National Standards
The foundation for high-quality HPE instruction.
SHAPE America sets the standard for health and physical education in the United States — and 80% of teachers indicate they look to us to lead the way on best practices and guidelines for HPE in schools.
SHAPE America’s new National Physical Education Standards and National Health Education Standards — released in 2024 after a multi-year revision process — provide a comprehensive framework for educators to deliver high-quality instruction and make a positive difference in the health and well-being of every student.
National Physical Education Standards
SHAPE America’s National Physical Education Standards define what a student should know and be able to do as result of a highly effective physical education program. States and local school districts across the country use the National Physical Education Standards to develop or revise existing standards, frameworks and curricula.
View PE StandardsNational Health Education Standards
SHAPE America’s National Health Education Standards define what a student should know and be able to do as result of a comprehensive school-based health education program. States and local school districts across the country use the National Health Education Standards to develop or revise existing standards, frameworks and curricula.
View HE StandardsNational Physical Education Teacher (PETE) Standards
The SHAPE America Initial PETE Standards and Components were designed to develop pre-service candidates into competent and capable future professionals, and provide a performance-based assessment structure requiring candidates to demonstrate content and foundational knowledge.
View PETE StandardsNational Health Education Teacher (HETE) Standards
The National Standards for Initial Health Education Teacher Education are firmly supported by the common roles and responsibilities of professional practices in health education. A concerted effort was made to capture the knowledge and skills that are unique to newly prepared candidates.
View HETE StandardsNational Standards for Sports Coaches
Coaches, coaching educators, administrators, athletes and the public use the National Standards for Sport Coaches for direction regarding the skills and knowledge that coaches should possess. The standards aid in providing quality training that will have a positive impact on coaches’ performance.
View Coaching StandardsNational Adapted Physical Education Standards
SHAPE America’s Adapted Physical Activity Council (APAC) invites you to learn more about the Adapted Physical Education National Standards (APENS). APENS is provided by the National Consortium for Physical Education for Individuals with Disabilities (NCPEID).
View Adapted StandardsNational Dance Education Standards
Key elements and concepts from the dance education standards have been included within the SHAPE America National Physical Education Standards. To learn more or view standards specific to dance education you can find the National Core Arts Standards in Dance below.
View Dance StandardsNational Sex Education Standards
SHAPE America is proud to have worked with the Future of Sex Education and the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States as a contributor and reviewer in the development of the National Sex Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K-12 (Second Edition).
View Sex Ed Standards
