The State Of Recess In Utah: Assessing Adherence To National Recess Guidelines

Recess is a regularly scheduled period in the school day for unstructured physical activity, play, and socialization that benefits students' physical and social health, behavior, emotional state, and academic achievement. There is limited ongoing recess surveillance in the United States and little information regarding adherence to the eight guidelines endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. PURPOSE: To assess the state of school recess in Utah during the 2023-24 school year. METHODS: In Fall 2024, principals of K-12 schools identified via the Utah School Board of Education (USBE) website were asked to complete a Qualtrics survey then forward the survey to full-time teachers in their school. Data were linked to USBE data (e.g., school type) and descriptive statistics were used to summarize responses for principals and teachers separately. RESULTS: Principals (n = 40) and teachers (n = 109) from 51 schools in 27 districts responded (98% Public, 22% Charter, 37% Title 1). Most principals and teachers of grades K-6 (≥ 83%) but not grades 7-12 (≤47%) reported that students in these grades were provided at least 20 minutes of recess, 5 days a week. Less than half of students had recess before lunch (≤ 52 % principals; ≤ 50% teachers). Respondents reported students could be excluded from recess for classroom disciplinary (64% principals; 65% teachers) and academic (27% principals; 41% teachers) reasons. Most principals (88%) reported recess supervisors received training and only 28% of teachers reported having this training. Over half of respondents strongly agreed their school recess spaces were safe (61% principals; 52% teachers) and had adequate facilities and space (73% principals; 51% teachers), but fewer strongly agreed there was sufficient equipment and supplies (21% principals; 25% teachers;). Few principals (15%) reported recess could be used to replace physical education. CONCLUSIONS: Utah schools partially adhered to national guidelines as students could lose recess access and recess provision was low for older children and adolescents. There were also large disparities between schools. A codified law could ensure more equitable access in Utah. Future research is needed to investigate response differences between teachers and principals and to address potential response bias. Supported by: Siegel Family Endowment and the Walton Family Foundation Learning Landscapes Challenge