A recent study featured in Axios San Diego highlights new research suggesting that well-supported recess programs may play a role in improving school attendance. The study, led by Nutrition Policy Institute director, Hannah Thompson, and colleagues at the University of California, Berkeley, examined low-income California schools participating in Playworks, a program that provides trained staff to organize and supervise recess activities.

Researchers found that schools with Playworks coaches had chronic absenteeism rates that were 1.7 percentage points lower than similar schools without the program. Among Latino students, absenteeism was reduced by 2 percentage points. In contrast, schools that received staff training alone—without dedicated recess staff—did not see improvements in attendance.

The findings suggest that structured, engaging recess environments supported by trained staff may help students feel safer and more connected at school, increasing their likelihood of attending. While recess alone is not a comprehensive solution to absenteeism, the study points to its potential as one component of broader strategies to support student engagement and attendance.

Thompson and her team plan to continue this line of research, including examining the impacts of California’s new statewide recess policy on student outcomes.

Read the full interview with Hannah Thompson and Axios San Diego reporter Claire Trageser in the March 31, 2026 article, "Recess may help boost school attendance."