Section 1.425 Additional Criteria for Physical Education

TITLE 23: EDUCATION AND CULTURAL RESOURCES

SUBTITLE A: EDUCATION

CHAPTER I: STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

SUBCHAPTER a: PUBLIC SCHOOL RECOGNITION

PART 1 PUBLIC SCHOOLS EVALUATION, RECOGNITION AND SUPERVISION

SECTION 1.425 ADDITIONAL CRITERIA FOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Section 1.425  Additional Criteria for Physical Education

The requirements of this Section apply to a school's

provision of physical education required under Section 27-6 of the Code.

a)         There

shall be a definite school policy regarding credit earned each semester in

physical education, with provisions for allowable variables in special cases.

b)         Participation

in a physical education course shall be required of all students a minimum of three

days per five day instructional week except when an appropriate medical excuse

is submitted (see Section 1.425(d)).  A school board may also choose to allow

for student exemptions as permitted by Section 27-6 of the Code (see Section

1.425(e)). If a student nonattendance day is scheduled for a day that would

otherwise include physical education or the school building is not open to

students, physical education for that day does not need to be made up (e.g., if

physical education is regularly scheduled for Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but

a teacher inservice is scheduled on a given Monday, physical education for that

Monday does not have to be moved to Tuesday or Thursday.) However, school districts

shall make every effort to ensure all students have the ability to participate

in physical education at least three days per week even when school is in

session fewer than five days in a given week.

c)

The

physical education and training course offered in grades 5 through 10 may

include health education

(Section 27-5 of the Code)

to be moved to Tuesday or Thursday.) However, school districts

shall make every effort to ensure all students have the ability to participate

in physical education at least three days per week even when school is in

session fewer than five days in a given week.

c)

The

physical education and training course offered in grades 5 through 10 may

include health education

(Section 27-5 of the Code).

d)         Pursuant

to Section 27-6(a) of the Code, a student who presents an appropriate excuse

from his or her parent or guardian or from a person licensed under the Medical

Practice Act of 1987 [225 ILCS 60] shall be excused from participation in

physical education.

1)         Each

school board shall honor excuses signed by persons licensed under the Medical

Practice Act of 1987 and shall establish a policy defining the types of

parental excuses it will deem appropriate for this purpose, which shall

include, but not be limited to, reliance upon religious prohibitions.

2)         For

each type of excuse that will be considered appropriate, the school board shall

identify in its policy any evidence or support it will require.  For example, a

board may require a signed statement from a member of the clergy corroborating

the religious basis of a request.

3)

Special

activities in physical education shall be provided for pupils whose physical or

emotional condition, as determined by a person licensed under the Medical

Practice Act

of 1987

, prevents their participation in the courses

provided for normal children

(Section 27-6 of the Code).

e)         Under

Section 27-6(b) of the Code,

a school board may excuse pupils from engaging

in physical education courses if those pupils request to be excused for any of

the reasons

listed in this subsection (e).

A school board that chooses

to allow any of these exemptions shall establish a policy to excuse pupils on

an individual basis

ovided for normal children

(Section 27-6 of the Code).

e)         Under

Section 27-6(b) of the Code,

a school board may excuse pupils from engaging

in physical education courses if those pupils request to be excused for any of

the reasons

listed in this subsection (e).

A school board that chooses

to allow any of these exemptions shall establish a policy to excuse pupils on

an individual basis.

The district shall maintain records showing that, in

disposing of each request to be excused from physical education, the district

applied the criteria set forth in Section 27-6 of the Code to the student's

individual circumstances.

1)         School districts shall have guidelines for the return of

students who have been excused from a physical education course pursuant to

subsections (e)(2) through (4).  These guidelines shall return the student to a

physical education course as soon as practical.  When creating these

guidelines, a school district shall take into consideration the following:

A)        The

time in the school year when participation ceases;

B)        Any future or planned additional participation pursuant to

subsections (e)(2) through (4) by a student; and

C)        Student class schedules.

2)

Students in grades 7-12 on a case-by-case basis, for

ongoing

participation in an interscholastic

(e.g., Illinois Elementary School

Association, the Southern Illinois Junior High Athletic Association, and

Illinois High School Association)

or extracurricular athletic program.

Interscholastic

and extracurricular athletic programs are limited to those programs that are

sponsored by the school district as defined by school district policy.

3)         Students in grades 11-12

A)        ongoing

participation in interscholastic athletics

;

B)

enrollment in a course required for admittance into

postsecondary education; or

C)

enrollment in a course required for high school graduation,

provided that failure to take such classes will result in the pupil being

unable to graduate

by the school district as defined by school district policy.

3)         Students in grades 11-12

A)        ongoing

participation in interscholastic athletics

;

B)

enrollment in a course required for admittance into

postsecondary education; or

C)

enrollment in a course required for high school graduation,

provided that failure to take such classes will result in the pupil being

unable to graduate.

4)         Students

in grades 9-12

A)        ongoing participation

in marching band for credit

; or

B)

enrollment in a Reserve Officer's Training Corps (ROTC)

program sponsored by the school district.

