In order to provide high quality health and physical education, Highline Public Schools shall:

• Implement a high quality health education curriculum that aligns with National Standards, the Washington State Health and Fitness Essential Academic Learning Requirements, will regularly assess students’ health and fitness knowledge, and will be feasible to implement district-wide on an equitable basis. The district is encouraged to provide an equivalent of 30 minutes a week of district-adopted health education curriculum to all students in grades K-5.  In addition, all students in grades seven and eight will participate in the equivalent of one semester of health education each year.  High school students are required to complete one semester of health education that includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) instruction.
• Implement a culturally appropriate K-12 physical education program that maximizes physical activity. This includes delivering curriculum designed to emphasize lifetime health, sport, and fitness skills and that align with National Standards and the Washington State Health and Fitness Essential Academic Learning Requirements.  The program will regularly assess students’ health and fitness knowledge, physical fitness levels, and will be feasible to implement district-wide on an equitable basis. Evaluation procedures will utilize the district-approved motor skills, fitness, and cognitive assessments
• Provide adapted physical education classes.  Suitable adapted physical education will be included as part of individual education plans for students with chronic health problems, other disabling conditions, or other special needs that preclude such student’s participation in regular physical education instruction or activities.
• Ensure that the state minimum amount of minutes in physical education are met. All students in grades one through eight are required to complete an average of one hundred instructional minutes per week of physical education. In order to meet the minimum minutes of physical education, school administrators will make every effort to support students receiving at least 100 minutes of physical education per week.  This includes ensuring that all physical education classes have appropriate class sizes, facilities, and equipment needed to deliver quality physical education consistent with the established curriculum guide.  Schools are encouraged to offer more minutes, with a goal of reaching 150 minutes per week.  All high school students are required to complete 1.5 semesters of physical education and all are encouraged to participate in 225 minutes of physical education each week.  The district encourages all high schools to offer a variety of physical education classes for each grade in the high school.
• Require that physical education classes be taught by teachers who are certified in Physical Education or Health/Fitness and shall encourage that secondary health education classes are taught by teachers who are certified in Health Education.  In addition, the district will provide professional development to staff that focuses on strategies to improve students’ health and helps to maintain program consistency across schools.

In order to provide equitable opportunities for physical activity, Highline Public Schools shall:

• Promote physical activity within the school day. In addition to required physical education, students at the elementary level should have the opportunity to participate in daily recess and physical activity. The district will provide daily recess period(s) for elementary school students, featuring time for unstructured but supervised active play. Schools should prohibit the use of withholding of physical education class and other forms of physical activity as punishment.
• Encourage schools to provide adequate co-curricular physical activity programs, including fully inclusive intramural programs and physical activity clubs; and to promote the use of school facilities for physical activity programs offered by the school and/or community-based organizations outside of school hours.

In order to providing accurate information related to physical activity and wellness, Highline Public Schools shall:

• Coordinate district efforts to provide health and wellness information to students, parents, and staff through regularly scheduled health fairs and promotions on school sites.
• Collaborate with community partners to provide opportunities to students, parents, and staff to participate in health and wellness events.

In order to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the programs Highline Public Schools shall:

• Provide adequate oversight and accountability for the health and physical education programs at the school and district level through a designated coordinator or program manager.
• Use tools like the PECAT, Healthy Youth Survey, CDC School Health Index, WELNET, or an OSPI approved assessment to regularly monitor and assess the programs. Results of these surveys and assessments will be reported to the board, school sites, and made available to parents and community on an annual basis.

Highline School District 401
Adopted by the Superintendent: September 2006
Revised by the Superintendent: 7.14, 12.18. 10.22