Physical education: Health and Fitness Award Program.

Existing law requires school districts to include physical education in the course of study for pupils in grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law requires the governing board of a school district maintaining any of grades 5, 7, and 9 to administer the physical performance test designated by the State Board of Education to each pupil in those grades during the month of February, March, April, or May. This bill would require the state board to establish the Health and Fitness Award Program to recognize schools that conduct their physical education courses pursuant to the model content standards and demonstrate that increasing numbers of pupils enrolled in those schools meet minimum standards on the physical performance test designated by the state board. The Superintendent of Public Instruction would be required to use currently collected data and specified eligibility criteria to identify one school from each legislative district in the state to receive recognition, which may include, but would not be limited to, classification as a distinguished school, being listed on a published public school honor roll, and public commendations by the Governor and the Legislature. The bill would require that private funds be used to pay for all of the costs of implementing the program, including the administrative costs of the State Department of Education, and would authorize the Superintendent to receive donations of private funds for purposes of implementing the program. The bill would require the state board to establish the program once the Department of Finance certifies to the Superintendent that private donations received by the state are sufficient to implement the program. The bill would also require the state board to suspend the program if the private donations received are insufficient to complete or continue program implementation.