Louisiana students will see new physical education standards starting in the 2027-28 school year, with a greater focus on movement and fitness
The revised standards emphasize students demonstrating physical skills rather than simply identifying or naming them
Age-appropriate fitness assessments will begin in kindergarten and measure the same areas covered by the Presidential Fitness Test
Teachers will receive training and redards
Louisiana students will be expected to spend more of physical education class actually moving under new K-12 standards approved by the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education this week
The revised standards will take effect during the 2027-28 school year and put a greater emphasis on movement skills, physical fitness and developing habits students can carry into adulthood
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“Research consistently shows the positive impact of personal fitness on a healthy life,” Louisiana 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 were developed through a review that began in 2025 and replaces the current standards, which were established in 2017
What’s changing?
One of the biggest changes is a shift from simply knowing about physical activity to actually demonstrating physical skills
Under the new standards, students will build fundamental movement skills throughout their K-12 education, with expectations becoming more advanced as they get older
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For example, the previous standards could ask students to identify or name a skill. The revised standards are designed to have students demonstrate those skills
The standards also are written to give teachers more flexibility. They do not require specific equipment or facilities, allowing schools to adapt physical education instruction to the space and re
The goal, according to the Louisiana Department of Education, is to give students skills they can use to stay active long after they graduate
Fitness testing starting in kindergarten
The revised standards also include age-appropriate fitness assessments beginning in kindergarten
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Those assessments will measure the same areas covered by the Presidential Fitness Test, which President Donald Trump moved to re-establish through an executive order in 2025
Gov. Jeff Landry issued a related order that year directing state agencies to work toward bringing the fitness test back to Louisiana and asking the Department of Education to determine how it could be incorporated into the state’s physical education standards
The Department of Education said it plans to recommend use of the Presidential Fitness Test in a re
The fitness assessments are separate from recess requirements already in place for Louisiana elementary students
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A 2023 state law requires public schools serving kindergarten through fifth grade to provide at least 15 minutes of recess each school day. Recess is intended to be supervised, unstructured free play, while physical education is formal instruction
How the new standards were developed
The standards review was part of Louisiana’s regular seven-year review cycle required under BESE policy
More than 140 people applied to participate. Twenty-six educators and stakeholders were selected for workgroups, with 11 also serving on the steering committee overseeing the review
The group included classroom teachers, health professionals, higher education faculty and other education stakeholders from across Louisiana
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A draft of the standards was released for public comment in March 2026
The Department of Education said commenters generally supported clearer expectations and the emphasis on active participation, although some raised concerns about facilities and the amount of time available for physical education
The revised standards were also endorsed by the Physical Education Content Standards Steering Committee and the Superintendents’ Advisory Council before BESE approved them Wednesday
What happens next?
The new standards won’t immediately change what students do in PE classes
The Department of Education plans to provide professional development for teachers during the 2026-27 school year, including in-person training for school systems and videos teachers can use later
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A re is also being developed
The new standards will be implemented beginning with the 2027-28 school year
It’s also important to distinguish standards from curriculum. Standards establish what students are expected to learn at each grade level, while curriculum determines how teachers will teach those skills
Louisiana school systems choose their own curricula, meaning individual schools and districts will determine how they put the new physical education standards into practice
