ADMINISTRATIVE

The 1999 General Assembly passed House Joint Resolution No. 692 which requests
the Board of Education to study the efficacy of allowing high school students
to substitute participation in competitive sports for one-half of the physical
education requirements.  The resolution specifically requires the Board of
Education to:

* Conduct a study that will review Standards of Accreditation course
  requirements,
* Provide for public comments from various constituents,
* Review and compare the Standards of Learning for Physical Education with
  physical requirements of athletic training for competitive sports, and
* Provide guidance to the education community regarding how such issues should 
  be addressed.

To assist the Department in this study, we are requesting that you or your
designee complete and return the enclosed survey by September 3, 1999.
Your survey responses will be analyzed and the State Board of Education will 
submit the results and their recommendations to the Governor and the 2000
Session of the General Assembly.

In completing the survey, check your comments directly on the yellow form. 
For question one (chart), please check each SOL item as it applies to each
sport listed.  Please complete the entire chart, not just the columns for the
sports that you are familiar with or that you coach.  For questions two,
three, and four, please make sure your answers are specific.  If you need
more space to respond, please add any information that you feel is
necessary to respond thoroughly to the question.

If you have questions, please contact Sandra Dofflemyer, Elementary/Middle 
School Instructional Specialist, Virginia Department of Education at 
804-225-2898, sandy@pen.k12.va.us, or fax 804-786-1703.

Thank you for your assistance.

PDS/vdg

Enclosure:      A hard copy of this memo and its attachment
                will be sent to the superintendent's office.