The prevalence of children who are overweight or obese has more than tripled since 1980. Sixteen percent of children or teens ages 6-19 years are considered overweight (NHANES, 2000). Risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, and some cancers occur with increased frequency in children and adolescents who are overweight and obese compared to those with a healthy weight. These factors are important since cardiovascular diseases are responsible for more than one half of all deaths in the United States. In an attempt to reduce the percentage of youth who are overweight and obese, researchers reported that physical education curricula can be highly effective in increasing physical activity levels at school (Sallis, 1999). Researchers have recommended utilizing a fitness-based curriculum for these classes. This type of curriculum focuses on increasing a student's overall activity levels and promoting a wellness approach to living (Faucette, 2002). The purpose of this study was to evaluate different curriculum models currently used in physical education classes to determine if a certain curriculum provides students with more physical activity as compared to others. Total steps were measured on 1111 subjects (445 Elementary, 302 Middle School, 364 High School) and 3 different curriculum models were studied (Fitness, Sport, and Skill Themes). After controlling for class and activity time, an ANCOVA was conducted and found significant differences for total steps and grade level F = 7.337, p < .001 (Elementary M = 1966, Middle School M = 1761, High School M = 1890) were reported. Males (M = 2050) obtained significantly more steps than females (M = 1713); F = 69.015, p < .001. Among the curriculum models across all grade levels, subjects participating in the Sport Model had the most steps (M = 2013), followed by subjects participating in the Skill Themes (M = 1750), and finally subjects in the Fitness Model (M = 1716). Significance was found between the Fitness Model and Sport Model (p<.001), Sport and Skill Themes Models (p<.001), but not between Fitness and Skill Themes Models (p =.582). Unexpectedly, the Fitness Model provided the least amount of steps recorded during physical activity. The Fitness Model has been the hallmark for providing overall physical activity and fitness, yet it did not in this study. These findings emphasize the important role that the teacher and not necessarily the curriculum provide for increasing physical activity in physical education classes.