Students in this country are not very fit. Evidence to support this statement is everywhere. One small but significant indicator of children’s low levels of fitness is the fact that Type II diabetes used to be known as adult-onset diabetes but is no longer described that way because of the prevalence in children and the relationship to obesity in children. National leadership by South Carolinians in cardiovascular disease has resulted in serious attention to addressing the fitness needs of citizens in this state. In South Carolina, performance indicator 4 requires students to meet age and gender standards on Fitnessgram in five areas (body composition—usually percent body fat; flexibility—back saver sit and reach; cardiovascular endurance—pacer test or mile run time; muscular strength—push-ups; and, muscular endurance—curl-ups). Data will be presented from 112 schools over two years of data collection. Competence was defined as meeting the age and gender standards in all five areas assessed. In the first year, performances were low (M=28.36%; SD=25.06) and worse in year two (M14.11%; SD=17.88). Fewer than one-third of the students are achieving competence in basic health-related fitness indicators, touted as important in living a healthy life—these are not sport-related fitness indicators or elite standards. This drop in performance was somewhat unexpected, based on experiences with this type of assessment reported in California (California Department of Education, 1999), where scores showed gradual but steady improvements across years. The lack of improvement in performance may be attributed to a one-year delay in data collection and late notice that the assessment program was funded in the year data were collected—resulting in fewer teachers being trained in data collection procedures (a statistically significant correlate with program performance in the first year of data collection). Another issue involves the appropriateness of using the Fitnessgram test battery for student and program purposes at all—there are conflicting views in the literature (AAHPERD, 1999; Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research, 2003; Keating, 2003). How much these statistics represent frighteningly low levels of fitness, procedural errors in test administration by teachers or conceptual flaws in how these fitness indicators are measured and used to assess program accomplishments will be discussed. Keyword(s): high school issues, measurement/evaluation, research