State policy does not specify a number of students per class or teacher-to-student ratio in physical education classes.
The curriculum must include instruction in motor skills, physical fitness, and health-related topics such as disease prevention, safety, and outdoor education. Instruction for Grades K–12 must align with the Georgia Performance Standards for Health and Physical Education (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-2-.12(2)(a), GA Reg. 160-4-2-.48).
JROTC substitution is permitted. Three JROTC units may satisfy the one unit of health/physical education if: (1) JROTC includes all 160-4-2-.12 health/physical education rule requirements, and (2) the local board approves (160-4-2-.48[3] [b]5[VI]2Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-2-.12[2][h]).
Although no daily recess is mandated, health education for all Grades K–12 must emphasize fitness, outdoor education, and lifetime physical activity. Schools must annually conduct and report a fitness assessment for Grades 1–12 in physical education courses (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-2-.12[2][g]).
Local school systems are required to conduct an annual fitness assessment program for students in Grades 1–12 enrolled in physical education courses. The results are shared with parents and reported in aggregate to the State Board of Education (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-2-.12).
No specific language regarding the maintenance, safety, or provision of physical education facilities and equipment is found in state regulations.
State law/rule does not establish special rules for online physical education. Distance/virtual delivery is recognized generally in the course-coding rule (“3” as the first digit represents distance learning), but no physical education-specific online requirement or exception appears in state legislation.
To teach health and physical education, teachers must meet Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) requirements, including professional knowledge of motor skills, health behavior, and fitness-based competence as outlined in educator preparation standards (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 505-3-.49).
Programs must accommodate students’ individual needs, including those requiring adapted physical education. Instruction must support all students in achieving health-related fitness and motor skill goals (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-2-.12).
Funding for physical education and fitness assessments is provided through the State Board of Education. The Board’s efforts may be supported with state, federal, or private funding or a combination thereof (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 20-2-777[b]).
Each local Board of Education is required to develop and implement an accurate, comprehensive health and physical education program. The program must include information and concepts in areas such as personal health, physical fitness, and lifetime sports, aligning with established health education standards. There is no explicit mention of specific local wellness policy implementation or reporting requirements beyond curriculum mandates (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-2-.12[2]).
There is no specific language regarding the evaluation of physical education teachers in state regulations.
Both CPR and AED training are mandatory for students as part of the high school health and physical education curriculum. Schools must provide instruction based on nationally recognized programs such as those from the American Heart Association or the Red Cross (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-2-.12[2][h]). Human-trafficking awareness instruction is required for Grades 6–12 (annually; 160-4-2-.12[2][i]).
Georgia law assigns enforcement responsibility to the State Board of Education, which is required to monitor compliance with physical education regulations and submit annual reports to the Governor detailing the status of each school and district. Schools demonstrating high performance or improvement in student fitness assessments may be publicly recognized and may receive monetary or other incentives (Ga. Code § 20-2-777). Local school systems must annually report fitness assessment results for students in Grades 1–121–enrolled in physical education courses. These results are submitted to the State Board of Education, and individual results are reported to parents/guardians (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-2-.12[2][g]).
For more details, call the Georgia Department of Education at (404) 656–2800, email askdoe@gadoe.org, or go to 205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive SE, Atlanta, GA 30334.