FROM THE CEO

New National Standards for a New Era

Stephanie Morris, CEO

@SHAPEAmericaCEO

We are at a historic moment in time within our health education and physical education community. For the first time ever, we are about to embark on a collaborative, inclusive process to update two different sets of standards at the same time: SHAPE America’s National Standards for K-12 Physical Education and the National Health Education Standards (NHES).

While we’ve always held the National Physical Education Standards, the opportunity to champion and safeguard the NHES is a new opportunity for SHAPE America and quite simply, one that we’re thrilled about.

Approximately 50% of our K-12 educator community teach some amount of health education. And of that group, 10% teach health education exclusively. The NHES were last updated in 2007, and it’s fair to acknowledge that a lot has changed in the past 14 years!

So here we are with an exciting opportunity to see two different task forces take on this work — on parallel tracks but yet with moments of connection. For the first time ever, we’ll be able to ensure common terminology across each set of national standards.

We’ll also be able to approach both efforts intentionally grounded in equity, diversity and inclusion and social justice. (Thank you to those members of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee who stepped up to volunteer their own time in service or to recommend other experts to serve on the National Physical Education Standards Task Force).

Further, we’re tapping leaders to serve on these two task forces who, quite simply, are incredible experts in their particular field, whether that be physical literacy, motor development, social and emotional learning, skillsbased health education, research, teacher preparation, state or district level administration, adapted physical education, or any other number of critical subjects in our field.

FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE

I can’t begin to express how grateful I am to each of these leaders for the time, energy and dedication they will give over the next couple of years to do this work. National standards serve as the foundation for high-quality physical education and skills-based health education programs. As we emerge from the COVID-era and move into a time where teaching and learning environments are still fairly unpredictable, national standards will be more important than ever before.

As one #SHAPEVirtual convention attendee pointed out, standards will truly be the basis for arguments about why physical education and skills-based health education are critical subjects to teach in this day and age.

I personally believe new national standards will also be what catapults our profession forward in terms of no longer being associated with “coaches who teach sports,” “gym class,” limiting and harmful assessment practices, and health education classes that focus only on body parts or food guidelines.

The new National Physical Education Standards and the new National Health Education Standards will speak to today’s best practices and research-informed curriculum. They will be relevant, inclusive and culturally affirming.

And, when these new national standards are ready to be introduced, they will be accompanied by a full suite of resources, tools and professional development opportunities so teachers and student teachers know how to implement them.

This will be an incredible amount of complex and challenging work, for sure. But as the National Physical Education Standards Task Force gets underway and as a National Health Education Standards Task Force comes together in short order, I feel the promise of so many opportunities ahead. I encourage you to reach out if you want to be involved (especially in the NHES Task Force!) and I hope you’ll stand ready to support the implementation of these standards when we’re ready!

As always, I welcome your feedback.