FITNESSGRAM 6.

0:
A Tour of the New Software
Prepared by
Gregory Welk, Ph.D.
and Marilu Meredith, Ph.D.
The Cooper Institute for
Aerobics Research
 History of the
FITNESSGRAM Program
• 1982: Release of program with reports
produced at CIAR
• 1986: Apple 2e, DOS software
• 1992: Windows, MAC software and Apple
2e, DOS software
• 1999: Windows 95/98, NT, MAC software
designed for use on school networks
• 2001? Internet version of software
 History of the
FITNESSGRAM Program

The first version of FITNESSGRAM was

published in 1982. The software has
undergone numerous technological
advances as the sophistication of
computers has increased.
 System
Requirements

The current version of FITNESSGRAM

is designed to run on school computer
networks and is compatible with
Windows 95/98, Windows NT 4.0 work
stations, and Power Macintosh software.
 System
Requirements
FITNESSGRAM 6.0.1 for Windows FITNESSGRAM 6.0.1 for Macintosh
Windows 95/98/NT 4.0 Power Mac
486 or higher System 7.5.5 or higher
32 MB ram 32 MB ram
Color monitor set to 800X600 Color monitor set to 832X624
3.5-inch floppy drive or CD-ROM 3.5-inch floppy drive or CD-ROM
drive drive
 Design Features
for FITNESSGRAM 6.0
• Designed for Network usage (2 applications)
– Interactive student version comes with
educational prompts.
– Database teacher version links to student version.
• Designed as a modular system (2 modules)
– FITNESSGRAM fitness assessment and reports
– ACTIVITYGRAM activity assessment and reports
 Design Features
for FITNESSGRAM 6.0
• 2 Modules
– Traditional FITNESSGRAM assessments and
reports are similar to those in previous versions with
some improvements made.
– A new physical activity assessment module,
ACTIVITYGRAM, allows teachers flexibility and
more physical education assessment options.
FITNESSGRAM 6.0

New Features of
the FITNESSGRAM Module
• Additional test items: Walk test
• Ability to print reports on plain paper, in color (on
a color printer), or on preprinted forms
• Robust import/export functions to permit use with
other database systems or file formats
• Incorporation of physical activity items
to provide more detailed feedback
 Activity Questions
within FITNESSGRAM
Aerobic Activity Question:
On how many of the past 7 days did you participate in physical activity for a total of 30-60 minutes or more
over the course of a day? This includes moderate activities (walking, slow bicycling, or outdoor play) as
well as vigorous activities (jogging, active games, or active sports such as basketball, tennis, or soccer).
(0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7 days)

Strength Activity Question

On how many of the past 7 days did you do exercises to strengthen or tone your muscles? This includes
exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, or weight-lifting. (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7 days)

Flexibility Activity Question:

On how many of the past 7 days did you do stretching exercises to loosen up or relax your muscles? This
includes exercises such as toe touches, knee bending, or leg stretching. (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7 days)

The student and teacher versions of the software include

questions adapted from the Youth Risk Behavioral Survey to
help students learn about their levels of physical activity.
 Sample of
Integrative Feedback
Physically Active?

Fitness Results Yes No

Scores in Healthy Fitness Congratulations, you are in the
Zone Healthy Fitness Zone. You are
doing regular physical activity
and this is keeping you fit.
Scores NOT in Healthy Fitness Even though your scores on
Zone not in the Healthy Fitness
Zone, you are doing enough
physical activity. Keep up the
good work.
Congratulations, you are in the
Healthy Fitness Zone. To keep
fit it is important that you do
regular physical activity.
Your scores were not in the
healthy fitness zone. Try to
increase your activity levels to
improve your fitness and
health.

Students who complete the activity questions get personalized

feedback that integrates their fitness and activity results.
This is especially important for children who may
be either active but not fit or fit but inactive.
FITNESSGRAM 6.0

Conception of
the ACTIVITYGRAM Module

The ACTIVITYGRAM assessment provides a

comprehensive record of a child’s activity habits
over 3 different days. It is based on a previously
validated self-report instrument that has been useful
for tracking activity levels in children (Weston et
al., 1997).
FITNESSGRAM 6.0

Conception of
the ACTIVITYGRAM Module

The ACTIVITYGRAM assessment uses a grid

system that allows children to enter their
predominant activity for each 30-minute interval
during the day. The computer then integrates the
information and provides a detailed report of the
child’s activity level.
FITNESSGRAM 6.0

Conception of
the ACTIVITYGRAM Module

Because of challenges inherent with the use of self-

report instruments, teachers are encouraged to view
the assessment as primarily an educational
experience for their students rather than an absolute
indicator of a child’s activity level. To make it most
effective, teachers should embrace the
ACTIVITYGRAM assessment with the same effort
and structure recommended for fitness assessments.
FITNESSGRAM 6.0

Conception of
the ACTIVITYGRAM Module
• Based on a validated self-report format (Previous Day
Physical Activity Recall, Weston et al., 1997)

• Recall based on 30-minute increments

• Designed as an “event” that would be done over a
week or two during the semester
(Time is needed to teach kids about activity and to allow them to practice recalling their
activity habits before entering data on the computer.)

