Senate Bill 1840

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 1840

    By Senators Grant, Latvala, Meadows, Dyer, Lee, Forman and
    Dudley




    13-1204A-98                                             See HB

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to education; amending s.

  3         232.246, F.S.; revising credit requirements for

  4         high school graduation; creating s. 233.0616,

  5         F.S.; encouraging elementary schools and middle

  6         schools to implement personal fitness programs

  7         and providing for the allocation of funds;

  8         providing for the allocation of funds for

  9         upgrading a physical education specialist

10         position in the Department of Education;

11         providing effective dates.

12

13         WHEREAS, the American Heart Association has declared

14  there to be a crisis in physical inactivity as evidenced by

15  studies from the 1996 Surgeon General's report and other

16  recent studies, and

17         WHEREAS, proper exercise and nutrition greatly enhance

18  a student's learning ability, mental health, and self-esteem

19  and, therefore, should be an integral part of a student's

20  daily learning, and

21         WHEREAS, nearly half of persons 12 to 21 years of age

22  are not vigorously active on a regular basis and physical

23  activity declines dramatically during adolescence, and

24         WHEREAS, the number of overweight students has more

25  than doubled in the past two decades and 32 percent of

26  American children 2 to 19 years of age have high cholesterol,

27  and

28         WHEREAS, most lifetime habits are developed during

29  childhood and school-based intervention has been shown to be

30  successful in increasing physical activity, and

31

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 1840
    13-1204A-98                                             See HB




  1         WHEREAS, regular physical activity can assist in the

  2  prevention and management of heart disease, hypertension,

  3  diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, cancer, eating disorders, and

  4  mental health problems, NOW, THEREFORE,

  5

  6  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

  7

  8         Section 1.  This act may be cited as the "1998 Personal

  9  Fitness Education Act."

10         Section 2.  Effective July 1, 1999, subsection (1) and

11  paragraph (a) of subsection (6) of section 232.246, Florida

12  Statutes, are amended to read:

13         232.246  General requirements for high school

14  graduation.--

15         (1)  Graduation requires successful completion of

16  either a minimum of 24 academic credits in grades 9 through 12

17  or an International Baccalaureate curriculum. The 24 credits

18  shall be distributed as follows:

19         (a)  Four credits in English, with major concentration

20  in composition and literature.

21         (b)  Three credits in mathematics.  Effective for

22  students entering the 9th grade in the 1997-1998 school year

23  and thereafter, one of these credits must be Algebra I, a

24  series of courses equivalent to Algebra I, or a higher-level

25  mathematics course.

26         (c)  Three credits in science, two of which must have a

27  laboratory component. The State Board of Education may grant

28  an annual waiver of the laboratory requirement to a school

29  district that certifies that its laboratory facilities are

30  inadequate, provided the district submits a capital outlay

31

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 1840
    13-1204A-98                                             See HB




  1  plan to provide adequate facilities and makes the funding of

  2  this plan a priority of the school board.

  3         (d)  One credit in American history.

  4         (e)  One credit in world history, including a

  5  comparative study of the history, doctrines, and objectives of

  6  all major political systems.

  7         (f)  One-half credit in economics, including a

  8  comparative study of the history, doctrines, and objectives of

  9  all major economic systems.  The Florida Council on Economic

10  Education shall provide technical assistance to the department

11  and local school boards in developing curriculum materials for

12  the study of economics.

13         (g)  One-half credit in American government, including

14  study of the Constitution of the United States.  For students

15  entering the 9th grade in the 1997-1998 school year and

16  thereafter, the study of Florida government, including study

17  of the State Constitution, the three branches of state

18  government, and municipal and county government, shall be

19  included as part of the required study of American government.

20         (h)1.  One credit in practical arts career education or

21  exploratory career education.  Any vocational course as

22  defined in s. 228.041(22) may be taken to satisfy the high

23  school graduation requirement for one credit in practical arts

24  or exploratory career education provided in this subparagraph;

25         2.  One credit in performing fine arts to be selected

26  from music, dance, drama, painting, or sculpture.  A course in

27  any art form, in addition to painting or sculpture, that

28  requires manual dexterity, or a course in speech and debate,

29  may be taken to satisfy the high school graduation requirement

30  for one credit in performing arts pursuant to this

31  subparagraph; or

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 1840
    13-1204A-98                                             See HB




  1         3.  One-half credit each in practical arts career

  2  education or exploratory career education and performing fine

  3  arts, as defined in this paragraph.

