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Study Weighs Benefits of Organizing Recess

Sixth grade students at Mary Gage Peterson Elementary School in Chicago play dodgeball at recess under the supervision of a Playworks coach. The program's managed-recess approach is used in more than 300 schools in 23 cities.

—John Zich for Education Week

Playworks approach diminishes bullying, adds learning time

By Nirvi Shah

While an overwhelming number of elementary school principals believe in the power of recess to improve academic achievement and make students more focused in class, most discipline-related problems happen at school when kids cut loose at recess and lunch, according to surveys.

One of the solutions, according to a study released this week by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: more, and well-trained, staff on the playground.

The study examines an approach to creating more-structured recess time that is provided by Playworks, based in Oakland, Calif. It finds that the nonprofit organization's program can smooth the transition between recess and class time—giving teachers more time to spend on instruction—and can cut back on bullying in the schoolyard. Teachers in participating schools also reported that their students felt safer and more included at recess, compared with those at...