- Health Belief Model
- A behavior-change theory holding that people act on health when they sense susceptibility to a threat, perceive its severity, weigh the benefits against barriers, respond to cues to action, and feel self-efficacy.
- Transtheoretical Model (Stages of Change)
- Behavior change moves through precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and sometimes relapse; instruction should meet learners at their current stage.
- Socio-ecological model
- A framework showing health behavior is shaped by nested levels — individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and public policy — so effective programs intervene at multiple levels.
- PRECEDE-PROCEED model
- A planning framework: PRECEDE assesses needs and predisposing, reinforcing, and enabling factors before an intervention; PROCEED guides implementation and evaluation afterward.
- Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model
- A CDC/ASCD framework that aligns ten components of school health around the child, emphasizing collaboration among schools, families, and the community to support the whole student.
- Skills-based health education
- An approach that teaches functional knowledge plus transferable skills — decision making, communication, refusal, goal setting, advocacy — rather than facts alone, so students can act on health.
- National Health Education Standards (NHES)
- Eight standards defining what students should know and do in health: core concepts, analyzing influences, accessing information, communication, decision making, goal setting, self-management, and advocacy.
- Health literacy
- The capacity to obtain, understand, evaluate, and use health information and services to make sound health decisions — a central goal of health education.
- Needs assessment
- A systematic process of gathering data on a population's health status, risks, and priorities to identify gaps and guide what a health program should address.
- Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)
- A CDC monitoring system that surveys adolescents on priority health-risk behaviors, providing data educators use for needs assessment and program planning.
- Valid health information source
- Information from credible, evidence-based authorities such as the CDC, NIH, WHO, AMA, SHAPE America, and peer-reviewed journals, rather than commercial or unverified sources.
- Scope and sequence
- A curriculum plan specifying which health topics and skills are taught (scope) and the order and grade levels in which they are taught (sequence).
- Measurable learning objective
- A specific, observable statement of what students will do, often written with an action verb and criterion, so mastery can be assessed (e.g., 'list four signs of stress').
- Functional health knowledge
- Essential, usable facts and concepts directly tied to healthy behaviors and skills, distinguished from extraneous detail that does not change health decisions.
- Analyzing influences (NHES Standard 2)
- The skill of examining how internal and external factors — family, peers, culture, media, technology — affect personal health behaviors and choices.
- Refusal skills
- Communication strategies (say no clearly, give a reason, suggest an alternative, leave) that help students resist pressure to engage in risky behaviors.
- Decision-making model (DECIDE)
- A structured process — define the problem, explore options, identify consequences, decide and act, and evaluate — taught so students make deliberate health choices.
- Goal-setting skill
- Teaching students to set realistic, measurable health goals, plan steps, track progress, and adjust, supporting long-term behavior change (NHES Standard 6).
- Advocacy (NHES Standard 8)
- The skill of taking a clear, supported position to promote health and encourage others, such as campaigning for tobacco-free policies or healthy school choices.
- Direct instruction
- A teacher-centered method delivering content through explicit explanation, modeling, and guided practice — efficient for introducing new health concepts.
- Cooperative learning
- A method where students work in structured small groups toward shared goals, building social and communication skills while learning health content.
- Guided discovery
- An inquiry method in which the teacher poses questions and tasks that lead students to construct concepts themselves rather than being told the answer.
- Reflective teaching
- The practice of analyzing one's own instruction and student outcomes to refine future lessons; a hallmark of effective professional practice.
- Mandated reporter
- A professional, including teachers, legally required to report suspected child abuse or neglect to authorities — a core legal and ethical duty in health education.
- Character education
- Instruction promoting core ethical values — respect, responsibility, honesty — often integrated with health education to support positive decision making.
- Professional development
- Ongoing learning — workshops, courses, professional organizations like SHAPE America — through which educators stay current and improve practice.
- Universal precautions
- Infection-control practices that treat all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious, important for health teachers covering safety and first aid.
- Self-efficacy
- A person's belief in their ability to perform a behavior; a key construct in health behavior theory because confidence strongly predicts action.
- Cues to action
- Internal or external triggers — symptoms, reminders, media campaigns — that prompt a person to take a health action, a component of the Health Belief Model.
- Coordinated School Health
- An integrated approach connecting health education, services, environment, and family/community involvement; the predecessor framework to the WSCC model.
