BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2298
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 2298 (Torlakson)
As Amended May 28, 2010
Majority vote
EDUCATION 6-0 APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
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|Ayes:|Brownley, Nestande, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Ammiano, |
| |Ammiano, Carter, Chesbro, | |Bradford, |
| |Torlakson | |Charles Calderon, Coto, |
| | | |Davis, Monning, Ruskin, |
| | | |Skinner, Solorio, |
| | | |Torlakson, Torrico |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | |Nays:|Conway, Harkey, Miller, |
| | | |Nielsen, Norby |
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SUMMARY : Requires the California Department of Education (CDE)
to periodically update rules and regulations in physical
education (PE); and, requires high school PE instruction to be
consistent with the PE model content standards (PEMCS).
Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires CDE to periodically update rules and regulations
related to courses in PE in elementary and secondary schools
and to compile and print a PE manual for distribution to
teachers that is consistent with the Education Code (EC) and
the content standards adopted by the state board of education
(SBE).
2)Requires high school PE courses to provide pupils with
instruction and assessment consistent with the PEMCS adopted
by the SBE.
3)Deletes the reference to the PE exemptions in the high school
graduation requirements.
4)Encourages elementary schools composed of grades 1 to 6,
inclusive, to provide PE teachers professional development in
the content, instruction, and assessment of pupil learning in
PE, as set forth in the PEMCS and the PE framework adopted by
the SBE; and, deletes the authorization for a teacher who has
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successfully completed one college level course in elementary
PE to be exempt from this professional development.
5)Makes findings and declarations that the 200 minute
requirement for PE instruction every 10 schooldays for
elementary pupils is a minimum and, recent studies have shown
that the vast majority of children are not physically active
enough to achieve measures of physical fitness that support
superior academic achievement and good health.
6)Makes findings and declarations that all children shall have
access to comprehensive PE as outlined in the EC, the PEMCS,
and the PE framework for California public schools.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, General Fund administrative costs, likely between
$100,000 and $150,000, to periodically update rules and
regulations for PE courses, as specified.
COMMENTS : This bill emphasizes the importance of PE by
requiring the CDE to periodically update the rules and
regulations relating to PE to align with the EC and the PEMCS;
updates the PE teacher manuals to reflect those changes; and,
encourages schools to provide K-6 PE teachers professional
development that reflects those changes. The bill also requires
high school PE instruction to be consistent with existing PEMCS
and deletes a reference to the PE exemptions in the high school
graduation requirements.
According to the author and data from the California Health
Interview Survey, only 30% of children and 15% of teens get the
recommended 60 minutes of physical activity every day. This
deficiency appears to be a result of numerous factors, including
inadequate monitoring of PE programs, lack of consistency across
programs, and disparities among schools. Researchers have
estimated that increasing PE instruction in kindergarten and
first grade by just one hour per week could reduce the number of
overweight five and six year old girls by as much as 10%
nationally, thereby decreasing their risk of being overweight as
adults.
Physical education content standards & regulations: This bill
requires high school PE to include instruction that is
consistent with the PEMCS. The Assembly should consider whether
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it is appropriate to require schools to align PE courses with
the PEMCS, when that requirement does not exist for other
subject areas.
The PEMCS provide guidance for developing PE programs by
identifying what each student in California should know and be
able to do at each grade level. The standards highlight the
fact that participation in physical activity is not the same as
learning the content in PE. The PEMCS address a student's
ability to demonstrate motor skills, movement patterns,
knowledge of physical fitness, and knowledge of psychological
and sociological concepts that apply to physical activity, among
others. Decisions about how best to teach the standards are
left to teachers, schools, and local educational agencies.
State regulation specifies that school districts shall judge the
quality of a high school PE program based upon whether or not
the course of study provides for instruction in each of the
following areas: effects of physical activity upon dynamic
health, mechanics of body movement, aquatics, gymnastics and
tumbling, individual and dual sports, rhythms and dance, team
sports, and combatives for boys. Under this bill, these
regulations would be periodically updated and aligned to the
PEMCS.
Graduation requirement for PE: Currently, two courses in PE are
required for high school graduation. Several exemptions from
the PE requirement exist in the EC. This bill deletes the
reference to the PE exemptions in the high school graduation
requirements, but does not delete the exemptions. According to
Legislative Counsel, deleting this reference to the exemptions
in the high school graduation requirement section of the code
has no substantive effect on the existing PE exemptions, since
the exemptions are in different EC sections. Therefore, this
statutory change is not substantive.
According to the California Association for Health, Physical
Education, Recreation and Dance, that supports the bill, AB 2298
brings clarity to the EC sections that address PE, thus bringing
further leadership for this important component of each
student's instructional program. In addition, AB 2298 renews
monitoring requirements for compliance with federal and state
requirements for PE instruction in California schools. This
will provide both guidance and accountability for quality PE
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instruction for our students.
Analysis Prepared by : Chelsea Kelley / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0004670