FitnessGram

Fitnessgram Testing

The Lee's Summit School District has adopted the FITNESSGRAM program as the health, fitness, and activity assessment for grades 5-12.  Fitnessgram is a health-related fitness and activity assessment and computerized reporting system.

We believe that regular physical activity contributes to good health, function, well-being and is important throughout a person's lifetime.  The goals of Fitnessgram are to promote enjoyable regular physical activity and to provide physical fitness and activity assessments and reporting programs for our students.  Therefore, the K-12 Health and Physical Education Department has adopted the long-term view promoting appropriate physical activity rather than focusing only on testing and performance aspects of physical fitness.  Fitnessgram emphasizes participation in a wide variety of physical activities to develop and maintain an acceptable level of physical fitness.  We endorse the concept that physical activity should be fun, enjoyable, and for everyone.
Health-related physical fitness involves several components:  aerobic capacity, body composition, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility.  Our physical activity programs address all of these elements.  We believe it is important for all children to have adequate levels of activity and fitness.

The Fitnessgram is more effective than other available physical fitness tests for three reasons.  First, it compares scores to carefully researched and developed health standards rather than to national averages.  Second, it emphasizes measures of health-related physical fitness rather than performance of physical or sport-related skills.  Third, it goes beyond mere measurement to recommend individualized physical activity program options that will help students in the areas where they need improvement.  Fitnessgram scores, therefore, are categorized into "Healthy Fitness Zones".

All Lee's Summit Health and Physical Ed. teachers will be entering students in grades 5-12 into the computerized Fitnessgram program.  The student's name, birthdate, gender, grade, height, and weight must be entered, as well as the scores on the individual test items.  All of this information will be gathered and recorded in a confidential and professional manner.  This makes the Fitnessgram assessment an individual "picture" of each child's health and fitness levels; therefore, will not be used as a way to "compare" scores with another child.  The Missouri Assessment Program requires each district to submit the total percentage of students scoring in the Healthy Fitness Zone in grades 5-9 to the Department with grade cards at the end of 1st and 4th quarters.  At BCMS, we test quarterly in both 7th and 8th grades while tracking their progress.