- Performance-based objective
- An objective describing an observable student performance and the conditions and criteria for success, used to make learning measurable in health lessons.
- Standards alignment
- Designing lessons and assessments so they explicitly target identified standards (such as the NHES), ensuring instruction measures intended outcomes.
- Accessing valid information (NHES Standard 3)
- The skill of locating and judging the credibility of health information, products, and services from reliable sources.
- Interpersonal communication (NHES Standard 4)
- The skill of using verbal and nonverbal communication — including I-messages and active listening — to enhance health and avoid or reduce risk.
- Self-management (NHES Standard 7)
- The skill of practicing health-enhancing behaviors and avoiding or reducing health risks in one's daily life.
- Core concepts (NHES Standard 1)
- The standard requiring students to comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.
- Health educator as liaison
- The role of connecting students and families to school and community health resources and services, bridging classroom learning and support systems.
- Evidence-based curriculum
- A program shown through research to produce intended health outcomes; selecting one improves the likelihood instruction changes behavior.
- I-message
- A communication technique that states feelings and needs from one's own perspective ('I feel… when…') to express concerns without blame.
- Confidentiality in health education
- The ethical and sometimes legal duty to protect sensitive student health information, balanced against mandated-reporting obligations.
- Dimensions of health
- Interrelated aspects of wellness — physical, mental/emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, and environmental — that together define total health.
- Communicable disease
- An illness caused by a pathogen (bacteria, virus, fungus, parasite) that can spread from person to person, animal, or environment, such as influenza or strep throat.
- Noncommunicable disease
- A disease not spread by infection — including lifestyle, hereditary, and congenital conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and many cancers.
- Chain of infection
- The sequence — pathogen, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, susceptible host — that must be intact for disease to spread.
- Immunity
- The body's resistance to a pathogen, either innate (nonspecific defenses) or acquired through infection or vaccination, which primes the immune system.
- MyPlate
- The USDA food-group guide divided into fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy, used to teach balanced meal planning and portion proportions.
- Macronutrients
- Nutrients the body needs in large amounts for energy and structure — carbohydrates, proteins, and fats — supplying about 4, 4, and 9 calories per gram, respectively.
- Micronutrients
- Vitamins and minerals needed in small amounts that support metabolism, immunity, and other body functions but do not supply energy.
- Carbohydrate
- A macronutrient and the body's main energy source, found as simple sugars and complex starches and fiber; supplies about 4 calories per gram.
- Dietary fiber
- Indigestible plant carbohydrate that supports digestion, promotes satiety, and helps regulate blood sugar and cholesterol.
- Stress
- The body's physical and mental response to a demand or threat; chronic stress harms health, making stress-management skills a key health topic.
- Stress-management techniques
- Strategies such as deep breathing, physical activity, time management, social support, and relaxation that reduce the harmful effects of stress.
- Mental/emotional health
- A state of psychological well-being marked by the ability to handle stress, form relationships, and adapt to change; includes recognizing warning signs of disorders.
- Depression (warning signs)
- A mood disorder marked by persistent sadness, loss of interest, changes in sleep or appetite, fatigue, and hopelessness; warrants referral to support resources.
- Substance abuse
- The harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, which can lead to dependence and disease.
- Depressant
- A drug class, including alcohol, that slows central nervous system activity, reducing heart rate, breathing, and reaction time.
- Stimulant
- A drug class, including caffeine, nicotine, and amphetamines, that speeds up central nervous system activity, raising heart rate and alertness.
- Addiction
- A chronic condition of compulsive substance use or behavior despite harmful consequences, involving tolerance, dependence, and often withdrawal.
- Sexually transmitted infection (STI)
- An infection spread mainly through sexual contact, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, HPV, or HIV; prevention and testing are core sexual-health content.
- Abstinence
- Refraining from a behavior, especially sexual activity or substance use; the only fully effective way to prevent pregnancy and STIs.
- Puberty
- The developmental period when the body matures sexually under hormonal changes, producing physical and emotional changes addressed in growth-and-development units.
- Healthy relationship
- A connection built on respect, trust, honesty, and good communication, free of coercion or abuse; a focus of social-health instruction.
- First aid
- Immediate, temporary care given to an injured or ill person before professional help arrives, including wound care, splinting, and treating shock.
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
- An emergency technique combining chest compressions and rescue breaths to maintain circulation and oxygen when the heart or breathing stops.
