Physical Education Program

All K-5 schools in the State of Georgia are required to provide at least ninety hours of Health and Physical Education instruction per school year. Although the annual requirement is ninety hours, many teachers view physical activity for all children as a critical part of the instructional day, and therefore, ensure that students receive more than the required time. All middle (6-8) school students are scheduled into physical education as part of the connections classes. On the high school level, one term of physical education, in the form of Personal Fitness, is required for graduation. The State Department of Education has established minimum standards for all levels and courses in physical education through the written Georgia Standards of Excellence. These minimum standards are embedded within our curriculum.

Clayton County Public Schools has thirty-nine Elementary and Primary schools and forty-six physical education specialists are employed to provide quality instruction to all of our students. Clayton County is committed to provide physical education to every child. Our program includes annual instruction in fitness, locomotor and non-locomotor skills, equipment manipulation, body management, rhythms and social skills. Recently, Clayton County Public Schools has teamed up with the State of Georgia to assess our students' fitness levels utilizing FitnessGram. Classroom teachers often incorporate movement in their classrooms using such tools as, but not limited to, "Power Up for 30", Energizers, and CATCH kits to get students up and moving inside the classroom. We are proud of our instructional program and the materials and equipment available to both classroom teachers and highly qualified physical education instructors.

The Middle school curriculum introduces middle school students to a wide range of fitness activities, team and lifetime sports, recreational games and track and field. Included in the fitness activities is an emphasis on personal fitness to help combat increasing levels of childhood obesity. The FitnessGram student fitness assessment is also administered to students enrolled in all Middle School Physical Education classes.

High School Physical Education programs focus on personal fitness with opportunities to explore a variety of individual and team sports. The Personal Fitness course is usually scheduled in the ninth grade year and is required for graduation.  Other physical education courses offered include team and lifetime sports, track and field and weight training. We believe that as part of the total educational process secondary physical education should be universal in opportunity and individualized in application, therefore students can achieve the highest level of health related fitness and improve lifetime team skills and abilities.

Health Education Program

In the state of Georgia, Health and Physical Education is required a minimum of ninety hours per school year in grades kindergarten through five. Middle School students in Clayton County are offered health instruction as part of their connections classes. It is our belief that the middle school students are at a critical point in their social and emotional development and that the issues facing them are more complex, therefore every effort is made for students in grade 6-8 to receive nine weeks of health instruction annually. Health is required for high school and must be successfully completed prior to graduation. Georgia Standards of Excellence are established by the State Department of Education in health. These minimum standards are embedded in the curriculum.

Elementary (K-5) health education in Clayton County Schools is comprehensive and includes activities in the areas of nutrition, mental health, safety, disease prevention, violence prevention, alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.  Our curriculum has been designed and selected by classroom teachers for classroom teachers. The kindergarten through fifth grade students curriculum is provided through QuaverEd Health*PE.

Instruction in health in the middle grades (6-8) is also comprehensive and includes a wide variety of topics including nutrition, mental health, disease prevention, alcohol, tobacco, drugs and other topics. The adopted textbook for grade 6-8 is Essential Health Skills for Middle School published by Goodheart-Wilcox.  The Georgia Standards of Excellence address the building of Health Skills that include the following skills: 
1)  Analyzing Influences
2)  Acessing Valid Information
3)  Interpersonal Communications
4)  Decision-making
5)  Goal-setting
6)  Self-management
7)  Advocating for Self and Others

The High School (9-12) Health class is a requirement for graduation in the State of Georgia. The health class is comprehensive and includes such topics as nutrition, mental health, disease prevention, alcohol, tobacco, drugs and other topics.  The adopted textbook for grade 9-12 is Essential Health Skills for High School published by Goodheart-Wilcox.  The Georgia Standards of Excellence address the building of Health Skills that include the following skills:
1)  Analyzing Influences
2)  Acessing Valid Information
3)  Interpersonal Communications
4)  Decision-making
5)  Goal-setting
6)  Self-management
7)  Advocating for Self and Others

In addiiton to the teaching of Health and Personal Fitnesss, ninth grade students receive instruction in 
the Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program (ADAP). This program is mandated by the state and supported by the Georgia Department of Driver's Services. The course is required of all persons under the age of 18 who wish to acquire a driver's license. The course is four hours in length and culminates with a written test. In order to receive a Georgia Driver's License the student must attend all four hours of the course and successfully pass the written exam. Additionally, students are provided Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation instruction. Although this instruction does not lead to student certification in CPR, it does require that all students receive training in the psychomotor skills associated with performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Lastly, students in middle grades (6-8) and high school (9-12)  Health recieve Sexual Health Instructuion through the Choosing the Best Curriculum.  Parents are provided opportunities to view this curriculum before instruction begins and may opt-out in writing if they wish to opt out from their students receiving this instruction.