Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport Lecture Statewide Physical Fitness Testing

Abstract

Statewide physical fitness testing is gaining popularity in the United States because of increased childhood obesity levels, the relations between physical fitness and academic performance, and the hypothesized relations between adult characteristics and childhood physical activity, physical fitness, and health behaviors. Large-scale physical fitness testing can be fraught with problems unless properly planned and conducted. Legislators, administrators, teachers, and parents should consider the following 10 essential issues when conducting large-scale physical fitness testing: purpose of testing, proper planning, training, quality of the data, reporting, support, costs, interpretation, programmatic matters, and policies and politics.

Key words:

• Assessment
• Evaluation
• Measurement
• Schools

Additional information

Notes on contributors

James R. Morrow

The authors acknowledge Marilu D. Meredith of The Cooper Institute, Dallas, TX, and Gregory J. Welk of Iowa State University for ideas resulting from the presentation, "Health-Related Fitness Testing: The Texas Experience," at the 2009 AAHPERD Convention, Tampa, FL. The first author, who presented the 4th annual Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (RQES) Lecture in Tampa, FL, also served as RQES editor 1989-93. Please address all correspondence concerning this article to James R. Morrow, Jr., Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Recreation, 1155 Union Circle #310769, P.O. Box 310769, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203-5017.