The Future of National Standards in Health and Physical Education How the new HPE standards will help students … and schools
By Michelle Carter and Audra Walters
I
t’s been over 10 years since the last set of national physical education standards and national health education standards have been updated. Since then, the educational landscape has dramatically evolved. Students, teachers, and administrators have been through unprecedented changes that not even the most wellequipped, adaptable, or experienced person could have anticipated. For educators, one thing seems certain — students are not the same. In the last decade, students have witnessed rapid increases in technology, specifically social media, as well as shifts toward remote and hybrid learning and increases in mental health challenges (Youth Risk
Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2011–2021). Many students have also had their preK-12 learning experience impacted by one of the deadliest pandemics in history. While much has changed for students, what has not changed is the importance of educational standards to clearly delineate the knowledge and skills to be attained during their preK-12 years. Teachers and students still have the same learning goals. As is the case with educational standards across the preK-12 curriculum, periodic reviews and updates are necessary to ensure that the standards are current and help students graduate with the skills and knowledge they need in our ever-changing world.
The timing of the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting impact coincided with the review and updating of the National Physical Education Standards and the National Health Education Standards. In 2021, SHAPE America launched two task forces to revise both sets of standards to respond to the evolving educational needs of students. Here we provide a preview of the most notable shifts in the 2024 SHAPE America National Physical Education Standards and 2024 SHAPE America National Health Education Standards that will provide that guiding framework for physical education and health education in the coming years. Winter 2024 • Momentum
13