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New Mexico
22-13-1 New 
Mexico Statute 
Annotated 
(2005) requires 
students in grades 
1-8 to receive 
instruction 
in physical 
education.
6.30.2.10.J9(n) 
New Mexico 
Administrative 
Code (2000) 
allows the 
physical 
education 
graduation 
requirement 
to be waved 
because of a 
permanent or 
chronic medical 
condition that 
does not permit 
physical activity.
6.29.9.8 
New Mexico 
Administrative 
Code (2009) 
details the New 
Mexico Public 
Education 
Department 
K-12 content 
standards with 
benchmarks and 
performance 
standards 
for physical 
education. 
Local school 
districts are 
required to 
align their 
K-12 physical 
education 
curriculum 
to these K-12 
Physical 
Education 
Standards 
(1997, revised 
2006) content 
standards with 
benchmarks and 
performance 
standards. 
No state 
policy.
Complete the 
requirements for 
an elementary 
(K-8) license 
(6.61.2 New 
Mexico 
Administrative 
Code) or a 
middle school 
(5-9) license 
(6.61.3 New 
Mexico 
Administrative 
Code) or a 
secondary (7-12) 
license (6.61.4 
New Mexico 
Administrative 
Code) or 
a PreK-12 
license (6.61.5 
New Mexico 
Administrative 
Code). 
New Mexico 
Statute 
Annotated 
(2009) 
requires 
students to 
have one unit 
in physical 
education or 
other physical 
activity.
The School 
Wellness Policy 
Guidance 
Document 
recommends that 
schools provide 
daily recess for 
all elementary 
students. It also 
recommends 
that all districts 
prohibit 
withholding 
physical activity 
(physical 
education class, 
recess, etc.) as a 
means/method of 
punishment.
State Board 
of Education 
Administrative 
Code 6.13.3.8 
(2000) sets 
the eligibility 
requirements 
for student 
participation in 
interscholastic 
student activities. 
State Board 
of Education 
Administrative 
Code 6.13.4.8 
(2000) requires 
local school 
boards to provide 
comparable 
athletic 
opportunities for 
both sexes.
66-7-501 New 
Mexico Statute 
Annotated 
(2003) creates 
the Safe Routes 
to School 
program to 
increase and 
make safer a 
student’s ability 
to walk or ride 
a bicycle to 
school. 
Rule 6.12.6 New Mexico 
Administrative Code requires 
each school district and 
charter school to develop 
and implement a policy that 
addresses student and school 
employee wellness through 
a coordinated school health 
approach. 
The law goes beyond federal 
minimum requirements 
to specifically include 
nutritional requirements 
for a la carte items and 
school-sponsored fundraisers 
before, during, and after 
school hours and requires 
that a planned, sequential 
K-12 health and physical 
education curriculum aligned 
with state benchmarks be 
included in the wellness 
policy.

---

Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
448
 
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
New york
Regulation 
135.4(c)(2)(a) 
requires daily 
participation 
in physical 
education for 
students in grades 
K-3 and three 
times each week 
for grades 4-6. 
The minimum 
time devoted 
to physical 
education shall 
be at least 120 
minutes each 
week. For 
grades 7-12 
the regulations 
require physical 
education three 
times per week 
in one semester, 
and two times 
per week in the 
second, or a 
comparable time 
each semester 
if the school is 
organized in 
other patterns. 
Education Law 
803 requires 
physical 
education 
instruction for 
all pupils above 
the age of 8 in 
all elementary 
and secondary 
schools.
No state policy.
Standard 1 of 
the Learning 
Standards for 
Health, Physical 
Education, 
and Family 
and Consumer 
Sciences (1996) 
provides a 
suggested 
curriculum 
framework 
but does not 
require that 
schools adhere 
to it or any 
other specific 
curriculum.
No state 
policy.
Bachelor’s 
degree with 
specified 
coursework and 
grades for all 
teachers and 
must pass the 
Assessment of 
Teaching Skills, 
CST in Physical 
Education, and 
the LAST. 
Candidates 
must also 
have 40 days 
of supervised 
teaching 
experience 
in physical 
education within 
the applicable 
grade range 
and fingerprint 
clearance.
Regulation 
100.5 (2005) 
requires 
high school 
students to 
earn 2 units 
in physical 
education (out 
of 22).
No state policy.
No state policy.
Transportation 
Law 444 
(Section 14, 
Subdivision 
35) (2004) 
establishes and 
administers a 
Safe Routes 
to School 
program.
A February 2005 memo 
to school food services 
directors/managers from 
the state Department of 
Education provides guidance 
and suggestions for creating 
local wellness policies, 
including links to resources, 
background information, 
rationales, and policy process 
guidance.

