Running Head: FITNESS AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement in School-Aged Children

Shanell Meredith
Seattle University

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Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement in School-Aged Children
Prosser (2008) reminds people that, the human qualities we associate with the mind can
never exist separate from the body because movement is an indispensable part of learning and
thinking (pg 2) Seeing that the mind and body are interconnected, it is integral for researchers to
pinpoint the relationship between fitness and academic achievement. Knowledge of the extent in
which fitness and academic achievement are interconnected will allow educators to make
informed decisions regarding how to most effectively use limited time and resources in public
schools. Childhood obesity has grown into a national concern as we see alarmingly high
numbers of children classified as overweight and obese. The Center for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) reports that 17% of school aged children between ages 6-19 are classified as
obese (Joshi, 2011). This is problematic in its own right, but is compounded by the additional
pressure schools are under to meet academic testing standards with the No Child Left Behind Act
of 2001 (Chomitz, 2009). An increasing number of school districts are choosing to use time that
was previously dedicated to physical education, to accommodate more time focusing on math
and English (Reed, 2010).
The results of a growing number of studies are indicating more time spent improving the
physical fitness of students could improve academic achievement (Chomitz, 2009). Students
who achieved healthy fitness zones for fitness tests scored significantly
higher in both math and reading on Louisianas standardized test (Joshi, 2011).
Similarly, research based on Mississippi students also indicated a statistically
significant positive correlation between fitness and standardized test scores
in language arts and math (Blom, 2011). Reed (2010) found that an
experimental group of third grade students, with 30 minutes of daily exercise

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integrated into their classes for four months, scored significantly better than
baseline students. Even though the experimental group received less time
designated to academic instruction than the control group, they still scored
significantly better. Chomitz (2009) controlled for students weight status,
ethnicity, gender, grade, and socioeconomic status during her research of
the relationship between objective fitness and academic achievement. The
results of Chomitzs (2009) study indicated that the odds of passing the
Massachusetts standardized assessment (MCAS) increased as the number
of fitness tests passed increased. The conclusion of each article discussed
above spoke to the importance of continuing research pertaining to physical
fitness and academic achievement. We chose to draw from some of the
strongest and most reliable studies while designing our own research
proposal.
Following an examination of literature concerning the relationship between physical
fitness and academic achievement in school-aged children, we feel compelled to add to the body
of research. Linking the two factors together has the possibility of changing the way we approach
education, yet the body of research does not have enough strength to elicit widespread change in
public schools. If we find physical activity to be correlated with improved health as well as
higher academic achievement in children, it could potentially adjust school priorities leading to
healthier more academically-achieving students.
Since the definition of fitness is rather subjective, we believe it is vital for research to use
standardized fitness measures that carry the benefit of objectivity and ease of duplication.
Additional research will be beneficial since relatively few studies have used standardized fitness

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measures in combination with standardized test scores when examining the relationship between
physical fitness and academic achievement in school-aged children. To help fill this gap in
research, we propose to conduct a study inspired by Chomitz (2009) where we will correlate a
physical fitness variable with the level of academic achievement attained on the annual
standardized test.
Hypothesis.
Driven by our literature review, and more specifically the research conducted by Chomitz
(2009), we hypothesize a statistically significant relationship will be found to exist between
physical fitness and academic achievement in school-aged children when using standardized
fitness and academic achievement measures.
Definition of Key Terms.
A Physical Fitness variable will be constructed for each student using the number of
healthy fitness zones achieved (zero through six), which will be correlated with one of the four
levels of academic achievement attained an annual standardized test.
The following terms are defined in context of how they are used in the study:

Physical Fitness: Conceptually, we consider physical fitness to be a state of physiological

well-being achieved through a combination of healthy diet, regular exercise and other
proactives that promote good health. Operationally, it is defined as a Physical Fitness
variable that is constructed for each student using the number of healthy fitness zones
achieved (zero through six) on a multimodal test.
Academic Achievement: Third to fifth grade students level of English Language Arts and
Mathematics proficiency determined by the exam scores on the Washington
Measurements of Student Progress (WMSP).

