Senate Bill 1840c1
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 1840
By the Committee on Education and Senators Grant, Latvala,
Meadows, Dyer, Lee, Forman and Dudley
304-2041-98
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.
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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
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 1840
304-2041-98
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,
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6 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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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
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Florida Senate - 1998 CS for SB 1840
304-2041-98
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 CS for SB 1840
304-2041-98
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.
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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 CS for SB 1840
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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 CS for SB 1840
304-2041-98
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-fourth-time position to
11 upgrade the physical education specialist position in the
12 department from a three-fourths-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, 1998.
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17 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
18 SB 1840
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20 The Committee Substitute differs from SB 1840 in that it
corrects the allocation needed to fund a full-time physical
21 education specialist position in the Department of Education.
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