Transcript Attention: Fun Recess Ahead!

Attention: Fun Recess Ahead!
Anne Bond-Gentry, Student Services Coordinator,
Lynchburg City Schools
Leslie Hoglund, Live Healthy Lynchburg!
Mary Dunne Stewart, Executive Director,
Greater Richmond Fit4Kids
About the Presenting Organizations
 Live Healthy Lynchburg is a regional initiative to promote
healthy eating and active living in all sectors: schools,
workplaces, healthcare facilities, nonprofit and faith-based
organizations, and the community at large.
 Lynchburg City Schools is an educational community of
diverse individuals who are developing their intellectual,
artistic, and physical talents to the highest degree.
 Fit4Kids is a non-profit working to improve children’s
health through physical activity and healthy eating;
Founded in 2010 to implement 3 school-based programs
and lead a regional coalition.
Recent Findings about Recess
The State of Play
 RWJF released The State of Play – Gallup poll of
nearly 2,000 principals
 Key Findings
1. Recess has a positive impact on achievement and
learning
2. Recess benefits child development in important,
non-academic ways
3. Recess remains a precious commodity at most
schools. Despite its links to achievement, many
schools cut recess to meet testing requirements.
Recent Findings about Recess
The State of Play
 Key findings continued
4. Despite the connection between recess and
good student behavior, schools continue to
take recess away as a punishment for bad
behavior.
5. Recess is the time of day when schools face
the biggest behavior management
challenges.
6. Schools are looking for help with recess.
Recent Findings about Recess
The State of Play
 Recommendations
1. It’s time for education policymakers at all
levels to take play seriously
2. Schools should enhance recess to improve
learning and school climate
3. The single best way to improve recess is to
improve the way it is staffed.
The Signs that Recess Needed
Improvement - Richmond
 Teacher frustration - "I'm at the end of my rope. It
doesn't seem to matter how many conversations we
have with them about friendship and being a team
player, all they want to do is fight. I've had to cut
recess short every day this week to write office
referrals. It's exhausting. I don't know what else to
do.“ Bellwood Third Grade Teacher
 Office referrals
 Clinic visits
The Signs that Recess Needed
Improvement - Lynchburg
 Teacher Assistants manage recess in elementary
schools for Lynchburg City.
 Discipline and activity level issues were of concern to
the Teacher Assistants.
 Principals were concerned that Teacher Assistants
were not as actively involved with recess as they could
be.
 Students often recycled only one or two games
repeatedly.
Overview of the Playworks Model
 National non-profit working transforming recess for
more than 16 years.
 2011/12 school year, Playworks has full time coaches
in 360 schools in 22 cities
 Recess Coaches cultivate an inclusive environment
that encourages all children to participate regardless
of athletic ability, weight, or disability
 Coaches participate in recess every day by leading
play activities that foster physical, social, and
emotional development of the children
Overview of the Playworks Model
 Mathematica/Stanford study found
that Playworks schools have less
bullying and exclusionary behavior,
transitions from recess are easier,
better behavior and attention in
class, and safer more inclusive play.
 Playworks also offers professional
training to adults who work with
youth on playgrounds – that is the
model that Lynchburg and Fit4Kids
have adopted.
How we brought Recess Coaching to the
Richmond region
 Our focus: Fit4Kids was looking for ways to
incorporate physical activity into the school day while
not detracting from standards and academics
 Initiative led by non-profit working with two school
divisions
 Raise funds – private foundation and corporate
support
 Find partner schools that are ready to take on new
recess model – need principal and teacher support
How we brought Recess Coaching to
Lynchburg
 CDC ACHIEVE Grant – Community Health Needs
Assessment (Policy and Environment)
 Lynchburg City Schools worked with the Lynchburg
Health Department/Live Healthy Lynchburg! to write a
grant.
 Centra Foundation, the local hospital foundation,
facilitated the grant.
Implementation in Richmond
 Fit4Kids partners with three Title I schools and
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employs three part time recess coaches.
