I do NOT understand "Fitness Testing". (VENT/RANT)

[AnnieO]

Apparently my state has fitness standards... One of which is a mile run.

I mentioned this a few weeks (month?) ago. I had emailed Pat's teacher, trying to figure out how they could test him on his abilities. I can understand how they could test him on his attempts, but... Fact is, some kids just can't do some things while others can.

The teacher did mention if she was doing her job, we should see improvement. Fine. I want her fired for not doing her job. Because my kid - who, by the way, has coordination problems - got a 50% on his mile run last quarter and a 25% this quarter. I find it hard to believe he isn't trying - because he has 100% in every other fitness test. So that tells me he IS making the attempt. Plus, the kid has walked home from school at least a dozen times this school year - five miles, in under two hours each time.

If my job had a fitness standard and I had to run a mile... I'd be unemployed. I've never in my life been able to run a mile.

I know we have an "obesity epidemic". But I don't think fitness standards are the answer.

 

[DaisyFace]

Annie -

What are the ramifications of doing poorly on this test?

I recall flunking the "running a mile" portion of my school's fitness requirements - but I still graduated with honors.

If the overall impact is nothing to worry about, I'd let it go. on the other hand - if the impact is going to be damaging, I'd talk to the doctor about getting Pat excused from running altogether.

 

[DammitJanet]

This is idiotic. If Billy had to run a mile he would still be in school! Heck if I had to I would still be in school. Actually that PE, fitness thing is one of the reasons I havent attempted to go to our local community college just for something to do. They force everyone to do one period of walking around the campus each quarter. That is one hour every day they have classes. There is no way I could do that. It was all I could do to walk from class to class and one time I fell over a hole that was covered by leaves.

 

[AnnieO]

DF... Let's put it this way. If he didn't have a 25% on that ONE test, he'd have an A. He has a C.

The doctor won't excuse him - there's nothing "wrong" with him, he's just not coordinated enough...

 

[InsaneCdn]

The doctor won't excuse him - there's nothing "wrong" with him, he's just not coordinated enough...

Get a new doctor.
"He's not coordinated enough" ... IS ENOUGH to be exempted from the mile RUN.

difficult child got that much out of his doctor... they substituted a 5-mile walk (to be completed in under 1 gym period)... if he could do that much, he wasn't a "couch potato".

 

[StressedM0mma]

I do not understand the new "rules" either. How does running a mile make a child fit? I have one better. When difficult child was in a B&M school, her gym class played table tennis. Tell me how that makes you fit??? And, they played badminton. again, that makes you fit? I could weigh 700# and play table tennis! So dumb!!

 

[InsaneCdn]

SM... the new medical evidence is that you CAN be both moderately obese AND fit at the same time.
A person of normal weight who is a couch potato and totally unfit, is actually at higher risk of most health problems than the overweight person who is regularly physically active.,

In other words... fitness doesn't prevent obesity, and obesity (except in the extreme) doesn't prevent fitness.

SO... what's the goal? fitness? or fighting obesity?
Here, at least, they have given up on fighting obesity... and chosen to focus on trying to get kids hooked on life-long active interests. Even moderate fitness levels are a huge health impact.

 

[AnnieO]

IC, to be completely fair to the doctor... That was me stating it, not the doctor. I'm NOT going to have him exempted - he can run, just not a mile. Short bursts. I just do not understand why it is so important that it drags his grade from an A to a C. Heck, last quarter he'd have had an A, but got a B - due to the fitness testing. Sorry, but when they serve Pop-Tarts in the school cafeteria alongside a Walking Taco (Fritos and chili), I have a really hard time with their fitness standards.

Did you know Fritos are whole grain? According to our school menu. (Sorry, tangent.) But they took away a friend's son's homemade cheese-filled bread sticks...

 

[InsaneCdn]

The doctor doesn't need to exempt him from PE... just from running the MILE testing. They can give him an alternate test (difficult child did a mile of stationary cycling).

 

[AnnieO]

Maybe... Not holding my breath.

Frankly, if he PASSES I'm fine. I don't care if he ever runs a mile. I'm just irritated that they have standards like this while ignoring other things like basic nutrition.

 

[StressedM0mma]

I am right there with you Annie. OUr schools serve a "Super Donut" for breakfast. They also get poptarts and walking tacos. Yuck

 

[AnnieO]

I got some clarification.

To be considered FIT and pass that part, they must RUN - not jog, not walk - FLAT OUT RUN a mile in 6 minutes 30 seconds. Boys. Girls must do it in 8:30. There must be a physical disability preventing them from running to have this waived - and since he has attempted it, not happening.