- Automated external defibrillator (AED)
- A portable device that analyzes heart rhythm and delivers an electric shock to restore normal rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest.
- RICE
- First-aid protocol for soft-tissue injuries: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation, used to reduce swelling and pain.
- Heimlich maneuver (abdominal thrusts)
- A first-aid technique of upward abdominal thrusts used to dislodge an object blocking the airway of a choking, conscious person.
- Consumer health
- The area of health education that teaches evaluating health products, services, advertising claims, and providers to make informed purchasing decisions.
- Quackery
- The promotion of unproven or fraudulent health products or services; recognizing it is part of consumer-health literacy.
- Environmental health
- The branch of health concerned with how air, water, soil, noise, and built surroundings affect human well-being and disease risk.
- Community health
- The health status and resources of a population and the organized efforts — public health agencies, programs, advocacy — to protect and improve it.
- Primary prevention
- Action taken before disease or injury occurs to stop it, such as vaccination, healthy eating, and safety education.
- Secondary prevention
- Early detection and prompt treatment to slow or stop a disease's progression, such as screenings and self-exams.
- Tertiary prevention
- Management of an established disease to limit complications and restore function, such as rehabilitation and ongoing treatment.
- Body Mass Index (BMI)
- A weight-to-height ratio, BMI=height (m)2mass (kg), used as a screening indicator of weight status, not a direct measure of body fat.
- Hydration
- Maintaining adequate body water for temperature regulation, joint lubrication, and nutrient transport; dehydration impairs performance and health.
- Calorie (kilocalorie)
- A unit of food energy; energy balance — calories consumed versus expended — determines weight gain, loss, or maintenance.
- Saturated vs. unsaturated fat
- Saturated fats (often solid, from animal sources) raise heart-disease risk when excessive; unsaturated fats (often liquid, from plants and fish) are healthier alternatives.
- Healthy advocacy campaign
- An organized effort using accurate information and a clear position to influence policies or peers toward healthier choices, such as tobacco-free schools.
- Bullying prevention
- Strategies addressing repeated, intentional aggression — including bystander intervention and reporting — to protect students' social and emotional health.
- Conflict resolution
- A process of managing disagreements constructively through communication, negotiation, and compromise rather than aggression or avoidance.
- Personal hygiene
- Self-care practices such as handwashing, dental care, and bathing that prevent illness and support physical and social health.
- Vaccination (immunization)
- Administering a vaccine to stimulate immunity against a specific pathogen, a key primary-prevention tool against communicable disease.
- Hereditary disease
- A noncommunicable condition passed through genes, such as sickle cell anemia or cystic fibrosis, distinct from infectious or lifestyle disease.
- Lifestyle disease
- A noncommunicable condition strongly linked to behavior — such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity — and largely preventable through healthy choices.
- Sleep and health
- Adequate, regular sleep that supports immune function, mood, memory, and growth; insufficient sleep is a recognized health-risk factor for youth.
- Resilience
- The capacity to recover and adapt positively in the face of stress or adversity, a protective factor for mental and emotional health.
- Protective factor vs. risk factor
- Protective factors (support, skills, supervision) lower the chance of harm, while risk factors raise it; programs strengthen one and reduce the other.
- Tobacco and vaping risks
- Use of cigarettes or e-cigarettes that delivers nicotine and toxins, causing addiction and increasing risk of respiratory and cardiovascular disease.
- Suicide prevention awareness
- Recognizing warning signs, responding supportively, and connecting at-risk youth to trusted adults and crisis resources as part of mental-health education.
- Motor development
- The progressive, age-related change in movement ability over the lifespan, generally proceeding from reflexive to fundamental to specialized skills.
- Motor learning
- The relatively permanent improvement in movement skill that results from practice and experience, distinct from temporary performance changes.
- Stages of motor learning
- Fitts and Posner's cognitive (understanding the task), associative (refining), and autonomous (automatic, fluent) stages of skill acquisition.
- Locomotor skills
- Fundamental movements that transport the body through space — walking, running, hopping, jumping, skipping, galloping, sliding, and leaping.
- Nonlocomotor skills
- Stability movements performed in place, such as bending, twisting, turning, swaying, stretching, and balancing.
- Manipulative skills
- Movements that control an object with the body or an implement — throwing, catching, kicking, striking, dribbling, and trapping.
- Movement concepts
- The body, space, effort, and relationship awareness (Laban framework) that describe how a movement is performed, such as level, direction, force, and pathway.
