Health and Physical EducationAcademic Excellence :

The goal of Health Education and Physical Education programs in Minnesota is to offer students educational opportunities that promote healthy, lifelong lifestyle decisions. Governor Tim Pawlenty encourages schools to share this goal through the * Governor's Fit Schools program. Working together, parents, schools, and the State of Minnesota are making a real difference in the health and well being of our students.

Every Minnesota school district is required to develop local standards in health education and physical education. View the Minnesota Standards and Graduation Requirements Chart. The Health and Physical Education Quality Teaching Network (HPE QTN) has developed a set of sample standards and benchmarks to assist school districts in their efforts to develop local health and physical education standards. This is a guide, not an official state model. The National Health Education and Physical Education Standards were used as the core standards to develop this document.  * View the National Health Education Standards.  * View the National Physical Education Standards. Request a copy of the sample Minnesota standards and benchmarks using the contact information below.

New Listserv Available!  MDE has created a new listserv for those interested in Health and Physical education topics. E-mail updates will be sent out monthly. The subscription is free and you may unsubscribe any time. * Subscribe to listserv.

Resources available below can assist health and physical education educators develop, implement and assess their programs. Check out the new Internet resources document. The Web sites listed were chosen for their relevance to teachers and administrators. If you have questions about health and physical education standards, curriculum, or resources, contact the specialist listed below.

Contact:  Mary Thissen-Milder, Ph.D., Instructional Specialist: Health and Physical Education - 651-582-8505

* Links to third-party sites are provided as a service to Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Website visitors. See our disclaimer regarding these sites in our copyright information linked at the bottom of this page. Links will open in a new browser window.