Physical Education/Physical Activity continued
As part of a CSPAP, schools should also ensure that students are physically active outside P.E. class. Colorado House Bill 11-1069
requires all public elementary schools to provide students with a minimum of 600 minutes of physical activity per month (an
average of 30 minutes per school day) (2011). Additionally, the legislation specifies that each school district must adopt a physical
activity policy that ensures the schedule of each elementary student satisfies the law’s requirements for such physical activity
opportunities.
As Figure 4.3 below shows, a majority of schools provide physical activity breaks in the classroom and offer intramural sports
and/or physical activity clubs outside of school. Fewer schools, but still a majority of elementary and combined schools, provide
physical activity opportunities before school.
FIGURE 4.3
Percentage of schools that offer the following physical activity opportunities
Finally, elementary schools provide further opportunities for physical activity through recess. As indicated in Table 4.2, the average
number of recess minutes provided decreases with each subsequent grade level.
TABLE 4.2
Average recess minutes in elementary grades
Colorado House Bill 11-1069
requires all public elementary
schools to provide students
with a minimum of 600
minutes of physical activity
per month (an average of 30
minutes per school day).
• 8 •
Elementary
Combined
Kindergarten
36
36
1st grade
33
34
2nd grade
32
33
3rd grade
30
32
4th grade
28
31
5th grade
27
28
6th grade
13
24