{"title":"The State of Elementary School Recess in Georgia: Policy, the Pandemic, and Patterns of Play","authors":"Karyn A Allee, Erica DeCuir, Dawn M Robinson","doi":"10.1177/08959048241271367","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"While we continue to see a growing push for the restoration and codification of recess in elementary schools, policy does not necessarily equal practice. Georgia recently passed legislation requiring at least 20 minutes of recess per day for students in PK-5. The purpose of this research study was to survey elementary school educators to reveal the temporal (i.e., duration, frequency, and cancellation practices) and descriptive (i.e., type, equipment, place) characteristics of recess in Georgia’s public elementary schools. The results of this study, which can be summed up statistically and descriptively as less recess overall, and less free play specifically, as well as reduced access to safe play spaces since the onset of the pandemic, yield important policy implications for Georgia’s school children. These implications relate to persistent disparities in immediate and long-term positive outcomes for children across multiple domains including academic, social-emotional, and behavioral.","PeriodicalId":47728,"journal":{"name":"Educational Policy","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Educational Policy","FirstCategoryId":"95","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/08959048241271367","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
While we continue to see a growing push for the restoration and codification of recess in elementary schools, policy does not necessarily equal practice. Georgia recently passed legislation requiring at least 20 minutes of recess per day for students in PK-5. The purpose of this research study was to survey elementary school educators to reveal the temporal (i.e., duration, frequency, and cancellation practices) and descriptive (i.e., type, equipment, place) characteristics of recess in Georgia’s public elementary schools. The results of this study, which can be summed up statistically and descriptively as less recess overall, and less free play specifically, as well as reduced access to safe play spaces since the onset of the pandemic, yield important policy implications for Georgia’s school children. These implications relate to persistent disparities in immediate and long-term positive outcomes for children across multiple domains including academic, social-emotional, and behavioral.
期刊介绍:
Educational Policy provides an interdisciplinary forum for improving education in primary and secondary schools, as well as in high education and non school settings. Educational Policy blends the best of educational research with the world of practice, making it valuable resource for educators, policy makers, administrators, researchers, teachers, and graduate students. Educational Policy is concerned with the practical consequences of policy decisions and alternatives. It examines the relationship between educational policy and educational practice, and sheds new light on important debates and controversies within the field. You"ll find that Educational Policy is an insightful compilation of ideas, strategies, and analyses for improving our educational systems.