Why does California have a Physical Fitness Test?
The California Physical Fitness Test (PFT) provides information that can be used by students to assess and plan personal fitness programs; by teachers to design the curriculum for physical education programs; and by 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 (California 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.
What is the PFT?
The State Board of Education (SBE) designated the FITNESSGRAM® as the PFT for students in California public schools. The FITNESSGRAM® is a comprehensive, health-related physical fitness battery developed by The Cooper Institute. The primary goal of the FITNESSGRAM® is to assist students in establishing lifetime habits of regular physical activity.
What are the fitness areas tested? What test options are available for each fitness area?
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)
Body Composition
- Skinfold Measurements
- Body Mass Index
- Bioelectric Impedance Analyzer
Abdominal Strength and Endurance
- Curl-Up
Trunk Extensor Strength and Flexibility
- Trunk Lift
Upper Body Strength and Endurance
- Push-Up
- Modified Pull-Up
- Flexed-Arm Hang
Flexibility
- Back-Saver Sit and Reach
- Shoulder Stretch
Descriptions of the six fitness areas and test options can be found in the “2007-08 Physical Fitness Test Reference Guide” located on the Physical Fitness Testing Web page.
What are the criteria for each fitness area?
The FITNESSGRAM® uses objective criteria to evaluate performance for each fitness area (e.g., body composition, abdominal strength and endurance). The Cooper Institute established these criteria using current research and expert opinions. These criteria represent a level of fitness that offers some protection against the diseases associated with physical inactivity. These criteria for boys and girls are different for tests where there is a valid rationale from a health-related perspective. For example, differences in cardiac function and body composition between adolescent boys and girls result in boys having a higher aerobic capacity than girls.
Who takes the PFT?
All California public school students in grades five, seven, and nine are required to take the PFT, whether or not they are enrolled in a physical education class or participate in a block schedule. These students include those enrolled in elementary, high, and unified school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools. School districts should also test all students in alternate programs, including, but not limited to, continuation schools, independent study, community day schools, county community schools, and nonpublic schools. Students who are physically unable to take the entire test battery are to be given as much of the test as conditions permit.
When is the PFT given?
The designated testing window for administering the PFT is February 1 through May 31. The test may not be administered outside of this window. Only school districts seeking flexibility in the statutory time requirements due to block scheduling (i.e., 400 minutes of physical education every 10 school days) may end up testing outside of this window. Information on this waiver policy is available on the CDE Waivers Web page.
Who can administer the PFT?
The PFT shall be administered and scored by employees of the school district or county office of education.
How can schools best prepare students for the PFT?
Students should be instructed in basic concepts of fitness development and maintenance in the required physical education program. (The required physical education program consists of 200 minutes every 10 school days for grades one through six, and 400 minutes every 10 school days for students in grades seven through twelve [California Education Code sections 51210 and 51222].) Physical fitness instruction should include explanations of each fitness area and its relationship to good health as well as specific physical activities that improve or maintain each of the components of health-related fitness. Further, students should be provided opportunities to participate in vigorous physical activity and exercise throughout the school day and in physical education classes. Because conditioning prior to testing is important to the safe administration of the PFT, adequate time should be allowed for students to learn about how each fitness-area test is administered and to engage in practice sessions.
Can students complete more than one test option for each fitness area?
A number of options for each fitness area are provided so that all students, including those with disabilities, have the maximum opportunity to participate in the tests. The teacher or the student may select the test for each fitness area; however, only one test for each fitness area should be reported. It is not necessary for all students within a school or all schools within a school district to use the same test options.
Are make-ups allowed for students who are absent on a particular day of testing?
Yes. Schools should provide make-up opportunities for students who are absent on testing days; however, all make-ups need to take place within the PFT administration window.
Can students be excused from the PFT?
No. The general opt-out provision of California Education Code Section 60615 does not apply to the PFT. Reasons for not taking the PFT are limited to physically disabled students; therefore, most students cannot be excused from the PFT.
What is done to assist students with disabilities on the PFT?
Certain variations or accommodations may be provided for students with disabilities who need special assistance on the PFT. Matrix 1. Matrix of Test Variations, Accommodations, and Modifications for the Administration of California Statewide Assessments provides a list of the types of variations and accommodations that are available for the PFT. This chart is posted on the Student Testing Web page. Teachers of students needing accommodations or modifications that are not listed on this chart should contact the California Department of Education (CDE), Standards and Assessment Division, at 916-319-0341 (phone) or pft@cde.ca.gov (e-mail). Any accommodations or modifications should be specified in the student’s individualized education program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan.
What is the process for making the decisions about accommodations for students with disabilities?
The IEP or Section 504 Plan team is responsible for deciding how students with disabilities will participate in the PFT.
Where can the test administration materials be ordered?