Fit4Kids engaged Playworks for two full days of
training in late August with follow up site visits in
October.
Coaches lead children in fun, physically active play
every day.
Coaches working to engage teachers to learn the
games and lead stations.
Coaches meet with each other and Fit4Kids staff twice
per month to share experiences and problem-solve
Implementation in Lynchburg
 Lynchburg City Schools provided two training groups
through PlayWorks. First was the “Power of Play”
Workshop for all elementary school principals.
 “Recess Implementation Training” for Teacher
Assistants representing all 11 elementary schools was
the second training.
 PlayWorks staff visited all 11 elementary schools and
provided them with a “Recess Report card” posttraining that evaluated implementation of the
program.
Evaluation - Richmond
 Measured steps and activity time using pedometers on a
random sample of students in every grade at our partner
schools before implementation. Will repeat measurement
in the Spring.
 Teacher and Principal feedback through surveys – Sample
results from one school
 About ¾ of the teachers and administrators surveyed said that
most kids were INACTIVE at recess before the Recess
Coaching program began.
 The same proportion said that MORE than 75% of kids are
now ACTIVE at recess since the Recess Coaching program has
been in effect.
 Anecdotal feedback from principals that office referrals and
clinic visits resulting from recess have dramatically decreased
Evaluation - Richmond
Before
The kids “just didn't know how to 'play',
some fighting and arguing while playing
games.”
“I felt like a referee!”
After
“Now, recess seems to be more active,
engaging, and interesting to boys and girls.”
“I find some students more willing to try
things that they wouldn't normally try.”
“Kids who love to play sports are active.
“There is a big difference. The students are
Sometimes too rough and competitive. Kids looking forward to having recess with the
standing around or not exerting
recess coach. It is more structured. I am glad
themselves.”
the program is at [our school].”
“Kids not using equipment correctly. Kids
“Some students who are not leaders have
not getting along. Kids complaining of being been game leaders! Awesome!”
bored.”
“Half the class was actively engaged in a
“We LOVE IT. Everyone is engaged and having
game. The other half stood around and
fun participating.”
talked or gossiped.”
“Too many students and not enough
“Arguments have decreased dramatically due
activities.”
to this program.”
Evaluation - Lynchburg
 Staff who participated were extremely excited with
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the training they received.
The number of referrals for behavior issues during
recess saw a dramatic drop immediately upon
implementation of the program.
Students went home excited about – and talking to
their parents regarding – the new games they were
learning on the playground.
The number of students participating in group play
and being physically active during recess increased.
Teacher Assistants took time to “map out” recess
activities.
Challenges - Richmond
 Teacher engagement
 Scheduling – testing, field trips, other programs –
recess is the first to get cut
 Weather and indoor recess
 Sustainability
Challenges - Lynchburg
 After the success of the original training sessions,
there was a strong desire for “Rainy Day Recess/Youth
Leadership Training” from PlayWorks.
 Scheduling continuing education from PlayWorks for
our Teacher Assistants is challenging due to the
constraints of their contracts.
 Funding may be a challenge.
Next Steps - Richmond
 Initial sustainability plan was to spend one year on-
site at a school, engage and train teachers, and move
to a new site the next year – Not sure this is
sustainable
 Likely going to spend a second year at partner schools,
but strengthen MOU, and engage more teachers and
principals in the training
 Testing parent volunteer program at one partner
school
 Bundle Recess Coaching program with other Fit4Kids
wellness programming
Next Steps - Lynchburg
 Continuing to promote the use of PlayWorks training
in recess.
 Students will pass along the skills they have learned
for recess to classes that come behind them.
 Recess becomes easier to manage for adults who
supervise.
Questions?
For more information:
Anne Bond-Gentry, Lynchburg City Schools
[email protected]
Leslie Hoglund, Live Healthy Lynchburg!
[email protected]
Mary Dunne Stewart, Fit4Kids
[email protected]