HELLO! I did an informal query on my facebook page and a lot of people talk about 10 minutes to jog. And how is it fair to have a difference in times - almost a THIRD - based on gender?

 

[InsaneCdn]

Since when are girls THAT much slower? come on... I'd be screaming reverse discrimination... or even outright discrimination based on the "put down" that as a girl, expectations are that much lower.

 

[SuZir]

That is quite a high bar. My guess would be, that half or more of the class will not reach that goal. 6.30 for a mile for teen boy requires better than average fitness and nowadays more and more of the kids are couch potatoes. That will likely also reflect to the scoring in the end.

However difference between boys and girls is about what it should be. Girls and boys are different and when it comes to things like running and physical strength, difference really is that big. And much bigger in muscle strength etc.

EDIT: Without checking actual percentiles for 1 mile run, I would say in traditional 1 to 5 scale of fitness testing (there one is very bad and five very good), that 6.30 for boys (around 15 if I remember correctly) and 8.30 for girls translates to about 4 (good.) So it is a hefty goal.

 

[BusynMember]

OMG. I couldn't believe this when I finally read it, which was later (Sorry, Annie). Since when is it the school's business to make your child fit TO THEIR STANDARDS???? I thought they were educators. Jumper has bad knees from basketball (yes, already) and used to run really fast, but she can't anymore. Sonic is overweight, but he is in physical mode all the time...constantly bike riding or working in places where you have to constantly lift heavy equipment. The schools are invading areas of our lives that don't have anything to do with education.

When I was a kid we had to do The President's Fitness Test and that meant run/walk a mile. You didn't have to run. But it scared me anyway because I was so high strung and I had a terrible phobia about both throwing up and passing out, both which I'd heard can happen if you run a mile. So I wouldn't do it. I walked. And if I were the same nervous kid today as I was back then, I still wouldn't run it because of fear. I was small and underweight and in fine physical shape, but I would have refused the test.

What are the consequences of not being able to do this, either because you aren't as fast as other kids or because you are afraid to do it? If there are no consequences, other than a "C", I'd just let it go. I did not have the best parents on earth, but I still agree with them on this: They used to say, "I really don't care what you Physical Education grade is."

 

[SuZir]

Well, to be fair school tends to regulate quite a lot about what our kids should know and be able to do. But indeed the cut off is quite high in this. After looking it more thoroughly (our schools tend to use bit longer distance running tests, mostly twelve minutes test) I would take back the claim this limit would be around 4. It is probably somewhere mid 3 (average.) Still quite high. Quite like demanding a C just to pass a class. Maybe a limit between 1 and 2 ( very bad and bad) or even higher end of bad would had been more reasonable.

 

[AnnieO]

MWM, when I originally emailed the teacher back in September asking about this, she informed me it was "in the packet she sent home and we signed" (Uh. Right. Nope.) and that if she was doing her job, we'd see an improvement.Well, apparently she's not, because it went from a 50% to a 25%. This means NOTHING to me. Pat said he did 12 minutes the first time and 10:30 this time. So, yes, there is an improvement, but apparently not enough for her. This is the ONE teacher he has problems with following his IEP for the written stuff, too.As long as he doesn't fail the class, it doesn't have much bearing except on his GPA. And I told him this morning - "you keep trying, kiddo, and I'll be happy with whatever grade you get."PE was my nemesis, toh, and MWM? I guess these are NATIONAL standards.

 

[confuzzled]

they are national, afaik....thank Mr&MrsO for that spectacular official decision.

i'm totally with you...in fact, you could search this very board for an exact mirror rant of mine about year ago.

my kid had her first asthma attack during the fit run--they had the kids out in 99% humidity on one of the hottest days of the year. she was also on a ton of psychiatric medications that caused weight gain, slowing and cognitive dulling...she literally couldn't do it.

she barely passed gym that year.

and like you, its a flat out lie that the criterion was in the back to school packet--I was actually impressed to read your research because I never did find out what the requirements for fitness were. I also literally never found a way to exempt her from it--even the allergist handed her an inhaler and told her to use mid run if she needed to (seriously??!).

I just accepted my kid would always be below average in the fitness world. I honestly could care less if she can run a mile, do a pull up or whatever...

but yea, it blows.

 

[AnnieO]

I'm not completely sure what the requirements really are. All I know is that I'm pretty sure Pat's PE teacher (who is female, by the way) rides around the field on a broom behind the kids.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Where's that LIKE button!! I've had PE teachers like that too... of either gender.