Test Finds That Only 31% of Calif. Students Passed All Fitness Measures
Thirty-one percent of California students passed all six fitness measures in the 2012 Physical Fitness Test, according to findings released by the state Department of Education last week, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Details of Fitness Test
Under the fitness test, 1.3 million fifth-, seventh- and ninth-graders were assessed for:
- Abdominal strength;
- Aerobic capacity;
- Body composition;
- Flexibility;
- Upper body strength; and
- Trunk strength (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 11/15).
Key Findings
The test found that more than 13,000 children failed all six assessments, a higher rate than in the past (Brandt, North County Times, 11/17).
It also found that:
- 25% of fifth-graders passed all of the tests;
- 32% of seventh-graders passed all of the tests; and
- 37% of ninth-graders passed all of the tests.
According to the test, the overall percentage of children in the state who passed all six measures was about the same as in 2011.
The test also found that nearly 30% of children had high health risks because of body fat (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 11/15).
Response to Findings
Tom Torlakson -- state superintendent of public instruction -- said, "When we can call fewer than one out of three of our kids physically fit, we know we have a tremendous public health challenge on our hands" (North County Times, 11/17). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.