At Elizabeth Lane we complete practice fitness testing in the fall and then students are scored in the spring. Students will participate in the curl-up test, push-up test, pacer run test, shoulder flexibility test and have their height and weight taken. The standards to the right are baseline goals for each test based on age and gender. We encourage students to practice on their own and seek out activity for an overall healthy lifestyle and fun!
Fitness Testing Guidelines Physical fitness testing should support the State Board of Education’s Healthy and Responsible Students priority and align with the North Carolina Essential Standards for Healthful Living. The purposes of fitness testing are for students to become independent learners; to know and understand their current health status and learn how to maintain or improve their health and fitness. Students should understand that not all students can or need to be elite athletes but ALL students can and should enjoy the benefits of a physically active lifestyle. Health-related physical fitness includes the following: aerobic capacity, body composition, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility.
Examples of test items could include: •aerobic capacity - pacer, one mile run, walk test •muscular strength/endurance – curl-up, trunk lift, pushup, flexed arm hang, modified pull-ups •flexibility – sit and reach, shoulder stretch, trunk lift •body composition – Body Mass Index (BMI)
Call to Action: North Carolina has both a tremendous opportunity and obligation to make a difference in the health of its children. Physical Education provides a critical learning opportunity for lifetime skills and should include fitness testing as part of the periodic evaluation process. Fitness testing provides learning and growth opportunities for the student and improvement and specialization of classroom instruction. Also, results from fitness testing provide constructive feedback about the current health trends to the school and the LEA. Assessment of physical fitness and physical activity provide an opportunity to promote physical activity as the norm. Results from fitness testing can be used to engage families and the community as supporting resources. It should be noted that the goal of fitness testing is not to focus on measurement and assessment of fitness in and of it itself but on the individual student’s ability to develop life-long health skills.
Be A Part of the Solution Students oLearn the importance of health and fitness oLearn how to assess fitness levels oSet personal goals and track success over time oEngage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day
Families o Ask your child’s teacher for fitness testing results and opportunities to improve o Understand the needs of your child and develop family activity plans o Advocate for increased health education, physical education, and physical activity in the schools o Volunteer to assist with fitness testing Teachers/Staff o Use results to develop and implement physical education lessons and health activities that meet the needs and enhance the skills of the whole class o Set individualized goals for students and encourage success o Track fitness levels and physical activity for students and classes over time o Advocate for more healthful living education in the schools Principals o Encourage individual student success o Institute school-wide improvements o Use fitness level data to make county-wide and state-wide comparisons o Support environments that encourage physical activity o Advocate for more health education, physical education and physical activity in all schools for all students