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Education and Health: A Review and AssessmentAPPENDIX II: Texas Statutes on School HealthHEALTHY SCHOOLSTEXAS HEALTH SCHOOL POLICIES• CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTIONHealth EducationMandate: Statute §28.002 (2001) requires instruction in health education as part of the“enrichment curriculum” for Kindergarten through grade 12, subject to additional rules by theTexas State Board of Education. TAC §74.1 (1998) specifies that each “district must ensure thatsufficient time is provided for teachers to teach and for students to learn… health [and] physicaleducation” in grades Kindergarten through 8, but at the high school level school districts onlyneed to offer a health course and maintain evidence that students have the opportunity to takethe course. High school students must earn at least 1½ credits in health education (out of 22credits) in order to graduate per TAC §74.41 (2001).Curriculum Content: The state does not currently require that schools use a specific healtheducation curriculum. However, TAC §115 (1997) of the Texas Administrative Code outlines theTexas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Health Education, which are guidelines for instruction.Local school districts are free to decide for themselves what parts of the Health Education TEKSthey choose to teach and the extent to which they choose to address a particular health topic.Also, under the terms of Statute §38.013-.014 (2001), part of what is commonly referred to as“Senate Bill 19”, the Texas Education Agency is required to “make available to each schooldistrict a coordinated health program designed to prevent obesity, cardiovascular disease, andType II diabetes in elementary school students” and every school system is required to betrained in its implementation by 2007. To date TEA has approved the use of two specificcurriculum programs that satisfy this requirement and the state is coordinating trainingopportunities in their use.State Assessment Requirement: None.Physical EducationMandate: Education Code §38.013 (2003) requires the agency to provide one or morecoordinated health programs that accounts for health education, physical education andphysical activity, nutrition services and parental involvement in each school district. Statute§28.002 (2001) requires instruction in physical education as part of the “enrichment curriculum”for Kindergarten through grade 12, subject to additional rules by the Texas State Board ofEducation TAC §74.2 (1993) requires school districts that offer K-5 must provide instruction inthe physical education curriculum. TAC §74.32 (2002) further mandates enrolled K-6 students toparticipate in a minimum of 30 minutes per day or 135 minutes per week of physical activity.TAC §74.3 (2004) requires school districts offering grades 6-12 to provide instruction in physicaleducation. Further, high school students are required to fulfill 1½ credits of physical education toreceive a high school diploma according to TAC §74.51 (2003).TAC §74.31 (2001) requires districts to classify students for physical education into unrestricted,restricted, or adapted and remedial categories.Exemptions: None specified.E-94