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Hudley, 2013

Much has been written about the poor academic achievement among students in “urban”, “minority” and otherwise coded schools over the past decades. However, the conversations about the heightened challenges facing students in urban public schools must recognize that on average, 64 percent of students receive free or reduced price lunches, indicating that their families are at or near the federal poverty level. Guidelines for the 2013-2014 academic year locate the federal poverty line at $23,550 for a family of  four; eligibility for the federal free breakfast and lunch programs requires an income of no more than $30,615 before taxes. The comparable income maximum for reduced price breakfast or lunch is $43,568 (USDA, 2013). Thus, in urban public schools, many students and their families are living with severe economic disadvantage.

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Condron & Roscigno, 2003

The debate over whether educational spending shapes achievement has persisted for decades, largely because of methodological and analytical limitations associated with the use of districtlevel data. In this study, the authors analyzed unique within-district variations in spending and achievement among 89 public elementary schools in a large, North Central, urban district. The analyses reveal considerable disparities in spending within the district, which are linked to local patterns of racial and class stratification and concentration. They show how these locally driven inequalities and their links to specific school resources have consequences for achievement in five distinct subject areas. The authors conclude by discussing the implications of their findings for understanding the local production of class and racial educational inequality and recent moves toward resegregation that are evident in many U.S. cities.

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Andrade, I., Dorneles, V., & Ely, V. (2012). The present work demonstrates, through a case study, the importance of theoretical knowledge in practical application of spatial accessibility in order to guarantee equal conditions for all people in the movement and use of space. Initially there was a literature review on the accessibility of space and how design in a accessible way. Next, we show one makeover proposal in one public school that wants to provide access to people with disabilities. This makeover was done and so we could evaluate the buildings changes through the method of accompanied walk with two people. Finally we present the main results and discussions.

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Gracye Cheng, Steve English and Mary Filardo, 2011. Acute disparities in the access of public school students to adequate facilities, coupled with the compelling evidence of how poor quality school facilities are implicated in lower student achievement, make it imperative that any inquiry into the nature of inequity of education in the United States include an understanding of the conditions, design, utilization and location of public school facilities. In the attached paper, we provide background on the role and impact of school facility condition and recommendations to the U.S. Department of Education Excellence and Equity Commission. We are joined in expressing our concern about inequity in facility conditions by: Center for Cities and Schools, UC Berkeley, California; National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, Washington, DC; Innovative School Facilities, Portland, Oregon; Public Education Network, Washington, DC; Healthy Schools Network, New York; Designs for Change, Chicago, Illinois; and the ACLU of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland.

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David G. Sciarra, Koren L. Bell And Susan Kenyon, 2006. In the last twenty years, courts throughout the country have entertained claims relating to disparities in school funding. Early school finance suits sought to equalize inputs in terms of per pupil or overall expenditures. More recently, the advent of rigorous state accountability plans and the federal No Child Left Behind Act has pushed the question of the resources and conditions necessary for all students to achieve at high levels to the fore. Advocates argue “If the states are making schools and students accountable, then surely the states have a reciprocal duty to make certain that the students have an opportunity to learn....” Accordingly, school finance suits have shifted away from equality of inputs and toward the adequacy (or lack thereof), of public education.

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SourceSuit, 2013. Operational transparency has become an important objective for purchasing departments around the world. Whether an organization is active in the public or private sector, an increased expectation of transparency during the procurement process has become the new normal. Purchasing is a complex field, involving many administrative and logistical challenges, and the impetus towards transparency at each stage of the process has evolved naturally as purchasing departments come under increased scrutiny during tough economic times. In this environment of increased oversight, procurement professionals are increasingly pressured to improve efficiency while reducing costs. In this document, we will look at the net benefits of organizations implementing transparency in purchasing, as well as examine high- level regulatory initiatives being considered to facilitate global integration of transparency and equity regulations in procurement.

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By Angel Ford, October 30, 2014.

Imagine you are a student walking into a building that you are forced to go to everyday to sit in a humid classroom that smells bad because the ceiling leaks and the air conditioning unit is not functional, with desks crammed so closely together that you feel the body heat of the person sitting next to you.  Imagine that your teacher is standing at the front of the room for an hour or more droning on, at times loudly because she is speaking over hallway noises as classroom doors are left open to increase airflow.

The teacher is telling you about new science innovations and advanced devices that are changing the world in which we live.  You hear bits and pieces, but are not making sense of what she is saying.  You would rather be at home surfing the Internet for the tablet and cell phone you want for Christmas.  You would rather be just about anywhere.

