A tutorial on health-related physical
fitness testing in school settings
Acknowledgments
• Supported by:
– The Joe Decker Children's Health-Related Fitness
Research Award
L. D. Erdmann
C. S. McMillan
Department of Kinesiology
8th Annual Illinois School Wellness Conference:
Every Kid Healthyᵀᴹ
2015
Let’s Start With The Obesity Epidemic
Body Mass Index in Children
• Overweight: BMI (kg.m-2) for age and sex >
the 85th percentile (CDC, 2000)
• Obesity: BMI (kg.m-2) for age and sex >
the 95th percentile (CDC, 2000).
U.S. Prevalence of Overweight and Obese Children
using CDC Growth Charts
Overweight ( BMI > 85th %tile)
2-5y
All (%)
23
Boys (%)
24
Girls (%)
22
Obese ( BMI > 95th %tile)
All (%)
8
Boys (%)
10
Girls (%)
7
6-11y
34
33
35
12-19y
35
35
34
18
16
19
21
20
21
Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, Flegal KM. Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the
United States, 2011-2012. JAMA. 2014:311(8):806-14.
1
Trends in U.S. Prevalence
(%) of Obese Children: Ages 6-11 yrs
A History of Youth Fitness Testing
The “go to” article:
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)
Morrow JR Jr, Zhu W, Franks BD et al. 1958-2008:
50 years of youth fitness tests in the United States.
Res Q Exerc Sport 2008; 80: 1-11.
20
15
10
5
0
1963-65 1971-74 1976-80 1988-94 1999-02 2003-04 2011-12
AAHPERD Youth Fitness Test – 1976
Ages 10 – 18 yrs
Physical Fitness Component
Aerobic Capacity
Body Composition
Muscular Strength/Endurance
Agility
Power
Speed
Flexibility
Test Item
600-yard run, (optional: 1-mile or 9min run optional for ages <13 yrs
and 1 ½ mile or 12-min run for ages
13 and older)
None
1-min timed bent-knee sit-up
(hands behind head), boys’ pull-up,
girls’ flexed-arm hang (hands
pronated for both)
Shuttle run (3X10 yd, carry blocks)
Standing long jump
50-yd dash
None
National samples used to establish norms
– National Children and Youth Fitness Study I
• Ages 10 – 18 yrs [1985, JOPERD: 56(1)]
– National Children and Youth Fitness Study II
• Ages 6 – 9 yrs [1987, JOPERD: 58(9)]
AAHPERD HRPF Test – 1980
Ages 5 – 18 yrs
Health-related Physical
Fitness Components
Test Items
Aerobic Capacity
1-mile or 9-min run
(1 ½ or 12-min run is optional
for ages 13 and older)
Body Composition
Triceps+subscapular
(triceps only is optional)
Muscular Strength/Endurance
1-min timed bent-knee sit-up
(arms crossed)
&
Flexibility
Sit-and-reach (double leg)
NCYFS I HRPF Test – 1985
Ages 10 – 18 yrs
Health-related Physical
Fitness Components
Test Items
Aerobic Capacity
1-mile run/walk
Body Composition
Triceps & subscapular
(triceps only is optional)
Muscular Strength/Endurance
1-min timed bent-knee sit-up
(arms crossed)
Pull-up (supinated grip)
&
Flexibility
Sit-and-reach (double leg)
2
NCYFS II HRPF Test – 1987
Ages 6 – 9 yrs
Health-related Physical
Fitness Components
FITNESSGRAM HRPF Test – 2010
Test Items
Ages 5 - >17
Health-related Physical
Fitness Components
Test Items
Aerobic Capacity
1-mile run/walk (ages 8 & 9)
Half-mile run/walk (ages 6 & 7)
Aerobic Capacity
Body Composition
Triceps+subscapular+calf
(any 1 site or triceps+calf is
optional)
PACER, 1-mile run/walk,
1-mile walk
Body Composition
BMI or %BF (triceps+calf)
Muscular Strength/Endurance
Muscular Strength/Endurance
Curl-up, Trunk lift, Push-up,
Modified pull-up, flexed arm
hang, [Pull-up in older software]
&
1-min timed bent-knee sit-up
(arms crossed)
Modified pull-up (pronated grip)
Flexibility
Sit-and-reach (double leg)
The Macomb Children’s Health-Related
Physical Fitness Testing Project
&
Flexibility
Sit-and-reach (single leg),
Shoulder stretch, Trunk lift
Project Overview
• The Macomb Children’s Health-related Physical Fitness
Testing Program was piloted in the fall of 1987 and began in
the spring of 1988 as a requirement of the regular
elementary physical education curriculum of the Macomb
Illinois Community Unit School District # 185.
