Louisiana schools adopt new physical education standards

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CityBusiness staff reports//August 20, 2026//

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Louisiana public schools will implement revised K-12 physical education standards beginning in the 2027-28 school year.
The standards emphasize active participation, physical fitness and demonstrating movement skills that build across grade levels.
Students will begin age-appropriate fitness assessments in kindergarten, measuring areas included in the Presidential Fitness Test.
The state will provide teacher training during the 2026-27 school year ahead of implementation.

Louisiana public schools will implement new physical education standards beginning with the 2027-28 school year, shifting the focus of PE classes toward active participation, physical fitness and skills intended to encourage lifelong exercise

The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved the revised K-12 standards Wednesday following a review process led by the Louisiana Department of Education that began in 2025

The new standards place greater emphasis on students demonstrating physical skills rather than simply identifying or describing them. They also establish a progression of movement and fitness skills that build as students advance through grade levels

“Research consistently shows the positive impact of personal fitness on a healthy life,” State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley said. “These fitness-based standards equip students with knowledge and skills they’ll use the rest of their lives to remain active.”

The standards also give teachers flexibility to meet the requirements regardless of the equipment, facilities or space available at their schools, according to the Education Department

Students will participate in age-appropriate fitness assessments beginning in kindergarten. Those assessments will measure the same areas included in the Presidential Fitness Test, which President Donald Trump reinstated through an executive order in 2025

Gov. Jeff Landry issued a related order that year directing state agencies to work toward establishing the fitness test in Louisiana and asking the Education Department to determine how it could be incorporated into the standards review

The department plans to recommend the Presidential Fitness Test as part of a re

The standards are separate from a 2023 Louisiana law requiring public schools serving students in kindergarten through fifth grade to provide at least 15 minutes of recess each school day. Recess is considered supervised, unstructured play, while the physical education standards govern classroom instruction

The revised standards follow a review of requirements adopted in 2017. Louisiana conducts standards reviews on a seven-year cycle under BESE policy

More than 140 people applied to participate in the latest review. The state selected 26 educators and other stakeholders for workgroups, including 11 who served on the steering committee overseeing the process

Participants included classroom teachers, health professionals, higher education faculty and other education stakeholders from across Louisiana

The Education Department released draft standards for public comment in March. According to the department, respondents generally supported clearer expectations and a greater emphasis on active participation, while some raised concerns about instructional time and access to adequate facilities

The standards also received endorsements from the Physical Education Content Standards Steering Committee and the Superintendents’ Advisory Council

The Education Department plans to begin preparing educators for the changes during the 2026-27 school year. Professional development will include in-person training for school systems and training videos for ongoing use

A separate rees and implementation guidance

While the state establishes what students are expected to learn through academic standards, individual school systems remain responsible for selecting curricula and determining how teachers will meet those expectations

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