How Farmington Public Schools and Playworks Michigan used playground data and hands-on training to reduce conflict, build staff confidence, and strengthen school culture from the ground up.
Was the ball out of bounds or in? Whose turn was it? Did the shot count before the bell rang? When left unresolved, everyday playground disagreements like these often follow students back into the classroom.
In Farmington Public Schools, that pattern was hard to miss. Conflicts that began at recess were resurfacing during instructional time, and teachers were watching students struggle to communicate, problem solve, or work through disagreement without adult intervention.
To help find a solution, Farmington Public Schools partnered with Playworks Michigan. The partnership worked on two levels at once, providing students with the conflict resolution skills they needed to handle disagreements independently, while also training staff on how to recognize those moments, reinforce the strategies, and create the conditions for students to use them on the playground, in the classroom, and throughout the school day.
The partnership extended beyond individual schools. Throughout the year, Playworks Michigan’s Executive Director, Program Director, and Regional Partnership Manager met monthly with Farmington’s superintendent and assistant superintendent. Together, they reviewed playground observations collected through Playworks’ Great Recess Framework, survey results, and feedback from participating schools.
These conversations helped both teams celebrate successes, identify opportunities for improvement, adjust support, and ensure the partnership remained aligned with the district’s goals. Just as importantly, the meetings created an ongoing value story grounded in data and the experiences of students and staff.
Read the full story to learn how it happened.
About Farmington Public Schools
Located in Southeast Michigan, Farmington Public Schools serves more than 9,000 students across the communities of Farmington, Farmington Hills, and a portion of West Bloomfield.
Location: Farmington, MI
Students served: 9,000 (3,500 elementary students)
Number of schools: 16 (9 elementary schools)
Grade levels: K – 8 grade
