WHILE KIDS sought cool swimming holes and relief from verbs and fractions this summer, some legislators studied up on what they might do to affect how well those kids learn after the summer break. Some of the legislators' work leaned toward improving students' health, while some targeted dropouts or civic education. Most of the capitol-dome work appears to have matched the typical garden: a few vegetables that are good for you but not much fun to eat, basics that everyone eats and most everyone loves, kid-friendly watermelon and corn-on-the-cob, some perennials that should bloom lushly every year, and annuals that we can decide to keep or replace in future gardens. Here are some samples of the produce and bouquets -- a bit of something for every taste. A Big Producer: Louisiana Louisiana's lawmakers were particularly busy this summer. They considered childhood obesity a growing problem and looked to the benefits of regular physical activity and healthy eating habits. With the passage of S.B. 871, the state's goals were: 1) to promote participation in physical activity by children of all physical abilities, 2) to encourage innovative, moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical education programs, 3) to promote improved nutritional levels by providing for snacks with higher nutritional value during the school day, 4) to inform children and their parents about the importance of physical activity and improved nutrition, 5) to increase parental awareness of children's activity and fitness levels, and 6) to promote enjoyment of daily physical activity and healthy eating habits and the development of lifelong patterns of physical activity. Beginning with the 2004-05 school year, elementary schools are required to provide at least 30 minutes of high-quality to physical activity each school day. At the secondary level, S.B. 871 encourages students not enrolled in a physical education course to participate in moderate to vigorous physical activity commensurate with their ability for at least 30 minutes a day. The state department of education, the department of health and hospitals, and the American Heart Association will collaborate in the development of an outreach and communication plan based on the latest research on health, nutrition, physical education, and fitness. Beginning with the 2004-05 school year, the state will identify a public school from each region that offers an outstanding program of physical activity, and as funds are available, these schools will receive monetary rewards. In another often neglected area, S.B. 11 establishes the Louisiana Commission on Civic Education. The goal of the legislation is to increase students' understanding that representative democracy is a process dependent on reasoned debate, good faith negotiation, and compromise; that individual involvement is a critical factor in community success; and that consideration and respect must be shown when formulating, negotiating, and advocating positions on public concerns. The commission will develop outreach programs, provide technical assistance to civic education projects, build a network of civic education professionals to share information and strengthen partnerships, and develop an Internet clearinghouse to help support successful civic education programs in the state and encourage the expansion of such efforts. Subject to appropriation, S.B. 301 creates the Kindergarten Plus pilot program -- an extended kindergarten program for disadvantaged children. Kindergarten Plus will offer full-day kindergarten beginning two months prior to the start of traditional kindergarten classes in the local district. From the 2005-06 school year through 2007-08, any interested local school board may submit a proposal to provide such a class in one of its schools. The new law requires the state department to establish rubrics for evaluating the effect of two extra months of kindergarten. …