{"data":{"id":"us-dc/d.c.-code-38-824.02","jurisdiction":"us-dc","citation":"D.C. Code § 38-824.02","heading":"Physical and health education requirements.","body":"(a)\nPublic schools and public charter schools shall schedule physical education classes for all students on a weekly basis, and recess for all students on a daily basis, throughout the school year as follows:\n(1)\n(A)\nFor students in grades kindergarten through 5, it shall be the goal of all schools to provide an average of 150 minutes of physical education per week, and at least one recess of at least 20 minutes per day.\n(B)\nA school that provides less than an average of 90 minutes per week of physical education in a school year for students in grades kindergarten through 5 shall submit an action plan to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education detailing efforts it will take to increase physical education before the beginning of the next school year and shall work with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education to increase the amount of time provided for physical education each week.\n(2)\n(A)\nFor students in grades 6 through 8, it shall be the goal of all schools to provide an average of 225 minutes of physical education per week, and at least one recess of at least 20 minutes per day.\n(B)\nA school that provides less than an average of 135 minutes per week of physical education in a school year for students in grades 6 through 8 shall submit an action plan to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education detailing efforts it will take to increase physical education before the beginning of the next school year and shall work with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education to increase the amount of time provided for physical education each week.\n\n(a-1)\n(1)\nFor students in Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4, public schools and public charter schools shall:\n(A)\nProvide an average of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day;\n(B)\nSet a goal of providing an average of 90 minutes of physical activity per day; and\n(C)\nProvide at least 2 20-minute sessions of outdoor physical activity per day, weather and space permitting, which may count toward the 60 minutes of physical activity per day requirement.\n(2)\nA school that provides less than an average of 60 minutes per day of physical activity in a school year shall submit an action plan to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education detailing efforts it will take to increase physical activity before the beginning of the next school year and shall work with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education to increase the amount of time provided for physical activity each week.\n\n(b)\nPublic schools and public charter schools shall provide health education to students in Grades Kindergarten through 8 as follows:\n(1)\nSchool years 2010-2011 to 2013-2014: an average of at least 15 minutes per week or the same level of health education as provided in school year 2009-2010, whichever is greater; and\n(2)\nSchool year 2014-2015 and after: an average of at least 75 minutes per week;\n\n(b-1)\nPublic schools and public charter schools shall provide instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation to students in Grades 9 through 12 as follows:\n(1)\nBeginning with the 2016-2017 school year, instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation shall be included in at least one health class necessary for graduation.\n(2)\nThe instruction required by this subsection shall:\n(A)\nBe an instructional program developed by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross or be nationally recognized and based  on  the  most  current  national  evidence-based  emergency cardiovascular care guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation;\n(B)\nInclude appropriate use of an automated external defibrillator, which may be taught by video; and\n(C)\nIncorporate hands-on practice in addition to cognitive learning.\n(3)\nThe instruction required by this section may be provided by the public school or charter school directly or the public school or charter school may arrange for the instruction to be provided by available community-based providers.\n(4)\nThe instruction required by this subsection is not required to be provided by a teacher.\n(5)\nA teacher providing the instruction under this subsection is not required to be a certified trainer of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.\n(6)\nA student is not required to earn certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation to successfully complete the instruction for the purposes of this subsection.\n(7)\nThe instruction offered by the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department pursuant to § 5-401(b-1), shall be deemed to meet the requirements of this subsection.\n\n(b-2)\n(1)\n(A)\nBeginning in the 2019-2020 school year, as part of the health curriculum for students in Kindergarten through Grade 12, public schools and public charter schools shall provide age- and developmentally-appropriate, evidence-based culturally responsive instruction on:\n(i)\nRecognizing and reporting sexual misconduct and child abuse;\n(ii)\nSetting and respecting appropriate personal and body boundaries and privacy rules;\n(iii)\nCommunicating with adults about concerns regarding body boundaries or privacy violations;\n(iv)\nThe meaning of consent;\n(v)\nDeveloping and maintaining healthy relationships; and\n(vi)\nOther appropriate topics to support the healthy development of students.\n(B)\nThe Office of the State Superintendent for Education shall update the District's health education standards to reflect the requirements of subparagraph (A) of this subsection and shall make available a list of curricula or a curriculum guide that public schools or public charter schools may use to fulfill the requirements of subparagraph (A) of this subsection.\n(2)\nFor the purposes of this subsection, the term:\n(A)\n\"Consent\" means words or overt actions indicating a freely given agreement to a physical act or contact within the course of an interpersonal relationship. Consent to a physical act or contact may be initially given but withdrawn at any time. Lack of verbal or physical resistance or submission by the victim due to his or her mental or physical incapacitation or impairment, or the use of force, threats, or coercion shall not constitute consent. Past words or actions indicating freely given agreement to a past physical act or contact shall not constitute consent to a future physical act or contact.\n(B)\n\"Health education standards\" means the specific learning requirements related to health that the Office of the State Superintendent of Education requires students to learn at each academic level, from Kindergarten through Grade 12.\n\n(c)\nThe Healthy Youth and Schools Commission, with assistance from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, shall consider ways to expand physical education in high schools.\n\n(d)\nThe physical education and health education required by this section shall meet the curricular standards adopted by the State Board of Education.","path":["Title 38. Educational Institutions.","Chapter 8A. Healthy Schools.","Subchapter IV. Physical and Health Education."],"source_url":"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/38-824.02","current_through":"2026-08-20 (D.C. Law 26-175)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-29T05:44:07Z","sha256":"9b7d2821a66eece169157a2bb3f9a6dd5287cf557b78000075e8db97df18b10c","source_id":"us-dc","stale":false,"prev":"us-dc/d.c.-code-38-824.01","next":"us-dc/d.c.-code-38-824.02a"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}