A loud beep issues from the speaker system in the gym and they're off. Students run from one point in the gym to another, trying to make it there before the next beep.

The time between the two beeps gets shorter each time, forcing the students to increase their speed as they go.

This exercise, known as the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) test, is one of many fitness tests administered in schools across Georgia to assess students' fitness levels. 

Starting in the 2011-2012 school year, physical education teachers in Georgia will be required to administer a set of five fitness tests that include the PACER every year to students in first through 12^th grade using the Fitnessgram assessment and reporting system.

In the months leading up to this change, faculty in the College of Education and Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University are assisting the Department of Education (DOE) and other state leaders to evaluate the Fitnessgram system and determine the best ways to implement it.  

More specifically, Kinesiology and Health faculty members Mike Metzler, Jeff Rupp and Shannon Williams are working with Rodney Lyn and Mary Ann Phillips from the Andrew Young School to assess the delivery of Fitnessgram training to teachers and to monitor how those teachers administer the tests to their students. 

"The Department of Education is conducting this pilot program to determine the training protocol for the full Fitnessgram implementation that will happen this coming school year," Metzler said. "We're observing teachers as they test and trying to find ways they can be more efficient but still maintain a high level of accuracy."

To continue reading about the fitness test evaluation, click here.