Recess Policy Across America: How Does Every State Score?

RECESS POLICY ACROSS AMERICA: HOW DOES EVERY STATE SCORE? Grades: A D NEW HAMPSHIRE CONNECTICUT ALASKA INDIANA WASHINGTON VERMONT F MAINE MONTANA NORTH DAKOTA MASSACHUSETTS F MINNESOTA OREGON IDAHO D WISCONSIN NEW YORK RHODE ISLAND F SOUTH DAKOTA MICHIGAN WYOMING F D+ PENNSYLVANIA A NEW JERSEY IOWA NEBRASKA DELAWARE NEVADA OHIO ILLINOIS UTAH D MARYLAND CALIFORNIA COLORADO VIRGINIA KANSAS MISSOURI KENTUCKY NORTH CAROLINA ©TENNESSEE WEST VIRGINIA ARIZONA OKLAHOMA D+ NEW MEXICO ARKANSAS ALABAMA SOUTH CAROLINA GEORGIA F TEXAS HAWAII LOUISIANA FLORIDA MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA It is considered best practice but not required that students receive a minimum of 20 minutes of ALASKA School districts must provide opportunities for 54 minutes of physical activity daily for grade K-8 students. This can be PE, recess, and/or school-wide recreation. ARIZONA The law requires that all schools with grades K-5 must provide two recess periods per day. ARKANSAS The law requires that elementary students receive 40 minutes daily of recess and unstructured play. CALIFORNIA It is encouraged but not required that districts provide daily recess periods for elementary students. unstructured activity time daily. It is recommended that students have a "kinesthetic brain break" for 5 minutes every hour. Every student is required to leave the room at recess. Students are not required to remain in school during intermission or recess (recess cannot be taken away as punishment). DELAWARE No recess laws or recommendations FLORIDA The law requires that elementary students receive at least 100 minutes of supervised, safe, and unstructured play/recess each week (20 minutes of free play daily). COLORADO CONNECTICUT It is prohibited by law to withhold recess as punishment. There is no minimum recess requirement, but elementary-school students must have opportunities for 600 minutes of physical activity per month. This can be PE, fitness breaks, recess, and/or field trips. The law requires elementary schools to provide at least 20 minutes devoted to physical activity per day. School boards can choose to offer more unstructured play time individually. GEORGIA It is recommended (but not mandated) that students are provided with at least 20 minutes of recess daily. A HAWAII It is recommended (but not mandated) that students are provided with at least 20 minutes of recess daily. IDAHO No recess laws or recommendations ILLINOIS It is recommended (but not mandated) that pre-K to grade 8 students receive 30 minutes of recess daily. INDIANA The law requires that elementary students receive at least one 20-minute period of active recess daily. IOWA The Healthy Kids Act mandates that K-5 students receive a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity daily (recess, gym class, brain breaks, etc.) and grades 6-12 receive a minimum of 120 minutes per week. D F KENTUCKY The law requires elementary schools to develop a wellness policy that includes daily physical activity (maximum of 30 minutes per day, which can include gym or recess). Recess can be withheld as punishment. MARYLAND No laws or recommendations; recess can be withheld as KANSAS LOUISIANA ΜΑIE It is recommended that children receive 15 minutes of recess daily, but if it exceeds 15 minutes, then that time is not counted toward school term completion (based on 1,116-hour school year requirements). The law mandates that grades K-8 receive a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity daily (gym, recess, etc.). No laws or recommendations; recess can be withheld as punishment punishment D MISSISSIPPI Recess is recommended, especially before lunch. Elementary- and middle-school students must receive at least 150 MASSACHUSETTS MICHIGAN It is recommended that all students receive at least 30 minutes of unstructured or structured physical activity daily. Recess before lunch is strongly encouraged. Sedentary time should be limited to less than 2 hours. MINNESOTA MISSOURI The Department of Education provides a tool kit for quality recess, and the Active Schools Minnesota initiative is inspiring schools to increase daily physical activity. No laws or recommendations; recess can be withheld as The law mandates that schools provide 20 minutes of recess daily to elementary-school students. punishment. A recent bill (SD.320) would mandate 20 minutes of recess if passed. minutes weekly of activity-based instruction (PE, recess, field trips, etc.). Recess can be withheld as punishment. D+ NEW JERSEY The law requires elementary schools to provide at least 20 minutes of recess daily, and it cannot be withheld from any MONTANA NEVADA NEW HAMPSHIRE The state directs each school district to include a daily physical activity that may include recess and does not replace PE. No minimum amount of time is specified. Recess can be withheld as punishment. NEBRASKA The state provides a step-by-step guide for implementing wellness strategies in schools that includes a recommendation of 20 minutes of recess The state provides wellness webinars and other best-practice resources for schools, but no laws require recess, and it can be withheld as punishment. The state provides a "School Wellness Policy Best Practices Manual" that recommends providing at least 20 minutes of recess daily. student. daily for elementary-school students. (A NEW YORK It is strongly recommended that elementary schools provide at least 20 minutes of recess daily. Schools are encouraged to develop a recess plan to "maximize this time for children's health and well-being." NORTH CAROLINA State policy requires at least 30 minutes of recess for K-8 students that cannot be NEW MEXICO NORTH DAKOTA It is recommended (but not required) that schools provide recess before lunch to promote healthy eating and offer 60 minutes of daily exercise in some form. Recess cannot be withheld as punishment. The law requires a minimum of 90 minutes of physical activity per week for grades K-3, with 30 minutes of recess allowed to count toward this total. Recess can be withheld as punishment. OHIO It is recommended that K-6 students receive morning and afternoon recess periods of no more than 15 minutes. taken away as punishment. D+ OKLAHOMA OREGON No laws or recommendations; recess can be withheld as RHODE ISLAND The law requires all elementary students to be prvoided with at least 20 consecutive minutes of recess daily. Teachers shall make a "good-faith effort" to not withhold recess as punishment. SOUTH CAROLINA Elementary schools must provide at least 90 minutes weekly for physical activity, which can include PE or recess. Recess can be withheld as punishment. PENNSYLVANIA No laws or recommendations; recess does not count toward The law requires grades K-5 to include 60 minutes of physical activity each week, which can include recess. It is strongly recommended that districts provide at least 20 minutes of daily recess. punishment required instructional time SOUTH DAKOTA Recess is not required, but the government provides resources on "what recess should look like" and recommends that districts TENNESSEE Elementary-school students must get 130 minutes of physical activity each week, including one 15-minute period a day. This can be structured (PE) or unstructured (free play/recess). TEXAS No laws or recommendations. In 2019, the governor vetoed a law requiring recess despite overwhelming support in the state Senate and House. UTAH It is considered best practice for all elementary students to receive 20 minutes of recess. Recess can count toward instructional time. VERMONT It is strongly recommended that grades K-12 participate in at Teast 30 minutes of physical activity that may include recess or a movement-based curriculum. It cannot replace PE classes. create policies. D F VIRGINIA Recess is required for elementary schools. Unstructured time (such as recess) is allowed to make up up to 15% of total instructional time for all students. WASHINGTON Seattle public elementary schools must provide 30 minutes of recess. There are no statewide laws or recommendations. WEST VIRGINIA The law requires elementary schools to provide a 30-minute daily recess. WISCONSIN It is recommended (but not mandated) that students receive 20 minutes of recess daily. It can be withheld as punishment. WYOMING No laws or recommendations Playground Eqúipment Sources: www.stateofchildhoodobesity.org www.statepolicies.nasbe.org www.shapeamerica.org