BATON ROUGE — Starting in 2027, Louisiana students will spend more of their physical education classes being physically active, per new Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education-approved physical education standards.

The new K-12 physical education standards were approved at BESE's Wednesday meeting and have been in the works since a review of the state's physical education standards in 2025 as part of the state's regular seven-year standards review cycle required under BESE policy. 

A full list of the standards can be found here.

"Research consistently shows the positive impact of personal fitness on a healthy life," Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley said in a statement. "These fitness-based standards equip students with knowledge and skills they'll use the rest of their lives to remain active."

Along with BESE approval, the standards have been endorsed by the Physical Education Content Standards Steering Committee and the Superintendents' Advisory Council.

The new standards aim to promote lifelong movement, developmentally appropriate skill sets, and supporting practical expectations by avoiding specific equipment mandates, allowing teachers to adapt instruction to their available space and resources.

The Louisiana Department of Education said it will begin providing professional learning for teachers this school year, including in-person training sessions for school systems across the state and training videos for the new standards. 

The state education department said that the new guidelines are the latest in a series of state and federal actions to support physical activity for students, including a 2025 executive order signed by President Donald Trump that re-established the Presidential Fitness Test, which itself was supported by a similar order from Gov. Jeff Landry that directed state agencies to work toward establishing the fitness test in Louisiana and integrating its standards.

A 2023 state law—Act 219—requires every public school serving grades K-5 to provide at least 15 minutes of recess each school day.