Concerned that the state’s physical fitness test leads to body-shaming, bullying and discrimination, Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed a three-year pause on the assessment to study it and consider alternatives.
Schools across California have used the Fitnessgram since 1996 to determine how fit students are using six criteria, including aerobic ability, body mass and flexibility, as well as abdominal, trunk and upper-body strength.
Newsom included the three-year break in fitness testing as a trailer bill to his budget proposal, raising specific concerns about the portion of the test related to body mass index, a measure of body fat based on height and weight.
The test is given to students in grades five, seven and nine each spring, with about 50% of students last year considered fit — or meeting the state standards in five of the six criteria, which are different for boys and girls.
“At issue is whether the test in its current form is discriminatory, principally in terms of non-binary students, as well as students with disabilities,” said H.D. Palmer, California Department of Finance spokesman. “Given the body of research on the impacts of bullying on transgender and special education students, this temporary pause will allow for a look to determine whether the current test can be modified or whether a new assessment should be developed.”
Oakland PE teacher Pj Johnson said she’d love to see the test changed to better accommodate all children.
“Now that a lot of our students identify as other genders, there needs to be some sort of revamping of it to take some of the stress off them,” said the Claremont Middle School teacher.
Johnson said, however, she sees value in the Fitnessgram, which helps motivate students to improve their performance in the aerobic assessment or other categories. She started administering the annual test this week.
Yet on Tuesday, she weighed and took the height of each student in a private setting, and the numbers on the scale caused some students to question themselves, she said.
“I told my kids, ‘You cannot go by what the chart is telling you,’” she said. “For right now, you be comfortable with you. You know you’re an athlete. All that matters is how you feel, not these numbers somebody put on the wall that tells you where you need to be.”
The Fitnessgram “needs to be revamped for sure,” she added.
If approved by the Legislature, the state would suspend the use of the Fitnessgram starting in 2021.
“Dispelling myths, breaking down stereotypes, and improving school climate is one way California is working to keep all students safe and healthy, consistent with the governor’s commitment to a California that respects all students,” Palmer said.
The value of the Fitnessgram has long been debated, with critics saying the test is a one-size-fits-all, even though children come in all sizes and shapes.
In addition, the test has a high-stakes impact on high school students, who are required to take two years of physical education to graduate, starting freshman year. But if students don’t pass five of six categories on the Fitnessgram in ninth grade, they must take PE again until they pass, possibly resulting in four years of PE instead of the required two.
If passed, the proposal would only suspend the Fitnessgram. State requirements for physical education would remain intact.
“Students would still be taking a PE class that meets the required number of instructional minutes, and it would still be a graduation requirement,” Palmer said. “None of these existing requirements would change.”
Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker