The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Every Child Succeeds Act of 2015 have significantly emphasized student academic outcomes in recent years. As a result, school districts are seeking strategies to increase student achievement and incorporate required standards and goals. Reducing scheduled physical activity time that students in Kindergarten through Grade 5 receive during the instructional day is one decision being made to bolster student achievement. This quantitative study investigated physical activity's influence on fifth-grade students' academic achievement. It sought to determine if the amount of scheduled physical activity time significantly affected students' performance in English: Reading and Mathematics Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) and if this relationship could be a catalyst for academic success. The study sample comprised 19 Virginia public school districts and 335 individual schools with fifth-grade students' Virginia SOL test results. Findings revealed that increased physical activity had a positive impact on academic achievement, particularly in the subjects of mathematics for both males and females. Gender differences were not observed in the effect of physical activity on educational outcomes. This study underscores the importance of physical activity in promoting academic success, emphasizing the potential for enhanced performance in English: Reading and Mathematics SOLs. It calls for further research and highlights the need for robust physical education programs in public schools to support student development. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]