Many physical educators are aware of the impact the tightening fiscal climate has on physical education programs at all levels. Shrinking resources have generated a need to protect and promote the quality of physical education programs in this country. Additionally, administrators need to be proactive when attempting to target physical education programs. They must be prepared to present school boards with documented evidence of the effectiveness of their program by establishing data points that display how goals have been met through measurable objectives. An ongoing and comprehensive assessment program is part of a rational approach to establishing the importance of physical education in today's academic settings. This article presents a goals-based assessment model that systematically lays out the process for assessing goal attainment at any level in a physical education program. This matrix is based on a hierarchical model of goals (i.e., institutional, to program, to course level) that are supported by objectives and operationally defined within the context of the program. Each goal should have one or more quantifiable standards that may be used to assess the level of goal fulfillment in pre-defined areas of performance. When complete, the matrix will provide an easy overview of the relationship between the hierarchy of goals at all levels, data collection strategies and tools, and acceptable performance standards. (Contains 1 table.)