For the past 15 years, Dr. Joe Gillespie’s Tests and
Measurements class has been conducting the FITNESSGRAM to over 1,000 students
in Stephenville. As a result of the Senate Bill 530, fitness testing is now
mandatory for all Texas public schools. The test measures four key health-related fitness components:
aerobic capacity, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility.
Students who pass at least five of the six steps are given Certificates of
Acheivement. All public school students receive a Fitness Report Card which
helps to evaluate physical areas of strength as well as areas that need
improvement.
According to Dr. Gillespie, his students utilize
this opportunity to gain real-world fitness testing experience which helps them prepare for their
future careers involving health and wellness.
“This is a great opportunity for students to work in
the real world of public schools,” Gillespie says. “This also provides the
school with needed assistance in the testing program.”
Studies show that children who are
physically fit learn and retain information more effectively than those
children who are out of shape. According to the National Association for Sport
and Physical Education, students who met minimum
fitness levels in three or more physical fitness areas showed the greatest
gains in academic achievement at all three grade levels.
Physical fitness correlates
with academic success and mental health in a number of ways. Exercise increases
oxygen flow to the brain, increases neurotransmitters, and is effective in
increasing brain neurotrophins which promote sustained learning and higher
thinking.
Elementary Fitness Test Protocol
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Component of Fitness
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Test(s)
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Measured by:
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Aerobic Capacity
|
P.A.C.E.R.
Mile Run or Half Mile Run |
Laps (PACER)
Time in minutes (Mile) |
Muscular Strength
|
Push-Ups
Chin-Ups
|
Repetitions
Number
performed
|
Muscular Endurance
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Curl-Ups
|
Repetitions
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Flexibility
|
Sit and Reach
Stretch
|
Centimeters
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