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South 
Carolina
Code 59-10-10 
(2005) mandates 
that students in 
grades K-5 be 
provided with at 
least 150 minutes 
of physical 
activity per week, 
90 minutes of 
which must 
be in physical 
education.
Code 59-10-10 
(2005) allows 
students in 
grades K-5 
to be exempt 
from physical 
education 
and activity 
requirements if 
they meet the 
standards for 
exemptions set 
forth in Code 
59-29-80. 
Exemptions 
are granted 
for students 
involved in a 
military or naval 
JROTC.
Waiver from 
the local school 
board of trustees 
for medical 
or religious 
reasons. 
The Board 
of Education 
adopted the 
Physical 
Education 
Curriculum 
Standards 
(2008). 
The state does 
not require 
schools to 
follow a specific 
curriculum, nor 
does it provide 
one.
Code 59-10-
10 requires 
each student’s 
individual 
fitness status 
to be reported 
to their 
parent or 
legal guardian 
during their 
5th-grade, 
8th-grade, 
and high 
school 
physical 
education 
courses.
Bachelor’s 
degree, 
certification 
at the early 
childhood, 
elementary, 
middle, 
secondary, or 
PreK-12 level, 
minimum 
qualifying 
score on the 
content-area 
examination, 
and 30 semester 
hours in physical 
education 
coursework.
One unit 
(out of 24) 
of physical 
education or 
JROTC for a 
high school 
diploma, per 
State Board 
of Education 
R 43-259 
(2003).
The Position 
Statement on 
School Recess of 
the Governor’s 
Council on 
Physical Fitness 
recommends 
that schools allot 
time each day for 
supervised recess 
for elementary 
students. It also 
states that recess 
should not be 
denied as a form 
of punishment.
State Board 
of Education 
Regulation R 
43-244 (1980) 
prohibits schools 
serving grades 1-6 
from providing 
competitive 
sports “of a 
varsity pattern 
with scheduled 
league games and 
championships.” 
State Board 
of Education 
Regulation R 
43-244.1 (1988) 
and Code 59-
39-160 (no date 
available) outline 
the academic 
requirements 
for students in 
grades 9-12 to 
participate in 
interscholastic 
activities.
Code 59-17-
150 (2004) 
requires 
municipal 
and county 
governing 
bodies to 
work with 
school districts 
to identify 
barriers and 
hazards to 
children 
walking or 
bicycling to 
and from 
school. 
Code 59-10-330 (2005) 
requires each school district 
to establish and maintain 
a Coordinated School 
Health Advisory Council. 
The council is required to 
assess, plan, implement, and 
monitor district and school 
health policies and programs, 
including the development of 
a district wellness policy.
South Dakota
Physical 
education is not 
required at any 
specific grade 
level.
No state policy.
The State Board 
of Education 
approved 
voluntary South 
Dakota Physical 
Education 
Content 
Standards 
(2000), which 
are organized 
in grade-level 
clusters K-2, 
3-5, 6-8, and 
9-12. The state 
does not require 
or recommend 
a specific 
curriculum 
framework 
or curriculum 
materials.
No state 
policy.
Bachelor’s 
degree, with 2 
semester hours 
of first aid and 
health. 
For prospective 
teachers in high 
school, the 
state requires 
a bachelor’s 
degree, with at 
least 24 semester 
hours in health 
coursework.
Beginning 
with students 
who are 
freshmen 
in the fall 
of 2013, 
one-half unit 
of physical 
education 
is required 
(2009).
No state policy.
Statute 13-36-4 
(2003) gives the 
school board 
power to delegate 
the control, 
supervision, and 
regulation of 
any high school 
interscholastic 
activities to any 
voluntary, non-
profit association. 
Statute 13-36-7 
(2003) deems any 
student enrolled 
in a public school 
district eligible to 
participate in any 
interscholastic 
activity sponsored 
by the South 
Dakota High 
School Activities 
Association.
No state policy.
The Board of Education 
has produced a Model 
Wellness Policy (2005) 
based on science, research, 
and existing practices from 
exemplary states and local 
school districts around 
the country. The policy 
encourages school districts 
to establish and maintain a 
coordinated school health 
program that addresses 
all components of school 
health, including mental 
health services and school 
health services, which are not 
addressed in the model.

