Supporting Physically Active Lifestyles through Quality Physical Education

Physical education (PE) is planned, sequential instruction that promotes lifelong physical activity. It is designed to develop basic movement skills, sports skills, and physical fitness as well as to enhance mental, social, and emotional abilities (Health is Academic, 1998). In October of 2000, the Rhode Island Department of Education and the Rhode Island Department of Health, in conjunction with the Rhode Island Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (RIAHPERD) convened a group of health education, physical education, community health and recreation professionals to begin work on creating a set of uniform standards in physical education. Standards are the goals, the end point, the “what we want all kids to know and be able to do” as a result of instruction.

Utilizing standards from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and other states as a guide, the Physical Education Standards Committee worked from February 2001 to February 2002, to come up with a set of physical education standards for Rhode Island schools. In addition, the group, working independently and within sub-committees, developed a set of performance indicators for each standard, within grade levels. Performance indicators describe student performance at points along the K-12 instruction. They are the “what it looks like” when a student is meeting the standards.

The Rhode Island Board of Regents endorsed The Rhode Island Physical Education Framework in 2003.

The Rhode Island Physical Education Framework

For more information, resources and tools on Physical Education in Rhode Island, please visit the thrive website or contact Jan Mermin at 401-222-8954 or jan.mermin@ride.ri.gov .