Health and Physical Education

Physical Education is an integral part of the total education of every child from Kindergarten through grade 12. The Georgia Performance Standards for Physical Education are based on the National Physical Education Standards developed by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE). The Standards reflect what a physically educated student should know and be able to do at each grade level (K-12). Six standards with accompanying elements are provided for each grade level. The elements are provided to further define the knowledge, skills, and behaviors that are expected of students at the end of various grade levels.

The Georgia Performance Standards for Health Education are content standards and provide an outline for curriculum development. They are based on the eight National Health Education Standards, copyright 2007, developed by the Joint Committee on National Health Education Standards which consisted of representatives from the following organizations and agencies: American Association for Health Education, American School Health Association, American Public Health Association, and the Society of State Directors of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation and sponsored by the American Cancer Society.

The National and Georgia Standards for Health Education are designed to incorporate into a curricula the following six priority adolescent risk behaviors identified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Alcohol and other Drug Use, Injury and Violence (including Suicide), Tobacco Use, Poor Nutrition, Inadequate Physical Activity, and Risky Sexual Behavior. The standards also are designed to encompass a wide range of the following common content areas: Community Health, Consumer Health, Environmental Health, Family Life, Mental/Emotional Health, Injury Prevention/Safety, Nutrition, Personal Health, Prevention/Control of Disease, and Substance Use/Abuse.