School physical education (PE) programs can play a critical role in helping students increase their physical activity levels. Several federal and state policies have therefore been enacted in attempts to increase the quality and quantity of PE in schools. However, such legislation has frequently proven ineffective due to difficulty with policy development and implementation in schools. In order to better understand this policy process, researchers at the University of Memphis will construct eight case studies that will examine: how PE policies are developed and enacted from State level down; how such policies affect and are affected by resource allocations; and how effective PE policy implementation strategies have been. A total of eight schools that exhibit variation in PE policies will be picked from two of the states hardest hit by childhood obesity, Mississippi and Tennessee. Data will be collected from key stakeholder interviews and direct observation of student physical activity levels within the eight schools.
