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Purpose: Content analysis of school websites may reveal the degree to which schools value physical education (PE) and physical activity (PA). We used the approach to quantify Maryland's private school websites' PE/PA content and associations with school characteristics. Method: The analytic sample (n = 387) was examined for mention of PE-/PA-related content (e.g., curriculum, dosage, intramurals). Associations between content and school characteristics (e.g., grade levels offered, religious orientation) were examined using Pearson's chi-squared test. Results: PE (∼75% of school websites) was mentioned most frequently, and PA images and PE curriculum (∼30% each) were mentioned least frequently. Elementary and Catholic school websites were proportionately less and more likely, respectively, to mention various PE/PA content. Discussion/Conclusion: Representation of PE/PA content among Maryland's private schools surpassed that found in previous studies. Nonetheless, relative omission of some content may allude to PE/PA being less valued compared with other academic subjects. Follow-up with stakeholders may help elucidate factors that influence content gatekeeping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Studies tracking changes in physical education (PE) policy adherence after an intervention are scarce. In California, successful litigation against 37 school districts for not providing adequate PE time compelled district schools' teachers to post PE schedules online or on-site for 3 years. We performed a follow-up study 4 years after the expiration of lawsuit settlement stipulations to determine the level of adherence in the absence of external accountability. Methods: We reexamined the websites of all 37 school districts, 106 schools' websites that posted time information in spring 2018 (Time 1), and a proportionate 20% random sample of schools' websites (n = 150) that posted no information at Time 1. We used descriptive statistics and paired t tests to detect differences between Times 1 and 2. Discussion/Conclusion: District websites mostly maintained postings of PE time documents and information, while the proportion of Time 1 posting school websites with such content dropped by 58%–67%. At the school level, compliance to policy mandates was positively, but not permanently impacted by a lawsuit intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]