ERIC Number: ED532530
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Jun
Pages: 2
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
What Works Clearinghouse Quick Review: "Findings from a Randomized Experiment of Playworks"
What Works Clearinghouse
This randomized controlled trial examined the effects of offering Playworks--a program in which full-time coaches provide opportunities for organized play during recess and class time--on school climate, student behavior, and other disciplinary and developmental outcomes. Using data from about 2,000 students and 250 teachers in 25 urban, low-income elementary schools across the United States, the authors compared outcomes from schools that offered Playworks to outcomes in schools that were not offering the program. The authors found no differences between Playworks and non-Playworks schools for any of the 11 measures of school discipline. In addition, the authors found no differences in 30 outcomes measured by student survey responses. Finally, the authors found that four of the 30 outcomes measured by teacher survey responses were more favorable in the Playworks schools: fewer incidents of bullying, improved transitions to learning after recess, greater student enjoyment of adult-organized activities, and improved feelings of inclusion and safety at recess. The portion of the study that estimates the impact of Playworks on disciplinary outcomes "meets WWC evidence standards," because it is based on a randomized controlled trial with low attrition. The portion of the study that estimates the impact of Playworks on outcomes measured by student and teacher surveys may "meet WWC evidence standards with or without reservations." A more thorough review is forthcoming. [The following study is the focus of this "Quick Review": "Findings from a Randomized Experiment of Playworks: Selected Results from Cohort 1" (ED531230).]
Descriptors: Play, Recess Breaks, Program Effectiveness, Educational Environment, Student Behavior, Discipline, Bullying, Inclusion, Safety, Urban Schools, Elementary School Students, Elementary School Teachers, Comparative Analysis, Educational Research, Student Surveys, Teacher Surveys
What Works Clearinghouse. 550 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024; e-mail: contact.WWC@ed.gov; Web site: https://whatworks.ed.gov/
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A