---

Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
Appendix C
 
449
continued
State
State Statute
and/or Policy
Waivers
Curriculum
Assessment
Certification
Graduation 
Requirement
Recess
Athletics
Walk/Bike
Wellness Policy
New york
Regulation 
135.4(c)(2)(a) 
requires daily 
participation 
in physical 
education for 
students in grades 
K-3 and three 
times each week 
for grades 4-6. 
The minimum 
time devoted 
to physical 
education shall 
be at least 120 
minutes each 
week. For 
grades 7-12 
the regulations 
require physical 
education three 
times per week 
in one semester, 
and two times 
per week in the 
second, or a 
comparable time 
each semester 
if the school is 
organized in 
other patterns. 
Education Law 
803 requires 
physical 
education 
instruction for 
all pupils above 
the age of 8 in 
all elementary 
and secondary 
schools.
No state policy.
Standard 1 of 
the Learning 
Standards for 
Health, Physical 
Education, 
and Family 
and Consumer 
Sciences (1996) 
provides a 
suggested 
curriculum 
framework 
but does not 
require that 
schools adhere 
to it or any 
other specific 
curriculum.
No state 
policy.
Bachelor’s 
degree with 
specified 
coursework and 
grades for all 
teachers and 
must pass the 
Assessment of 
Teaching Skills, 
CST in Physical 
Education, and 
the LAST. 
Candidates 
must also 
have 40 days 
of supervised 
teaching 
experience 
in physical 
education within 
the applicable 
grade range 
and fingerprint 
clearance.
Regulation 
100.5 (2005) 
requires 
high school 
students to 
earn 2 units 
in physical 
education (out 
of 22).
No state policy.
No state policy.
Transportation 
Law 444 
(Section 14, 
Subdivision 
35) (2004) 
establishes and 
administers a 
Safe Routes 
to School 
program.
A February 2005 memo 
to school food services 
directors/managers from 
the state Department of 
Education provides guidance 
and suggestions for creating 
local wellness policies, 
including links to resources, 
background information, 
rationales, and policy process 
guidance.

---

Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
450
 
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
North 
Carolina
State Board of 
Education Policy 
GCS-S-000 
(2005) requires 
students enrolled 
in K-8 to 
participate in 
physical activity 
as part of the 
district’s physical 
education 
curriculum. 
Elementary 
schools should 
consider 
providing 150 
minutes per 
week and middle 
schools should 
consider 225 
minutes per 
week, including 
a minimum 
of physical 
education every 
other day for the 
school year.
No state policy.
The North 
Carolina 
Healthful Living 
Standard Course 
of Study (2006) 
outlines the 
content that 
districts are 
expected to 
follow. 
The curriculum 
calls for students 
in grades K-12 
to receive 
instruction in 
motor skills 
and movement 
patterns, skill 
acquisition and 
performance, 
establishing and 
maintaining 
regular 
participation in 
physical activity, 
accepting 
responsibility 
for personal 
fitness, 
demonstrating 
responsible 
personal 
and social 
behavior in 
physical activity 
settings, and 
development of 
an awareness 
of the intrinsic 
value and 
benefits of