Physical Education: Policies and Practices in Missouri K—12 Schools

By Sam Biver, MPH and Enbal Shacham, Ph.D., M.Ed.

This report examines current physical education policy requirements in Missouri.

Key Points:

• Physical Education (PE) improves students’ health, well-being, and academic success.

• Strong, clear state-level PE policy aligned with national recommendations increases PE quantity and quality.

• Missouri K–12 PE policy is not clear.

• Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) should create an easily accessible source clearly outlining PE requirements and recommendations.

• Missouri K–12 PE policy falls short of meeting the national recommendations.

• Current publicly available data presents opportunities to answer important questions to guide future PE policy and practice in Missouri.