• ACTIVITYGRAM feedback on report provides

detailed information about the child’s activity
habits
 Continue with the tour of the
FITNESSGRAM ® 6.0
Student Application
Developed by the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research
Distributed by the American Fitness Alliance
Students access the program by typing in a name and
password. Use of a password ensures that only the individual
child and the teacher will be able to see the records.
Students can personalize the program using the My Info
screen.
The two modules of FITNESSGRAM are shown on this screen.
Children can enter either module. This tour starts with the
FITNESSGRAM module on the left.
Students can start a new FITNESSGRAM record to enter their
personal data, or they can open up a test session previously set
up by the teacher in the teacher version.
The assessment screen is accessed with the “Scores” tab you see
at the top of the screen. The Scores screen allows children to
enter data on each of the FITNESSGRAM assessments with a
few mouse clicks. Students just click on the desired test (here the
curl-up), type in their scores, and click the “I’m Done” button.
If children choose, they can enter information about their activity
levels using the “Questions” tab at the top right of the screen.
Students select one of three activity types, read the question, and
type in the number of days they engaged in the activity.
By clicking the “View Report” tab at the bottom left of the screen,
children can see their results. Their most current scores and past
scores are displayed on the right. The text box at the left provides
personalized feedback about children’s fitness and activity levels.
By clicking “Print Report,” children can print out the same
information displayed on the screen. Reports may be printed in
black and white or on color printers using either plain paper or
preprinted forms. Children can then click on “Main Menu” to
return to the main screen.
We’ll now tour the student version of the ACTIVITYGRAM
module.
The student can start a new ACTIVITYGRAM assessment or
complete an existing one.
Once students enter the program, they see a grid with the day
fully divided into 30-minute periods. Each screen shows one
full day; other days can be selected with the green tabs at the
top right of the screen.
Ideally, children will complete three days of assessments to
have data that might generalize to their normal activity habits.
For each time period, children will select activities that are
listed under the activity period at the top left of the screen.
After selecting a primary category from the pyramid, children
can select a series of five different activities. An “other” category
is available if a student cannot find a listing that reflects her or
his activity.
After selecting an activity, the arrow will highlight the choice of
intensity categories (Rest, Light, Medium, or Hard). For “active”
options, the choice of Rest as an intensity is removed. For
“inactive” options such as TV, the active choices are removed.
Once an intensity category is selected, the arrow moves to the
choice of duration of activity. Here the child checks whether he or
she was active for “all of the time” (all 30 minutes) or just “some of
the time” (less than 30 minutes).
Once the child completes the selection, she or he is prompted
to click “I’m Done,” and the time selector and clock indicator
move to the next 30-minute interval.
If the child enters data for at least two days (even partial days,
although one day must be a non-school day), she or he can view
and print the ACTIVITYGRAM report.
The feedback screen shows the minutes of activity reports each
day, a time profile of when the child was active, and a graphic of
the period denoting which categories of activities the child
participated in. These reports can be printed by the child.
 Continue with the tour of the
FITNESSGRAM ® 6.0
Teacher Application
Developed by the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research
Distributed by the American Fitness Alliance
All data entry is done from this main screen, which includes
buttons to assign and select Teachers, Classes, Students, and
Tests. The pull-down menus at the top of the screen allow
teachers to change databases and to access a number of utilities
and report functions.
When the Teacher tab is highlighted, the user can add, edit, or
delete teachers from the database. As you can see, the addition
of teachers is done with a simple dialog box.
Separate classes can be added, edited, or deleted for each of the
teachers in the database
Students can be added, edited, or deleted for each of the classes in
the database. The Details screen provides additional information
about each student, including the student’s current password.
If student data are entered manually, the last name and first
name of each child must be entered. The other information can
be entered here on this screen, or students can provide this data
when they open up the student application.
Teachers can also import student data from other
applications. Data that can be imported includes student
number, grade, password, teacher, class, birthdate, age,
and gender, as well as some other information.

Note also that it is possible to choose NOT to print body

composition information (body fat percentage, BMI, or
height and weight information) in paper reports.
The Scores screen allows the teacher to enter fitness scores for
each student in the database. The screen operates like a
spreadsheet and allows teachers considerable flexibility in how
data are entered.
Teachers can enter data for some of the fields for a certain test
date and then allow the students to complete the rest of the entries
on their own via the student program. When the students complete
this entry, the scores will appear in the teacher application as well.
Once the data are collected, the teacher can produce a number
of reports to reveal the number and percent of students that are
in the Healthy Fitness Zone on different tests.
The teacher can print individual FITNESSGRAM reports or
complete listings of all the students in a class or entire database.
Personalized certificates can also be printed and given to children.
Several utilities are available on the teacher
FITNESSGRAM application to facilitate the
management and organization of the student database.
There is a utility that promotes all students to the next
grade level at the end of the year. When this is done,
students are put in an “Unassigned” category. When the
students’ new teachers are determined for the next year,
the students’ names can be highlighted in
FITNESSGRAM and moved to the new teachers’ class
lists. Thus, all students’ records move with them no
matter which teachers they have.
Help files assist teachers in getting the most out of the software.
FITNESSGRAM 6.0
A comprehensive, educational, and
promotional tool for fitness and activity
assessment in physical education.
 For Ordering
Information Contact:
American Fitness Alliance
1-800-747-4457 ext. 2407 or 2408
For questions about large volume purchases, contact
John Klein at 1-800-747-4457 ext. 2361

www.americanfitness.net
A collaborative venture of
Human Kinetics Publishers,
The Cooper Institute
for Aerobics Research,
and AAHPERD