Woodside School District

PHYSICAL FITNESS TESTING (PFT)

The California State Board of Education designated the FitnessGram® as the Physical Fitness Test (PFT) for students in California public schools. The FitnessGram® is a comprehensive, health-related physical fitness battery developed by The Cooper Institute. This physical fitness assessment is not based on athletic ability, but rather on good health.The primary goal of the FitnessGram® is to assist students in establishing lifetime habits of regular physical activity.

Public school students in grades five, seven, and nine are required to take the PFT. Students who are physically unable to take the entire test battery are to be given as much of the test as conditions permit. (Education Code (EC) Section 60800 and the California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 1041).

The PFT provides information that can be used by (1) students to assess and plan personal fitness programs; (2) teachers to design the curriculum for physical education programs; and (3) parents and guardians to understand their children’s fitness levels. This program also provides results that are used to monitor changes in the physical fitness of California students. By law (Education Code Section 60800), all school districts in California are required to administer the PFT annually to all students in grades five, seven, and nine. The official assessment will take place starting towards the end of the second trimester through the beginning of the third trimester of the school year (February-May).

The FitnessGram® is composed of the following six fitness areas, with a number of test options provided for most areas:

Aerobic Capacity

• PACER (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run)
• One-Mile Run
• Walk Test (only for ages 13 or older)

Abdominal Strength and Endurance

• Curl-Up

Upper Body Strength and Endurance

• Push-Up
• Modified Pull-Up
• Flexed-Arm Hang

Body Composition

• Skinfold Measurements
• Body Mass Index
• Bioelectric Impedance Analyzer

Trunk Extensor Strength and Flexibility

• Trunk Lift

Flexibility

• Back-Saver Sit and Reach
• Shoulder Stretch

FitnessGram® Performance Standards:

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/pf/healthfitzones.asp