Office of Curriculum, Technology, & Assessment

Physical Education: Preface

In this era of education reform, physical education standards are critical to the healthy development of children and adolescents. South Dakota Physical Education Standards improve student learning by providing a foundation for curriculum development, instruction and assessment of student performance.

The South Dakota Physical Education Content Standards were modeled after the National Physical Standards written in 1995. The National Physical Education Standards were developed by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education in consultation with other educational organizations.

The Coordinated School Health Program in Department of Education & Cultural Affairs (DOE) and Department of Health (DOH) funded the writing process and selection of teacher writers to develop South Dakota’s Physical Education Standards. The writing committee consisted of South Dakota teachers from elementary through post-secondary levels to align with the format of other South Dakota content standards. The Physical Education Standards include indicators, benchmarks and sample grade level activities.

The Physical Education Standards were sent out for peer review and presented to numerous groups for input. They were approved by the State Board of Education in March 2000.