Healthy Schools Act Requirements

Mandatory Reporting
Under section 405 of the Healthy Schools Act (HSA), the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) shall report to the Mayor, the Council, and the Healthy Youth and Schools Commission (HYSC) regarding the compliance of District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and public charter schools (PCS) with physical education (PE) and health education requirements.

School Health Profile
Under section 602 of the HSA, all DCPS and PCS shall submit information related to compliance with the PE and health education standards and other aspects of the HSA to OSSE by February 15 of each year. The OSSE School Health Profile (SHP) is utilized for this purpose.

Physical Education
Under section 402 of the HSA, all DCPS and PCS must provide PE for students in grades kindergarten through 8. The HSA requires that PE be provided for an average of at least 150 minutes per week for students in grades kindergarten through 5 and an average of at least 225 minutes per week for students in grades 6 through 8. Furthermore, 50 percent of PE class time must be devoted to actual physical activity.

Health Education
Under section 402 of the HSA, all DCPS and PCS must provide health education for students in grades kindergarten through 8. The HSA requires that health education be provided for an average of 75 minutes per week in grades K through 8.

Adherence to Curricular Standards
Under section 402 of the HSA, the required PE and health education curriculum shall meet the curricular standards adopted by the State Board of Education in 2007. These standards outline the concepts and skills that students should know and be able to do at the end of each grade from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade and by the time they graduate from high school.

Related Content: Healthy Schools Act Yearly Reports