Playworks Implementation in 8 Bay Area Elementary Schools: Final Report
Description:
This is the final report from the study of Playworks implementation in the San Francisco Bay Area conducted by the Gardner Center and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The study aimed to understand the ways that Playworks affected students' recess and classroom experiences, school personnel, and school climate overall, as well as document the implementation process with a focus on varying school experiences in the context of different school environments. It used mixed methods - including interviews, focus groups, observations, and student and teacher surveys - and included six newly implementing schools as well as two established schools located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Overall, results indicated that each newly implementing school had put in place core Playworks components and as a result, recess was more organized and productive. Where the program was implemented most fully, respondents indicated that it had the desired effects on students, personnel, and school climate. However, there were several implementation challenges and where these were most difficult to overcome stakeholders were less certain that the program had fully achieved its intended effects.
Suggested Citation:
London, R., Mallonee, N., Stokes-Guinan, K., Westrich, L. (2010). Playworks Implementation in 8 Bay Area Elementary Schools: Final Report. Stanford, CA. John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities.