Directs the commissioner of education to conduct a survey of recess held in public and charter schools serving students in kindergarten through grade six and to provide any information collected to the governor and the legislature.
Impact
The introduction of this bill reflects a growing recognition of the importance of recess in promoting student well-being and development. By mandating a comprehensive survey, the bill seeks to gather essential data that could influence future educational policies and practices concerning physical activity and informal play in schools. The results from the survey are expected to shed light on the current state of recess across schools in New York, providing lawmakers and educators with the necessary information to make informed decisions about improving student health and engagement.
Summary
Bill S08377, introduced by Senator Mayer, proposes a survey to be conducted by the commissioner of education regarding recess in public and charter schools catering to students from kindergarten through sixth grade. The bill specifies that the survey should collect detailed information on various aspects of recess, including the number of schools offering recess, the frequency and duration of recess periods, and the physical space utilized for recess activities. Additionally, it aims to assess whether recess is supervised, how many schools have nurses available during school hours, and the barriers that exist in providing recess effectively.
Contention
Notable points of contention may arise around the interpretation and application of the survey results. While many advocates are likely to support the bill for its intent to enhance children's physical activity and mental health during the school day, concerns may be raised by school administrators regarding the feasibility and resource allocation required to effectively implement any changes driven by the survey findings. Furthermore, discussions may center on how the data collected will be utilized and whether it will translate into actionable policies that improve recess provisions in schools.
Same As
Directs the commissioner of education to conduct a survey of recess held in public and charter schools serving students in kindergarten through grade six and to provide any information collected to the governor and the legislature.
Directs the commissioner of education to conduct a survey of recess held in public and charter schools serving students in kindergarten through grade six and to provide any information collected to the governor and the legislature.
Requires each school district to ensure that every public school in which school days exceed five hours in duration provides up to thirty minutes of daily recess within the school day for all students in kindergarten through fifth grade and for students in sixth grade who attend an elementary school.
Directs the commissioner of education, in consultation with the office of fire prevention and control, to develop model curriculum related to fire science for use by public high schools and boards of cooperative educational services throughout the state.
Directs the commissioner of education to promulgate and review as necessary rules and regulations allowing trustees and boards of education of schools with a robotics program to conduct interschool robotics competitions for grades nine through twelve equivalent to the interschool athletic competitions conducted by such schools.
Requests the state Department of Education to study the feasibility of incorporating recess into schedules for elementary school students in grades kindergarten through three
Adds to existing law to require public schools to offer daily recess to students in kindergarten through grade 5 and to encourage public schools to offer unstructured activity breaks for students in grades 6 through 8.
Adds to existing law to require public schools to offer daily recess to students in kindergarten through grade 5 and to encourage public schools to offer unstructured activity breaks for students in grades 6 through 8.