BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Alan Lowenthal, Chair
2011-2012 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 200
AUTHOR: Hayashi
AMENDED: April 12, 2011
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: June 22, 2011
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Lynn Lorber
SUBJECT : Health and Fitness Award Program.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Health and Fitness Award Program
for the purpose of recognizing schools that have
standards-aligned physical education courses and increase
the numbers of pupils that meet the minimum standards on
the physical performance test.
BACKGROUND
The State Board of Education (SBE) adopted physical
education model content standards (K-12) in January 2005.
Current law requires a minimum number of minutes of
physical education as follows:
1) For elementary schools, 200 minutes every 10
schooldays (3 hours and 20 minutes every two weeks).
2) For junior high or middle schools and high schools,
400 minutes each 10 schooldays (6 hours and 40 minutes
every two weeks).
(Education Code � 51222 and � 51223)
Current law requires schools to give a physical fitness
test to students in grades 5, 7, and 9. Students are to be
given their individual results after the test, and school
districts are required to report the aggregate results in
their annual School Accountability Report Card. Test
results are posted on the California Department of
Education's (CDE) website, reported by school, county,
district and statewide. (EC � 60800)
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The SBE designated the Fitnessgram as the required physical
performance test.
Current law authorizes a school district of county office
of education, with the consent of a pupil, to grant a pupil
an exemption from courses in physical education for two
years any time during grades 10-12 if the pupil has
satisfactorily met at least 5 of the 6 standards of the
physical performance test administered in grade 9. (EC �
51241)
ANALYSIS
This bill establishes the Health and Fitness Award Program
for the purpose of recognizing schools that have
standards-aligned physical education courses and increase
the numbers of pupils that meet the minimum standards on
the physical performance test. Specifically, this bill:
1) Requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to
establish the Health and Fitness Award Program to
recognize schools that conduct their physical
education courses pursuant to model content standards,
and demonstrate that increasing numbers of pupils meet
minimum standards on the physical performance test.
2) Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction
(SPI) to use currently collected data and criteria
(specified below) to identify one school from each
legislative district to receive recognition, which may
include but is not limited to, classification as a
distinguished school, being listed on a published
public school honor roll, and public commendations by
the Governor and Legislature.
3) Requires the Legislature, to the extent that funds are
available, to recognize the schools identified by the
SPI.
4) Establishes the criteria by which the SPI is to
identify schools for recognition as follows:
a) The school in each legislative district with
the highest percentage of pupils who meet the
minimum standards on the physical performance
test.
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b) Any additional criteria developed by the
SPI.
5) Requires private funds to be used for all of the costs
of implementing the award program, and authorizes the
SPI to receive donations of private funds.
6) Prohibits the SBE from establishing the award program
unless and until the Department of Finance certifies
to the SPI that private donations received by the
state are sufficient to implement the program.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Purpose of the bill . According to the author, "Only
30% of children and 15% of teens get the recommended
60 minutes of physical activity every day. This
deficiency appears to be the result of numerous
factors, including inadequate monitoring of physical
education programs, lack of consistency across
programs, and disparities among schools. In
California, despite the fact that state law clearly
articulates the minimal requirements for physical
education in grades K-12, in a recent survey among
teachers, a full 72% of elementary school teachers and
22% of secondary school teachers indicated that
students were not meeting this requirement. It is
imperative that schools support a robust physical
education program and provide opportunities for
physical activity throughout the day."
2) Is legislation necessary ? The State Board of
Education (SBE) and the Superintendent of Public
Instruction (SPI) currently have sufficient discretion
to establish an awards program of any kind. For
example, the California Superintendents' Challenge was
launched in 2003 as a coordinated effort between the
California Department of Education and the California
Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness. Its
purpose was to annually recognize exemplary nutrition
and physical activity policies developed and
implemented by school districts and offices of
education in an effort to address California's growing
childhood obesity epidemic.
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3) Distinguished school awards . The California School
Recognition Program includes the California
Distinguished School Award. In order to be invited to
apply for Distinguished School honors, schools must
meet a variety of eligibility criteria including
designated federal and state accountability measures
based on No Child Left Behind Adequate Yearly Progress
and the Academic Performance Index requirements. This
bill allows schools to be identified as distinguished
schools based on physical education courses and
performance of pupils on the physical performance
test. Is it appropriate for schools to be classified
as a distinguished school based on physical education
rather than core academics?
4) Fiscal impact . According to the Assembly
Appropriations Committee analysis, this bill would
impose General Fund cost pressure, likely less than
$100,000, to the Superintendent of Public Instruction
and the Legislature.
5) Prior legislation . AB 2072 (Hayashi, 2008) was nearly
identical to this bill and was held on the Senate
Appropriations Committee's suspense file.
AB 2812 (Umberg, 2006) was similar to this bill and was
held on the Assembly Appropriations Committee's
suspense file.
SUPPORT
California Association for Health, Physical Education,
Recreation and Dance
California Medical Association
California Optometric Association
California Physical Therapy Association
Superintendent of Public Instruction
OPPOSITION
None on file.