Approaches for Development of Criterion-Referenced Standards in Health-Related Youth Fitness Tests

Youth fitness testing in the U.S. has a rich history of over 50 years. Key developments and changes include the development of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (AAHPER) Youth Fitness Test, the birth of the health-related fitness construct, and changes in evaluation and awards. The transitions from performance-related fitness to health-related fitness and from norm-referenced standards to criterion-referenced (CR) standards are noteworthy since they influenced how fitness is assessed and interpreted. The current paper reviews historical trends in fitness testing and explains the advantages of a CR framework. Methods used for establishing CR standards are described, providing a background for the subsequent articles in this supplement to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. [Copyright American Journal of Preventive Medicine; published by Elsevier Inc.]