Date of Award

12-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

First Advisor

Jackie Ramey

Second Advisor

Huaibo Xin

Third Advisor

Beth Rapoff

Abstract

Does curriculum in Illinois high schools have evidence of National and State Health and Physical Education Standards? This study consisted of a quantitative descriptive content analysis to examine the extent to which Illinois high school curriculum material included National and State physical education and health standards. The researcher utilized a rubric that was aligned to the three sets of standards: SHAPE America’s National Physical Education Standards; the National Health Education Standards; and the Illinois Learning Standards for Physical Development and Health. The primary aim was to thoroughly examine how the standards are currently integrated. Research Question 1 (RQ1) asked, “What is the extent of alignment between national and state physical education standards in Illinois high schools, and how does it affect curriculum delivery?” This question is central to identifying inconsistencies and areas for improvement in our schools’ approaches. Research Question 2 (RQ2) focused on integration: “How are health standards integrated into the physical education framework in Illinois high schools, and what challenges do educators face I this integration process?” This question aims to uncover the practical hurdles educators encounter daily. And Research Question 3 (RQ3) addresses the broader impact: “What implications do the findings have for future policy development and curriculum design, especially regarding the enhancement of physical education and health program effectiveness?” This will help pave the way for more effective educational policies. RQ1 findings are not statistically significant, because this study used descriptive - not inferential - methods. However, they are educationally significant, revealing meaningful differences in curriculum alignment that directly impact student learning and district-level decision-making. In RQ2, descriptive scores showed large and consistent variance among districts. Some districts scored relatively high on the rubric – indicating strong alignment with the standards – while others scored much lower. Again, no inferential statistics were conducted, so no statistical significance, but the magnitude of the variance is what matters here and due to the differences being large enough, suggesting important inequalities in how health standards are implemented across districts. In RQ3 descriptive scores again show moderate levels of integration – with most curriculum documents landing in the middle of the rubric scale and very little evidence of full integration for all standards. This lack of alignment is educationally significant, because curriculum inconsistency affects program quality, instructional focus, and student access to high-quality physical education. Analysis has uncovered critical gaps between existing literature and the current implementation of standards in Illinois high schools. The misalignment underscores a pressing need to enhance integration of these standards, particularly in physical education and health curricula.

Research Highlights

  • The Problem: Illinois high school teachers inconsistently apply state and national health and physical education standards in their curricula due to a lack of accountability measures, disciplinary repercussions, and professional direction. 

  • The Method: This quantitative descriptive content analysis examined online curriculum materials from a random sample of 210 Illinois high schools, distributed as 30 schools from each of the seven Illinois High School Association (IHSA) divisions, using a 4-point rubric (2, 4, 6, 8 points) to measure alignment with SHAPE America and Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) standards. 

  • Quantitative Finding: National Physical Education standards reached an overall alignment of 55.0% to 60.1% of maximum possible points; National Health Education standards ranged from 41.1% to 52.7% alignment; Illinois Learning Standards for Physical Development and Health showed alignment between 43.6% and 50.3%. 

  • Qualitative Finding: Standards are utilized at a minimum level across the state with very little evidence of full integration; curriculum documents often include standards and outcomes but lack descriptions of how they are practically applied; significant variance exists between school districts, suggesting important inequalities in health standard implementation.

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