Physical Education Assessment Checklists

Gym classes represent opportunities for educators to evaluate children's physical conditions and reinforce healthy habits. Teachers work with physical education assessment checklists when they monitor youngsters' progress during their fitness classes. At the same time, school administrators rely on checklists to ensure programs comply with national guidelines, district standards and best practices. Parents also follow their own sets of lists to safeguard their kids against unsafe conditions. Results of these inspections drive improvements into physical education programs.

An instructor observes children in her physical education classroom and rates their performance on a checklist. She indicates on a standard checklist whether the child is able to complete certain exercises, such as skipping across the gymnasium in a straight line or running in a zigzag manner, according to a sample checklist published by the University of Wyoming. Or, a teacher rates individual fitness levels by recording on the checklist the number of sit-ups a child performs in one minute and how long he takes to run a mile.

Administrators complete their own records of essential characteristics that physical education teachers must demonstrate to succeed, according to assessment checklists developed by Florida's Panhandle Area Educational Consortium. This questionnaire probes the instructor's level of certification, abilities to be a role model of physical fitness and willingness to promote community wellness opportunities to students and their families. This checklist asks whether she knows how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Many playgrounds and gymnasiums have broken equipment or poor maintenance records, resulting in serious injuries to children every year, according to the University of Alabama. Parents should assess their local facilities and then approach their school or city leaders about repairs. Things to look for include obstructed exits, inadequate ventilation, unsanitary water fountains and change rooms. This checklist asks about first aid supplies, as well as availability of office space so a teacher can speak privately with a student.

Evaluators use checklists to assess their own lists of questions. These lists ask administrators to review the checklists from the vantage point of the students. For example, these audit points question whether students see their individual performance checklists as being learning tools instead of comparisons among students. Assessment checklists also ask whether results help students establish and achieve fitness goals for their own self improvement.