Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District

The philosophy of the Board of Education is to offer a developmentally appropriate and challenging level of play for all student athletes. With that in mind, the intent of Selection/Classification is to provide for students in grades 7 through 8 a mechanism allowing them to participate safely at an appropriate level of competition based upon readiness rather than age and grade. Students do not mature at the same rate and there can be a tremendous range of developmental differences between students of the same age. The program is not to be used to fill positions on teams, provide additional experience, and/or provide a place for middle school students when no modified program is offered, or reward a student. Instead, it is aimed at the few select students who can benefit from such placement because of their exceptional skill level. 

Selection Classification will be implemented as follows:

1. ONLY a Varsity Head Coach may make a request for a student to begin the selection/classification screening procedure in the sport that he/she coaches in. Students will not be exposed to the screening process without a request. 
2. The Director of Physical Education/Athletics and Recreation/Health will implement the procedural phases set forth in the New York State Selection/Classification for Interscholastic Athletic Programs. All students who are to be screened for the program must first obtain parental permission and then complete the maturation test. Athletic performance testing may only be started after the completion of the prior two steps.
3. Upon the successful completion of the test, the student will now be able to participate in the tryout period associated with the higher level of specific athletic competition. Once she/he is accepted onto the team he/she may not go back down to his/her modified sports team for the remainder of that season. 
4. 7th grade students will only be allowed to participate on a Varsity team, if the district does not support a Junior Varsity team. 8th grade students may be able to participate on a Junior Varsity or Varsity team. 
5. The Director of Physical Education/Athletics and Recreation/Health will establish set testing dates for the athletic performance test before each interscholastic season. This test will be administered by a certified Physical Education teacher who is not a coach of the team for which the student(s) is being evaluated. 
6. No student will be permitted to be selectively classified if he/she failed a class or was suspended from school during the previous marking period.
7. Families may be required to provide transportation for their child between the middle school and high school.

NEW YORK STATE SELECTION/CLASSIFICATION PROGRAM GUIDE, March 2005

http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/pe/documents/scrivised2005.pdf