BILL ANALYSIS �
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 200
Author: Hayashi (D)
Amended: 8/16/11 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 9-0, 6/22/11
AYES: Lowenthal, Alquist, Blakeslee, Hancock, Huff, Liu,
Price, Simitian, Vargas
NO VOTE RECORDED: Runner, Vacancy
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 57-18, 5/23/11 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Health and Fitness Award Program
SOURCE : State Superintendent of Public Instruction
DIGEST : 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.
ANALYSIS : The State Board of Education (SBE) adopted
physical education model content standards (K-12) in
January 2005.
Existing law requires a minimum number of minutes of
physical education as follows:
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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).
Existing 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) Web site, reported by school, county,
district and statewide.
The SBE designated the Fitnessgram as the required physical
performance test.
Existing 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 five of the six standards of
the physical performance test administered in grade 9.
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 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
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school, being listed on a published public school honor
roll, and public commendations by the Governor and
Legislature.
3. Requires the schools in each legislative district with
the highest percentage of pupils who meet the minimum
standards on the physical performance test to be
eligible to receive recognition pursuant to #2 above.
4. Allows the SPI to recommend, and the SBE to adopt
additional criteria by which schools may become eligible
to receive recognition pursuant to #2 above.
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. Requires the SBE to establish the award program once the
Department of Finance certifies to the SPI that private
donations received by the state are sufficient to
implement the program.
7. Requires the SBE to suspend the program if the
Superintendent notifies the SBE that the amount of
private donations is insufficient to complete or
continue program implementation.
Comments
Is legislation necessary ? The SBE and 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 CDE 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.
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
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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?
Prior Legislation
AB 2072 (Hayashi), 2007-08 Session, was nearly identical to
this bill. (Held on Senate Appropriations Committee's
Suspense File)
AB 2812 (Umberg), 2005-06 Session, was similar to this
bill. (Held on Assembly Appropriations Committee's
Suspense File)
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/16/11)
State Superintendent of Public Instruction (source)
California Association for Health, Physical Education,
Recreation and Dance
California Medical Association
California Optometric Association
California Physical Therapy Association
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : 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
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robust physical education program and provide opportunities
for physical activity throughout the day."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 57-18, 5/23/11
AYES: Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall, Block,
Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan,
Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos, Carter, Cedillo,
Chesbro, Conway, Davis, Dickinson, Eng, Feuer, Fletcher,
Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Beth Gaines, Galgiani, Gatto,
Gordon, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Roger Hern�ndez, Hill,
Huber, Hueso, Huffman, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza,
Mitchell, Monning, Nestande, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel P�rez,
Portantino, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Swanson, Torres,
Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, John A. P�rez
NOES: Achadjian, Donnelly, Garrick, Grove, Hagman,
Halderman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Logue, Mansoor,
Miller, Morrell, Nielsen, Norby, Olsen, Silva, Valadao
NO VOTE RECORDED: Bill Berryhill, Cook, Gorell, Lara,
Wagner
CPM:mw 8/17/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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