Developmental and Adapted Physical Activity Assessment » (5th Edition)

Michael Horvat, EdD, is a professor of adapted physical education and motor behavior at the University of Georgia, where he is also the director of the Movement Studies Laboratory and the Pediatric Exercise and Motor Development Clinic. Dr. Horvat is extensively published, having authored numerous books, monographs, chapters in books, and articles as well as dozens of refereed journal publications. He is also a highly sought-after speaker, having presented at more than 100 international and domestic conferences.

Dr. Horvat has been elected to many boards and councils and has professional affiliations with a number of organizations, including the International Society of Adapted Physical Activity, the North American Society of Adapted Physical Activity, and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. In 2005 he was named to the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, and he has also been named to Who's Who in American Education.

Martin E. Block, PhD, is an associate professor in the kinesiology program at the University of Virginia. He has been the director of the master's program in adapted physical education (APE) at the University of Virginia since 1993. During that time he has supervised and graduated more than 60 master's students. Dr. Block has served as an APE specialist in Virginia, working with children with severe disabilities and learning and behavioral problems.

Dr. Block has been a consultant to Special Olympics, Inc., helping to create the Motor Activities Training Program, a sports program for athletes with severe disabilities. He has authored or coauthored four books and more than 50 refereed articles, and he has conducted more than 100 international and national presentations on various topics in APE.

Dr. Block has served as chair for the Adapted Physical Activity Council and for the Motor Development Academy. He was named the Virginia College Professor of the Year in 2004.

Luke E. Kelly, PhD, is a certified adapted physical educator, professor of kinesiology, holder of the Virgil S. Ward endowed professorship, director of the graduate programs in adapted physical education, and chief technology officer for the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia. He has 30 years of experience working with public schools in evaluating and revising their physical education curricula to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Dr. Kelly has written extensively about the achievement-based curriculum model, assessment, and use of technology in physical education. Dr. Kelly has served as the president of the National Consortium for Physical Education and Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities (NCPERID) and directed the NCPERID adapted physical education national standards project from 1992 to 1999. Dr. Kelly is a fellow in the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education. He has also received the G. Lawrence Rarick Research Award and the William H. Hillman Distinguished Service Award from NCPERID.

Developmental and Adapted Physical Activity Assessment guides readers in developing written recommendations regarding placement and instructional programming, and it includes sample assessment cases. This interactive text, in which information is presented and readers generate a response to specific questions, also shows teachers and clinicians how to use the teaching-learning-assessing cycle to their fullest advantage. Through application of this cycle, they can place children in the appropriate programs, and students can develop their abilities to their fullest.

The authors also explore the relationship of assessment to grading, testing, and measurement and provide guidelines for the assessment environment. In addition, they give advice on how to work with children, parents, and colleagues.

The book moves logically through the assessment cycle. The authors first address whom the reader is assessing and why the assessment is necessary; then they address the importance of and ways of getting to know the child. From there, they explore issues related to assessment instruments and selecting and administering tests. They devote entire chapters to these assessments:

• Motor development and motor skill performance
• Physical fitness
• Posture and gait
• Behavior and social competencies

In the final chapter, the authors discuss a team approach in interpreting the assessment information and making decisions.

Written by three of the most experienced and trusted specialists in adapted physical activity, this book will help both the novice and veteran be effective and accountable for placement and learning.