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TAbLE 2-4 Prevalence of Policies at the State, School District, and School 
Levels Related to School-Based Physical Education and Physical Activity, 
from the School Health Policies and Practices Study (SHPPS)
2000 
(%)
2006 
(%)
Physical 
Education: 
Elementary 
Schools
States requiring physical education
78
80
Districts requiring physical education
83
78
Schools requiring physical education
(82)
86
•
3 days/week, all year, all grades
25
14
•
daily, one-half year, all grades
10
5
•
daily, all year, all grades
8
4
continued

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Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School
Status and Trends of Physical Activity Behaviors and Related School Policies
 
73
2000 
(%)
2006 
(%)
Physical 
Education: 
Middle 
Schools
States requiring physical education
86
93
Districts requiring physical education
85
90
Schools requiring physical education
(89)
89
•
3 days/week, all year, all grades
18
15
•
daily, one-half year, all grades
16
15
•
daily, all year, all grades
6
8
Physical 
Education: 
High 
Schools
States requiring physical education
82
93
Districts requiring physical education
89
90
Schools requiring physical education
(94)
89
•
3 days/week, all year, all grades
7
3
•
daily, one-half year, all grades
12
7
•
daily, all year, all grades
6
2
Physical 
Education: 
General
States requiring/encouraging following national or state 
physical education guidelines
84
82
Districts requiring/encouraging following national or state 
physical education guidelines
75
81
Schools following national or state physical education 
guidelines
81
88
States requiring/encouraging following National 
Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) 
guidelines
60
76
Districts requiring/encouraging following NASPE guidelines
51
55
Schools requiring/encouraging following NASPE guidelines
67
65
States with state-level physical education coordinator
69
88
Districts with district-level physical education coordinator
62
69
Schools with someone to oversee physical education
86
91
Recess: 
Elementary
States requiring/recommending regularly scheduled recess
26
37
Districts requiring/recommending regularly scheduled recess
87
90
Schools providing regularly scheduled recess
97
97
If school has recess, number of minutes per week on 
average
149 
min/
wk
148 
min/
wk
Active 
Transport
States supporting/promoting active transport
N/A
14
Districts supporting/promoting active transport
N/A
18
Schools supporting/promoting active transport
N/A
44
NOTE: N/A = not available.
SOURCES: 2000 data extracted from Burgeson et al., 2001; 2006 data extracted from Lee 
et al., 2007.