Physical Education

Read about the role PE classes in schools have in students’ learning and development
A group of co-ed students, basketball players huddle together on the court and raise their fists in triumph and solidarity. The shot is from overhead.
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Student Well-Being School Sports Are Back. Where Are the Athletes?
Amid the pandemic and its disruptions, many young athletes lost interest in school sports.
Ariel Gans, April 20, 2022
5 min read
Kids join their parents in a workout in the park Monday, March 16, 2020, in Coronado, Calif. A local gym moved their class outdoors as kids staying home from school due to coronavirus concerns joined the group.
Children join their parents in a workout in the park earlier this year in Coronado, Calif. A local gym moved a class outdoors so kids being schooled at home during the pandemic could participate.
Gregory Bull/AP
Student Well-Being What the Research Says Kids Are Feeling Isolated. P.E. May Help Them Bounce Back
New neuroscience research suggests exercise can buffer adolescents against social-emotional damage from distancing.
Sarah D. Sparks, November 2, 2021
3 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
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Teaching Opinion Four Favorite Physical Education Instructional Strategies—Recommended by Teachers!
Differentiated instruction is among the favorite strategies three educators employ in teaching physical education.
Larry Ferlazzo, July 24, 2021
9 min read
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School Climate & Safety Should Schools Still Play Dodgeball?
Lively debate persists around this playground game, which opponents say is ripe territory for bullies and which supporters argue builds skills like teamwork and resilience.
Arianna Prothero, December 10, 2019
6 min read
Student Well-Being Video Student Wellness: The Great Equalizer for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion – Ed Talk! With Judy LoBianco
“In health and physical education, we believe that what’s fundamental to all of our educational issues is a child with a beating heart and air breathing through their lungs. [There’s] no way we can tackle all the educational issues in America and beyond without making sure we take care of the whole child.” 2018 Leaders To Learn From honoree Judy LoBianco speaks with attendees at Education Week’s Leaders To Learn From event in Washington on the importance of engaging students in health. Judy LoBianco is a PreK-12 supervisor for Livingston public schools in Livingston, N.J. Read her leader profile, “For This Champion for Student Health, P.E. Extends Beyond the Gym”: https://leaders.edweek.org/profile/judy-lobianco-supervisor-health-physical-education-nursing-student-wellness/
May 24, 2019
5:40
Student Well-Being 5th Grader: My School's Morning Runs 'Helps Us All Listen Better'
Riley Quinn exercises each day as part of her elementary school's "Morning Mile" program, which the principal says makes a huge difference in kids' readiness to learn.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 12, 2019
1 min read
Judy LoBianco
Judy LoBianco
Victoria Will for Education Week
Student Well-Being Leader To Learn From For This Champion for Student Health, P.E. Extends Beyond the Gym
As the honcho for student wellness in the South Orange-Maplewood school district in New Jersey, Judy LoBianco is changing what schools do to educate students about their physical health. She is recognized as a 2018 Leader To Learn From.
Evie Blad, February 21, 2018
6 min read
Student Well-Being Opinion Inside a Student Wellness After-School Program
Wellness and self-care practices can equip students from underserved communities to handle the circumstances of poverty, writes Ali Smith.
Ali Smith, December 13, 2016
2 min read
School & District Management Classroom Exercise Equipment Has Benefits for Students, Studies Show
The use of exercise equipment in the classroom can improve both student health and learning.
Kate Stoltzfus, August 29, 2016
3 min read
Variety of Sports Balls including Basketball, Soccer, Football, Volley Ball, Baseball, Softball, Tennis, and Golf
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Student Well-Being Heisman Trophy Winner Sings Praises of Quality Phys. Ed.
Herschel Walker, the winner of the 1982 Heisman Trophy, described physical education as his "saving grace" while growing up.
Bryan Toporek, May 19, 2016
3 min read
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Student Well-Being Opinion Heisman Trophy Winner: Physical Education Saved My Life
We must seize the moment to provide more funding and support for vital physical education resources, writes former NFL player Herschel Walker.
Herschel Walker, May 10, 2016
4 min read
Third grader Elyse Vinton hangs upside down during recess at Eastridge Elementary School in Lincoln, Neb., where schools are now required to report on their progress on student-health-related measures, including the time allotted for recess.
Third grader Elyse Vinton hangs upside down during recess at Eastridge Elementary School in Lincoln, Neb., where schools are now required to report on their progress on student-health-related measures, including the time allotted for recess.
Andrew Dickinson for Education Week
Student Well-Being Schools Continue to Lag Behind Recommendations for Phys. Ed. Time
Only Iowa and the District of Columbia require the amount of weekly physical education time recommended by national experts at the elementary and middle school levels.
Marva Hinton, May 4, 2016
2 min read
Student Well-Being Groups Allege California Is Falling Short in Phys. Ed. Opportunities for Minorities
Six health and civil rights groups allege California is failing to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by not providing equal access to physical education opportunities to minority students.
Bryan Toporek, August 19, 2015
2 min read
Student Well-Being Texas Drownings Highlight Calls for Swim Instruction
A spike in the number of children drowning this summer in Dallas County is bolstering calls for water-safety lessons in and out of school.
Jacob Bell, July 24, 2015
5 min read