• Children in grades kindergarten through five, inclusive,
were tested annually (spring) at the McDonough County
YMCA from 1988 - 2005.
Project Overview (cont.)
Measured Variables
– Height and Weight
– Skinfolds
– 1-mile run/walk
– Sit-up
– Pull-up
– Sit-and-reach
body mass index (kg.m-2)
triceps + calf (% body fat)
time in min, 13-lap/mile, indoor
# in 1-min, knees bent, heels on
mat, ankles held, arms folded,
elbows to thighs
grip pronated, chin over bar,
swing controlled
double leg
Project Overview (cont.)
• The tests were administered through a collaborative
effort by university kinesiology department faculty
and majors; school district physical educators and
classroom teachers; and YMCA staff.
• Testing was completed in circuit fashion during a
single session, with the 1-mile run/walk test
completed last.
3
Project Overview (cont.)
• A component of the project was longitudinal
surveillance of adiposity and health-related physical
fitness test performances in elementary-aged
children of the school district.
• Individual reports were provided to parents.
How well do adiposity and healthrelated physical fitness track in children?
McMillan CS, Erdmann LD. Tracking adiposity and healthrelated physical fitness test performances from
early childhood through elementary school.
Pediatric Exercise Science. 2010:22:231-44.
Tracking Body Composition
in Boys
What is tracking?
• The stability of a characteristic
• The maintenance of relative rank or position
in a group, over a period of time
• Tracking requires longitudinal observations of
the same individual.
Inter-period
correlations
(Spearman’s)
at five grades
with baseline:
kindergarten
Tracking Body Composition
in Girls
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
%BF
2nd
3rd
4th
%BF
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Tracking Fitness Measures
in Boys
BMI
1st
BMI
1st
• There is limited knowledge about how well
HRPF tracks in young children.
Inter-period
correlations
(Spearman’s)
at five grades
with baseline:
kindergarten
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Inter-period
correlations
(Spearman’s)
at five grades
with baseline:
kindergarten
5th
4
Tracking Fitness Measures
in Girls
What are the strengths of the relationships
between fatness and fitness in children,
from a longitudinal perspective?
Inter-period
correlations
(Spearman’s)
at five grades
with baseline:
kindergarten
Erdmann LD, McMillan CS. Longitudinal relations of
body composition field measures to healthrelated physical fitness components in children.
International Journal of Body Composition
Research. 2011:9(1):11-8.
Relations of %BF to Fitness Measures
in Boys
Inter-period
correlations
(Spearman’s)
at six grades
with %BF
Relations of BMI to Fitness Measures
in Boys
1
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
mile
sit-up
pull-up
reach
Inter-period
correlations
(Spearman’s)
at six grades
with %BF
0.8
0.7
mile
0.6
sit-up
0.5
pull-up
0.4
reach
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
K
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
K
5th
Relations of %BF to Fitness Measures
in Girls
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Relations of BMI to Fitness Measures
in Girls
1
Inter-period
correlations
(Spearman’s)
at six grades
with %BF
0.9
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
mile
0.6
sit-up
0.5
pull-up
0.4
reach
0.3
Inter-period
correlations
(Spearman’s)
at six grades
with %BF
0.9
0.8
0.7
sit-up
0.5
pull-up
0.4
reach
0.3
0.2
0.2
0.1
0.1
0
mile
0.6
0
K
1st
2nd 3rd
4th
5th
K
1st
2nd 3rd
4th
5th
5
METHODS
How do fitness levels of children with
persistently high body fat compare
with those of children with healthy
body fat? What are the implications?
