Per Public Act 97-1102, the Enhance Physical Education Task Force (EPETF)was created. The purpose of this Task Force was to promote and recommend enhanced physical education programs that can be integrated with a broader wellness strategy and health curriculum in elementary and secondary schools in this state, including:
- Educating and promoting leadership on enhanced physical education among school district and school district officials;
- Developing and utilizing metrics to assess the impact of enhanced physical education;
- Promoting training and professional development in enhanced physical education for teachers and other school and community stakeholders;
- Identifying and seeking local, State, and national resources to support enhanced physical education;
- and such other strategies as may be identified by the Task Force.
The Task Force submitted its recommendations on Goals 19-24 of the Illinois Learning Standards for Physical Development and Health to the Governor and the General Assembly in August 2013. The Task Force focused on updating the standards based on research in neuroscience that impacts the relationship between physical activity and learning. The Illinois State Board of Education adopted these Revised Standards in January 2014 and they were implemented starting in school year 2015-16.