FAQ
General Questions
Elementary Physical Education Questions
Athletic Questions
General Questions
1. Can school districts eliminate or reduce the day/time requirement for physical education?
No. Education Law 803 requires
instruction in physical education and instructs the Board of
Regents to adopt rules on how this must be achieved. Commissioner's
Regulation 135.4 ( 
, 48KB) are those rules. School districts are required by Education
Law and Commissioner's regulations to implement a physical
education program that meets or exceeds the specified instructional
requirements.
2. What are the New York State requirements for physical education?
All students in K-12 must attend and participate in a physical education program.
All pupils in grades K-3 shall attend and participate in physical education on a daily basis.
All pupils in grades 4-6 shall attend and participate in physical education not less than three times per week.
All pupils in grades 7-12 shall attend and participate in physical education for not less than three times per week in one semester, and not less than two times per week in the other semester.
3. What is the time requirement for physical education per calendar week?
120 minutes per calendar week exclusive of any time that may be required for dressing and showering.
4. Are there any waivers or exemptions for physical education?
No. All pupils shall attend and participate. Individual medical certificates of limitations must indicate the area of the program in which the pupil may participate.
School district plans must indicate steps to be taken to insure that each pupil meets the requirement for participation in their physical education program.
5. Must students earn high school credit in physical education?
Yes. Students entering grade 9 until graduation must earn the equivalent of two units of credit in physical education to be eligible to receive a diploma.
¼ credits are earned per semester for a total of eight semesters (grades 9-12). This accumulates to 2 units of credit necessary to receive a diploma.
A student who completes all diploma requirements in fewer than eight semesters, is not required to continue enrollment in high school for the sole purpose of meeting the physical education requirements.
6. May a student double up, or accelerate in physical education?
No. A student may take extra physical education classes as electives but must continue to attend and participate in physical education for eight semesters or until the student meets all other requirements for graduation.
Elementary Physical Education Questions
7. What are the requirements for elementary physical education?
Grades K-3 are required to have daily physical education for
a minimum total of 120 minutes per week. Grades 4-6 are required
to have physical education three days per week for a minimum
total of 120 minutes per week. See Commissioner's
Regulation 135.4 (,
48KB), Page 6 item (2)(i)(a).
8. Does Recess count toward the physical education requirement?
No. Recess may not count toward the physical education requirement. See http://www.counsel.nysed.gov/Decisions/volume32/d12934.htm .
8.a. Can a certified physical education teacher supervise a recess aide to provide instruction leading to regulatory requirements of physical education at the elementary level?
A. No. Recess may not be used to meet the physical education days/time requirement (Commissioner’s Decision #12,934). Physical education by definition in Section 135.4(1)(k) Instructional physical education means the required physical education program which has as its foundation planned sequential learning experiences for all students. The regulation is very specific on who may teach physical education: physical education must be taught by a certified physical education teacher or an elementary classroom teacher under the direction and supervision of a certified physical education teacher.
See the following link for the Commissioner’s Regulation on
physical education: Commissioner's
Regulation 135.4 (,
48KB)
9. Are there any waivers for the elementary physical education requirement?
No. At this time the State Education Department is not granting waivers.
10. Who should teach physical education at the elementary level?
A certified physical education teacher is the most qualified to teach physical education.
11. Is there any flexibility in meeting the elementary physical education requirement?
Yes. Under Commissioner's Regulation Part 135.4(c)(4)(i), elementary classroom teachers may teach physical education under the direction and supervision of a certified physical educator. There are areas of the physical education curriculum that can be completed in the student's classroom and taught by the classroom teacher. Since physical education includes not only physical, social, and emotional skill development but also cognitive learning, certain items can easily be done in the classroom by the elementary teacher (i.e. understanding the effect of physical activity on the body, the need for proper nutrition to live an active life, staying safe, prevent injuries, etc.). Integrating physical education into other curriculum areas is encouraged and even covered in Part 135.4(c)(1)(i)(i). However, this instruction must be designed with care and under the direction and supervision of the certified physical education teacher to ensure that the learning standards are met.
See Commissioner's
Regulation 135.4 ( ,48KB)
Page 6 item (4)(i) and Page 5 item (c)(1)(i)(i).
12. How can we document the days and time spent in physical education if we use an integrated curriculum approach?
Update the District Physical Education Plan (required by Part
135.4) and submit a copy per regulation to the State Education
Department's Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Instructional
Technology. Designing the elementary physical education curriculum
should be a cooperative venture of the District Director of
Physical Education, the elementary physical education teacher(s)
and the elementary classroom teachers. This would ensure that
the physical education curriculum covered in this fashion counts
toward the day and time requirement, and will be documented
in both the physical education teacher's lesson plans and elementary
classroom teacher's lesson plans. See Commissioner's
Regulation 135.4 ( ,48KB)
Page 4 item (a).
13. Our sixth grade is in the middle school. What are the requirements for physical education if they are in the middle school?
According to the Strategy to Implement the Regents Policy Statement on Middle-Level Education (2004), the following was recommended:
Retain existing time requirements in grades 7 and 8 for:
English - 2 units
Social Studies - 2 units
Science - 2 units
Mathematics - 2 units
Arts/Music - ½ unit
Visual Arts - ½ unit
Physical Education - instruction equivalent to 3 periods for one semester and 2 periods for the other semester
The current requirements for instruction in these subjects in grade 6 remains the same as the previous requirements for grade 5 and 6. Instruction must be provided by teachers certified in these subjects. For more information, see http://www.regents.nysed.gov/2004Meetings/May2004/0504emscvesidd4.htm.
Athletic Questions
14. Who may initiate the Selection/Classification Process?
Students, teachers, coaches or parents may request that the director of physical education/athletics process a student though the screening procedure. Students should not be exposed to the screening without a specific request.
15. If a seventh or eighth grade student has reached the chronological age for senior high school, is he/she required to go through the Selection/Classification process?
If a student in grade seven or grade eight is 15 years old prior to September 1, they are eligible to participate on high school teams without going through the Selection/Classification screening procedure. Only medical approval is required. The reason that these students are eligible for high school teams is because they are already at an advanced age and will lose some of their four years of high school eligibility due to over age if not allowed eligibility.
16. Does the Selection/Classification provision allow a senior high school student to participate on the modified program?
Yes, provided they are screened and their maturity and athletic performance standards match those of the students on modified programs.
17. If a student qualifies for participation on a fall sport, can this approval be used to qualify for a winter sport?
Yes, provided the requirement for maturity and athletic performance standards for the winter sport do not exceed those of the fall sport.
18. If a student qualifies for participation in the 7th grade, must he repeat the process in the 8th grade?
No, the process need not be repeated so long as they remain at the same level in the same sport. If they change sports or levels, the screening procedure must be repeated.
19. If a student fails to meet one of the athletic performance items of the Selection/Classification Program, is he/she automatically eliminated from participation?
Yes. However, the student may be retested as many times as is appropriate for a specific item or items. If there is a sound basis for special approval, it can be requested from the State Education Department. (See Attachment B)
20. Are there any provisions made for students with disabilities who are unable to take or pass a component in the athletic performance test?
Not within the normal procedures of the program. However, special approvals can be requested of the State Education Department if it can be demonstrated that the students' safety is not being compromised.
21. Is it intended that this program be applied to all students or in only very special cases?
Only students of unusually advanced or delayed fitness, maturity and skill should be considered for advanced placement through this program.