The goal of this report is to help educators understand the mutually reinforcing relationship between social and emotional development and ambitious academic goals. Instruction that promotes students’ social and emotional development (SED) facilitates better student outcomes on college- and career-ready (CCR) standards. The converse is also true: Learning environments structured to genuinely meet rigorous standards support the development of students’ social and emotional skills. To promote deeper learning, educators need to make the most of this interconnected relationship, and to approach SED not as an add-on or discrete intervention, but as an integral part of the academic program.

This brief describes elementary schools’ experiences implementing a safe and healthy recess with the Playworks TeamUp program.