FITNESSGRAM® materials are not available from CDE. The materials needed for the FITNESSGRAM® administration may be ordered from Human Kinetics at 800-747-4457, extension 2361 (phone)or Web site (Outside Source). Human Kinetics offers most of the resources needed for the test administration, including the FITNESSGRAM® Test Administration Manual and other materials, such as skinfold calipers and curl-up strips.
What training should school districts provide for staff to administer the PFT?
To ensure the integrity of the PFT data, school districts and schools should ensure that any staff involved with the administration of the PFT is thoroughly familiarized with the test materials and administration procedures. To support such efforts, school districts and schools should use the FITNESSGRAM® Test Administration Manual and involve staff who have prior experience with the test administration. The FITNESSGRAM® Test Administration Manual includes a DVD with a video of all the test procedures.
What is the annual apportionment for the PFT?
No apportionment is provided for the PFT. Costs incurred to administer, score, analyze, and report results of the PFT are recoverable as “state-mandated costs.” State-mandated costs claim instructions and forms for the PFT can be accessed at State Controllers Office (Outside Source). On this Web site, click on “School – November 2007” found under the heading of “State Mandated Cost Manuals.” Under the “State Mandated Cost Programs” heading click on “Physical Performance Tests.”
Where should the school districts send the data from the test administration?
A school district that processes its own PFT data should submit the data directly to the state PFT contractor, Educational Data Systems (EDS), who is responsible for collecting the PFT results and preparing the PFT reports for California. If a school district contracts with a vendor to process the PFT results, the vendor may submit the data from the PFT administration directly to EDS on behalf of the school district. Refer to the 2007-08 PFT Preparation Manual for Testing and Reporting for me information. This manual can be found on the Physical Fitness Testing Web page.
What are the options available for submitting the data?
There are several options available for submitting the data electronically to the state PFT contractor, EDS:
- Using an Internet data entry site
- Uploading a data file
- Mailing a disk or CD-ROM with standard format files or FITNESSGRAM® software
- Contracting with an outside vendor
What is the timeline for submitting the data?
Data from the 2008 PFT administration must be submitted to the state PFT contractor, EDS, by the reporting deadline of June 30, 2008.
How are the PFT results reported?
Performance on each of the fitness-area tests is classified into two general areas:
- Healthy Fitness Zone
- Needs Improvement (i.e., not in the Healthy Fitness Zone)
The desired goal for each test option is the Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ). The range of measurements that fall into the HFZ for each test option of the FITNESSGRAM® can be found on the Physical Fitness Testing Web page. All students should strive to achieve a score within the HFZ for each fitness-area test. It is possible that some students score above the HFZ. These scores are reported as in the HFZ. [Note that lean scores for body composition are considered in the HFZ.]
How does one determine the student's age for the purpose of reporting the annual PFT results?
The student's age is determined as of April 1 of the testing year.
When can parents and guardians expect to receive their students’ score reports?
Students will be provided with their individual results, either orally or in writing, upon completing the PFT (California Education Code Section 60800). Although not legally required, school districts may choose to send a PFT score report to parents and guardians. Parents and guardians should be advised to check with their local school district to determine if and when PFT score reports will be sent home.
When are the results of the PFT available on the CDE Web site?
Summary results of the 2007 PFT administration will be available on CDE's DataQuest Web site by December 1, 2007. School districts that contract with an outside vendor to process their PFT results may receive a copy of their summary results from the vendor earlier than this date.
Are the PFT results included on the School Accountability Report Card (SARC)?
Schools are required by law to include the PFT results in the SARC (California Education Code Section 60800). Further, the most recent physical fitness data are to be reported, including the percentage of students scoring in the HFZ for all of the six fitness areas tested. Note: To protect student privacy, scores are not shown when the number of students tested is ten or less. The SARC template, which can be accessed from the CDE's SARC Web page, contains a sample table for the physical fitness data.
How can the test results be used?
The PFT results can be used in several ways. Schools can use the results to determine the fitness levels of their students and to provide direction for curricular plans. Students can be encouraged to use the results to develop a fitness program of maintenance or improvement. Parents and guardians can use the results to help their students plan fitness activities matched to their individual needs. Since the PFT is given annually to students, schools and school districts also can use the results to monitor changes in the fitness status of students over time. PFT results should always be reviewed and used to make decisions in conjunction with other related information related to physical performance and physical education.
What are inappropriate uses of the test results?
The PFT results should not be used as the sole basis to evaluate individual students in physical education (e.g., grading), teacher effectiveness (e.g., teacher evaluations), or the overall quality of a physical education program.
Do PFT results appear on student transcripts?
There is no requirement to include PFT results on student transcripts.
Is there a requirement to keep PFT results in student permanent records?
Yes. Schools should keep the PFT results in student cumulative records or files (California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 1044).
Is there an awards program for the PFT?
No. California does not offer an awards program for the PFT. School districts, schools, parents and guardians, and community members are encouraged to recognize students, including those with disabilities, for improving exercise behaviors or achieving the HFZ in different PFT fitness areas. Care should be taken, however, to protect students’ individual results.
