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Education Dive
Recess on rebound as states recognize academic benefits
Shawna De La Rosa
July 31, 2019
Dive Brief:
In the wake of the No Child Left Behind Act's increased emphasis on
standardized testing accountability two decades ago, schools cut back
in a number of areas to make room for most test prep — and one of the
easiest areas to cut back on was recess, WXIA-TV reports.
One study finds an average of about 50 minutes per week were cut from
students’ recess time nationwide after No Child Left Behind was
implemented, but the American Academy of Pediatrics says recess has
physical, social, emotional and cognitive benefits.
Recess is beginning to make a comeback in some states, with five
requiring that students get at least 20 minutes of recess a day and
Arizona mandating two recess periods daily.
Dive Insight:
Recent research proves physical activity improves students’ brain
function, and rather than cutting it for better test scores, some
states are now requiring it. And with the passage of the Every Student
Succeeds Act, which replaced No Child Left Behind, a mandate for more
well-rounded education and a scaling back of strict assessment
accountability is seeing the arts, physical education and other
subjects move back into the spotlight.
But recess, which is considered “unstructured physical activity and
play,” is not the same as physical education, and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention recommends students are allowed at least
20 minutes of recess per day at the elementary school level.
Nationwide, legislation is being introduced to protect students’ free
time on the playground. Thirteen states already have some sort of
recess requirement, and a bill proposed in the Connecticut General
Assembly would require at least 50 minutes of undirected play time each
day.
Schools that have already implemented more recess time are finding the results promising.
In Forth Worth, for example, one school now has four 15-minute periods
of recess per day instead of one 20-minute session, and teachers report
a 25-35% decrease in off-task behaviors. In Wisconsin, the state
education department has implemented Core 4+ that promotes
opportunities to keep students moving throughout the school day.
A CDC report states that active, healthy students do better
academically and behaviorally, in addition to having better cognitive
skills and attitudes. It also states that schools have the ability to
influence healthy eating and physical activity patterns. And students
who have healthy habits tend to build strong communities.
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