With an executive order from President Donald Trump, the Presidential Fitness Test is making a comeback 12 years after being discontinued in favor of the Presidential Youth Fitness Program.

Queen Creek Unified and school districts across the state are waiting for direction on how to proceed.

Physical Education (PE) requirements, curriculum, and testing vary by district.

But what doesn’t vary is the desire to make physical education exciting and inclusive.

Lara Cox, a PE teacher at Faith Mather Sossaman Elementary, said she has some not-so-fond memories of the presidential test, but also understands that some people enjoyed it and its competitive nature.

Regardless of her personal experience, she expressed excitement that physical education was front and center in the national conversation.

“Talking about students’ health is definitely a priority and I think that’s very important obviously,” Cox said. “But I, as well, have some negative experiences with being the only person up there and everybody watching you. We want to make sure that does not happen to our students.”

Adding to the isolation some students felt in the past during the presidential test were the awards given to top performers.

The Presidential Fitness Test does set specific standards for students to meet and those who fall short may receive a different award, or none at all. This was, and still is, the source of much criticism for fostering competitiveness and not inclusivity.

Kelly Sprung, another physical education teacher at Faith Mather Sossaman Elementary, said that they want students to build and maintain their confidence, not focus on whose name is on the wall.

Sprung and Cox explained that they do their best to design curriculum and testing that emphasize personal achievement and growth.

With Trump’s executive order, students will once again have to complete the components of the Presidential Fitness Test. However, it’s up to PE teachers to administer the test in a way that works best for their students.

In a highly competitive district, educators may administer the presidential test by its original design, which fosters competition.

In a district that focuses on inclusivity, educators may develop creative ways to administer the test so it’s nearly unrecognizable. For example, at Faith Mather Sossaman, Cox and Sprung described a game they use to test sit-ups and core strength. Students lie across from each other with toes touching and rise up to give each other a high five, successfully completing a sit-up.

Ultimately, teachers believe that student reactions to the presidential test will depend on how it’s administered.

Participation is not mandated, meaning school districts can decide whether they want to administer the Presidential Fitness Test or not. Many educators are waiting to learn whether their districts will adopt the test.

Then, the question remains of what grades will participate and whether they will use the original test or a modified version.

Some officials from Queen Creek Unified School District have, in passing, expressed their excitement about the presidential test’s reinstatement and their desire to see it implemented in the district.

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne shared that sentiment.

“I consider myself a health nut and I have always advocated for students to do more physical exercise,” Horne said. “The health benefits are obvious, and healthy children do better academically. I am very pleased to see the Presidential Fitness Test restored.”

Much is still unknown as schools wait for direction from both the state and federal government.

Doug Nick, spokesman for Horne, said the Arizona Department of Education has not received any notification from the federal government about the responsibilities it may or may not have regarding the program. But, it is known that the test and related resources will be administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Presidential Fitness Test first arose in 1956 under the Dwight D. Eisenhower. It was initiated in response to concerning data showing American youth had lower physical fitness levels compared to their European counterparts.

In the early 1950s, Drs. Hans Kraus and Sonya Weber tested 4,000 American children used their own “Minimum Muscular Fitness Test” and found that over half failed to meet the basic fitness standard defined by their study. When the same test was given to 3,000 European children, less than 10% failed.

In response to the troubling findings, Eisenhower created the President’s Council on Youth Fitness and the test used in the study became the original framework for the Presidential Fitness Test.

The test evolved over decades, becoming the version many born before 2000 were familiar with. It faced criticism for fostering competitiveness and inequity, particularly after awards for top performers were introduced under the Lyndon B. Johnson administration.

The Presidential Fitness was phased out in 2012 during the Obama administration when the President’s Council launched the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, which focused on individual health goals rather than high performance.