- Skill themes
- Fundamental movement skills (throwing, catching, dribbling, striking) developed across activities and combined into games and sports as competence grows.
- Health-related fitness components
- Cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition — the components tied to overall health.
- Skill-related fitness components
- Agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time, and speed — the components tied to athletic performance rather than general health.
- FITT principle
- Guidelines for designing exercise programs: Frequency (how often), Intensity (how hard), Time (how long), and Type (which activity).
- Principle of overload
- To improve fitness, the body must be challenged beyond its accustomed workload, prompting adaptation in strength, endurance, or flexibility.
- Principle of progression
- Gradually increasing the demand of exercise over time so the body continues to adapt safely without injury or overtraining.
- Principle of specificity
- Training adaptations are specific to the type of exercise performed, so practice should match the targeted skill or fitness component.
- Principle of reversibility
- Fitness gains are lost when training stops or decreases — the 'use it or lose it' principle of conditioning.
- Aerobic energy system
- The oxygen-using pathway that supplies sustained energy for prolonged, lower-intensity activity such as distance running.
- Anaerobic energy systems
- The oxygen-independent pathways — the ATP-PC (phosphagen) and glycolytic systems — that fuel short, high-intensity bursts of effort.
- ATP-PC (phosphagen) system
- An anaerobic energy system providing immediate, high-power energy for about ten seconds, used in sprints and jumps.
- Cardiovascular response to exercise
- Acute increases in heart rate, stroke volume, and cardiac output during activity that deliver more oxygen-rich blood to working muscles.
- Target heart rate zone
- The range, typically 60–85% of maximum heart rate, in which aerobic exercise effectively improves cardiorespiratory fitness.
- Maximum heart rate estimate
- A common age-based estimate, HRmax≈220−age, used to set target training intensities.
- Skeletal muscle
- Voluntary, striated muscle attached to bone that produces movement by contracting and pulling on the skeleton across joints.
- Cardiac muscle
- Involuntary, striated muscle found only in the heart, contracting rhythmically and continuously to pump blood.
- Smooth muscle
- Involuntary, nonstriated muscle lining internal organs and blood vessels, controlling functions such as digestion and blood-vessel diameter.
- Agonist and antagonist muscles
- The agonist (prime mover) produces a movement while the antagonist opposes or controls it, working in coordinated pairs such as biceps and triceps.
- Biomechanics
- The study of how mechanical forces and principles act on and within the body to produce efficient, safe human movement.
- Lever systems in the body
- Bones act as levers and joints as fulcrums; first-, second-, and third-class levers describe the arrangement of force, fulcrum, and resistance.
- Center of gravity
- The point where a body's mass is balanced; a lower, well-positioned center of gravity over the base of support improves stability.
- Base of support
- The area beneath an object or body that bears its weight; a wider base increases balance and stability.
- Summation of forces
- The biomechanical principle that maximum force results from using body segments in the correct sequence and timing, as in a powerful throw or kick.
- Torque
- A turning or rotational force produced when a force is applied at a distance from an axis, important in joint movement and striking actions.
- Newton's third law in movement
- For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, explaining how pushing against the ground propels running and jumping.
- Developmental readiness
- The match between a task's demands and a learner's physical, cognitive, and emotional maturity, guiding when a skill should be introduced.
- Proximodistal development
- The principle that motor control develops from the center of the body outward — trunk before arms, arms before fingers.
- Cephalocaudal development
- The principle that motor control develops from head to toe, with head and neck control preceding control of the trunk and legs.
- Open vs. closed motor skill
- Open skills are performed in a changing, unpredictable environment (a soccer pass), while closed skills occur in a stable, predictable one (a free throw).
- Practice variability
- Varying the conditions or contexts of practice to build adaptable movement skills, especially valuable for open skills.
- Flexibility and range of motion
- The ability of a joint to move through its full range; improved by stretching, it supports performance and reduces injury risk.
- Muscular strength vs. muscular endurance
- Strength is the maximal force a muscle can exert in one effort; endurance is the ability to sustain repeated contractions over time.
- Body composition
- The proportion of fat mass to fat-free mass in the body, a health-related fitness component influenced by diet and activity.
- Warm-up and cool-down
- A gradual increase in activity to prepare the body for exercise and a gradual decrease afterward to aid recovery and reduce injury risk.