---

Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
462
 
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
Tennessee
Physical 
education is a 
required subject 
for students in 
grades K-8. 
Rules of the 
State Board 
of Education 
Minimum 
Requirements 
for the Approval 
of Public Schools 
0520-1-3-.05 
(2008) state 
modifications 
for students with 
disabilities. 
In addition, the 
rules permit 
school districts 
and schools to 
allow students 
to substitute 
JROTC for 
their required 
Lifetime 
Wellness credit 
in high school.
Lifetime 
Wellness: 
Grades 9-12 
(2007) and 
Physical 
Education: 
Grades 9-12 
provides 
the required 
curriculum 
standards 
for health, 
physical fitness 
education, and 
wellness in high 
school.
Physical 
fitness 
assessment 
guidelines can 
be found at 
the Tennessee 
Department 
of Education 
website, 
Lifetime 
Wellness: 
Grades 9-12 
(2007).
Bachelor’s 
degree, a 
supervised 
physical 
education 
internship or 
student teaching 
experience in 
both K-4 and 
5-12 settings, 
and a major 
in physical 
education.
1.5 credits 
of physical 
education and 
wellness. 
Although not 
specifically 
requiring recess, 
49-6-1021 
(2006) requires 
each local 
education agency 
to integrate a 
minimum of 
90 minutes of 
physical activity 
per week into 
the instructional 
school day for 
elementary and 
secondary school 
students.
Rules of the 
State Board 
of Education 
Minimum 
Requirements for 
the Approval of 
Public Schools 
0520-1-3-.05 
(2008) state that 
interscholastic 
athletics shall not 
be substituted 
for the wellness 
requirement.
No state policy.
The Tennessee State Board of 
Education Physical Activity 
Policy 4.206 (2005) requires 
each school district’s School 
Health Advisory Council 
to annually administer 
the CDC’s SHI: A Self-
Assessment and Planning 
Guide and report a summary 
to the state.

---

Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
Appendix C
 
463
continued
State
State Statute
and/or Policy
Waivers
Curriculum
Assessment
Certification
Graduation 
Requirement
Recess
Athletics
Walk/Bike
Wellness Policy
Tennessee
Physical 
education is a 
required subject 
for students in 
grades K-8. 
Rules of the 
State Board 
of Education 
Minimum 
Requirements 
for the Approval 
of Public Schools 
0520-1-3-.05 
(2008) state 
modifications 
for students with 
disabilities. 
In addition, the 
rules permit 
school districts 
and schools to 
allow students 
to substitute 
JROTC for 
their required 
Lifetime 
Wellness credit 
in high school.
Lifetime 
Wellness: 
Grades 9-12 
(2007) and 
Physical 
Education: 
Grades 9-12 
provides 
the required 
curriculum 
standards 
for health, 
physical fitness 
education, and 
wellness in high 
school.
Physical 
fitness 
assessment 
guidelines can 
be found at 
the Tennessee 
Department 
of Education 
website, 
Lifetime 
Wellness: 
Grades 9-12 
(2007).
Bachelor’s 
degree, a 
supervised 
physical 
education 
internship or 
student teaching 
experience in 
both K-4 and 
5-12 settings, 
and a major 
in physical 
education.
1.5 credits 
of physical 
education and 
wellness. 
Although not 
specifically 
requiring recess, 
49-6-1021 
(2006) requires 
each local 
education agency 
to integrate a 
minimum of 
90 minutes of 
physical activity 
per week into 
the instructional 
school day for 
elementary and 
secondary school 
students.
Rules of the 
State Board 
of Education 
Minimum 
Requirements for 
the Approval of 
Public Schools 
0520-1-3-.05 
(2008) state that 
interscholastic 
athletics shall not 
be substituted 
for the wellness 
requirement.
No state policy.
The Tennessee State Board of 
Education Physical Activity 
Policy 4.206 (2005) requires 
each school district’s School 
Health Advisory Council 
to annually administer 
the CDC’s SHI: A Self-
Assessment and Planning 
Guide and report a summary 
to the state.

---

Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
464
 
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
Texas
Education Code 
28.002 (2007) 
requires students 
in grades K-5 
to participate in 
daily physical 
activity for at 
least 30 minutes 
throughout the 
school year. 
This may be 
accomplished 
through the 
physical 
education 
curriculum or 
daily recess. 
Students in 
grades 6-8 are 
required to