Presidential Fitness Testing
National Significance
Obesity and other lifestyle-related health problems have become increasingly fatal epidemics striking America's population in recent years. Though perhaps the most shocking and horrifying statistics can be found in the infection rates among our country's children. In fact, according to the data collected by The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, an estimated 16.9% of children and adolescents between the ages of 2 and 19 are obese and the prevalence is increasing (CDC, 2011). With similar trends present in childhood diabetes rates (among others), these regrettable results are certainly staggering and thus a call for major concern. Nevertheless, many continue to believe that a child's "free will" is culpable, noting children's propensities for unhealthy food and drink consumption as well as decreases in levels of physical activity. However, many education professionals believe that this "instinctual" trend can be reversed through an active approach to fitness education and evaluation on behalf of schools. In taking this approach, many schools have adopted the Presidential Fitness Testing system. By truly embracing and implementing a universal system of elementary fitness evaluation, The United States will also be gaining some ground on its worldly peers, many of whom have already integrated such collective approaches . In fact, research has shown that nations using universal fitness-testing regimes have historically performed better than those who have chosen to forgo such options . Thus the American Presidential Fitness testing system becomes an all the more attractive option.
This particular fitness-testing framework utilizes a wide array of traditional and non-traditional fitness indicators to accurately determine a child's fitness level. By setting specific targets for children based upon their ages, this program helps to create a universally applicable means of reporting data and achieving cumulative goals. Though even despite its noble goals and far-reaching potentials, many contemporary fitness educators continue to forgo this option citing its out-datedness and acute applicability. While the origins of this national program do date back to the mid-1950's when President Eisenhower created the President's Council on Youth and Fitness, many modernizing changes have since been made to ensure the lasting pertinence of this system . In fact, a recent article in the New York Times describes some of the latest advances in the Presidential Fitness Testing program that are now being offered to adults . Being that national health problems are affecting all segments of our current population, the adaptability of this system is certainly commendable.
Local Significance
The specific purpose of this proposal at the local level will be to examine the current and historical trends present in the physical education of children in the state of Illinois. This will include the means utilized to prepare and assess a student's physical fitness level, as well as the environment in which such education and evaluation takes place. Fiscal crises present in the state of Illinois have caused the slashing of educational budgets throughout the state and physical education departments have suffered a great deal. This reality has ultimately caused a significant amount of concern as to whether or not administrators and teaching professionals are now more prone to taking shortcuts in the fitness training and testing of students. For while Presidential Fitness Testing is stated as the collective norm, budget constraints have caused a great decline in governmental enforcement and an equal increase in local control over school fitness-testing regimes. As a result, several Illinois districts have been accused of slipshod methodology in assessing fitness levels. In fact, recent reports have shown that multiple Chicago districts have begun to completely abandon mandated Presidential Fitness Testing standards and simply calculate the student's Body Mass Index (BMI) in order to determine his or her physical education grade . Such practices illustrate a lack of educational dedication on behalf of such districts. What is more, such detrimental tactics have been shown to have direct negative effects on students' self-image and social behavior .
As can be ascertained from the data presented above, Illinois school districts are discarding the time-honored fitness testing techniques (like the Presidential Fitness Test) that have been shown to elicit cumulative performance improvements. Consequently, the obesity rates in this state are surging, while fitness-testing standards are becoming more and more relaxed . Though while schools do not bear full responsibility for growing childhood obesity rates, such institutions can certainly play a more active role in educating the student bodies regarding fitness. Moreover, the simplistic (yet far-reaching) nature of the Presidential Physical Fitness program allows schools to integrate...
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