Running head: Fitnessgram

Technology Implementation Project: Fitnessgram

Melissa Ewerth
Kinesiology 710: Technology in Kinesiology
Professor Dr. Scott Sailor
June 14, 2014










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Part I
Introduction to Fitnessgram
Developed by The Cooper Institute, the Fitnessgram is a program that uses various
assessment tools to give a detailed report to educate students and their families about individual
levels of health-related fitness. The various assessment tools are used to measure aerobic
capacity, body composition, and muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility. The Fitnessgram
software allows for organization of student data and the generation of both individual and class
data reports.
The Need for Fitnessgram
A successful physical education program incorporates daily physical fitness while
encouraging students to be active and take personal responsibility for their overall health.
The Fitnessgram software allows for the recording of student data and then provides a detailed
individualized fitness report to the student and the parent. Included with the student data are
fitness recommendations for student improvement. By providing students with individualized
fitness reports, students and parents can work together with the physical educator to further
develop areas of health-related fitness. In addition, the Fitnessgram software provides the
educator with valuable fitness related data about the class as a whole. This allows for
meaningful future planning and development of units, lessons, and daily activities specific to the
needs of the students as individuals and the class as a whole.
Problem Identification and Solutions
Although children are the most physically active members of society, there is a drastic
decline in activity during the adolescent years. Two goals of a well-developed physical
education program should be to develop fitness programs that meet the needs of all students and
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to promote a physically active lifestyle (Lacy 2011). The Fitnessgram program is designed to
provided teachers, parents, and students with information to educate and encourage students to
develop and maintain fitness levels that lead to a healthy lifestyle. Fitnessgram provides teachers
with a variety of assessment tools that can be used to determine and develop the current level of
student fitness. The software provides individualized fitness reports for teacher, parent, and
student review. By using the information given by the individualized fitness reports, the teacher
can plan units, lessons, and daily activities to meet the needs of students as individuals and the
class as a whole. Parents are provided with valuable fitness information about their student. The
Fitnessgram allows and encourages parent involvement in the physical education of the student.
When the parent is involved in the process of physical education, the student benefits at home as
well as in the physical education setting. Lastly, the individualized fitness report provides the
student with valuable information about current fitness levels and suggests ways in which
individual fitness can be improved.
Benefits for the Organization
The Fitnessgram program will be implemented at Charles Boehm Middle School
benefiting all students in grades six through eight. Upon fitness testing, a personalized
Fitnessgram report will be developed for all students. The report is presented in an easily
understood format that provides insight for developing an individualized fitness plan for each
student based on testing results. This allows teachers to plan to meet the needs of all students
within a well-developed physical education program. In addition, the information provided on
the report provides parents with information about the fitness level of their student. With this
information, parents have the opportunity to encourage their child to continue to be physically fit
outside of the physical education setting.
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Fitnessgram Goals
The promotion of regular physical activity of all students in the physical education
program is the primary goal of implementing the program at the middle school level. The
Fitnessgram program encourages students to be active presently, and the long-term goal is to
encourage lifelong physical activity that will continue far beyond the physical education setting.
In addition, Fitnessgram is a program that is designed to personalize physical activity goals and
physical fitness plans to meet the needs of all learners. It is the desire of the institution
implementing this program to increase the health-related physical fitness levels of all students
while promoting lifelong physical activity.
Budget of Implementation
The Fitnessgram 10 Hosted Version will be ordered and purchased from
http://www.fitnessgram.net. Teachers will enter student data using laptop computers previously
provided by the district. Should teachers choose to allow students to input data, students will use
previously purchased portable laptops housed in the computer lab. The purchase of Fitnessgram
10 includes a site license, Fitnessgram/Activitygram Test Administration Manual, Updated Fifth
Edition, instructional DVD, PACER CD, downloadable cadences for testing items, forms from
test administration manual, and access to the online course. Below is the budget for
implementation.
Item Amount Price
Fitnessgram 10 Year One 1 $599.00
Annual Subscription (starts year 2) 1 per year $149.00
Program Implementation 10 Years $1,940.00