5)         Students

in grades 3-12

A)

eligibility for special education services and the student's

parent or guardian agrees, or there is a determination by the student's

individualized education program (IEP) team, that the student needs this time

for special education support and services

; or

B)        participation in

an adaptive athletic program outside school

setting as outlined in the student's IEP and as documented according to school

board policy

. (See Section 27-6 of the Code.)

6)         A

board shall have no authority to honor parental excuses based upon students'

participation in athletic training, activities or competitions conducted

outside the auspices of the school district.

f)         Under

Section 27-6(b-5) of the Code,

a pupil shall be excused from engaging in any

physical activity components of a physical education course during a period of

religious fasting if the pupil’s parent or guardian notifies the school

principal in writing that the pupil is participating in religious fasting

.

g)         Assessment and Reporting

In accordance with Section 27-6.5

of the Code, each school shall

use a scientifically-based, health-related

physical fitness assessment for grades 3 through 12 and periodically report

fitness information to the State Board of Education to assess student fitness

indicators

the school

principal in writing that the pupil is participating in religious fasting

.

g)         Assessment and Reporting

In accordance with Section 27-6.5

of the Code, each school shall

use a scientifically-based, health-related

physical fitness assessment for grades 3 through 12 and periodically report

fitness information to the State Board of Education to assess student fitness

indicators. If the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health

emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency

Act, no student shall be required to participate in a physical fitness

assessment for the duration of that declaration.

(Section 27-6.5 of the

Act)

1)         For

the purposes of this subsection (g), each school shall administer the FitnessGram

®

(http://www.fitnessgram.net/; also see subsection (g)(3)) to students in grades

3 through 12 (except as noted in subsection (g)(1)(A) and as exempted under

Section 27-6 of the Code) for the components and using the test items listed in

subsections (g)(1)(A) through (g)(1)(D).  Beginning in school year 2016-17, the

FitnessGram

®

shall be administered at least annually in the second

semester of the school year; however, schools also are encouraged to administer

the assessment at the start of the school year in order to receive pre- and

post-results.

A)        Aerobic

Capacity, grades 4 through 12, either the PACER test or the Mile Run test.

B)        Flexibility,

either the Back-Saver Sit and Reach test or the Trunk Lift test.

C)        Muscular

Endurance, the Curl-up test.

D)        Muscular

Strength, the Push-up test.

2)         As

applicable, a school shall use the methodologies of the Brockport Physical

Fitness Testing accessible at http://www.pyfp.org/

to meet the requirements of this

subsection (g) for any student with known orthopedic, intellectual and/or

visual disabilities whose Individualized Education Program (IEP) and/or 504

Plan identifies the FitnessGram

®

as not appropriate

, the Push-up test.

2)         As

applicable, a school shall use the methodologies of the Brockport Physical

Fitness Testing accessible at http://www.pyfp.org/

to meet the requirements of this

subsection (g) for any student with known orthopedic, intellectual and/or

visual disabilities whose Individualized Education Program (IEP) and/or 504

Plan identifies the FitnessGram

®

as not appropriate.

3)         In

order to ensure that the FitnessGram

®

and Brockport protocols are

followed, school personnel administering the assessments shall participate in

training related to the proper administration and scoring of the assessment by reviewing

the chapters of the FitnessGram

®

Test Administration Manual titled "Test

Administration", "Aerobic Capacity", and "Muscular

Strength, Endurance and Flexibility" and, if applicable, the Brockport

Physical Fitness Test Manual for students with disabilities, which are

accessible at http://www.pyfp.org/.  Each school district shall maintain

evidence of an individual's successful completion of the training and make it

available to the State Board upon request.

4)

Fitness

scores shall not be used for grading students or evaluating teachers

under

the provisions of Article 24A of the School Code (Section 27-6.5(b) of the Code).

5)         Each

school district shall annually report aggregate data regarding the total number

of students whose fitness results for each of the components listed in

subsection (g)(1) were identified as meeting the "healthy fitness

zone" or as "needs improvement zone".

A)        Data

shall be submitted electronically to the State Board no later than June 30 of

each school year, beginning in school year 2016-17, using the Illinois State

Board of Education Web Application Security System (IWAS)

ents whose fitness results for each of the components listed in

subsection (g)(1) were identified as meeting the "healthy fitness

zone" or as "needs improvement zone".

A)        Data

shall be submitted electronically to the State Board no later than June 30 of

each school year, beginning in school year 2016-17, using the Illinois State

Board of Education Web Application Security System (IWAS).

B)        Data

shall be reported for students in grades 5, 7 and 10 only and include:

i)          the

total number of students tested by grade and gender;

ii)         the

total number of students achieving at the "healthy fitness zone" by

grade and gender;

iii)        the

total number of students identified as "needs improvement zone" by

grade and gender.

h)         Each

school district shall establish procedures and protocols to ensure the

confidentiality of individual student assessment results consistent with the

requirements of the Illinois School Student Records Act [105 ILCS 10] and the

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 USC 1232g).