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High school graduation rates are not only a public health crisis for the country and there is a local problem with high school graduation rates in this community as well. All non-profit hospitals are required under the Affordable Care Act to conduct a community health needs assessment (CHNA) every three years (Showalter, 2017, p. 446). The CHNA is performed for the entire community, and not just individual organizations and gives a lot of insight in the health needs of the community. The data gathered from the most recent CHNA in 2015 shows that Stark County ranks forty-one out of the eighty-eight states in Ohio in terms of overall health outcomes (County Health Rankings, 2015). The risk factors that are correlated with not graduating high …show more content…

Legislative Issue
Clearly the data supports a need for change in the educational system in Stark County. The overall well-being of the population of the county can be linked back to students graduating from high school. So how can the county ensure that students are set up for success and have the best chance of completing high school? This is a very complex issue and one that can be attacked from multiple fronts. One tactic that could have a very positive impact on future generations in the community, and increase graduation rates, is getting students engaged in school at a young age through physical activity at recess.
Many schools are now organizing school day schedules to maximize instructional time and minimize non-instructional time, such as recess (Pellegrini & Bohn, 2005). Schools made this shift in response to increased state testing and the associated pressures of funding. Some also believe that the shift to more instructional time and less non-instructional time was worsened with the adoption of Common Core standards in elementary schools. However, this may not be the best move for schools or for long-term student success.
Studies have shown that even though recess is non-instructional time, it serves many important roles in the development of healthy and engaged students. Recess promotes physical activity, problem solving, social interactions, and imagination (Simon

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