| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to physical education in the public |
| 3 | schools; amending s. 1003.455, F.S.; requiring school |
| 4 | districts to administer student physical fitness |
| 5 | assessments and report results; providing school district |
| 6 | duties relating to teacher inservice training and |
| 7 | development of a physical education program and policy; |
| 8 | amending s. 1004.04, F.S.; including concepts of physical |
| 9 | education in core curricula for teacher preparation |
| 10 | programs; authorizing the establishment of partnerships to |
| 11 | provide for a system of grants for the improvement of |
| 12 | student physical fitness; providing an effective date. |
| 13 |
|
| 14 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 15 |
|
| 16 | Section 1. Subsection (4) is added to section 1003.455, |
| 17 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 18 | 1003.455 Physical education; fitness assessment.-- |
| 19 | (4) Beginning with the 2005-2006 school year: |
| 20 | (a)1. Each school district shall administer twice annually |
| 21 | a nationally validated health-related physical fitness |
| 22 | assessment, including a pretest and posttest, to each student in |
| 23 | the district. A school district shall provide for appropriate |
| 24 | training for persons administering the physical fitness |
| 25 | assessment instrument. Each school must report the physical |
| 26 | fitness assessment scores of its students to its school |
| 27 | improvement team and to the district school board. Each student |
| 28 | and his or her parents shall receive the individual results of |
| 29 | the student's assessment. The school district must report |
| 30 | aggregate results annually to the Department of Education. |
| 31 | 2. To promote physical fitness in the community, each |
| 32 | school district is encouraged to invite representatives of |
| 33 | community-based organizations, such as the YMCA, YWCA, and Boys |
| 34 | and Girls Clubs, to physical fitness assessment training |
| 35 | sessions and to events that showcase fitness-based and lifetime |
| 36 | sports instruction and the results of annual physical fitness |
| 37 | assessments. |
| 38 | (b) Each school district shall provide teacher inservice |
| 39 | training that incorporates the use of best practices for |
| 40 | fitness-related instruction, strategies that support classroom |
| 41 | learning, the connection between movement and learning, and |
| 42 | strategies for integrating academic subject matter, particularly |
| 43 | reading and mathematics, with physical education. |
| 44 | (c) Each school district shall appoint a district-level |
| 45 | coordinator for physical education and health whose main |
| 46 | responsibilities shall be related to developing and maintaining |
| 47 | a quality physical education program in the school district. |
| 48 | School districts with 10 or fewer schools may cooperate to |
| 49 | provide such services. Each school district shall adopt a policy |
| 50 | for its physical education program that must include specific |
| 51 | criteria for class size, content, frequency, and teacher |
| 52 | qualifications. |
| 53 | (d) Each school district shall develop and publicize its |
| 54 | local wellness policy required by the federal Child Nutrition |
| 55 | and WIC Reauthorization Act, which must include goals for |
| 56 | nutrition education, physical activity, and other school-based |
| 57 | efforts to promote student wellness. |
| 58 | Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 1004.04, Florida |
| 59 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 60 | 1004.04 Public accountability and state approval for |
| 61 | teacher preparation programs.-- |
| 62 | (2) UNIFORM CORE CURRICULA.-- |
| 63 | (a) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules |
| 64 | pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 that establish uniform |
| 65 | core curricula for each state-approved teacher preparation |
| 66 | program. |
| 67 | (b) The rules to establish uniform core curricula for each |
| 68 | state-approved teacher preparation program must include, but are |
| 69 | not limited to, a State Board of Education identified foundation |
| 70 | in scientifically researched, knowledge-based reading literacy |
| 71 | and computational skills acquisition; concepts of physical |
| 72 | education that include physical fitness, the connection between |
| 73 | movement and learning, and curriculum integration strategies; |
| 74 | classroom management; school safety; professional ethics; |
| 75 | educational law; human development and learning; and |
| 76 | understanding of the Sunshine State Standards content measured |
| 77 | by state achievement tests, reading and interpretation of data, |
| 78 | and use of data to improve student achievement. |
| 79 | (c) These rules shall not require an additional period of |
| 80 | time-to-degree but may be phased in to enable teacher |
| 81 | preparation programs to supplant courses, including pedagogy |
| 82 | courses, not required by law or State Board of Education rule |
| 83 | with the courses identified pursuant to paragraph (b). |
| 84 | Section 3. Public and private partnerships are authorized |
| 85 | to provide for a system of grants to school districts and |
| 86 | schools that demonstrate adequate annual progress toward |
| 87 | improving the physical fitness of their students and the |
| 88 | connection between improved physical fitness and academic |
| 89 | achievement. The grant moneys may be used for fitness centers, |
| 90 | fitness assessment equipment, professional development, or |
| 91 | teacher recognition. |
| 92 | Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2005. |