BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2298
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Date of Hearing: April 21, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 2298 (Torlakson) - As Amended: April 14, 2010
Policy Committee: Education
Vote:6-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: Yes
SUMMARY
This bill makes the following statutory changes related to
physical education (PE) instruction in schools:
1)Requires the State Department of Education (SDE) to
periodically update rules and regulations it deems necessary
for the establishment of PE courses in the elementary and
secondary schools consistent with statute and the content
standards adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE).
2)Requires the PE adopted course of study offered to pupil in
grades 7-12 to include instruction and assessment consistent
with the PE model content standards adopted by the SBE.
3)Repeals statute requiring PE instruction in an elementary
school maintaining grades one to eight, inclusive, for a total
of not less than 200 minutes for every 10 schooldays, thereby
requiring 400 minutes for every 10 schooldays-the same
standard for middle schools.
4)Changes the requirements for the Golden State Seal Merit
Diploma (GSSMD) program to require pupils to demonstrate
mastery in PE, as specified.
5)Requires the SBE to adopt PE instructional materials.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)GF administrative costs, likely between $100,000 and $150,000,
to periodically update rules and regulations for PE courses,
as specified.
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2)GF administrative costs, likely less than $100,000, to
determine a state assessment to measure mastery in PE under
the GSSMD program.
3)GF/98 costs, of at least $211.6 million, to local education
agencies to purchase PE instructional materials for pupils
enrolled in grades K-8.
4)GF administrative costs to SDE, of at least $240,000, to adopt
PE instructional materials. In July 2009, the governor vetoed
$705,000 (GF) in SDE administrative funds "to capture the
maximum amount of savings from the instructional materials
flexibility provided in the Education trailer bill to school
districts, which suspends the adoption of instructional
materials by SBE and the subsequent purchasing requirements
for school districts until 2013-14. This reduction removes
funding for unnecessary Curriculum Development and
Supplemental Materials Commission per diem and travel as well
as funding for SDE staff."
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . According to the Critical Connection Between Student
Health and Academic Achievement: How School and Policymakers
Can Achieve a Positive Impact (WestEd and the University of
California, San Francisco, 2009) "Chronic diseases such as
asthma, diabetes, obesity and tooth decay affect 20 to 30% of
children and adolescents. As these students require more
frequent and complex medical services, they experience a
higher incidence of school absences, which often results in
decreased educational outcomes." The report further states:
"More than 1 in 3 California students is obese or overweight.
Latino children are most likely to be obese, and low-income
communities and schools have the highest obesity rates.
Overweight 4th to 6th graders were absent significantly more
days than their non-overweight peers (12.2 vs. 10.1 days)."
The author argues this bill emphasizes the importance of PE by
making a number of statutory changes, including aligning
instruction with the PE model content standards, requiring SDE
to update PE regulations, and requiring the SBE to adopt PE
instructional materials.
2)Current law requires pupils in grades 9-12 to complete two PE
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courses in order to receive a high school diploma. Statute
also requires PE instruction for not less than 200 minutes
every 10 school days for pupils in grades K-6. Pupils in
grades 7-12, inclusive, are required to attend PE courses for
not less than 400 minutes every 10 schooldays. Pupils in
grades 1-8 attending an elementary school are required to
receive PE instruction for a total period of time not less
than 200 minutes every 10 schooldays. This bill proposes to
repeal the requirement for pupils in grades 1-8 attending an
elementary school. By repealing this language, all seventh
and eighth graders will be required to have for 400 minuets
each 10 schooldays of PE instruction regardless if they attend
an elementary or middle school.
AB 1793 (Migden), Chapter 943, Statutes of 2002, requires SDE
to monitor the number of hours of physical education
instruction offered to pupils in grades 1 to 12, inclusive. It
also requires the SBE to adopt content standards for PE. These
content standards were adopted in January 2005 to "represent
the content of the discipline of physical education and
include the essential skills and knowledge students will need
to be physically active throughout their lifetimes."
Statute also requires school districts to administer an annual
physical fitness test, designated by the SBE, to all fifth,
seventh, and ninth graders annually. The physical fitness test
designated for California public school students is the
FITNESSGRAM, developed by The Cooper Institute. The test
assesses six major fitness areas, including aerobic capacity
(cardiovascular endurance), body composition (percentage of
body fat), abdominal strength and endurance, trunk strength
and flexibility, upper body strength and endurance, and
overall flexibility.
3)The GSSMD program was established to recognize public school
graduates who have demonstrated their mastery of the high
school curriculum in designated content areas. In order to be
eligible for this program, high school pupils must be
receiving a high school diploma from their school district or
charter school and have earned a scaled score of 370 or above
on at least six qualifying California Standards Tests (CSTs).
Results from the CSTs the students have taken in previous
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years may be used. The qualifying examinations must include
six examinations in any of the following subject areas:
mathematics, English language arts, science, United States
History, and the remaining two subjects matters may be
selected by the student.
This bill removes pupil discretion to choose the other two
subjects. Instead, this measure requires pupils to complete
mastery in PE and choose one other subject: either visual or
performing arts.
Committee staff notes that there is not a CST to measure
physical education. The state does have the physical fitness
test. SDE, however, would need to determine how a pupil will
measure mastery in PE.
Analysis Prepared by : Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)
319-2081