Physical Education - High School
Course Catalog - Physical Education
Physical Education in Northside ISD is designed to meet the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards, providing students with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to lead active and healthy lives. The program emphasizes lifelong fitness, movement skills, and personal responsibility, while also encouraging teamwork and positive social interaction.
Program Focus Areas (Aligned to TEKS):
- Health-Related Fitness – Developing and maintaining cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, and body composition.
- Movement Skills – Applying proper techniques in a variety of physical activities and sports to enhance performance and safety.
- Personal & Social Responsibility – Demonstrating respect, cooperation, and leadership in individual and group activities.
- Lifelong Physical Activity – Exploring fitness concepts and activities that promote active living beyond high school.
- Safety & Injury Prevention – Practicing safe participation, proper equipment use, and injury-prevention strategies.
- Self-Management – Setting personal goals, monitoring progress, and reflecting on fitness choices.
Through meaningful and motivational experiences, students build confidence, improve physical literacy, and gain the tools to maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
High School P.E. Courses
Both courses meet Texas state requirements for high school physical education credit and fulfill the mandatory PE graduation requirement.
Skill-Based Lifetime Activities (#5638)
This course introduces students to a variety of activities that promote lifelong physical activity, basic sport skills, and health and fitness knowledge. Students will explore activities such as yoga, archery, golf, tennis, pickleball, team handball, and badminton, while also developing social and emotional learning and lifetime wellness principles. P.E. uniform requirements will be communicated by campus staff.
Weight Training for Personal Fitness (#5639)
Offered to 10th–12th grade students, this course focuses on weight training concepts and their impact on personal fitness, physical literacy, and healthy living. Students will design and implement individualized resistance training programs to support lifetime wellness. The P.E. uniform policy will be communicated by the Physical Education Campus Staff.
Curriculum
Northside ISD Physical Education teachers have optimal opportunities to play vital roles in positively impacting the health and well-being of our students and their communities. We empower students for a lifetime of health and fitness using standards and research-based curriculum to support activity and learning for student success.
Northside will provide physical education instruction, K-12, according to the Texas Education Code and adopted by the State Board of Education (SBOE). Educators at Northside ISD teach according to the guidelines established in the TEKS emphasizing concepts that promote physical fitness and wellness that apply to the lifelong process of becoming fit and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
- Spark
- Catch
- District Enrichment Modules - The “Move to Live, Live to Move” (P.E.P. Grant) Program features Mobile Learning Modules aligned with TEKS-based curriculum. These modules focus on fitness and lifetime activities to enhance fitness levels, increase awareness and knowledge of fitness training, and motivate students to stay active into adulthood. By introducing a variety of lifetime sports and leisure pursuits, the program encourages students to “live to move” and provides rotational access throughout the district.
Note: Module rotations vary from year to year and are provided throughout the district.
Northside is currently implementing a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) with physical education serving as the foundation. The CSPAP is a multi-component approach which includes physical activity before, during, and after school, and involvement with communities and families. The new approach provides students the opportunity to be physically active for the recommended 60 minutes per day.
Fitness Assessment
State law requires school districts to annually assess the physical fitness of students enrolled in grade three or higher and to provide the results of individual student performance on the administered physical fitness assessments to the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The Physical Fitness Assessment Initiative (PFAI) is a program designed to collect and analyze the required student physical fitness data.
Parents may request their child's physical fitness assessment results by contacting their child's physical education teacher.
Restricted Physical Education
A student who is unable to participate in the state-required regular PE program due to a specific physiological condition should have a physician complete the Physician's form and will have their program modified.
Applied Sports Studies - P.E. Electives
This elective course is designed for students interested in athletic training, physical therapy, or related medical fields. Students study and apply key components of sports medicine, including injury prevention, sports psychology, nutrition, and legal considerations. The course covers injury recognition, initial evaluation, and immediate care, as well as First Aid, CPR, and AED training. Additional topics include skin conditions, bloodborne pathogens, thermal injuries, and medical considerations for adolescent athletes.
This elective course is for students continuing in the student athletic trainer program. It emphasizes hands-on skill development in key areas of sports medicine and requires participation outside of class, including working with athletes and athletic teams. Students must be approved by the Licensed Athletic Trainer supervising the program. Sports Medicine II complements students’ exercise, wellness, or science coursework and prepares them for college-level healthcare programs.
This course teaches students the rules, communication, decision-making, and conflict management skills needed to officiate team sports. Students learn officiating mechanics based on UIL specifications, building a foundation for lifelong officiating.
Through field experiences and simulated scenarios, students apply rules and techniques in real-world settings. The course also emphasizes fitness, personal fitness planning, time management, adherence to the Sports Officials Code of Ethics, and understanding legal responsibilities. (Team Sports Officiating is not offered at all campuses.)
Sports Medicine I, Sports Medicine II, and Team Sports Officiating are electives that provide career exploration and skill development but do not count toward high school physical education credit or the mandatory P.E. graduation requirement.
Adapted Physical Education (APE) (All Campuses, K-12)
Northside ISD’s Adapted Physical Education program provides an individualized program of developmental activities, exercises, games, sports, and rhythms designed to meet the unique physical education needs of students experiencing difficulties in the psychomotor domain. The program is tailored to support each student’s growth, skill development, and overall physical wellness.
For further information, please contact your campus Special Education Coordinator or visit https://www.nisd.net/district/special-education.