Do you still need to take P.E. to graduate?

[roadman65]

When I was in High School in Clark, NJ it was the state law to take Physical Education throughout high school in order to graduate HS.

Was wondering if it's that way still in not only NJ but the 49 other states as well. 

The reason for this is at my job I work with a hypochondriac who just recently graduated high school and this is his first job. It seems he's always allowed to go home early because he's not feeling well and for an older teen he is way out of shape. He can't lift somewhat heavy items and asks other to do his job. He spent his first few days of employment in the rest room and would always be in there for twenty five minute periods and after a few hours in front of the conveyor belt he's down on one knee practically crying that he's overworked.

Now it brings to me the question if he can't tolerate a job that requires you to be on your feet all day long, can't lift heavy items, and don't tolerate slight pain and most of all obese from his lack of physical activity while being a recent grad, how did he make it through HS PE? Especially if it's a mandatory rule to graduate?

[Hobart]

In my high school (Illinois), most students have to take physical education to graduate. However, students in the marching band, or in varsity sports, could fill out a form, and have their participation in those activities count for their physical education credit for the year. I took advantage of this as much as I could, because I didn't like PE that much, and had to clear the space for jazz band and other AP courses.

They'd still force you to take health and the classroom component of driver's education, though.

[Big John]

When I was in high school, PE was required through 11th grade.  Elective in 12th grade. Luckily at that time it did not count against the GPA.

[Max Rockatansky]

It counted against the GPA when I was in high school.  It was also the only class that I got an A in all four years.

[kalvado]

Am I the only one who thought this was the question about Professional Engineer exam after looking at the title?

[kphoger]

Am I the only one who thought this was the question about Professional Engineer exam?

I did too.

[kphoger]

My children are homeschooled.  Therefore, they fall under the legal framework of a non-accredited private school.  In Kansas, graduation requirements for NAPSes are actually recommendations.  Thus, it is recommended that my sons complete one unit of physical education before graduation.

[1995hoo]

It counted against the GPA when I was in high school.  It was also the only class that I got an A in all four years.

We had to take two years of phys ed and it counted against the GPA, although we had the option of taking it pass/fail. I sometimes think I should have done that, although I never did the math to figure out whether it would have helped or hurt (it was my math grades that were the real problem).

[7/8]

At my high school in Ontario it was only required for one semester (half a school year) out of the four years (Grade 9-12). Most people chose to take it in Grade 9, including myself.

[Max Rockatansky]

It counted against the GPA when I was in high school.  It was also the only class that I got an A in all four years.

We had to take two years of phys ed and it counted against the GPA, although we had the option of taking it pass/fail. I sometimes think I should have done that, although I never did the math to figure out whether it would have helped or hurt (it was my math grades that were the real problem).

It definitely wasn't going to hurt me given I was already involved in sports in high school.  I phoned in a lot of high school and somehow came away with a 2.9 GPA.  Those four As in gym were an easy wait to appease my upset parents who caught on I wasn't invested in everything else.

[bandit957]

When I was in high school in the late '80s/early '90s, high schools around here required a year of it. People goofed off so much it was worthless.

I remember one day people misbehaved so much that the teacher made the whole class just sit on the floor and not do anything. I also remember one time when people had acted up so much that we were allowed using the locker room only one at a time, which used up the entire class period.

There was also one time when someone threw bubble gum wrappers all over the floor of the locker room.

[WillWeaverRVA]

When I was in high school we had to take PE in 9th and 10th grades. It was an elective in 11th and 12th grades.

[NWI_Irish96]

In Indiana two semesters of Physical Education is required to graduate. Students with physical disabilities qualify to have a modified curriculum. Those with extreme disabilities can get a waiver.

[kphoger]

There was also one time when someone threw bubble gum wrappers all over the floor of the locker room.

That was you, wasn't it?

