Attention: Fun Recess Ahead!

1. 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

2. About the Presenting Organizations • Live Healthy Lynchburgis 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.

3. Recent Findings about Recess The State of Play • RWJF released The State of Play – Gallup poll of nearly 2,000 principals • Key Findings • Recess has a positive impact on achievement and learning • Recess benefits child development in important, non-academic ways • Recess remains a precious commodity at most schools. Despite its links to achievement, many schools cut recess to meet testing requirements.

4. Recent Findings about Recess The State of Play • Key findings continued • Despite the connection between recess and good student behavior, schools continue to take recess away as a punishment for bad behavior. • Recess is the time of day when schools face the biggest behavior management challenges. • Schools are looking for help with recess.

5. Recent Findings about Recess The State of Play • Recommendations • It’s time for education policymakers at all levels to take play seriously • Schools should enhance recess to improve learning and school climate • The single best way to improve recess is to improve the way it is staffed.

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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 standardsand 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

11. 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.

12. Implementation in Richmond • Fit4Kids partners with three Title I schools and 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

13. 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” post-training that evaluated implementation of the program.

14. 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

15. Evaluation - Richmond

16. Evaluation - Lynchburg • Staff who participated were extremely excited with 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.

17. Challenges - Richmond • Teacher engagement • Scheduling – testing, field trips, other programs – recess is the first to get cut • Weather and indoor recess • Sustainability

18. 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.

19. 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

20. 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.

21. Questions? For more information: Anne Bond-Gentry, Lynchburg City Schools bondgentrya@lcsedu.net Leslie Hoglund, Live Healthy Lynchburg! leslie.hoglund@vdh.virginia.gov Mary Dunne Stewart, Fit4Kids mary@grfit4kids.org