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Purpose The primary aim of this study was to develop an assessment of the fundamental, combined, and complex movement skills required to support childhood physical literacy. The secondary aim was to establish the feasibility, objectivity, and reliability evidence for the assessment. Methods An expert advisory group recommended a course format for the assessment that would require children to complete a series of dynamic movement skills. Criterion-referenced skill performance and completion time were the recommended forms of evaluation. Children, 8–12 years of age, self-reported their age and gender and then completed the study assessments while attending local schools or day camps. Face validity was previously established through a Delphi expert ( n = 19, 21% female) review process. Convergent validity was evaluated by age and gender associations with assessment performance. Inter- and intra-rater ( n = 53, 34% female) objectivity and test–retest ( n = 60, 47% female) reliability were assessed through repeated test administration. Results Median total score was 21 of 28 points (range 5–28). Median completion time was 17 s. Total scores were feasible for all 995 children who self-reported age and gender. Total score did not differ between inside and outside environments (95% confidence interval (CI) of difference: −0.7 to 0.6; p = 0.91) or with/without footwear (95%CI of difference: −2.5 to 1.9; p = 0.77). Older age ( p η 2 = 0.15) and male gender ( p η 2 = 0.02) were associated with a higher total score. Inter-rater objectivity evidence was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.99) for completion time and substantial for skill score (ICC = 0.69) for 104 attempts by 53 children (34% female). Intra-rater objectivity was moderate (ICC = 0.52) for skill score and excellent for completion time (ICC = 0.99). Reliability was excellent for completion time over a short (2–4 days; ICC = 0.84) or long (8–14 days; ICC = 0.82) interval. Skill score reliability was moderate (ICC = 0.46) over a short interval, and substantial (ICC = 0.74) over a long interval. Conclusion The Canadian Agility and Movement Skill Assessment is a feasible measure of selected fundamental, complex and combined movement skills, which are an important building block for childhood physical literacy. Moderate-to-excellent objectivity was demonstrated for children 8–12 years of age. Test–retest reliability has been established over an interval of at least 1 week. The time and skill scores can be accurately estimated by 1 trained examiner.

Background:The Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy (CAPL) was conceptualized as a tool to monitor children’s physical literacy. The original model (fitness, activity behavior, knowledge, motor skill) required revision and relative weights for calculating/interpreting scores were required.Methods:Nineteen childhood physical activity/fitness experts completed a 3-round Delphi process. Round 1 was open-ended questions. Subsequent rounds rated statements using a 5-point Likert scale. Recommendations were sought regarding protocol inclusion, relative importance within composite scores and score interpretation.Results:Delphi participant consensus was achieved for 64% (47/73) of statement topics, including a revised conceptual model, specific assessment protocols, the importance of longitudinal tracking, and the relative importance of individual protocols and composite scores. Divergent opinions remained regarding the inclusion of sleep time, assessment/scoring of the obstacle course assessment of motor skill, and the need for an overall physical literacy classification.Conclusions:The revised CAPL model (overlapping domains of physical competence, motivation, and knowledge, encompassed by daily behavior) is appropriate for monitoring the physical literacy of children aged 8 to 12 years. Objectively measured domains (daily behavior, physical competence) have higher relative importance. The interpretation of CAPL results should be reevaluated as more data become available.

Background Field tests measuring the same construct, in this case, aerobic capacity, use different scales, which makes fitness assessment of children and youth potentially confusing. The Primary Field Test Centered Equating Method has been developed to set tests on the same scale, as illustrated by the conversion of Progressive Aerobic Capacity Endurance Run (PACER) scores to 1-mile run/walk times to estimate VO 2 max. Purpose The purpose of this study was to cross-validate the Primary Field Test Centered Equating Method by using a data set of middle school students to assess its effectiveness. Methods PACER scores of 135 middle school students were converted to 1-mile run/walk times (Mile PEQ) using the proposed method. Several estimates of VO 2 max using PACER scores were then compared to estimated VO 2 max using Mile PEQ and measured VO 2 max. The obtained measures were classified according to the healthy fitness zone (HFZ; FITNESSGRAM ® , version 9) and compared to measured VO 2 max. BMI estimates based on the sample data and the national average also were considered to assess the method's flexibility. Results Agreement levels with actual values were similar for VO 2 max predicted using Mile PEQ and predictions using PACER laps and speed (73%–75%). The t -tests showed no significant difference between actual VO 2 max (M=44.43, SD=8.36) and VO 2 max predicted using Mile PEQ (M=44.33, SD=5.88). Using BMI averages from sample data and the national data to estimate VO 2 max using Mile PEQ also yields high agreement levels, 70% and 73%, respectively. Conclusions The Primary Field Test Centered Equating Method performs as well or better in estimating VO 2 max as several other models using PACER scores, especially for boys, and thus may be successfully used in practice. More research is needed to understand the relatively low prediction and classification accuracy in girls.

Using two major data sets from the Texas Youth Fitness Study, ordinary least squares regression, and hierarchical linear modeling, we examined the impact of key correlates in school physical education programs and policies on students' fitness status and crossgrade differences. While a number of factors, such as teachers' training/updates, recess time, available physical activity space, a school wellness policy, and fitness testing before administration, were confirmed, these correlates can explain only limited variance. Other aspects, such as socioeconomic status and community confounding factors, were recognized and illustrated. Future studies should include more factors such as these in data collection and analysis.

To better understand key physical education program factors and policies that may affect Texas students' physical fitness, a 39-question survey, administered as part of the Texas Youth Fitness Study (TYFS), was sent to 5651 Texas schools via e-mail. The survey consisted of five sections: (a) demographics, (b) physical education/recess frequency and duration, (c) resources/environment, (d) school physical education polices, and (e) experience/perception of fitness testing. A total of 2576 responses were received, of which 1505 responses (elementary = 58.1%, middle school = 21.2%, high school = 19.4%, and "mixed" school = 1.3%) were used for the report. Most of the findings are consistent with those reported in recent national studies. In addition, there were four distinct aspects: (a) broad support among teachers for the Senate Bill 530 mandate, (b) strong evidence of adherence to the mandated testing protocols, (c) teachers' negative experiences related to the testing, and (d) lack of recess in some Texas elementary schools. The survey provided rich updated information on physical education programs and policies in Texas schools.