[JayhawkCO]

I think I took one quarter of gym in my entire high school career - basketball class. That's all that was required. I was plenty active back then so I didn't need the workout per se.

[Takumi]

When I was in high school we had to take PE in 9th and 10th grades. It was an elective in 11th and 12th grades.

Same. Must be the state.

[tigerwings]

When I was in high school we had to take PE in 9th Grade, all year.

The school pulled me out of 1 quarter for a work skills class. All freshmen that we on the free lunch program were put in it.

So in the middle of Senior, school was like "you need to take a quarter of PE to graduate".  So I did and failed because I injured my ankle playing soccer in class. Said I missed too much time before getting a DR note. Bitch hated me (as she did all the fat kids).

Took night school in another district, 2 hrs of Basketball once a week, to graduate.

I don't recall my daughter taking PE in HS.

[jmacswimmer]

In high school I had to take a quarter of PE & a quarter of health in 9th grade and that was it.

This one might be more unusual, but at my alma mater everyone was required to take 4 PE classes (and all PE classes equaled a quarter of a normal class, so 4 PE classes = 1 normal class). There were all sorts of different classes offered; usually "Walking for Fitness" would immediately fill up on registration night from what I would hear. Varsity athletics counted towards the PE requirement, so by virtue of being on the swim team I collected 8 total PE credits that way - having the equivalent of 2 full A's just from swimming was a nice little GPA boost!

[1995hoo]

When I was in high school we had to take PE in 9th and 10th grades. It was an elective in 11th and 12th grades.

Same. Must be the state.

I attended Fairfax County Public Schools. I don't remember for sure whether it was required in 9th and 10th grades, but I do remember (as I noted before) that we were required to take two years of phys ed and I recall that as a practical matter, everyone did take it in 9th and 10th grades. 10th grade included the classroom driver's ed component except for one kid who was a year older and already had his driver's license (he was exceptionally small for his age and his parents had started him in school a year later because of that). I have no idea how it would have worked if someone had wanted to take the second year of phys ed in 11th grade instead.

[SectorZ]

Guess my high school was a tad more rigorous with Phys Ed. Needed three passing years in high school, one of which had to be your senior year.

I don't know if there was summer school for anyone who somehow managed to fail it in senior year. 

[Scott5114]

I don't think we had any sort of PE in high school in Oklahoma. I remember that being more an elementary and middle school thing. It may have been an elective which I satisfied by being in band.

[J N Winkler]

I did have to take PE in high school to satisfy a graduation requirement.  I don't remember offhand whether it was for the whole year or just one semester.  I'd characterize it as a positive experience overall, though a bit light on strenuous activity--I came out of it without any locker-room horror stories.

[hotdogPi]

I believe my high school required either a quarter or a semester of PE each year. At one point, I was too far behind and they realized I would have to take three at once, so they waived one quarter (and still had to take two).

Regarding the PE exam: I haven't even taken the FE exam yet. It's a combination of being too scared to fail and not wanting to give Pearson money.

[dlsterner]

My grade school experiences date from the 1970s.

In Junior High School (grades 7-9)  we were required to take P.E. every year.  In High School (grades 10-12) we only needed one year - most of us took it 10th grade.

Although - it was graded on attendance and participation only.  If you "dressed out" every day and at least participated in the activities, you would get an "A".  Being a not-very-athletic kid, that was a good thing.

Several years after I graduated, they added the marching band exception (to allow it to count as a semester of P.E.).  Would have meant I could take a few more courses instead.

In college we had to take three quarters of P.E. (we were on the quarter system).  But there we could take courses like Bowling and "Recreational Games" (table tennis, pool, etc), and we had an option to take them Pass/Fail.  My roommate took a course in SCUBA Diving for some of his P.E.

[Flint1979]

I remember when I was in school you had to learn how to swim I guess because we're a state with a lot of water in it being surrounded by four of the  great lakes and a lot of inland lakes and ponds and stuff but I got that waived and I still don't know how to swim.