SECTIONS 51210-51212 - California Statutes

EDUCATION CODE

SECTION 51210-51212

51210. The adopted course of study for grades 1 to 6, inclusive,
shall include instruction, beginning in grade 1 and continuing
through grade 6, in the following areas of study:
(a) English, including knowledge of, and appreciation for
literature and the language, as well as the skills of speaking,
reading, listening, spelling, handwriting, and composition.
(b) Mathematics, including concepts, operational skills, and
problem solving.
(c) Social sciences, drawing upon the disciplines of anthropology,
economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, and
sociology, designed to fit the maturity of the pupils. Instruction
shall provide a foundation for understanding the history, resources,
development, and government of California and the United States of
America; the development of the American economic system including
the role of the entrepreneur and labor; the relations of persons to
their human and natural environment; eastern and western cultures and
civilizations; contemporary issues; and the wise use of natural
resources.
(d) Science, including the biological and physical aspects, with
emphasis on the processes of experimental inquiry and on the place of
humans in ecological systems.
(e) Visual and performing arts, including instruction in the
subjects of dance, music, theatre, and visual arts, aimed at the
development of aesthetic appreciation and the skills of creative
expression.
(f) Health, including instruction in the principles and practices
of individual, family, and community health.
(g) Physical education, with emphasis upon the physical activities
for the pupils that may be conducive to health and vigor of body and
mind, for a total period of time of not less than 200 minutes each
10 schooldays, exclusive of recesses and the lunch period.
(h) Other studies that may be prescribed by the governing board.

51210.1. (a) (1) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(A) The Education Code currently mandates 200 minutes of physical
education every 10 schooldays for pupils in elementary school. Recent
studies have shown that the vast majority of children and youth are
not physically fit.
(B) According to a March 1997 report by the Centers for Disease
Control, the percentage of children and adolescents who are
overweight has more than doubled in the last 30 years. Most of this
increase occurred within the last 10 years.
(C) Nearly 40 percent of children of ages five to eight years have
health conditions that significantly increase their risk of early
heart disease.
(D) Some 70 percent of girls, and 40 percent of boys, who are from
6 to 12 years of age do not have enough muscle strength to do more
than one pullup.
(E) Most children lead inactive lives. On the average, first
through fourth graders spend two hours watching television on
schooldays and spend close to three and one-half hours watching
television on weekend days.
(2) It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature that all
children shall have access to a high-quality, comprehensive, and
developmentally appropriate physical education program on a regular
basis.
(b) (1) Each school district selected by the Superintendent of
Public Instruction pursuant to paragraph (2) shall report to the
Superintendent of Public Instruction in the Coordinated Compliance
Review as to the extent of its compliance with subdivision (g) of
Section 51210 for grades 1 to 6, inclusive, during that school year.
(2) The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall select not less
than 10 percent of the school districts of the state to report
compliance with the provisions set forth in paragraph (1). The school
districts selected shall provide a random and accurate sampling of
the state as a whole.
(c) For purposes of determining compliance with paragraphs (1) and
(2) of subdivision (b), the Superintendent of Public Instruction
shall not count the time spent in recesses and the lunch period.
(d) A school district that fails to comply with the existing
statutory requirements shall issue a corrective action plan to the
State Department of Education in accordance with the Coordinated
Compliance Review process.
(e) This section shall not be applicable to high schools.

51210.2. (a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the
physical fitness and motor development of children in the public
elementary schools is of equal importance to that of other elements
of the curriculum.
(b) It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature to encourage
each school district maintaining an elementary school composed of any
of grades 1 to 6, inclusive, to do one of the following:
(1) Employ a credentialed physical education teacher to provide
instruction in physical education for each class of grades 1 to 6,
inclusive, within any elementary school in the district for a total
period of time of not less than 200 minutes each 10 schooldays,
exclusive of recesses and the lunch period.
(2) Provide each teacher providing instruction in physical
education to any of grades 1 to 6, inclusive, within any elementary
school in the district with yearly theoretical practical training in
developmental physical education, as set forth in the Physical
Education Framework adopted by the State Department of Education
pursuant to Section 33350, except that any teacher who has
successfully completed one college level course in elementary
physical education shall not be subject to this paragraph.

51210.3. (a) The governing board of a school district may designate
a credentialed teacher at each elementary school as a science coach,
or provide staff development to teachers, in order to accomplish the
objectives described in subdivision (b), as determined by the
governing board.
(b) The designated teacher shall do all of the following:
(1) Develop, coordinate, and provide instruction in a science
curriculum that incorporates experimentation. The curriculum shall be
aligned to the California standards for investigation and
experimentation, and be designed to develop all of the following:
(A) Understanding of basic scientific facts and principles.
(B) Mathematics skills.
(C) Reading comprehension.
(D) Analytical and intellectual skills required to pose and answer
questions.
(2) Act as a coach for other teachers at the school in the
provision of a science curriculum based on experimentation.
(c) This section does not preclude the assignment of duties to a
science coach that are not listed in subdivision (b) and relate to
developing, coordinating, and providing instruction in a science
curriculum that incorporates experimentation.

51210.4. The State Department of Education shall incorporate
nutrition education curriculum content into the health curriculum
framework at its next revision. This curriculum shall focus on pupils'
eating behaviors, be based on theories and methods proven effective
by published research. Nutrition education shall be designed to help
pupils learn all of the following:
(a) Nutritional knowledge, including but not limited to, the
benefits of healthy eating, essential nutrients, nutritional
deficiencies, principles of healthy weight management, the use and
misuse of dietary supplements, and safe food preparation, handling,
and storage.
(b) Nutrition-related skills, including, but not limited to,
planning a healthy meal, understanding and using food labels, and
critically evaluating nutrition information, misinformation, and
commercial food advertising.
(c) How to assess their own personal eating habits, set goals for
improvement, and achieve those goals by using the Food Guide Pyramid,
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Nutrition Fact Labels, and the
Physical Activity Pyramid.

51210.8. (a) On or before March 1, 2008, based on recommendations
of the Superintendent, the State Board of Education shall adopt
content standards in the curriculum area of health education.
(b) The content standards shall provide a framework for
instruction that a school may offer in the curriculum area of health
education. This section does not require a school to follow the
content standards.
(c) The content standards described in subdivision (a) shall only
be developed if sufficient funds from any source are made available
for that purpose, including state, federal, or private sources.

51212. It is the intent and purpose of the Legislature to encourage
the establishment of programs of instruction in foreign language,
with instruction beginning as early as feasible for each school
district.