What does high school physical education look like at this level?

Students move beyond basic skills and start applying them in real activities like team sports, fitness routines, and individual workouts. They also learn how exercise affects the body and how to plan activity they can keep up after high school.

How can I help my child stay active outside of class?

Pick something they actually enjoy, like walking the dog, shooting hoops, biking, or a workout video, and aim for 30 to 60 minutes most days. Joining them once or twice a week makes it stick.

My child says they are bad at sports. Does that matter for this class?

No. The goal at this level is personal progress and steady activity, not athletic talent. Students who walk, stretch, lift, dance, or hike can meet the same goals as students on a team.

How should I sequence skills and fitness across the year?

A common path is to start with fitness testing and goal setting, then rotate through movement units that build on each other. End each semester by having students reflect on their data and adjust their personal plan.

What usually needs the most reteaching at this level?

Pacing during cardio work, proper form on strength exercises, and how to read a heart rate or effort scale. Many students also need practice giving teammates useful feedback instead of just praise or criticism.

How is a grade earned in PE at this level?

Grades usually reflect effort, skill growth, fitness participation, and how students work with others, not whether they won a game. Showing up dressed, trying hard, and tracking personal goals matters more than being the fastest in the gym.

How do I know students are ready for the next level?

By year end, students should be able to lead themselves through a warm-up, work at a target effort level, and explain why their fitness plan fits their goals. They should also cooperate well in group activities without constant prompting.

What can I do at home if my child seems uninterested in exercise?

Start small and remove the pressure. Try a 15 minute walk after dinner, a weekend hike, or a household goal like steps per day. Once movement feels normal instead of a chore, students usually pick activities they like on their own.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year physical education shifts from learning the rules to building habits students will keep after high school. Students refine their skills in sports, fitness routines, and group games, and they learn how training choices affect strength, endurance, and recovery. They also practice working with teammates and handling setbacks without losing their cool. By spring, students can explain a personal fitness plan and stick with an activity they actually enjoy.

Lifelong fitness
Sports skills
Teamwork
Personal fitness plans
Healthy habits

Source: Illinois Illinois Learning Standards

Year at a glance

How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.

1
Skill check and goal setting
Students start the year reviewing how their bodies move and where their fitness stands. They set personal goals for strength, stamina, and skill that guide the rest of the year.
2
Games, sports, and teamwork
Students put their skills to work in team and individual sports. The focus widens from how to play to how to cooperate, communicate, and handle wins and losses with respect.
3
Fitness concepts in action
Students connect what they do in class to how the body actually works. They learn how warm-ups, heart rate, and recovery affect performance and apply that knowledge during workouts.
4
Lifelong wellness habits
Students explore activities they can carry into adulthood, from hiking to weight training to recreational sports. They think about which ones fit their lives and how to keep moving after high school.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 11.

Physical Education

Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor

IL-PE.1.hs-level-2

High School Level 2

Students practice movement skills like running, balancing, and throwing with enough control to use them in real sports and activities. The goal is building habits that make staying active easier for life.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

IL-PE.2.hs-level-2

High School Level 2

Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make better choices during physical activity, like adjusting effort, pacing themselves, or improving form in a sport or workout.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

IL-PE.3.hs-level-2

High School Level 2

Students practice working with others during physical activities, showing respect, communicating clearly, and taking responsibility for how they act in a group.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

IL-PE.4.hs-level-2

High School Level 2

Students reflect on how regular exercise fits their own life and make deliberate choices to stay active. The focus shifts from class requirements to building habits that hold up after graduation.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor High School Level 2	Students practice movement skills like running, balancing, and throwing with enough control to use them in real sports and activities. The goal is building habits that make staying active easier for life.	IL-PE.1.hs-level-2
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance High School Level 2	Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make better choices during physical activity, like adjusting effort, pacing themselves, or improving form in a sport or workout.	IL-PE.2.hs-level-2
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others… High School Level 2	Students practice working with others during physical activities, showing respect, communicating clearly, and taking responsibility for how they act in a group.	IL-PE.3.hs-level-2
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement High School Level 2	Students reflect on how regular exercise fits their own life and make deliberate choices to stay active. The focus shifts from class requirements to building habits that hold up after graduation.	IL-PE.4.hs-level-2

Physical Education

Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor

IL-PE.1.hs-level-2

High School Level 2

Students practice movement skills like running, balancing, and throwing with enough control to use them in real sports and activities. The goal is building habits that make staying active easier for life.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

IL-PE.2.hs-level-2

High School Level 2

Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make better choices during physical activity, like adjusting effort, pacing themselves, or improving form in a sport or workout.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

IL-PE.3.hs-level-2

High School Level 2

Students practice working with others during physical activities, showing respect, communicating clearly, and taking responsibility for how they act in a group.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

IL-PE.4.hs-level-2

High School Level 2

Students reflect on how regular exercise fits their own life and make deliberate choices to stay active. The focus shifts from class requirements to building habits that hold up after graduation.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor High School Level 2	Students practice movement skills like running, balancing, and throwing with enough control to use them in real sports and activities. The goal is building habits that make staying active easier for life.	IL-PE.1.hs-level-2
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance High School Level 2	Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make better choices during physical activity, like adjusting effort, pacing themselves, or improving form in a sport or workout.	IL-PE.2.hs-level-2
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others… High School Level 2	Students practice working with others during physical activities, showing respect, communicating clearly, and taking responsibility for how they act in a group.	IL-PE.3.hs-level-2
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement High School Level 2	Students reflect on how regular exercise fits their own life and make deliberate choices to stay active. The focus shifts from class requirements to building habits that hold up after graduation.	IL-PE.4.hs-level-2

Common Questions

What does high school physical education look like at this level?
Students move beyond basic skills and start applying them in real activities like team sports, fitness routines, and individual workouts. They also learn how exercise affects the body and how to plan activity they can keep up after high school.
How can I help my child stay active outside of class?
Pick something they actually enjoy, like walking the dog, shooting hoops, biking, or a workout video, and aim for 30 to 60 minutes most days. Joining them once or twice a week makes it stick.
My child says they are bad at sports. Does that matter for this class?
No. The goal at this level is personal progress and steady activity, not athletic talent. Students who walk, stretch, lift, dance, or hike can meet the same goals as students on a team.
How should I sequence skills and fitness across the year?
A common path is to start with fitness testing and goal setting, then rotate through movement units that build on each other. End each semester by having students reflect on their data and adjust their personal plan.
What usually needs the most reteaching at this level?
Pacing during cardio work, proper form on strength exercises, and how to read a heart rate or effort scale. Many students also need practice giving teammates useful feedback instead of just praise or criticism.
How is a grade earned in PE at this level?
Grades usually reflect effort, skill growth, fitness participation, and how students work with others, not whether they won a game. Showing up dressed, trying hard, and tracking personal goals matters more than being the fastest in the gym.
How do I know students are ready for the next level?
By year end, students should be able to lead themselves through a warm-up, work at a target effort level, and explain why their fitness plan fits their goals. They should also cooperate well in group activities without constant prompting.
What can I do at home if my child seems uninterested in exercise?
Start small and remove the pressure. Try a 15 minute walk after dinner, a weekend hike, or a household goal like steps per day. Once movement feels normal instead of a chore, students usually pick activities they like on their own.