- Proprioception
- The body's sense of the position and movement of its parts, allowing coordinated, balanced movement without relying on sight.
- Force absorption
- The biomechanical technique of dissipating impact over greater time and area — bending the knees to land — to reduce injury.
- Cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains
- Three learning domains in physical education: thinking (cognitive), feelings and values (affective), and physical skills (psychomotor).
- Classroom management in physical education
- Systems of rules, routines, signals, and protocols that maximize safety and learning while minimizing off-task time in the gym or activity space.
- Maximizing activity time (ALT-PE)
- Strategies that increase academic learning time in physical education — quick transitions, sufficient equipment, small groups — so students spend more time actively practicing.
- Intrinsic motivation
- Engagement driven by internal rewards such as enjoyment, mastery, or personal challenge, which fosters lasting participation in physical activity.
- Extrinsic motivation
- Engagement driven by external rewards or pressures such as grades, praise, or prizes, useful for prompting effort but less durable than intrinsic motivation.
- Inclusion in physical education
- Designing instruction and modifying activities so students of all abilities, including those with disabilities, participate meaningfully alongside peers.
- Individualized Education Program (IEP)
- A legally required plan specifying goals, services, and accommodations for a student with a disability, which PE teachers must follow.
- Adapted physical education
- A specially designed program that modifies activities, equipment, and instruction to meet the needs of students with disabilities.
- Reasonable accommodation
- A modification to activity, equipment, rules, or environment that lets a student with a disability participate without lowering essential learning outcomes.
- Behavior management plan
- A structured approach using clear expectations, reinforcement, and consequences to teach and maintain appropriate behavior in the activity setting.
- Positive behavior reinforcement
- Strengthening desired behaviors by following them with rewards or recognition, increasing the likelihood they recur.
- Cross-curricular integration
- Connecting physical education content with other subjects — counting in math, body systems in science — to deepen learning in both areas.
- Technology in physical education
- Tools such as heart-rate monitors, pedometers, accelerometers, apps, and video analysis used to track activity, give feedback, and motivate students.
- Heart-rate monitor
- A device that measures real-time heart rate, letting students train within target intensity zones and see effort objectively.
- Pedometer
- A device that counts steps, used to set activity goals and provide feedback on daily movement.
- Video analysis
- Recording and reviewing movement to provide visual feedback that helps students and teachers refine skill technique.
- Reflective practice
- Systematically examining one's teaching decisions and their effects to continually improve instruction and student outcomes.
- Supervision and liability
- The legal duty to actively oversee students; failure to provide adequate, planned supervision can constitute negligence.
- Negligence
- Failure to exercise the care a reasonable educator would, breaching a duty and causing foreseeable harm — a key legal concern in PE safety.
- Duty of care
- A teacher's legal obligation to protect students from foreseeable harm through proper planning, instruction, supervision, and a safe environment.
- Safe learning environment
- An activity space free of hazards, with appropriate equipment, spacing, and rules, that protects students physically and emotionally.
- Equipment and space management
- Organizing facilities, equipment distribution, and student arrangement to maximize safe, active participation and minimize wait time.
- Routines and protocols
- Established procedures — entry, attendance, equipment retrieval, signals for stop and start — that reduce confusion and increase activity time.
- Attention/stop signal
- A consistent cue (whistle, raised hand, music off) that quickly gains student attention and stops activity for safety or instruction.
- Grouping strategies
- Methods for forming pairs and teams — random, ability, or interest based — chosen to balance participation, equity, and learning goals.
- Communication with families
- Sharing goals, progress, and resources with parents and guardians to reinforce healthy behaviors and support student learning beyond class.
- Collaboration with colleagues
- Working with classroom teachers, counselors, nurses, and specialists to coordinate support for students' health and learning.
- Emergency action plan
- A written, rehearsed procedure for responding to injuries or crises during activity, defining roles, communication, and access to help.
- Cultural responsiveness
- Instruction that respects and incorporates students' diverse backgrounds, fostering belonging and equitable participation in activity.
- Goal orientation (task vs. ego)
- Task orientation defines success by personal improvement, while ego orientation defines it by outperforming others; a task climate supports motivation.
- Self-determination theory
- A motivation theory holding that autonomy, competence, and relatedness drive intrinsic motivation and sustained engagement in activity.
- Promoting lifelong physical activity
- Designing experiences that build enjoyment, competence, and self-management so students stay active beyond school.