  4

  5  Such credit for practical arts career education or exploratory

  6  career education or for performing fine arts shall be made

  7  available in the 9th grade, and students shall be scheduled

  8  into a 9th grade course as a priority.

  9         (i)  One-half credit in life management skills to

10  include consumer education, positive emotional development,

11  nutrition, prevention of human immunodeficiency virus

12  infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome and other

13  sexually transmissible diseases, benefits of sexual abstinence

14  and consequences of teenage pregnancy, information and

15  instruction on breast cancer detection and breast

16  self-examination, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, drug

17  education, and the hazards of smoking.  Such credit shall be

18  given for a course to be taken by all students in either the

19  9th or 10th grade.

20         (j)  One One-half credit in physical education to

21  include assessment, improvement, and maintenance of personal

22  fitness.  Participation in an interscholastic sport, whether

23  at the freshman, junior varsity, or varsity level, for two a

24  full seasons season, shall satisfy the one-credit one-half

25  credit requirement in physical education if the student passes

26  a competency test on personal fitness with a score of "C" or

27  better. The competency test on personal fitness must be

28  developed by the Department of Education. A school board may

29  not require that the one credit in physical education be taken

30  during the 9th grade year.

31         (k)  Eight and one-half Nine elective credits.

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 1840
    13-1204A-98                                             See HB




  1

  2  School boards may award a maximum of one-half credit in social

  3  studies and one-half elective credit for student completion of

  4  nonpaid voluntary community or school service work.  Students

  5  choosing this option must complete a minimum of 75 hours of

  6  service in order to earn the one-half credit in either

  7  category of instruction.  Credit may not be earned for service

  8  provided as a result of court action.  School boards that

  9  approve the award of credit for student volunteer service

10  shall develop guidelines regarding the award of the credit,

11  and school principals are responsible for approving specific

12  volunteer activities. A course designated in the Course Code

13  Directory as grade 9 through grade 12 which is taken below the

14  9th grade may be used to satisfy high school graduation

15  requirements or Florida Academic Scholars award Scholar's

16  Certificate Program requirements as specified in a district's

17  pupil progression plan.

18         (6)  The Legislature recognizes that adult learners are

19  unique in situation and needs.  The following graduation

20  requirements are therefore instituted for students enrolled in

21  adult general education in accordance with s. 239.301 in

22  pursuit of a high school diploma:

23         (a)  The one one-half credit in physical education

24  required for graduation, pursuant to subsection (1), is not

25  required for graduation and shall be substituted with elective

26  credit keeping the total credits needed for graduation

27  consistent with subsection (1).

28         Section 3.  Section 233.0616, Florida Statutes, is

29  created to read:

30         233.0616  Personal fitness programs.--Each elementary

31  school and middle school is encouraged to implement a personal

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 1840
    13-1204A-98                                             See HB




  1  fitness program, approved by the Department of Education, that

  2  complies with American Heart Association guidelines for

  3  elementary school and middle school personal fitness courses.

  4  From incentive funds provided in the General Appropriations

  5  Act, the Department of Education shall allocate funds to

  6  schools implementing personal fitness programs pursuant to

  7  this section.

  8         Section 4.  From funds provided in the General

  9  Appropriations Act, the Department of Education shall allocate

10  funds to provide for an additional one-third-time position to

11  upgrade the physical education specialist position in the

12  department from a two-thirds-time position to a full-time

13  position.

14         Section 5.  Except as otherwise provided in this act,

15  this act shall take effect July 1 of the year in which

16  enacted.

17

18            *****************************************

19                       LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY

20
      Revises the physical education credit requirement for
21    high school graduation. Encourages elementary schools and
      middle schools to implement personal fitness programs and
22    provides for allocation of funds therefor. Provides for
      allocation of funds for upgrading a physical education
23    specialist position in the Department of Education.

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