Ugh middle school...PE.

Our PE classes have always graded on improvement. They'll do a fitness test in the fall and then one in the spring and they're looking for improvement.

Times have definitely changed. Now there are standards for PE. For the most part, I think they are a good idea. I also think that kids shouldn't all be judged the same. Not everyone can run a mile as quickly as others. It would be great to see kids improve. But even that can be a problem. My son learned the first day of 7th grade to do his mediocre best on the pretest so he wouldn't have to improve a whole lot by the end of the year. I don't ever remember just showing up for an A. We always had to work.

DS is in middle school - and they actually have tests in addition to the gym work - last year they played floor hockey, volleyball and archery. He showed them how to do things and they were tested (both physical and written test) on the rules, etc. They also had tests about fitness, what's your heart rate, etc. So it wasn't just about going out there and playing, they actually learned and were tested in various things as well as fitness. DD's school (HS) in addition to fitness testing (physical and written) they also do climbing and ropes courses so they learn teamwork. It's definitely evolved a lot since I was in school.

Our kids PE grade is based on preparedness and effort. Kids do fail PE but parents here have a difficult time arguing about it if the kid isn't in gym clothes and sneakers they loose credit for the day. If they are talking and joking etc they loose point for not making the effort to participate.

Same rules all the way thru high school except for 'extra'PE that you have to sign up for and need to meet a certain level to even be in the class. That class is the only one that actually grades on ability.

However, the high school teachers here will do fitness at the beginning of the quarter and the end and grade is based on improving at all i.e. 25 push-ups beginning 28 end or 12 minute mile beginning 11:40 minute Mile end then next quarter your beginning has to be at or better than your end of the last quarter else you will get points off. The kid all know this and do the most craptastic things at the beginning of the year. Lol

ETA yes there are written tests as well

I'd bet that you're not getting the full story.

As an aside, no class should be set up where if you just show up you get an A.

Back in the dark ages, PE was the bane of my existence. We had to play hard and excel. I could play hard and still suck. Ruined my gpa every semester. Plus we had to wear those unitard bloomers!

This is my DS as well!  He is a memebr of the NHS but guess which class he had the lowest grade in last year?  Yep, PE....really ridiculous, if you ask me.  He isn't a basketball player or runner but he is a fantastic swimmer and bike rider.  Of course, PE isn't about swimming or bike riding though......

At LSU you had to take several PE classes depending on your major. I took a class that was Ballroom Dancing and it was with members of the football and basketball teams. They took it for coordination ~ I took it because ~ well, it was the freaking FB & BB teams!!! For the final you and your partner had to do a waltz and a fox trot around the room in front of everyone. I got an A and helped my partner pass because he had two left feet while dancing but come basketball season I found out he was the star of the Varsity team. Pete Maravich was the star of the JV team.

You can have this argument for any subject. I could get an A in PE without even trying, a B in Algebra with barely trying, got an A+ on a book report Senior year for a book I didn't read, but by God it took A LOT of studying and calling my brother long distance for help for me to squeak by with a C in Geometry. I just COULD NOT get that class. I still had to take it, though, and it pulled my GPA down. It almost took me off honor roll.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I seem to remember that the CA universities don't count PE when calculating GPA. Is that correct? Or am I having a senior moment. And I don't mean high school senior.

But what about the people that are not mathematically inclined, but are English brainiacs? Or the science brainiacs who can't memorize dates for history class? Or the mathematic savants who can't read a book for comprehension?

Because middle/high school is about learning basic skills in academia. You have to put in the hours to study to learn it.

My oldest daughter had a very similar experience with her PE teacher. She had him three years. He graded the Presidential Fitness test and she would do terrible on it. But then we found out at conferences that she could get a ridiculous amount of extra credit, so we just told her that every marking period she had to do the extra credit and not worry about the fitness test. As teachers we thought he had a lot of grading practices that made his job harder and the class experience of his students unpleasant. But learning to play Mr. Anderson's game was probably a good thing for our daughter and she actually really liked him even though most kids hated him.

In Jr. High, in addition to physical "tests" we had to do written tests on the rules and history of each sport. Hated phys ed even though I was athletic.