Erdmann LD, McMillan CS. A comparison of
FITNESSGRAM aerobic capacity estimates in
children of persistently healthy body fat levels
compared to children of persistently high-risk
body fat levels. Illinois Journal for Health,
Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
(In Press).
FITNESSGRAM® & ACTIVITYGRAM® Test Administration
Manual, Updated Fourth Edition cut-points, identifying
healthy and high-risk body fat (BF) by age-and-sex.
Age (years)
8
Healthy BF (%)
Boys:
8.4 – 18.8
Girls:
10.5 – 20.8
High-risk BF (%)
Boys:
> 27.0
Girls:
> 28.4
n
Boys: 269
Girls: 248
BMI (kg.m-2)
Boys: 19.6+4.2
Girls: 20.2+4.4
BF (%)
Boys: 26.0+11.1
Girls: 27.8+8.8
We retained data for analyses from 85 boys and 58 girls, with
%BF in the FITNESSGRAM® & ACTIVITYGRAM® Test Administration
Manual, Updated Fourth Edition healthy fitness zone (HFZ) at
each of the four ages, whom we considered to have long-term
healthy BF. We also considered 26 boys and 31 girls, with highrisk %BF at each of the four ages, to have long-term high-risk BF.
Descriptive statistics (m+sd) and comparisons of height and
mass in 11-year-olds by sex-and-body fat classification.
All Strata
BF
9
10
11
8.7 – 20.6
11.0 – 22.6
8.9 – 22.4
11.6 – 24.3
8.8 – 23.6
12.2 – 25.7
> 30.1
> 30.8
> 33.2
> 33.0
> 35.4
> 34.5
Descriptive statistics (m+sd) and comparisons of BMI and
%BF in 11-year-olds by sex-and-body fat classification.
All Strata
of BF
Initially reviewed were school-based health-related physical
fitness test data from 269 boys and 248 girls with body mass
index (BMI, kg.m-2) and %BF (estimated from medial calf and
triceps skinfolds) values at ages 8, 9, 10, and 11 years, and 1-mile
run/walk elapsed time at age 11 years.
Long-term
Healthy BF
Long-term
High-risk BF
85
58
26
31
16.6+1.3
16.7+1.6
27.9+4.2
27.9+3.5
13.59 <0.001
16.84 <0.001
16.4+3.0
19.2+2.7
48.1+10.3
43.1+5.1
15.59 <0.001
24.23 <0.001
n
Boys: 269
Girls: 248
Ht (m)
Boys: 1.50+0.08
Girls: 1.49+0.08
Mass (kg)
Boys 44.2+12.3
Girls 45.5+12.2
Long-term
Healthy BF
Long-term
High-risk BF
t test results
t
P
85
58
26
31
1.46+0.07
1.44+0.07
1.54+0.07
1.53+0.08
5.18
5.30
35.6+4.8
34.9+5.7
66.9+13.8
65.8+11.0
11.33 <0.001
14.62 <0.001
<0.001
<0.001
1-mile run/walk results (mean in min) in 11-year-olds
by sex-and-body fat classifications.
t test results
t
p
6
Finding the 1-mile finish line: Comparing 11-yr-olds
with long-term health and high-risk body fat
The average high-risk BF boy finished 520 m (or 569 yds) behind
the average healthy BF boy (124 v. 183 m/min).
The average high-risk BF girl finished 350 m (or 383 yds) behind
the average healthy BF girl (125 v. 159 m/min).
