Physical Assessment of Students

The survey collected information on how often schools calculated students' body mass index (BMI) and measured students' height and weight in 2005. Schools that conducted any of these physical assessments were also asked whether this information was sent to parents.

• Two-thirds (66 percent) of public elementary schools reported that they never calculated students' body mass index (BMI) (table 21). In addition, 16 percent calculated the students' BMI in selected grades only, another 16 percent calculated all students' BMI yearly, and 3 percent used some other approach to calculate students' BMI.
• Twenty-eight percent of public elementary schools reported that they never measured students' height (table 21). Another 30 percent measured students' height in selected grades only, 38 percent measured students' height yearly for all students, and 3 percent used some other approach to measuring students' height.
• Twenty-nine percent of public elementary schools reported that they never measured students' weight. Another 29 percent measured students' weight in selected grades only, 38 percent measured students' weight yearly for all students, and 3 percent used some other approach to measuring students' weight (table 21).
• Of the public elementary schools that measured students' height, 39 percent sent this information to parents (table 22). Similarly, 39 percent of the schools that measured students' weight sent the information to parents, while 49 percent of the schools that calculated students' BMI sent the information to parents.

Top