SAN MARCOS - Teachers in the San Marcos Unified School District will be working to revamp their physical education programs this spring.

New physical education standards set by the California Department of Education in January were adopted by trustees at their board meeting this week to demonstrate the district's commitment to improving physical education, officials said.

The district's 17 schools will now be encouraged to use the standards, which specifically outline what students should know and be able to do physically at each grade level.

"I think it's a very positive step," said Ash Hayes, a San Marcos resident who was on the state's writing committee for the standards and who is also a member of the district's physical education subcommittee.

Hayes said the standards are the first step in improving the district's physical education program and will be used to help teachers craft a new curriculum for physical education.

"Nothing concrete has ever been in place," said Hayes, referring to the observations gathered by the subcommittee.

Besides making specific recommendations for each grade level, the standards include goals that all students should meet.

For elementary students, there is an emphasis on rhythmic skills and body management; for middle school students, the focus is on group dynamics and nutrition; and for high schools, sports such as running, cycling and skating, aquatics, team sports, aerobic activities and outdoor activities are recommended, according to the standards.

"PE is just as important as English and math," said Naomi Butler, a parent and member of the physical education subcommittee. "It makes sense for us to develop a specific curriculum to make it better."

On Tuesday, all of the district's physical education teachers will meet to learn about the new standards and brainstorm about how they will implement them before drafting a curriculum, said Kanoa Elizondo, who leads the district's physical education subcommittee.

Elizondo said the group will also discuss the limited number of facilities that are available for students to engage in the outdoor activities that are recommended by the state.

"We are going to see how we can jump over those barriers to meet the standards," said Elizondo.

The emphasis on physical education and nutrition has been a key focus for the district for the last year after officials adopted a federally mandated wellness policy that outlines nutritional guidelines and physical education goals for the district.

In October, the physical fitness and education subcommittee, made up of community members and San Marcos Unified School District officials, was set up to ensure that schools beef up their physical education programs and that students meet state standards.

The task of the subcommittee is to focus on improving existing physical education classes and finding ways to promote before- and after-school fitness activities.

It is also is in charge of developing a course of study and curriculum guide for the district.

Hayes said the subcommittee recommended that the state standards be incorporated into the district's physical education program after thoroughly reviewing activities and student performance.

Data from the Department of Education show that students in San Marcos have repeatedly failed to meet minimum physical fitness standards.

Every year, state law requires school districts to administer a physical fitness test designated by the state's board of education, to all fifth, seventh, and ninth grades. The goal is for students to achieve minimum fitness levels in all six areas of the test.

The test assesses six major fitness areas, including aerobic capacity, body composition, abdominal strength and endurance, flexibility, upper-body strength and trunk strength.

Hayes, who has worked more than five decades in physical education, said that when physical education teachers in the district draft a curriculum, they will consider how to improve the district's test scores.

- Contact staff writer Brenda Duran at (760) 761-4408 or bduran@nctimes.com.