(a) Each school shall be assigned its accreditation status based upon the extent to which the school has met the performance and quality criteria established by the state board in this regulation. (c) The quality criteria shall consist of the following quality measures, which shall be required to be in place at each school:

• (G) physical education, which shall include instruction in health and human sexuality;

(a) Each local board of education shall adopt a written policy specifying that pupils are eligible for graduation only upon completion of at least the following requirements:

• (1) Four units of English language arts, which shall include reading, writing, literature, communication, and grammar. The building administrator may waive up to one unit of this requirement if the administrator determines that a pupil can profit more by taking another subject;
• (2) three units of history and government, which shall include world history; United States history; United States government, including the Constitution of the United States; concepts of economics and geography; and, except as otherwise provided in S.B.R. 91-31-32, a course of instruction in Kansas history and government;
• (3) three units of science, which shall include physical, biological, and earth and space science concepts and which shall include at least one unit as a laboratory course;
• (4) three units of mathematics, including algebraic and geometric concepts;
• (5) one unit of physical education, which shall include health and which may include safety, first aid, or physiology. This requirement shall be waived if the school district is provided with either of the following:
• (A) A statement by a licensed physician that a pupil is mentally or physically incapable of participating in a regular or modified physical education program; or
• (B) a statement, signed by a lawful custodian of the pupil, indicating that the requirement is contrary to the religious teachings of the pupil;
• (6) one unit of fine arts, which may include art, music, dance, theatre, forensics, and other similar studies selected by a local board of education; and
• (7) six units of elective courses.

The Kansas Health Education Standard are divided into four sections: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12. They were created using the national Standard as a template (available at www.shapeamerica.org) , but the benchmarks were edited to make the Standard more user friendly for Kansas teachers. Research shows that elementary students who are given nutrition, physical activity, and substance abuse resistance skills education, eat a healthier diet, exercise more, and resist substance abuse. Students in grades 5-12 who receive health education focused on the CDC’s adolescent risk behaviors also eat healthier, exercise more, resist substance abuse, avoid intentional and unintentional injury, and also delay sexual activity. The Kansas Health Education Standard Revision Committee feels strongly that health education for Kansas students should be implemented throughout grades K-12 and we encourage teachers to dialogue with their administration regarding ways to strengthen health education in Kansas schools. While the Kansas State Department of Education does not endorse any particular curricula, there are a number of affordable, researched based, K-12 health education curricula currently available to school districts at reasonable costs.