Illinois Learning Standards
• ILLearningStandardsGoal20PE.pdf
• http://www.isbe.net/ils/pdh/pdf/goal20.pdf
Inclusion Challenges for Obese Children
As school- and community-based physical activity
and sports programs typically include running,
children with long-term high-risk BF may find
themselves struggling to “keep up” with their
long-term healthy BF peers. Consequently, to
ensure exercise is appropriate and tolerable,
modifications in activity mode, intensity, and/or
duration may be warranted for elementary-aged
children with long-term high-risk BF.
State of Illinois Public Act 098-0859
The School Code is amended by adding Section
27-6.5 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/27-6.5 new)
• State Goal 20: Achieve and maintain a healthenhancing level of physical fitness based upon
continual self assessment.
Sec. 27-6.5. Physical fitness assessments in schools.
(a) As used in this Section, “Physical fitness
assessment” means a series of assessments to measure
aerobic capacity, body composition, muscular strength,
muscular endurance, and flexibility.
State of Illinois Public Act 098-0859
State of Illinois Public Act 098-0859
(b) To measure the effectiveness of State Goal 20 of
the Illinois Learning Standards for Physical Development and
Health, beginning with the 2016-2017 school year and
every year thereafter, the State Board of Education shall
require all public schools to use scientifically-based, healthrelated physical fitness assessment for grades 3 through 12
and periodically report fitness information to the State
Board of Education, as set forth in subsections (c) and (e) of
this section, to assess student fitness indicators.
Public schools shall integrate health-related fitness
testing into the curriculum as an instructional tool, except in
grades before the 3rd grade. Fitness tests must be
appropriate to students’ developmental levels and physical
abilities. The testing must be used to teach students how
to assess their fitness levels, set goals for improvement,
and monitor progress in reaching their goals. Fitness
scores shall not be used for grading students or evaluating
teachers.
7
State of Illinois Public Act 098-0859
(c) [paraphrased]
The State Superintendent of Education appointed a
15-member stakeholder and expert task force, who
submitted recommendations on physical fitness (on or
before April 1, 2015) concerning:
(1) Methods for ensuring the validity and uniformity of
reported physical fitness assessment scores, including
assessment administration protocols and professional
development approaches for physical education teachers;
State of Illinois Public Act 098-0859
(5) the demographic information that should accompany
scores, including, but not limited to, grade and gender;
(6) the development of protocols regarding the protection
of students’ confidentiality and individual information
and identifiers; and
(7) How physical fitness assessment data should be
reported by the State Board of Education to the public,
including potential correlations with student academic
achievement, attendance, and discipline data and other
recommended uses of the reported data.
State of Illinois Public Act 098-0859
(f) School districts may report the aggregate findings of
physical fitness assessments by grade level and school to
parents and members of the community through typical
communication channels, such as Internet websites, school
newsletters, school board reports, and presentations.
Districts may also provide individual fitness assessment
reports to students’ parents.
(g) Nothing in this Section precludes schools from
implementing a physical fitness assessment before the 20162017 school year or from implementing more robust forms of
physical fitness assessment.
State of Illinois Public Act 098-0859
(2) How often physical fitness assessment scores should be
reported to the State Board of Education
(3) the grade levels within elementary, middle, and high
school categories for which physical education assessment
scores should be reported to the State Board of
Education;
(4) the minimum fitness indicators that should be reported
to the State Board of Education, including, but not limited
to, a score for aerobic capacity (for grades 4 through 12);
muscular strength; endurance; and flexibility;
State of Illinois Public Act 098-0859
(d) On or before December 31, 2015, the State Board
of Education shall use the recommendations of the task
force under subsection (c) of this Section to adopt rules for
the implementation of physical fitness assessment by each
public school for the 2016-2017 school year and every
school year thereafter.
