Board directs staff to develop supplemental aquatics standards after discussion of endorsements and facilities

The State Board directed staff to develop supplemental aquatics standards to permit aquatic courses to count toward individual lifetime activity credit, following committee discussion about whether local education agencies can already offer such classes.

Standards & Assessment Chair Earl framed the motion as a response to legislators’ interest and committee recommendations; staff described existing options (LEAs may already offer electives that meet ILA standards) but said legislators had repeatedly requested statewide standards and that creating the standards now would allow the agency to take ownership of the outcome rather than leave it solely to law.

Deputy Superintendent Leah Voorhees and other staff explained that a PE-endorsed teacher could teach ILA courses and that LEAs would remain responsible for licensing and safety oversight; the board discussed whether schools without pools would be required to create facilities (staff answered no) and asked whether the standards would create new endorsement requirements (staff said no under current endorsement-review plans).

After questions and debate — which included concerns about adding supplemental standards where LEAs can already create elective courses and the workload of adopting new standards — the board voted to direct staff to develop supplemental aquatics standards. The motion passed 9 in favor, 5 opposed, and 1 abstention.

Staff said they would assemble subject-matter experts and draft standards in coming months and bring recommended language back through established standards-review processes for public input and committee consideration.