How many Physical Education classes in HS?

[Michelle_NC]

How many physical education classes do you plan for high school?  DD took a PE class in 9th grade and started working with a personal trainer over the summer.  Should I count this as a class if she logs enough hours or just consider it an extracurricular?

 

And if we use it as a class do I need to give a test of some sort?

 

Thanks!

[Jenny in Florida]

We didn't list PE on either of my kids' transcripts. My daughter earned a couple of levels on the President's Challenge fitness program. My son is a fairly serious dancer, and we did toy with the possibility of awarding credit for all of the hours he spends at the studio. But we opted to list all of that as extracurriculars. Each had plenty of credits without PE; homeschoolers in Florida aren't required to list any specific courses for graduation; and none of the colleges to which either of them applied cared about seeing PE on transcripts.

[Lori D.]

Some states require 1-2 credits of PE (sometimes 0.5 credit PE, 0.5 credit Health) for public high school graduation. PE is not required for college admission; for listing PE credit(s) on a transcript for a college, usually PE is considered an Elective.

 

Unless your state regulations require homeschoolers to accomplish specific credits for high school graduation,  homeschoolers can decide for themselves as to how many, or how few, or no PE credits at all -- anywhere from 4 credits (1 credit per year of high school), to 2 credits (0.5 credit per year of high school) -- or as little 1 credit, 0.5 credit, or no credit at all -- it's your homeschool, you can decide what your PE goals are. :)

 

Yes, you certainly can count the summer work outs with the trainer towards a PE credit by logging the hours. No, you don't need to give a test unless you want to. Again, it's your homeschool, you can determine what is required to accomplish the PE credit. :) Most homeschoolers tend to just count hours for PE credits -- maybe also require that the student shows proficiency in the activity.

 

More options: some homeschool families just list the PE credit with Pass/Fail (rather than a letter grade). And some families with students who have accrued a large number of credits don't bother to list PE as credit on the transcript to keep the transcript from looking "padded".

 

Just me: I would only count it as an extracurricular if the physical activity was participation as part of an organized group -- a sports team (public school Varsity sports, or club sports such as like soccer or swimming), or community/national organization (like Orienteering, or fencing, etc.). 

 

BEST of luck in deciding how best to address PE credits in YOUR homeschool!   :) Warmest regards, Lori D.

[In The Great White North]

We didn't list PE on the transcript at all either.

[Mom22ns]

Some states require 1-2 credits of PE (sometimes 0.5 credit PE, 0.5 credit Health) for public high school graduation. PE is not required for college admission; for listing PE credit(s) on a transcript for a college, usually PE is considered an Elective.

 

While looking at possible colleges, we have found at least 3 (out of maybe a dozen we have looked at) that list 1 credit of PE as a requirement for admissions. I think they were all State Universities and it is in our state high school college prep graduation requirements, so it may be there in part to support state high school standards. I can't imagine them rejecting a well qualified student due to lack of a PE credit, but sometimes large universities can be very rule driven. 

I went ahead and included 1 credit of PE on each of my kid's transcripts just to make sure it would never be an issue. Anything beyond that will be considered an EC. YMMV

[Lori D.]

While looking at possible colleges, we have found at least 3 (out of maybe a dozen we have looked at) that list 1 credit of PE as a requirement for admissions...

 

...I went ahead and included 1 credit of PE on each of my kid's transcripts just to make sure it would never be an issue. Anything beyond that will be considered an EC. YMMV

 

Interesting! Thanks for sharing this. I had not run across any universities requiring a PE credit before! :)

 

Our goal was 2 PE credits (0.5 credit each school year), but that was because I was attempting to get a lifestyle of regular exercise instilled here. ;)

[EKS]

I listed health which was taken at home and half a credit of PE that was awarded by the school my son attended for a year.

[TechWife]

I don't plan to put any PE credits on my son's transcript at this point. 

[Mom22ns]

Our goal was 2 PE credits (0.5 credit each school year), but that was because I was attempting to get a lifestyle of regular exercise instilled here. ;)

 

We listed "Health and Fitness" as one credit one year which was a half credit health and a half credit PE. Then they had to do another half credit PE another year. I had the same get a lifestyle of exercise instilled theory by spreading it across 2 years. My younger is a competitive gymnast, so it isn't an issue there. Ds struggled to find exercise he didn't hate, but he found his way and still exercises fairly regularly even now that it isn't required :).

[Maddysmom26]

Oh this is good question!  NY is required 2 credits of PE , I was thinking 1 per year but maybe I should I do .5 for each year.