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In [insert month(s)] our students in grade [insert grade level] will participate in the Physical Fitness Test (PFT). The FITNESSGRAM® is the required annual PFT for students in grades five, seven, and nine in California public schools. This health-related fitness test, developed by The Cooper Institute, is intended to help students acquire lifelong habits of regular physical activity.
The FITNESSGRAM® includes tests for key areas of fitness, including aerobic capacity, body composition, abdominal strength and endurance, trunk extensor strength and flexibility, upper body strength and endurance, and flexibility. There are two or three test options for most of the fitness areas of the FITNESSGRAM® so that all students, including those with special needs, have the maximum opportunity to participate in the PFT. For those fitness areas that have options, only one option is administered to a student.
Two levels have been established to evaluate and report performance for each fitness area of the FITNESSGRAM® — (1) in the Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ) and (2) needs improvement (i.e., not in the HFZ). The desired performance standard for each test option is the HFZ, which represents a level of fitness that offers some protection against the diseases resulting from physical inactivity.
Our students will receive their results upon completion of the PFT. These results will help students understand their individual levels of fitness. Students are encouraged to talk about these results with their parents or guardians and their physical education teacher. Parents and guardians can use these results to help their students plan appropriate fitness activities.
If you have any questions about our students’ participation in the PFT, the FITNESSGRAM®, or the test results, please contact [insert name and telephone number]. Information about the PFT is also available on the Physical Fitness Testing Web page.
