Oklahoma

Representatives from the fields of education, public health, and physical education supplied input and expertise during a three-year collaborative process for writing and drafting the new standards. The effort was led by the Oklahoma Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance Board and the Oklahoma State Department of Education, with vital support from the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

Oklahoma physical education and health standards had not being updated since 2003. There was a long-standing goal among many diverse entities to modernize the standards. Government agencies, universities, school districts, and other groups came together to craft the standards that were based on the SHAPE America national standards.

During the 2016 legislative session, the updated physical education and health standards were introduced via Senate Bill 1309 on January 21, 2016. By the end of session, if no changes were proposed to the bill, the standards would automatically be adopted. As of the last day of the 2016 session, no changes had been made, and the bill passed. The new standards went into effect on July 1, 2016, and will improve the quality of physical education and health in schools and impact the health of students for years to come.

IMPACT

The new standards are expected to change how students and school staff approach physical education, physical activity, nutrition, and health. In 2017-2018 CDC funding for school health will support teacher trainings and development of resource materials to help implement the new standards. Evaluation specialists at the Oklahoma State Department of Health will assess the impact of the new standards on the health of Oklahoma’s more than 690,000 students.