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Elementary School-Aged Children: Children between the ages of 7 and 11 that are
attending 3rd grade through 5th grade in Washington state public elementary schools.

Subjects
For this study, the population of interest includes all Washington public elementary
school students between kindergarten and fifth grade. Our participants will be drawn from all
1,188 Washington state public elementary schools. Students between 3rd and 5th grade annually
take the state standardized test, so we will select those information rich participants for our study.
We will use cluster sampling by randomly selecting one group of 26 students (average class size)
from all three grade levels of interest (3rd through 5th grade) in each public school in the state.
Fitness and academic achievement data will be collected by 92,664 students in total.
Only students able to complete the entirety of both the physical fitness measure and the academic
achievement measure will be analyzed. This may exclude students injured or absent on a day of
an assessment as well as those with certain disabilities.
Instruments
Objective measures of physical fitness, as well as, academic achievement data on
standardized test scores will be based on the 2013-2014 academic year. More information on
these two measures is described below.
Physical Fitness. Developed in 1982 by The Cooper Institute in Dallas, Texas,
Fitnessgram was designed to increase awareness of children's fitness levels by developing an
easy way to report the results of physical fitness assessments (Welk and Meredith, 2008). The
Fitnessgram assessment program suggests six diverse health-related physical fitness tests
designed to evaluate cardiovascular fitness, body composition, muscle strength, muscular
endurance, and flexibility (Welk and Meredith, 2008). The suggested tests are listed below:

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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) refers to a 20 meter run.

Curl-Up assesses abdominal strength.
Trunk Lift assesses trunk extensor strength and flexibility.
90 Degree Push-up assesses upper body strength.
Sit-and-Reach assesses flexibility.
Body Mass Index (BMI) calculates body fat from height and weight.

Healthy fitness zones are associated with each fitness component. Each healthy zone is criterion
referenced and considered to be the minimal level of performance associated with good health
based on students age and gender (Welk, Meredith, 2008). Overall fitness is determined by the
number of healthy fitness zones students achieve on the Fitnessgram, ranging from zero to six.
The Fitnessgram program has proven itself to be a reliable and valid physical fitness test
measurement due to its strong scientific foundation (Welk and Meredith, 2008). The
Fitnessgrams Scientific Advisory Board consists of a team of scientists and practitioners who are
experts in the field of health and fitness. Extensive scientific research on the relationship
between fitness, activity, and health is the basis for the criteria designating the healthy fitness
zone standards (Welk and Meredith, 2008). California, among many other states, uses the
Fitnessgram annually as a required assessment, and the American Alliance for Health, Physical
Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) recommends Fitnessgram as their promotional
program (Welk and Meredith, 2008).
Academic Achievement. The WMSP is an annually administered standardized test that
determines proficiency of 3rd-8th grade students English Language Arts and Mathematics skills.
The WMSP is designed to test the Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs), which
define what all students should know and be able to do at each grade level. The WMSP has four
levels of achievement; Levels 1- 4 are described below.
1. Below Basic (not meeting state standards)
2. Basic (not meeting state standards)

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3. Proficient (meeting state standards)
4. Advanced (exceeding state standards)
Our research will divide these levels into two categories. The first group will include the
high achieving students (Advanced and Proficient). The second group will be comprised of the
low achieving students (Basic and Below Basic). The designs of the WMSP and the procedures
for testing and scoring have proven to consistently measure the academic requirements of
interest. State and federal learning standards are used to test the core competencies of students.
Research Design and Procedures
We will be doing nonexperimental research in the form of a correlational study. We will
follow a procedure similar to that of Blom, (2011). After receiving the Institutional Review
Board (IRB) approval through the Human Subjects Committee, we will have each school send
three representatives to receive certified training on the use of Fitnessgram software and how to
reliably administer and score of all six fitness tests. Under the supervision of one of the three
representatives, the P.E. teachers at each school will administer record students results. Each
student will have an individual case file that will include their date of birth, gender, grade level,
and six Fitnessgram scores. Student data will be entered via a password protected PC module.
Each school will merge student information with Washington School Information Processing
Cooperative (WSIPC). WSIPC matches the Fitnessgram case file with students academic,
behavioral (absences), lunch status (SES), and race/ethnicity records. The data set will be
reduced at this point due students without one of the scores.
We will control for maturation threats by completing the Fitnessgram tests within a
month of the WMSP. The short time between assessments reduces possible changes in fitness
taking place between the WMSP and the Fitnessgram assessment. The limited equipment

