Maps

How Does Every U.S. State Compare in Their Recess Policies?

Published

on

If you are in your twenties or older, you probably look back to your elementary school days and remember recess fondly. Sadly, over the years some schools in the US have done away with recess entirely in order to boost test scores. Even though there are studies that contradict that very notion. In 2016, psychologist Karrie Godwin researched the attentiveness of elementary students during class and found they could focus better with lessons that were taught with short breaks. Recess and brain breaks not only help students decompress, but also encourages them to practice social skills and allows them to play creatively with their own imaginations. The students in the study were found to be more focused and less distracted when they were allowed short breaks. You may be surprised to find out that most states do not have any laws that require recess in schools. There are only five states that mandate a 20-minute break. This map of recess policies across America gives each state a grade letter score from A to F.

Click below to zoom

recess-policy-states-compare-chartistry

Massachusetts which is currently receives a D score has the opportunity to improve their grade if a recent bill is passed that requires 20 minutes of recess. There are some states like Maine, Maryland, Oregon, South Carolina, and Wisconsin where recess can be withheld from a student as a form of punishment. The best recess policies on the map are found in states that mandate 20-30 minutes of daily recess. Alaska, Arizona, Iowa, Arkansas, West Virginia, North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, and Rhode Island all got A’s.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Charts

Mapping Rates of Drowsy Driving

Published

on

This map from NapLab highlights the locations with the highest instances of drowsy driving. This is such an important topic to study and gather data on. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that in 2022, 693 people died in drowsy-driving-related crashes. Many people push their limits behind the wheel when they’re tired. After all, if you’re exhausted while traveling, nothing sounds more appealing than hurrying home to your warm, familiar bed. But maps like this one illustrate just how risky this decision can be.

The team at NapLab studied fatalities in drowsy driving accidents, adjusted rates by population density and then mapped out the locations that had the most accidents. Here are their findings.

Click below to zoom

For counties with 150,000-500,000 residents:

  1. Bastrop County, TX: 20.72 fatalities per 100,000
  2. Coconino County, AZ: 13.19 fatalities per 100,000
  3. Midland County, TX: 20 11.63 fatalities per 100,000
  4. Hunt County, TX: 10.16 fatalities per 100,000
  5. Liberty County, TX: 9.80 fatalities per 100,000

For counties with 25,000-150,000 people:

  1. Gillespie, TX: 40.03 per 100,000
  2. Milam, TX: 1039.02 per 100,000
  3. Walker, AL: 2132.64 per 100,000
  4. Cass, TX: 931.54 per 100,000
  5. Sweetwater, WY: 31.44 per 100,000

For counties with populations of 5,000 to 25,000:

  1. Pecos, TX: 190.02 per 100,000
  2. Reeves, TX: 178.23 per 100,000
  3. Madison, TX: 157.23 per 100,000
  4. Refugio, TX: 150.78 per 100,000
  5. Winkler, TX: 150.56 per 100,000

Texas counties topped most of the of the lists, which might be due to dark, quiet rural highways lulling drivers to sleep.

Continue Reading

Maps

Mapping the Drunk Driving Epidemic

Published

on

It’s illegal to drive if your blood alcohol content is over .08%. Even so, every year Americans have too much to drink and choose to get behind the wheel anyway causing traffic accidents across the country that can cause injury and even death. Drunk driving is clearly an epidemic. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, car crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers and 1 in 4 of those crashes involve an underage drunk driver. The facts are clear. Drunk driving is rampant and can claim lives or grievously someone no matter their age.

The team at van der Veen, Hartshorn, Levin & Lindheim created a map that highlights the severity of the drunk driving problem and examines a specific aspect: location. They used data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to calculate which cities had the highest numbers of drunk driving fatalities per 100,000 people. They created a map that shows areas where drunk driving occurs the most and may even help us reach new conclusions about why some places are more at risk of drunk driving and others. Is your city highlighted?

Click below to zoom

The map is the best way to look at these trends, but here’s a quick list of their top ten results:

  1. Odessa, TX: 27.46
  2. San Bernardino, CA: 18.15
  3. Pueblo, CO: 17.94
  4. Corona, CA: 15.04
  5. Hartford, CT: 14.91
  6. Midland, TX: 14.13
  7. Dallas, TX: 13.93
  8. Chattanooga, TN: 13.58
  9. Detroit, MI: 13.22
  10. Charleston, SC: 13.01

 

Continue Reading

Charts

The 50 States Ranked by How Appealing They Are for Boating

Published

on

Boat lovers have a new way to pick their dream destination with this chart ranking states by how desirable they are for boaters. The SI Yachts team used a detailed scoring system to rank these states. The system considers some of the major factors important to boaters like average temperatures, number of sunny and cloudy days, amount of coastline, lakes, and rivers, hurricane risk, number of boats owned in the state, and the average cost of boater’s insurance. All these factors, averaged together, created the team’s ultimate list of boating states.

Click below to zoom.

 

Despite the hurricane risks, Louisiana still comes out on top as the best state for boating. Miles and miles of coastline and waterways, low swampy areas, and a fishing legacy make boating a way of life in the Bayou State. As for the bottom of the list, New York was not the Empire State for boating. Expensive boater’s insurance and few days of ideal weather meant that despite this state’s abundance of lakes, rivers, and coastline, it just wasn’t an ideal place to own a boat.

Every boater has different priorities to guide where they want to set sail, but this chart is a great way to consider where you’ll find a boater’s paradise. There’s a great diversity of regions in the top states on this list so East or West, North or South, you’ll find the perfect boating destination.

Continue Reading

Trending