The focus of this school improvement plan was to explore existing research and data on the benefits and concerns present when allowing young children to play with toys and natural items in the outdoor environment that expose them to more risk. Based on that information, a plan was made to thoughtfully add some appropriate risky play elements to the outdoor playground at the Iowa State Child Development Laboratory School over the duration of one school year. By adding these elements, opportunities for growth of large motor skills and overall learning and development may occur. To assess growth, two assessment tools - the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) and Teaching Strategies Gold (TSG) - are completed once at the beginning of the year and again at the end of the year. The questions posed from adding more risk are as follows: Does the change in learning occur because of adding these opportunities for risky play? Does more risk create more injuries that are cause for concern or is it just part of the learning process?
Mpango huu wa kuboresha shule ulikuwa na lengo la kuchunguza utafiti na data zilizopo juu ya faida na wasiwasi unaowepo wakati wa kuruhusu watoto wadogo kucheza na vitu vya asili katika mazingira ya nje ambayo huwaweka katika hatari zaidi. Kwa kuzingatia taarifa hizo, mpango ulifanywa wa kuongeza kwa uangalifu baadhi ya vipengele vya kucheza vyenye hatari kwenye uwanja wa michezo wa nje katika Shule ya Maabara ya Maendeleo ya Mtoto ya Jimbo la Iowa kwa muda wa mwaka mmoja wa shule. Kwa kuongeza vipengele hivi, fursa za ukuaji wa ujuzi mkubwa wa motor na kujifunza kwa ujumla na maendeleo inaweza kutokea. Kwa mfano, uchunguzi wa umri na hatua (ASQ) na utafiti wa mbinu za kufundisha (TSG) hufanywa mara moja mwanzoni mwa mwaka na tena mwishoni mwa mwaka. "Swali linalojitokeza kutokana na kuongeza hatari zaidi ni kama ifuatavyo: ""Je, mabadiliko katika kujifunza hutokea kwa sababu ya kuongeza fursa hizi kwa ajili ya kucheza hatari?""" Je, hatari kubwa huunda majeraha mengi ambayo ni sababu ya wasiwasi au ni sehemu tu ya mchakato wa kujifunza?