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<chapter num="13" heading="Program in Physical Education" title_num="13A" subtitle_num="04">
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".01" heading="Physical Education Instructional Programs for Grades Prekindergarten—12.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>Each local school system shall:</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>Provide in public schools an instructional program in physical education each year with sufficient frequency and duration to meet the requirements of the State Framework for all students in grades prekindergarten—8; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>Offer in public schools a standard-based physical education program in grades 9—12 which meets the requirements of the State Framework, and enables students to meet graduation requirements and to select physical education electives.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>Maryland Physical Education Program.</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>The physical education comprehensive instructional program shall provide a developmentally appropriate, instructional program for all students that advances the student's knowledge, confidence, skills, and motivation to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>The comprehensive instructional program shall provide for the diversity of student needs, abilities, and interests at the early, middle, and high school learning years, and shall include all of the following Maryland Physical Education Content Standards set forth in §C of this regulation with related indicators and objectives as set forth in the State Framework.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>The instructional program, as it applies to grades 9—12, shall provide instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation that includes hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator if not otherwise offered in the comprehensive health education program.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="C.">
      <text>Maryland Physical Education Content Standards. All students shall:</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>Develop a variety of motor skills;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>Apply knowledge related to movement and fitness concepts;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>Develop social skills through movement; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(4)">
        <text>Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement, and choose to engage in physical activity.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="D.">
      <text>Curriculum Documents. Consistent with Education Article, §§2-205(h) and 7-409, Annotated Code of Maryland, each local school system shall provide comprehensive physical education curriculum documents for the elementary and secondary schools under its jurisdiction that:</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>Include the content standards set forth in §C of this regulation;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>Align with the State Framework, as developed by the Maryland State Department of Education in collaboration with the local school systems; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>Include standards-based instructional assessments that:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>Periodically evaluate progress toward achievement of the content standards in §C of this regulation;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>Align to the grade-span learning indicators in the State Framework;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(c)">
          <text>Monitor a student’s cognitive, affective, social, and psychomotor progress;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(d)">
          <text>Include all students;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(e)">
          <text>Do not evaluate student dress or attendance; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(f)">
          <text>Are not based on the results of a health-related fitness test.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="E.">
      <text>A local school system may conduct a health-related fitness test as part of an annual Wellness Policy Implementation and Monitoring Plan in addition to the standards-based assessments required in §D(3) of this regulation.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="F.">
      <text>The local school system shall develop guidelines and procedures for the support of qualified teachers as follows:</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>Each local school system shall establish planned and continuous programs as required to adequately train its teachers, administrators, supervisors, and personnel in order to update knowledge, instructional materials, and methodology in physical education; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>Each local school system shall require all physical education teachers to submit a current certificate of completion of concussion education training as set out in COMAR 13A.06.08.04.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="G.">
      <text>Student Participation in Standards-Based Physical Education Program.</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>Each student, including a student with a disability as defined in COMAR 13A.05.01.03B, shall have the opportunity to participate in the comprehensive standards-based physical education program required by this chapter.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>The local school system may not:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>Authorize a student to substitute other activities for a standards-based physical education program for graduation credits, such as but not limited to interscholastic sports, community-based sports, physical therapy, Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC), or marching band;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>Waive the standards-based physical education requirement needed to meet graduation requirements;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(c)">
          <text>Excuse students from the standards-based physical education program to participate in content area classes or to complete classwork assignments in other content areas; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(d)">
          <text>Withhold students from the standards-based physical education program as a punishment, unless the student is also removed from the regular classroom setting as part of an in-school suspension or similar disciplinary intervention.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>The local school system shall ensure that:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>Students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in a standards-based physical education program to meet the requirements of the State Framework;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>Reasonable accommodations are provided to ensure students with disabilities have equal opportunity to participate to the fullest extent possible in a standards-based physical education program;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(c)">
          <text>Adapted, allied, or unified physical education, as defined in Education Article, §7-4B-01, Annotated Code of Maryland, is available that meets the standards-based physical education program outcomes; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(d)">
          <text>An individualized action plan is developed for students who are temporarily unable to participate in the standards-based physical education program.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(4)">
        <text>The individualized action plan developed under §G(3)(d) shall provide appropriate learning experiences aligned with the State Framework.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".02" heading="Certification Procedures.">
    <text>By September 2030 and each 5 years after that, each local superintendent of schools shall certify to the State Superintendent of Schools that the instructional programming within grades prekindergarten—12 meets, at a minimum, the requirements set forth in Regulation .01 of this chapter.</text>
  </regulation>
  <annotations>
    <annotation type="Authority">Education Article, §§2-205(c) and (h), 7-205.2, 7-409, and 7-4B-01—7-4B-06, Annotated Code of Maryland</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Effective date: December 1, 1986 (13:24 Md. R. 2560)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Chapter revised effective January 15, 1989 (15:27 Md. R. 3134)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .01B amended effective August 15, 1994 (21:16 Md. R. 1388); August 6, 2001 (28:15 Md. R. 1399)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulations .01—.02 repealed and new Regulations .01—.02 adopted effective November 29, 2010 (37:24 Md. R. 1659)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .01 amended effective July 12, 2021 (48:14 Md. R. 538)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .01B, C amended effective August 1, 2016 (43:15 Md. R. 864)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .01C, D amended effective February 16, 2026 (53:2 Md. R.123)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .02 amended effective August 1, 2016 (43:15 Md. R. 864); February 16, 2026 (53:2 Md. R.123)</annotation>
  </annotations>
</chapter>