title: The reliability and validity of an authentic motor skill assessment tool for early adolescent girls in an Australian school setting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Proficiency in fundamental movement skills (FMS) is positively correlated with cardiorespiratory fitness, healthy weight status, and physical activity. Many instruments have been developed to assess FMS in children. It is important to accurately measure FMS competency in adolescent populations, particularly in girls, who are less proficient than boys. Yet these tests have not been validated or tested for reliability among girls in this age group.
  
  
  METHODS
  The current study tested the concurrent validity and reliability of two FMS assessment instruments; the newly developed Canadian Agility and Movement Skill Assessment (CAMSA), against the Victorian FMS Assessment from Australia, among a sample of early adolescent girls.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 34 Year 7 females (mean age 12.6 years) from Australia were tested and retested on each instrument in a school setting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Test-retest reliability was excellent for the overall CAMSA score (ICC=0.91) and for the isolated time and skill score components (time: ICC=0.80; skill: ICC=0.85). Test-retest reliability of the Victorian FMS Assessment was also good (ICC=0.79). There was no evidence of proportional bias in either assessment. There was evidence of strong concurrent validity (rs=0.68, p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both instruments were found to be reliable and valid. However, compared to the Victorian FMS instrument, the CAMSA has the advantage of both process and product assessment, less time needed to administer and higher authenticity, and so may be an attractive alternative to the more traditional forms of FMS assessment, for use with early adolescent girls, in school settings.
authors.affiliation: Deakin University, School of Health and Social Development, Australia. Electronic address: nlander@deakin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lander
authors.affiliation: Newcastle University, PRC in Physical Activity and Nutrition, Faculty of Education and Arts, Australia.
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.affiliation: Deakin University, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, Australia.
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salmon
authors.affiliation: Oregon State University, Social Mobility Lab and PlayTech Workshop, School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, USA.
authors.forename: Samuel W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Logan
authors.affiliation: Deakin University, School of Health and Social Development, Australia.
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Barnett
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009048:Motor Skills; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis
keywords: Adolescents; Assessment; Movement components; Physical education