Special to the Herald

During the 80th Texas Legislative Session, Senate Bill 530 was passed, which requires fitness assessment for all third-through 12th-grade students starting in the current school year. The Texas Education Agency identified Fitness Gram as the assessment tool to be used by all districts throughout the state.

Fitness Gram is a comprehensive fitness assessment battery for youth. It includes a variety of health-related physical fitness test designed to assess cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. Criterion-referenced standards associated with good health have been established for children and youth for each of the health-related fitness components.

Fitness Gram will be a report card that summarizes the child’s performance on each component of health-related fitness. It can be used for students to plan their personal fitness programs; teachers can use it to determine student needs and help guide students in program planning: and parents can use it to help them understand their child’s needs and help the child plan a program of physical activity.

Fitness Gram uses a comprehensive database structure to allow fitness records to be tracked over time and detailed reporting tools that can be used to summarize class, school, and district outcomes.

During the spring semester, all affected students will be given a physical fitness test and a report will be sent home to parents. School districts have outlined the following procedures to implement this program:

• Students will be taken out of classes and tested.

• All passing qualifiers on the tests are based on standards that are based on age and gender. This means that younger students will need to do less than older students. Also, scores for successful girls will be different than those for boys.

• At the secondary campuses we will be asking the students to bring shorts, t-shirts, and running-type shoes.

• Students will need to notify the teachers involved of any unusual medical situation.

• Results of the testing will be sent home later in the spring.

The tests that will be given include:

a) The pacer test, a timed event. It includes running 15 or 20 meters and returning back to the starting point in a timed manner. The number of repetitions will be based on gender and age.

b) Curl-ups - similar to a sit-up. Arms are to the side with the knees bent and students rise forward as their hands move along the surface 3 to 4.5 inches and then back down.

c) Trunk lift - While lying on their stomachs the student will be asked to raise their chin to six to 12 inches.

d) Push-ups – A 90-degree, full-extension push-up starting in the up position. Going down and up is a repetition.

e) Flexibility – This test will require students to reach one arm over their shoulder and touch their other hand which is placed behind the back. Then the other arm over the opposite shoulder and touch the other hand will be tested.

f) In addition students will be measured for height and weighed in order to develop a Body Mass Indicator.

The principal mission of the Fitness Gram is to promote lifelong physical activity among youth. Feel free to contact your child’s campus Physical Education teacher for any questions. More information is available online at www.fitnessgram.net.