Senate Bill sb1630

    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1630

    By Senator Saunders





    25-1045-02

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to secondary education;

  3         amending s. 232.246, F.S.; revising the options

  4         for fulfilling the physical-education

  5         requirement for high-school graduation;

  6         providing an effective date.

  7

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

  9

10         Section 1.  Paragraph (j) of subsection (1) of section

11  232.246, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

12         232.246  General requirements for high school

13  graduation.--

14         (1)  Graduation requires successful completion of

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

16  or an International Baccalaureate curriculum. The 24 credits

17  shall be distributed as follows:

18         (j)1.  One credit in physical education to include

19  assessment, improvement, and maintenance of personal fitness.

20  Participation in an interscholastic sport at the junior

21  varsity or varsity level, for two full seasons, shall satisfy

22  the one-credit requirement in physical education if the

23  student passes a competency test on personal fitness with a

24  score of "C" or better. The competency test on personal

25  fitness must be developed by the Department of Education. A

26  school board may not require that the one credit in physical

27  education be taken during the 9th grade year.

28         2.  Completion of one semester with a grade of "C" or

29  better in a marching band class, or in a physical activity

30  class such as eurhythmics, which requires participation in

31  marching band activities as an extracurricular activity shall

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1630
    25-1045-02




  1  satisfy a one-half-credit requirement in physical education.

  2  This half credit may not be used to satisfy the

  3  personal-fitness requirement nor the requirement for adaptive

  4  physical education under an individual education plan (IEP) or

  5  504 plan.

  6

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

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

  9  nonpaid voluntary community or school service work.  Students

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

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

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

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

14  approve the award of credit for student volunteer service

15  shall develop guidelines regarding the award of the credit,

16  and school principals are responsible for approving specific

17  volunteer activities. A course designated in the Course Code

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

19  9th grade may be used to satisfy high school graduation

20  requirements or Florida Academic Scholars award requirements

21  as specified in a district's pupil progression plan. A student

22  shall be granted credit toward meeting the requirements of

23  this subsection for equivalent courses, as identified pursuant

24  to s. 229.551(1)(f)6., taken through dual enrollment.

25         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.

26

27            *****************************************

28                          SENATE SUMMARY

29    Allows the physical-education requirement for high-school
      graduation to be partly satisfied by satisfactory
30    participation in marching-band activities.

31

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.