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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year fitness becomes a personal habit, not just a class students show up for. Students sharpen the skills they use in sports and everyday movement, and they start planning workouts using ideas like heart rate, strength, and flexibility. They also practice leading, cooperating, and handling setbacks during games. By spring, students can describe a routine they would actually stick with after high school.

  • Fitness planning
  • Movement skills
  • Teamwork
  • Healthy habits
  • Sportsmanship
Source: District of Columbia DC Academic Content Standards
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
  1. 1

    Fitness baseline and goal setting

    Students start the year by checking where they are with strength, endurance, and flexibility. They set personal fitness goals and learn how to track progress over the months ahead.

  2. 2

    Skills for team and individual sports

    Students sharpen the movements behind common sports, like throwing, catching, dribbling, and footwork. They practice in games and drills that build both individual technique and teamwork.

  3. 3

    Training principles and healthy habits

    Students learn how the body responds to exercise and how to design a workout that actually works. They connect daily choices around sleep, food, and stress to how they feel and perform.

  4. 4

    Lifelong activity and personal choice

    Students try activities they could keep doing as adults, from hiking and yoga to weight training and recreational sports. They reflect on what they enjoy and build a plan for staying active after high school.

Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 11.
Physical Education

  • Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor

    DC-PE.1.hs-level-2
    High School Level 2

    Students practice a range of movement skills, from running and jumping to throwing and catching, to build the physical confidence needed to stay active beyond school.

  • Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

    DC-PE.2.hs-level-2
    High School Level 2

    Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make smarter choices during physical activity. That means adjusting effort, form, or pacing based on what the activity actually demands.

  • Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

    DC-PE.3.hs-level-2
    High School Level 2

    Students practice working with others during physical activity: listening, taking turns, and handling wins and losses with respect. The focus is on how students treat teammates and opponents, not just how well they play.

  • Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

    DC-PE.4.hs-level-2
    High School Level 2

    Students reflect on why staying active matters to them personally and build habits around physical activities they actually enjoy. The goal is a routine they can keep up long after graduation.

Common Questions
  • What does physical education look like at this level?

    Students move beyond learning basic skills and start applying them in real activities like team sports, fitness routines, dance, or outdoor games. They also learn how exercise affects the body and how to plan their own workouts. Working well with others is a big part of the grade.

  • How can I help my child stay active outside of class?

    Pick one activity together that gets the heart rate up for 20 to 30 minutes most days, like a walk after dinner, a bike ride, or shooting baskets in the driveway. The goal is building a habit, not training for a sport. Let the student pick what they enjoy.

  • Does my child need to be good at sports to do well?

    No. Grades focus on effort, fitness improvement, cooperation, and understanding how the body works, not athletic talent. A student who shows up, tries hard, and treats classmates well can do very well even if they have never played the sport before.

  • How should I sequence units across the year?

    Start with a fitness baseline so students can track their own progress, then rotate through team activities, individual or lifetime activities, and a fitness or wellness planning unit. Revisit fitness testing midyear and at the end so students see growth and connect effort to results.

  • Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

    Pacing during cardiovascular work and proper form during strength activities are the most common gaps. Students also tend to need reminders on respectful communication during competitive games. Build short check-ins on these into each unit rather than saving them for one lesson.

  • What does mastery look like by the end of the year?

    Students can move competently in several different activities, explain how a workout improves strength or endurance, and design a simple weekly fitness plan they would actually follow. They cooperate during team play and handle disagreements without help from the teacher.

  • How can I support my child if they say they hate gym?

    Ask what part bothers them, since the issue is often one activity, locker room stress, or feeling watched, not exercise itself. Help them find a physical activity they enjoy outside of school, like hiking, biking, or a dance class. Confidence built outside of class usually shows up in class.

  • How do I know my child is ready for the next level?

    Look for a student who can keep up with moderate activity without quitting, knows the basics of warming up and cooling down, and can talk about why exercise matters for their health. They should also be able to work on a team without major conflict.