Advancing the debate on 'fitness testing' for children: perhaps we're riding the wrong animal

Assessment and evaluation are the cornerstones of the education and health fields. Assessment provides professionals with measures of educational achievement, health and functional status, and acts as an operational starting point for curricular and/or treatment planning and allows professionals to gain an understanding of the child to make informed decisions regarding education or treatment. Evaluation is woven into the fabric of North American schools, be it spelling tests, math tests, an evaluation of a child suspected of having a learning disability, or fitness testing in physical education class. There is little or no debate regarding the importance of assessment and evaluation in the cognitive domains in school (e.g., literacy and numeracy); however, assessment in physical education remains controversial. Physical and health education is mandated in most schools, just like spelling, math, science, and language arts; yet there is resistance to assessment in physical education. The purpose of this article is to further the debate surrounding fitness testing in schools.