(e) On or before September 1, 2016, The State Board
of Education shall adopt rules for data submission by school
districts and develop a system for collecting and reporting the
aggregated fitness information from the physical fitness
assessments. This system shall also support the collection of
data from school districts that use a fitness testing software
program.
FITNESSGRAM
• With the establishment of the Presidential
Youth Fitness Program in 2012, it became the
recognized health-related physical fitness test in
the U.S.
• It is used in more than 67,000 schools in all 50
states.
• The standards are criterion-referenced, rather
than norm-referenced , based on how fit
children need to be for good health.
8
Healthy Fitness Zone
• Test items are scored using criterion-referenced
standards.
• Criterion-referenced standards are established
based on the level of fitness needed for good
health.
• There are separate standards by sex and age.
• Most students who perform regular physical
activity will be able to achieve a score placing
them in or above the HFZ.
Presidential Youth Fitness Program
• http://www.pyfp.org/
FITNESSGRAM resources
• http://www.fitnessgram.net/
• The Cooper Institute. (2010). FITNESSGRAM®
& ACTIVTYGRAM®: Test Administration
Manual (updated 4th ed.). Champaign, IL:
Human Kinetics.
Stakeholder and Task Force on Physical
Education: Health-related Physical Fitness
Assessment Recommendations
• ILFitnessTest-report-040115.pdf
• http://www.isbe.net/EPE/pdf/setfpe-report040115.pdf
Testing Recommendation (1)
Testing Recommendation (2)
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) require
schools to administer annual fitness testing for the
following fitness components for all grades 3-12,
and to report to ISBE aggregate results for grades 5,
7 and 10 each year: Aerobic capacity (Grades 4-12
only; Recommended test: PACER test, Alternate test:
Mile Run test), Flexibility (Recommended test: BackSaver Sit and Reach test, Alternate test: Trunk lift
test), Muscular endurance (Test: Curl-up test) and
Muscular strength (Test: Push-up test).
Schools should use the Brockport fitness testing
methodologies, when appropriate as determined by
an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team, for
students with disabilities.
9
Testing Recommendation (3)
ISBE require schools to use the fitness testing
protocols that were developed by Fitnessgram.
Testing Recommendation (3b)
All schools should follow the Fitnessgram protocols
for identifying when a student has completed the
fitness test. On form breaks, the first form break
should be counted in the total number of
repetitions/cycles for each test, e.g. PACER laps,
push-ups, etc. The second form break signals the
end of the test (no matter when the second form
break occurs).
Testing Recommendation (3a)
Prior to administering aerobic capacity tests,
schools should measure out the 15 or 20-meter or 1
mile mark-off point and have another staff member
check the measurement for accuracy. Going
forward, the school need only re-measure if the
space changes or the markings deteriorate.
Testing Recommendation (4)
ISBE suggest that schools integrate fitness testing
into physical education classes when covering
content related to Illinois State Learning Standard
20. Education about the importance of the five
components of fitness (aerobic capacity, muscular
strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body
composition) should be included. Teachers should
follow the Illinois Learning Standard 20 performance
descriptors to identify appropriate times to
integrate fitness testing into class.
Reporting Recommendation (5)
Reporting Recommendation (6)
ISBE require schools report the number of students
tested (using recommended tests or Brockport
alternatives) and the number meeting the "healthy
fitness zone" and "needs improvement" categories
for each of the required fitness testing components
for grades 5, 7 and 10 at the end of each academic
year. Each school will submit its aggregate data to its
district administrator and he/she will submit that
aggregate data for each school and the district as a
whole to ISBE yearly via the ISBE Web Application
Security (IWAS) system.
ISBE should not require any demographic
information accompany the scores when reported in
aggregate to ISBE. However, ISBE should explore the
feasibility and utility of collecting demographic and
achievement information in conjunction with fitness
scores for potential longer-term enhancements to
the fitness testing and reporting requirement. To
that end, ISBE should undertake a pilot data
collection program with school districts that
volunteer to participate.
