The President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition will phase out its Youth Fitness Test, which dates back to 1966, and replace it with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program. The comprehensive school-based program employs the latest science and promotes health and physical activity for America's youth. This voluntary program represents a significant change in how schools and parents approach kids' physical fitness. Instead of recognizing athletic performance, the new program assesses students' health-related fitness and helps them progress over time.

The Presidential Youth Fitness Program minimizes comparisons between children and instead supports students as they pursue personal fitness goals for lifelong health. By adopting the program, schools gain access to a robust selection of resources to promote lifelong physical activity: web-based access to test protocol, standards for testing, calculators for aerobic capacity and body composition, promotion of PALA+, online training, school recognition programs, and more.

Key to the success of the Presidential Youth Fitness Program is the expertise and resources provided by partnering organizations, which include:

• The adoption of the Cooper Institute's fitness assessment, FITNESSGRAM®.
• Professional development, such as monthly webinars, led by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, a leading organization of professionals involved in physical education.
• The Amateur Athletic Union's continued administration of the youth fitness recognition program.
• The expertise of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to lead the development of a plan to track and evaluate the Presidential Youth Fitness Program.