The Illinois Physical Fitness Assessment (IPFA) is a mandatory evaluation administered to students enrolled in physical education courses throughout the state, including the Kaneland district. Historically, students have been required to undergo testing at the beginning and the end of each semester. However, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the fitness test not being used in recent years. As the district and state return to pre-pandemic policies, the IPFA has been reinstated, and each student is required to undergo testing once again.
The IPFA consists of the push-up, sit-and-reach, sit-up and PACER tests. In 2014, Public Act 98-0859 was signed into law, creating the Stakeholder and Expert Task Force on Physical Education (SETFPE). Schools are required to submit any physical fitness data requested by the state. The assessment evaluates each student on their aerobic capacity, flexibility and muscle strength.
One frequently discussed topic regarding the IPFA is whether or not the test is sexist. The assessment benchmarks vary from gender to gender. Required scores for females are much lower than males, sometimes being one third of the male required score. According to a Marine Corps Times article by senior reporter Jeff Schogol, the Marine Corps has had similar questions about their testing, with women oftentimes feeling disrespected having to achieve lower scores than men. There has also been talk about the IPFA test being ableist, but in recent years the rules have been modified to have specific sections for people who can’t take one of the tests for any reason.
Throughout the semester, students are encouraged to make strides in their physical health with the help of the IPFA. By the end of the semester, students should see a considerable improvement in their scores, which then serves as proof of their progress. The state mandates that students engage in physical activity each day of the week unless they have received a state-granted waiver. The IPFA is designed to help students meet their requirements while also tracking their progress. The PACER test measures students’ aerobic capacity, while the push-up and sit-up tests measure their muscular strength and endurance. The sit-and-reach test, on the other hand, is focused on flexibility. The expectations for each test are tailored to each student’s age, gender and ability, with older students typically required to do more of each exercise.
Physical Education (P.E.) Department Chair Ernie Colombe has been teaching P.E. for 26 years and can see the benefits of monitoring students’ fitness progress.
“Nothing is more important than a person’s health. Learning where you are at and setting goals to improve your health and develop good habits at a young age is important,” said Colombe, who is also the head boys varsity basketball coach.
Some students might have assumed that because the tests stopped for three years, they would not come back. After COVID was declared over as a public health emergency on May 11, 2023, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the SETFPE decided that students must start taking the tests again.
“The test stresses me out when I first think about it, but I feel good after running it knowing I’ll get to see my progress at the end of the semester,” junior and multi-sport athlete Freddy Hassan said.
While some students may feel that way, others may disagree.
By law, though, instructors are obligated to have each student take the PACER test, regardless of their personal opinions on the matter.
Senior Luke Bucholz hasn’t taken any mandated physical assessments since middle school, and as the school begins to reestablish them in the curriculum, students like Bucholz have been opposed to accepting them as a necessity.
“I feel like they don’t prove or show anything [about a student’s physical abilities],” Bucholz said. “Ever since COVID-19, no one has cared to try again in gym.“
Despite mixed feedback, schools are unable to change or remove the test. At present, it appears the IPFA is here to stay.