10
Reporting Recommendation (7)
At a minimum, ISBE report the "healthy fitness
zone" results for each fitness component at each
school and district on the ISBE website, annually, for
grades 5, 7, and 10.
Confidentiality Recommendation (9)
ISBE require that schools have procedures for
protecting student data and confidentiality that
comply with all related state and federal laws.
Testing Suggestion (11)
ISBE suggest that schools include all students in
annual fitness testing, whether or not they are
enrolled in physical education.
Reporting Recommendation (8)
ISBE include "healthy fitness zone" results on the
School Report Card.
Professional Development
Recommendation (10)
Every person administering fitness testing in Illinois
must receive in-person or web-based Fitnessgram
instruction related to administering and scoring the
fitness tests for the required fitness components.
ISBE shall create a compliance oversight mechanism
to ensure everyone required has completed the
training.
Testing Suggestion (12)
ISBE suggest schools do pre-and post-fitness tests
with students each year (or semester, as applicable).
Post-test results shall be used for reporting scores to
ISBE.
11
Reporting Suggestion (13)
Professional Development
Suggestion (14)
ISBE work with universities to develop
methodologies and tools to correlate fitness scores
with other available data, like attendance, academic
performance, behavior, etc. Local school districts
can use the methodologies and tools to track
progress at a local level and determine a plan of
action for improving P.E. programs in order to create
the most benefits for academics, behavior, and
health.
Recommend that ISBE and other organizations offer
professional development opportunities to
administrators to understand fitness testing and
how to effectively evaluate P.E. teachers without
using student fitness scores as a measure of student
growth (which is prohibited by Public Act 98-0859).
Professional Development
Suggestion (15)
Professional Development
Suggestion (16)
ISBE should work with P.E. supporting organizations,
universities, and associations to develop
professional development opportunities for
integrating fitness testing into the P.E. curriculum as
an instructional tool and work with stakeholders to
disseminate the professional development
opportunities across the state.
Other Suggestion (17)
ISBE should convene a committee of stakeholders to
look for additional funding and resources to support
implementation of fitness testing, with a focus on
Fitnessgram software, professional development,
and general support to schools and districts for
implementing the recommendations and
suggestions from the Task Force.
ISBE should work to compile all available free and
paid resources and trainings related to fitness
testing, and post the compendium, with links to
other resources, on its website.
Other Suggestion (18)
ISBE should engage an outside evaluator to evaluate
the impact of the implementation of fitness testing
in Illinois and track changes in aggregate fitness
data over time.
12
Other Suggestion (19)
ISBE should work with Presidential Youth Fitness
Program and/or Fitnessgram to modify the
Microsoft Excel reporting spreadsheet to meet the
specific needs/requirements of Illinois.
FITNESSGRAM TEST ITEMS
• Aerobic Capacity
– PACER (recommended IL aerobic capacity test)
– 1-mile run/walk (alternate IL aerobic capacity test)
– 1-mile walk
FITNESSGRAM TEST ITEMS
• Muscular Strength/Muscular Endurance
– Curl-up (recommended IL muscular endurance test)
– Trunk lift
– Push-up (recommended IL muscular strength test)
– Modified pull-up
– Flexed arm hang
– Pull-up (in older software)
FITNESSGRAM TEST ITEMS
FITNESSGRAM TEST ITEMS
• Flexibility
– Sit and reach (recommended IL flexibility test)
• Back-Saver (single leg)
– Trunk lift (alternate IL flexibility test)
– Shoulder stretch
Appropriate and Inappropriate Uses of
FITNESSGRAM
• Appropriate
• Body Composition
– Body mass index (BMI)
– Percent body fat
The Stakeholder and Expert Task Force did not
recommend that body composition assessment be an
IL state requirement but suggests including it in the
education content, along with the other four healthrelated physical fitness components.
