The Impact of Grant Funding on Physical Fitness Levels of School Children

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a three year Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) Grant on fitness levels of students in grades K-12. METHODS: A total of 1251 students (616 female and 635 male), 5-18 years of age (mean 11.07) participated in the FitnessGram series of health related physical fitness assessments (aerobic capacity, muscular strength, and muscular endurance) in each of the 3 years of the grant project. Basic anthropometric measures of height and weight were recorded for each student and used in the calculation of body mass index (BMI). Along with BMI, the assessment scores utilized in this investigation included: the 20 meter PACER test (PACER), Push Up Test (PT), and Curl Up Test (CT). Students performed these assessments as directed by a licensed physical education teacher during the spring semester of each of the 3 years of the grant project. Upon completion of the assessments, students were classified into Fitness Zones based on FitnessGram standards. The classifications for BMI were as follows: Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ), Needs Improvement (NI), Needs Improvement – Health Risk (NI-HR), or Very Lean (VL). The PACER, PT, and CT only classify students into 2 Fitness Zones: HFZ and NI. RESULTS: The data show an increase in number of students in the HFZ for each of the assessments from year 1 to year 2, with an average increase of 8.75%. The PT garnered the greatest percentage of increase at 12%, while the percentage of students in the HFZ for BMI only increased 6%. Conversely, the data from year 2 to year 3 show decreased percentages of student in the HFZ for all assessments, except for the PACER test which remained unchanged (63%). The percent of student in the HFZ decreased 2%, 11%, and 10% for BMI, CT, and PT respectively. Even with the decrease in percent of students in the HFZ for these assessments, the year 3 percentages remained higher than the initial assessment year for both the BMI and PACER with a 4% and 7% increase respectively. CONCLUSION: The increase in overall percent of students classified in a HFZ for multiple physical fitness assessments shows that a 3-year PEP grant had a positive impact on students’ physical fitness levels. This improvement coupled with the increased availability of resources and funding make the PEP grant an asset.