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Program Evaluation
The Fitnessgram program allows for user-friendly evaluation of student scores by the
teacher, student, and parents. By entering student data, teachers quickly have access to student
reports allowing for the evaluation of individual student scores and overall class scores. This
allows for teacher reflections and impacts future planning and program design. In addition,
individualized student reports provide students and parents with information for self-evaluation,
such as recommendations for physical activity activities that will increase student fitness in areas
of weakness. The reports generated by the Fitnessgram software allow teachers, students, and
parents to easily compare results with program goals and objectives. Fitness testing throughout
the year will show progress and allow educators to determine if goals and objectives have been
met.
FI TNESSGRAM Objectives
Through the use of the Fitnessgram program, the teacher will be able to clearly recognize
and evaluate levels of individual student fitness and class fitness levels as a whole. Based on
fitness reports, the physical educator will evaluate, design, and modify the physical education
program to meet the physical activity needs and physical fitness needs of all students. Through a
well-developed physical education program, students and parents will be educated about the
importance of regular physical activity, and student fitness levels will improve throughout the
year.
Plan of Implementation
All physical educators at Charles Boehm Middle School will implement the Fitnessgram
program. Students shall be tested quarterly using the Fitnessgram, as students participate in
physical education daily throughout the school year. Physical educators will meet to adjust and
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modify the physical education program based on student reports derived from the Fitnessgram
software. The physical education department will submit a quarterly report to administration
including student data recorded throughout the year and modifications and improvements made
as a result.
Timeline and Activities of Implementation
Upon receiving the Fitnessgram program during remaining days of the current school
year, the physical education department will dedicate three required summer workshop days to
prepare for the implementation of the program at the start of the next school year. Physical
educators will familiarize themselves with Fitnessgram testing methods, the use of Fitnessgram
software, and develop units and lessons that coincide with the goals and objectives of the
Fitnessgram program. At the start of the new school year, an informational session will be held
to educate parents about the program. In addition, a page will be added to the physical education
parent communication website to state the benefits of regular physical activity and provide
detailed information about the use of the Fitnessgram program in the physical education
program.
Program Outcomes
The use of the Fitnessgram will result in increased educator awareness of individual and
class fitness levels, education of parents and students about the importance of regular physical
activity, and improved student health-related fitness levels. Physical educators will be provided
with the information necessary to develop and provide physical education to meet the needs of
all students. In addition, parent education and student awareness of individual fitness levels
allow for student motivation outside of the physical education setting encouraging physical
activity in a variety of settings.
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Impact on Students, Families, and Educators
The implementation of the Fitnessgram program will benefit all students in the physical
education program at Charles Boehm Middle School. Students and their families will be
provided with the valuable information of the importance of regular physical activity, as well as
individualized student fitness level reports throughout the year. In addition, educators will
benefit by accessing individual and class fitness reports to improve program planning, meeting
student needs, and educating families about the importance of regular participation in physical
activity.
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Part II
Addressing the Physical Education Department
The implementation of the Fitnessgram will benefit not only students and their parents,
but physical education teachers as well. The use of the Fitnessgram program will provide
teachers with detailed information about the fitness levels of each student and each class as a
whole. The accompanying software allows for efficient data input that will be used to provide
detailed individualized reports about each student. The report will be provided to students and
parents to provide feedback and suggestions to improve fitness and encourage regular physical
activity. Because the software provides detailed information about fitness levels and methods for
student improvement, the teacher can spend more time preparing for physical activity to meet the
needs of all students, rather than writing detailed reports for each parent. In addition, the
individualized reports allow the teacher to plan according to current student fitness levels. Based
on current student information, physical educators are provided with valuable information to
plan units, lessons, and daily activities that meet the needs of all students.
Below is an example of a sample lesson plan for the PACER test as part of the
Fitnessgram program. This is just a very small piece of program implementation, but it provides
insight to a day spent fitness testing.
Unit: Fitness Lesson: PACER Test
Grade: 6
th
Grade Girls Physical Education Teacher: Melissa Ewerth
NATIONAL STANDARDS
Standard 3:
Participates regularly in physical activity.
Standard 6:
Values physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and/or social
interaction.

STUDENT OBJECTIVES
TSWBAT complete the PACER test
TSWBAT record PACER test results.
TSWBAT journal about PACER test.
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MATERIALS PACER CD, CD player, sound system, tape to define boundaries on gym floor,
Fitnessgram software, laptop cart for data entry, projector, student fitness
journals
WARM-UP Upon entering the gym, students will sit in their squad lines to stretch. Class
leaders will lead students in a full body stretch routine to prepare for the
PACER test as part of the Fitnessgram fitness testing battery.




LESSON
DEVELOPMENT
PACER TEST INSTRUCTIONS
The teacher will review previously provided detailed instructions about
how to complete the PACER test properly.
PACER TEST
Due to class size, students will form pairs. Partner 1 will complete the
PACER test while Partner 2 counts the amount of runs completed.
Partners will then switch roles.
PACER TEST DATA ENTRY
Teacher will demonstrate how to enter student data.
Each pair will use a student laptop to enter data. Each student will
enter his own score while the other partner looks on for accountability.




CLOSURE


STUDENT JOURNALS
Students will journal about their PACER testing experience.
Students will rate their effort given during the PACER test on a scale
from 1 to 5.

ASSESSMENT
&
EVALUATION

1. Students will be visually assessed by the teachers throughout the class
period.
2. Teacher will check for understanding through verbal questioning
throughout the class period.
3. Students will record individual data with a partner.
4. Individualized fitness reports will be distributed once quarterly Fitnessgram
testing has been completed.


DIFFERENTIATED
INSTRUCTION
1. Students will be encouraged to challenge themselves by increasing their
score from the previous practice test.
2. Students will remove themselves from the test when they are unable to
continue.
3. Students needing additional help with data entry can work one-on-one
with a teacher as needed.





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References
Fitnessgram: Activity and fitness assessment, reporting, and . (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2014,
from http://www.fitnessgram.net/
Lacy, A. (2011). Measurement and evaluation in physical education and exercise science.
(6
th
ed.). San Francisco, CA: Benjamin Cummings