– Personal testing to help students evaluate their healthrelated physical fitness levels
– Provide group data for teachers to use in curriculum
development
– Teach students about the types of activity needed to
reach criterion-referenced health standards
• Inappropriate
– Grading students
– Evaluating teacher effectiveness
– Evaluating overall physical education program quality
13
Test Validity and Reliability
Solutions/Best Practices
• Validity
– The degree to which a test item measures what it
is supposed to measure
– The most important characteristic of testing
• Test organization and administration
• Enhancement of physical activity time
• Reliability
– A measure of the degree of consistency or
repeatability of a test
– Measurement error can result from the following:
•
•
•
•
Intrasubject (within subjects) variability
Lack of interrater (between raters) agreement
Intrarater (within raters) variability
Failure of the test itself to provide consistent results
Key Objectives for Testing Success
Components & Process
 Students enjoy physical activity
 Students are involved in MVPA for 50% of class
time
 All students are provided with many
opportunities to participate and practice skills
 Students are encouraged to participate in
physical activity outside of class
• Components
– Physical Education
– Physical Activity during
School (Recess/Classroom)
– Physical Activity before and
after school
– Staff involvements
– Family and community
involvement
• Process
– Establish/Develop
– Implement
– Evaluate
 Fitness testing – linked to the curriculm
Goals
• To provide a variety of school-based physical
activities to enable all students to participate in
60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical
activity each day.
• To provide coordination among the components
to maximize understanding, application, and
practice of the knowledge and skills learned in
physical education so that all students will be
fully physically educated and well-equipped for a
lifetime of physical activity.
Physical Activity During School
• This includes classroom activity and recess:
• Classroom activity
– Even 5-10 minutes in
duration contributes to
cognitive health
– Can be preK-12
• Recess
– Minimum 20 minutes per day
– Activity zones, active supervision, equipment and
multiple approaches
– “Drop-in” physical activity in secondary schools
14
Physical Activity
Before & After School
• School or community sponsored
activities/clubs/programs before and after school
– Active commuting to school
• Walk and bike to school
• Walking school bus
– Physical activity walking and running clubs
– Intramurals (voluntary, student-centered, and all
students)
– Joint use agreements with community
centers/buildings
Physical Education
Physical Education
• Must implement quality Physical Education
– Adequate instructional time & well designed
lessons
– Classes taught by qualified PE specialist
– Proper equipment and facilities
– Adaptions for students with disabilities
– Opportunities for
students to be active
most of class time
Steps Before Testing
• Must implement quality PE (continued):
– Not using physical activity as punishment
– Appropriate use of fitness assessment tools
– Ongoing opportunities for students to conduct
self-assessments and practice self monitoring of
physical activity
– Well-developed, planned, and sequential curricula
for PE
– Aligns with your State and National Standards for
PE
Procedures/Activities
 Peer
teaching
 Teacher
assisted
 MVPA of
50%
Provide PA
outside of
class
 Practice
the
tests
Procedures/Activities
Test
administration
40 students
40 minutes
 Games/examples
 Trusted
partner
15
Barriers
Benefits to Students
• Teaching knowledge & values
• Enjoyable Participation




Large class sizes (multiple classes)
Limited space
Not enough equipment
Not enough time
• All students can be successful
Psychological Implications





Benefits to Students
Promote testing as enjoyable
Practice in fun game like conditions
Self- responsibility
Non-competitive
Self-improvement
• INDIVIDUALIZED
– Students compete only with
themselves!
– Results/printouts
– Intrinsic motivation
Philosophy… for Students
 Enjoyable
 Realistic
 Fair
The Stairway to Lifetime Fitness
C.B. Corbin and R.P. Pangrazi, 1989
Participate in
Regular Exercise
2. Achieve Physical
Fitness
3. Personal Exercise Patterns
4. Evaluate Own Fitness Levels
5. Problem Solve/Decision Making
1.
16
17