
requires each School Wellness 
Advisory Council to review 
and evaluate the school 
district’s wellness policy 
every 3 years.

---

Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
430
 
Educating the Student Body
TAbLE C-1 Continued
State
State Statute
and/or Policy
Waivers
Curriculum
Assessment
Certification
Graduation 
Requirement
Recess
Athletics
Walk/Bike
Wellness Policy
Michigan
The Michigan 
State Board 
of Education’s 
nonbinding 
Policy on 
Quality Physical 
Education (2003) 
recommends that 
instructional 
periods total 150 
minutes per week 
for elementary 
school students 
and 225 minutes 
per week for 
middle and high 
school students. 
The Model 
Local Wellness 
Policy (2005) 
recommends 
districts 
adopt policies 
promoting 
physical 
education 
opportunities.
Michigan 
Compiled Law 
380.1278b 
allows a student 
to substitute 
one physical 
education and 
health credit 
to acquire 
extra English 
language arts, 
mathematics, 
science, or world 
language credits, 
if a student has 
an approved 
personal 
curriculum. 
In addition, 
students may 
test out of any 
state-required 
graduation 
credit. 
Schools are 
encouraged 
to use the 
Michigan 
Department 
of Education’s 
Physical 
Education 
Content 
Standards and 
Benchmarks 
(1998). 
No state 
policy.
No state policy.
Michigan 
Compiled Law 
380.1278a 
(2007) 
requires one 
credit of 
health and 
physical 
education. 
Schools have 
flexibility 
in how they 
meet the 
requirement.
The Michigan 
State Board of 
Education (2000) 
recommends that 
public schools 
offer daily recess 
or physical 
activity.
No state policy.
No state policy.
The Michigan State Board 
of Education Model Local 
Wellness Policy (2005) 
provides a comprehensive 
policy template for districts 
to meet Section 204 
requirements that can be 
modified to address local 
governance issues.
Minnesota
Statute 120A.22 
(2005) requires 
physical 
education for 
students ages 
7-16 (and 
frequency 
not specified) 
and assigns 
responsibility 
for developing 
standards to local 
districts. 
Although not 
outlined in code, 
precedence has 
determined 
that physical 
education must 
be taught at all 
grade levels in 
elementary and 
middle/junior 
high schools, and 
must be taught at 
least once in high 
school. 
The state Board 
of Education 
requires all 
students to