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required in implementing the Fitnessgram program and the close supervision of trained
representatives helps to control for differences in students experience. The representatives from
each school will also help to ensure the tests are scored and input in a reliable manner. The
administrators of the Fitnessgram tests will not have access to students WMSP scores, thus
eliminating the possibility of students scores reflecting the administrators expectations. We will
limit potential confounders by controlling for BMI, ethnicity, gender, grade, and
socioeconomic status and absences.
Since only third through fifth grade Washington public school students will be examined
in this research, it may be hard to generalize these findings to a larger population. Another threat
to the external validity is the inevitability of students being tested in different settings by
different administrators. Unfortunately, the characteristics of these settings and administrators
have the possibility of altering students academic and fitness performances.
The analysis of the matched student information is the only piece the study in which the
researcher could influence. The nonexistent exposure to the students and the test measurements
limits researcher bias. Although we may feel compelled to prove a statistical correlation, only by
excluding relevant data can the results of the correlation be inaccurate. We are cognizant that a
statistical correlation does not imply causation and will not present the outcome of our research
in a misleading manner.
Blom (2011) inspired the quantitative approach we will use to analyze our data. We will
use Chi-square analyses to assess the statistical significance to determine the differences in
academic achievement and academic behaviors. Multiple logistic regression models will also be
used to identify factors associated with academic achievement. Lastly, we will obtain an odds

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ratio for each subgroup in relation to the reference group, while controlling for BMI, ethnicity,
gender, grade, and socioeconomic status and absences.
This investigation will allow researchers and educators alike to use the objective test
measures to see the correlational relationship between physical fitness and academic intelligence.
If we find physical fitness to be correlated with high academic achievement in students, this
research may add to the body of literature responsible for creating a healthier more academicallyachieving generation of students.

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References
Blom, L. C., Alvarez, J., Lei, Z., & Kolbo, J. (2011). Associations between Health-Related
Physical Fitness, Academic Achievement and Selected Academic Behaviors of
Elementary and Middle School Students in the State of Mississippi. ICHPER -- SD
Journal Of Research In Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport & Dance, 6(1), 1319.
Chomitz, V. R., Slining, M. M., McGowan, R. J., Mitchell, S. E., Dawson, G. F., & Hacker, K. A.
(2009). Is There a Relationship Between Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement?
Positive Results From Public School Children in the Northeastern United States. Journal
Of School Health, 79(1), 30-37.
Joshi, P., Howat, H., & Bryan, C. (2011). Relationship Between Fitness Levels and Academic
Performance. Journal Of Physical Education & Sport, 11(44), 376-382.
Prosser, L., & Xiaoli, J. (2008). Relationship between School Physical Activity and Academic
Performance of Children. International Journal Of Learning, 15(3), 11-16.
Reed, J. A., Einstein, G., Hahn, E., Hooker, S. P., Gross, V. P., & Kravitz, J. (2010). Examining
the Impact of Integrating Physical Activity on Fluid Intelligence and Academic
Performance in an Elementary School Setting: A Preliminary Investigation. Journal Of
Physical Activity & Health, 7(3), 343-351.
Welk, G. J., Meredith, M.D. (Eds.). (2008). Fitnessgram / Activitygram Reference Guide. Dallas,
TX: The Cooper Institute.