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Partnership/
Joint Use
Program 
Elements and 
Resources
Built 
Environment 
Recess 
Breaks
PE
Sports
Active 
Transport 
to/from 
School
Classroom 
Activity
↑
PA 
↓
Sedentary Behavior
Before/After School
Monitoring and 
Improvement
Enable/Create 
Accountability
School System Support 
and Infrastructure
Whole-of-School

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Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
Introduction
 
25
FIGURE 1-3 
Influence of policy level and strength of implementation on student experience.
NOTE: Arrow weight indicates no implementation, weak implementation, and strong imple-
mentation (thin to thick); box shade indicates no law or policy, weak law or policy, and strong 
law or policy (light to dark).
Figure 1-3.eps
Sur
veillance
Policy
Law/
Guidelines
Law/Guidelines + 
Assistance + 
Enforcement
Law/Guidelines + 
Assistance
Policy
Law
Law + 
Assistance + 
Enforcement
Law + 
Assistance
Policy
Policy
Policy + 
Assistance + 
Enforcement
Policy + 
Assistance
Policy
Policy
Policy/Practice + 
Priority + 
Resources
Policy/Practice + 
Priority
Policy
Policy
Policy + 
Practice + 
Resources
Policy + 
Practice
Students’
Physical Activity
Opportunities
and Experiences
FEDERAL
STATE
DISTRICT
SCHOOL
CLASSROOM
ricula and physical activity programs. In turn, these curricula and programs 
should be monitored and evaluated to inform iterative improvements to the 
overall system.
As part of its systems approach, the committee acknowledged that 
much of what happens in the school setting is part of an overall system 
of policies and regulations at multiple levels (see Figure 1-3). The center of 
interest is students’ physical activity opportunities and experiences. Such 
opportunities include physical education, intramural and extramural sports, 
active transport to and from school, classroom physical activity, recess, 
before- and after-school programs, and other types of breaks. These oppor-
tunities and experiences are influenced by a series of federal guidelines, state 
laws, district policies, and school and classroom policies and practices. The 
impact of this set of guidelines, laws, policies, and practices is influenced in