FITNESSGRAM

SHAPE, the Georgia Student Health and Physical Education program, was passed in the 2009 Georgia legislative session and is now Official Code of Georgia § 20-2-777.  Beginning in the 2011-2012 school year, the law requires each local school district to conduct an annual fitness assessment program for all students in grades 1-12 enrolled in classes taught by certified physical education teachers.

Parental Overview

The FITNESSGRAM Reference Guide is intended to provide answers to some common questions with the use and interpretation on the FITNESSGRAM assessment. The purpose of this document is to provide a general overview of the assessment administration and interpretation of the scores for parents and other interested parties. This document is organized into some of the common questions associated with this topic.

What is FITNESSGRAM?

FITNESSGRAM is the national fitness assessment and reporting program for youth.

The assessment was developed by The Cooper Institute in response to the needs in physical education programs for a comprehensive assessment protocol. The assessment includes a variety of health-related physical fitness assessments 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. The software for the program produces an individualized report card that summarized the child’s performance on each component of health-related fitness and provides suggestions for how to promote and maintain good fitness.

The sophisticated database structure within the program produces compiled class reports and allows for long-term tracking of the student’s fitness over time. FITNESSGRAM can be used by students to help them in personal fitness programming, by teachers to determine student needs and to help guide students in program planning, and by parents to understand their child’s needs and to help the child plan a program of physical activity.

Download the complete Parental Overview Document of FITNESSGRAM Assessment in Georgia for answers to the following questions and a more in-depth description of the program.

  • What is the philosophy of FITNESSGRAM?
  • What is the Healthy Fitness Zone?
  • What are the assessments?
  • Why is aerobic capacity important?
  • The PACER or the One-Mile Run
  • Why is body composition important?
    • Height/Weight
  • Why is muscular strength, endurance and flexibility important?
    • Curl-Up
    • Push-Up
    • Back-Saver Sit and Reach
  • Sample FITNESSGRAM Report
  • How can I help my child be more fit and active?

More Frequently Asked Questions

The answers to these questions are also included in the Parental Overview Document of FITNESSGRAM Assessment in Georgia:

  • Why is assessing fitness important to my child?
  • Can my child “fail” the FITNESSGRAM assessment?
  • Will my child’s scores be posted or be made public?
  • Will my child’s results be compared to other students?
  • What are the FITNESSGRAM assessment items?
  • What can my child do to prepare for the fitness assessment?
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