BACKGROUND: FITNESSGRAM recommends the use of the PACER, a 20-meter shuttle run, to assess the aerobic ability of children in physical education classes.
OBJECTIVES: To examine the reliability and validity of the PACER for 3rd and 4th grade males. In addition, the reliability and validity of the criterion-referenced standards will be examined.
METHODS: 22 students ran 3 trials of the FITNESSGRAM PACER while wearing the Cosmed K4b2 system.
RESULTS: From the 22 students, the intraclass correlation for the number of laps for trial 2 to trial 3 was 0.81. The reliability of the estimated VO2 from trial 2 to trial 3 was 0 83. For validity, the correlation for the estimated V02 max to peak V02 from the Cosmed was 0.42 for trial 2. For trial 3, the correlation was 0.60. The correlation between laps and peak V02 was 0.57 for trial 2. For trial 3, the correlation was 0.69. The consistency of the classification for the criterion-referenced standards was 0.91 with a modified kappa of 0.85. The accuracy of the classification for the criterion-referenced standards for trial 2 was 0.59. For trial 3, the proportion of agreement was 0.68.
CONCLUSION: The criterion-referenced standards consistently classifies the participants, however, the validity of the classification is low. Peak V02 scores and the estimated V02 did not appear to be highly related. However, the PACER has a high test-rest reliability for males ages 8-10 years.
","abstract_html":"<p>BACKGROUND: FITNESSGRAM recommends the use of the PACER, a 20-meter shuttle run, to assess the aerobic ability of children in physical education classes.</p> <p>OBJECTIVES: To examine the reliability and validity of the PACER for 3rd and 4th grade males. In addition, the reliability and validity of the criterion-referenced standards will be examined.</p> <p>METHODS: 22 students ran 3 trials of the FITNESSGRAM PACER while wearing the Cosmed K4b2 system.</p> <p>RESULTS: From the 22 students, the intraclass correlation for the number of laps for trial 2 to trial 3 was 0.81. The reliability of the estimated VO2 from trial 2 to trial 3 was 0 83. For validity, the correlation for the estimated V02 max to peak V02 from the Cosmed was 0.42 for trial 2. For trial 3, the correlation was 0.60. The correlation between laps and peak V02 was 0.57 for trial 2. For trial 3, the correlation was 0.69. The consistency of the classification for the criterion-referenced standards was 0.91 with a modified kappa of 0.85. The accuracy of the classification for the criterion-referenced standards for trial 2 was 0.59. For trial 3, the proportion of agreement was 0.68.</p> <p>CONCLUSION: The criterion-referenced standards consistently classifies the participants, however, the validity of the classification is low. Peak V02 scores and the estimated V02 did not appear to be highly related. However, the PACER has a high test-rest reliability for males ages 8-10 years.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Hinely, Jennifer A."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Kinesiology","degree_level":"Thesis (open access)","degree_discipline":"Department of Health and Kinesiology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["W. Kent Guion","James McMillan","Garth Spendiff"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2001,"date_issued":"2001-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2001-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:28:00Z","subjects":["ETD","PACER test","Aerobic ability","3rd graders","4th graders","Kinesiology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd_legacy/50","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["W. Kent Guion","James McMillan","Garth Spendiff"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Hinely, Jennifer A."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["1970-01-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Department of Health and Kinesiology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis (open access)"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Kinesiology"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["ETD","PACER test","Aerobic ability","3rd graders","4th graders","Kinesiology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd_legacy/50"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["BACKGROUND: FITNESSGRAM recommends the use of the PACER, a 20-meter shuttle run, to assess the aerobic ability of children in physical education classes.
OBJECTIVES: To examine the reliability and validity of the PACER for 3rd and 4th grade males. In addition, the reliability and validity of the criterion-referenced standards will be examined.
METHODS: 22 students ran 3 trials of the FITNESSGRAM PACER while wearing the Cosmed K4b2 system.
RESULTS: From the 22 students, the intraclass correlation for the number of laps for trial 2 to trial 3 was 0.81. The reliability of the estimated VO2 from trial 2 to trial 3 was 0 83. For validity, the correlation for the estimated V02 max to peak V02 from the Cosmed was 0.42 for trial 2. For trial 3, the correlation was 0.60. The correlation between laps and peak V02 was 0.57 for trial 2. For trial 3, the correlation was 0.69. The consistency of the classification for the criterion-referenced standards was 0.91 with a modified kappa of 0.85. The accuracy of the classification for the criterion-referenced standards for trial 2 was 0.59. For trial 3, the proportion of agreement was 0.68.
CONCLUSION: The criterion-referenced standards consistently classifies the participants, however, the validity of the classification is low. Peak V02 scores and the estimated V02 did not appear to be highly related. However, the PACER has a high test-rest reliability for males ages 8-10 years.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Reliability and Validity of the Pacer for 3rd and 4th Grade Males"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["W. Kent Guion","James McMillan","Garth Spendiff"],"dc:creator":["Hinely, Jennifer A."],"dc:date.available":["1970-01-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["BACKGROUND: FITNESSGRAM recommends the use of the PACER, a 20-meter shuttle run, to assess the aerobic ability of children in physical education classes.
OBJECTIVES: To examine the reliability and validity of the PACER for 3rd and 4th grade males. In addition, the reliability and validity of the criterion-referenced standards will be examined.
METHODS: 22 students ran 3 trials of the FITNESSGRAM PACER while wearing the Cosmed K4b2 system.
RESULTS: From the 22 students, the intraclass correlation for the number of laps for trial 2 to trial 3 was 0.81. The reliability of the estimated VO2 from trial 2 to trial 3 was 0 83. For validity, the correlation for the estimated V02 max to peak V02 from the Cosmed was 0.42 for trial 2. For trial 3, the correlation was 0.60. The correlation between laps and peak V02 was 0.57 for trial 2. For trial 3, the correlation was 0.69. The consistency of the classification for the criterion-referenced standards was 0.91 with a modified kappa of 0.85. The accuracy of the classification for the criterion-referenced standards for trial 2 was 0.59. For trial 3, the proportion of agreement was 0.68.
CONCLUSION: The criterion-referenced standards consistently classifies the participants, however, the validity of the classification is low. Peak V02 scores and the estimated V02 did not appear to be highly related. However, the PACER has a high test-rest reliability for males ages 8-10 years.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd_legacy/50"],"dc:subject":["ETD","PACER test","Aerobic ability","3rd graders","4th graders","Kinesiology"],"dc:title":["The Reliability and Validity of the Pacer for 3rd and 4th Grade Males"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Department of Health and Kinesiology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis (open access)"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Kinesiology"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:28:00Z"}