- Conflict and bullying management in PE
- Proactively structuring activities and responding to aggression to keep the physical-activity setting emotionally safe and inclusive.
- Time, transition, and pacing
- Managing the flow of a lesson so transitions are brief and pacing keeps students engaged and physically active throughout.
- Spotting and safe progressions
- Providing physical support and sequencing skills from easy to hard so students attempt challenging movements without undue risk.
- Resource management
- Planning the use of facilities, equipment, time, and personnel to deliver effective, active instruction within real constraints.
- Encouraging effort and persistence
- Using feedback and a mastery climate that praises improvement and effort to build students' confidence and willingness to keep trying.
- Differentiated participation
- Offering tiered tasks, equipment options, and roles so every student is appropriately challenged and successfully engaged.
- Sportsmanship and fair play
- Teaching respect for rules, opponents, and officials, fostering an affective climate of integrity and cooperation in games.
- Modeling and demonstration
- Showing correct technique so students form an accurate mental picture before practicing, a key tool for motivation and skill clarity.
- Data privacy with technology
- Protecting student information collected by fitness devices and apps, following school policy and laws when using health technology.
- Maximizing equipment access
- Providing enough equipment and stations so each student has frequent practice opportunities rather than waiting in lines.
- Inclusive language and feedback
- Communicating with students in respectful, encouraging, ability-appropriate ways that support participation and motivation for all.
- Professional learning community (PLC)
- A collaborative group of educators who meet regularly to share practice, analyze student data, and improve instruction together.
- Self-reflection tools
- Instruments such as journals, video review, and checklists that help teachers evaluate and improve their instructional decisions.
- Developmentally appropriate planning
- Designing lessons that match students' age, maturity, and skill level so tasks are challenging yet attainable and safe.
- SHAPE America National PE Standards
- Five standards defining a physically literate person: competent mover, applies concepts, achieves health-enhancing fitness, responsible behavior, and values activity.
- Physical literacy
- The ability, confidence, and desire to be physically active for life — the overarching goal of the SHAPE America PE standards.
- Mosston's Spectrum of Teaching Styles
- A continuum of instructional styles from teacher-centered (command, practice) to student-centered (guided discovery, problem solving, divergent production).
- Command style
- A teacher-directed style in which the instructor makes all decisions and students respond on cue — efficient for safety-critical or new tasks.
- Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU)
- A tactical model that uses modified games to teach decision making and strategy before isolated technique, making play meaningful.
- Station (circuit) teaching
- An organizational format with multiple activity stations students rotate through, increasing practice time and allowing differentiated tasks.
- Skill progression
- Sequencing tasks from simple to complex so students build competence step by step before combining skills in game contexts.
- Cues (critical elements)
- Short, focused words or phrases highlighting the key technical points of a skill, helping students attend to what matters most.
- Augmented feedback
- External information about performance provided by the teacher (knowledge of results or performance) that supplements a learner's own senses.
- Formative assessment
- Ongoing checks during learning — observation, exit slips, peer checks — that inform teaching and give students feedback while there is time to improve.
- Summative assessment
- Evaluation at the end of a unit or course that measures cumulative achievement against standards, such as a final skills test.
- Authentic (performance) assessment
- Evaluating students performing real, meaningful tasks — playing a game, designing a fitness plan — rather than answering decontextualized items.
- Rubric
- A scoring tool listing performance criteria and levels of quality, making assessment of skills and projects consistent and transparent.
- FitnessGram
- A criterion-referenced health-related fitness assessment using Healthy Fitness Zones to report whether students meet standards for good health.
- PACER test
- A progressive, multistage shuttle-run assessment of aerobic capacity used within FitnessGram to estimate cardiorespiratory fitness.
- Criterion-referenced assessment
- Measuring performance against a fixed standard (such as a Healthy Fitness Zone) rather than ranking students against one another.
- Norm-referenced assessment
- Comparing a student's performance to that of a peer group or norm, indicating relative standing rather than mastery of a standard.
- Self- and peer assessment
- Strategies in which students evaluate their own or classmates' performance against criteria, building reflection and understanding of quality.
- Validity
- The degree to which an assessment measures what it is intended to measure — a key quality of a sound test.
- Reliability
- The consistency of an assessment in producing similar results under similar conditions across time, raters, or items.
- Using data to guide instruction
- Analyzing assessment results to identify needs and adjust planning, content, and teaching strategies so instruction targets student gaps.