For a moment now, switch places and imagine you are the teacher in this same classroom and your desire is to get the students excited about technology; to tell them about the latest and greatest devices.  You know that many of these students have the devices you are teaching them about, some even have them in their pockets right now.  Last night you read an article about the importance of technology integration for your millennial students.  You learned that teachers in a different school in your same city are in a new building where the students don’t just hear about technology, they experience it through access to computers, tablets, the most updated software, and even a new 3D printer.

You feel bad for your students, but you don’t know what to do. Just adding the technology to this classroom would not help.  There is no room for computers and with the leaks in the ceiling how could you ensure electronics wouldn’t be damaged anyway?   A cough from one of your asthmatic students pulls you out of your internal pity party and you take a deep breath and go on with your lesson plans.  Frustrated and Defeated.

This may seem like an extreme case, but it may not be too far off for certain students and teachers.

With all the evidence about the importance of the physical learning environment, it is critical to consider the perspectives of those that are affected every day with substandard educational facilities and, yet, are still expected to learn or to teach.  Students in such buildings may dislike school and not be excited about learning.  Teachers in such schools may be frustrated with feeling they cannot provide engaging lessons for their 21st century learners.

There may not be easy solutions to fix the many schools in our nation that need fixing, but the evidence shows that the physical buildings do affect learning (Earthman & Lemasters, 2011) and that an overwhelming number of schools in our nation need facility improvements (“PK-12 Public School,” 2011).

Public education in America is available to all students; however, the equity of education facilities is in question (Uline, Wolsey, Tschannen-Moran, & Lin, 2010).   “A student may assume the faculty and staff of a poorly maintained building will accept or expect a lower standard of behavior and a lesser effort in academic achievement.” (Cash, 1993, p. 1).   These may not be the expectations; however, the perception of students becomes the reality in which they make decisions about their effort, achievement, and behavior.  The frustration caused by this perception affects both teachers and administrators.  This could directly cause educators to leave substandard schools at a higher rate and add increases in educator turnover to poor facilities.

In order to empower teachers to provide 21st century learning, the physical environments need to be seen as part of the plan to create school equality.  Some schools need to be completely rebuilt; some need thorough renovations, and others could benefit from quick, easy, and inexpensive improvements.  The Education Facilities Clearinghouse provides research based technical assistance to school administrators and school facility managers, who are interested in improving their facilities to meet the needs of their students.

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References

Cash, C. (1993). Building Condition and Student Achievement and Behavior.(Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Blacksburg, VA.

Earthman, G. I., & Lemasters, L. K. (2011). The influence of school building conditions on students and teachers: A theory-based research program (1993-2011). The ACEF Journal, 1(1), 15-36.

PK-12 Public School Facility Infrastructure Fact Sheet.  21st Century School Fund (February, 2011).

Uline, C. L., Wolsey, T. D., Tschannen-Moran, M., & Lin, C. D. (2010). Improving the physical and social environment of school: A question of equity. Journal of school leadership, 20(5), 597-632.

Angel Ford is a research assistant with Education Facilities Clearinghouse, where she is actively involved research and content management of the EFC Website.  She is also currently pursuing her Doctorate in Education with her intended dissertation topic to be in the area of educational facilities.

Yan, W. (2012). 3 (1)

The shifting population trends across United States and Pennsylvania make it essential for policy makers to know the future enrollment trends and school building facility needs. A statewide survey was conducted and questionnaires were sent to approximately 243 school districts in rural Pennsylvania. While the majority of rural school district superintendents reported that the school building conditions were satisfactory, a sizable minority reported their building conditions were unsatisfactory. Many aging rural school buildings are not up-to-date with required maintenance. In addition, many rural Pennsylvania schools will experience severe under enrollment, at times more than 25% below their capacity. The proportion of rural schools experiencing under enrollment will differ somewhat by geographic region. Recommendations are offered regarding some policy considerations that state policymakers and school districts can utilize to improve rural school building conditions in Pennsylvania.

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Dissertation by Harrison, E.K. (2010).

Although inequity in educational opportunity provided to children (based on poverty, ethnicity, disability, or English as a second language) has led to a massive federal and state initiative to reshape public education (ESEA 1965 and ESEA 2001, known as the No Child Left Behind Act, or NCLB), the issue of the condition of schools such children attend has been resistant to inclusion in the culture of educational reform. This study was undertaken to probe this resistance by examining the perceptions of a specific population of principals whose evaluation and continuing employment was tied to improving student achievement in their schools, in order to assess the condition of their buildings and their identification of condition with effect on student achievement.

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Uline, C., Wolsey, T., Tschannen-Moran, M. & Lin. C. (2010). 20

This study explored the interplay between quality facilities and school climate, charting the effects of facility conditions on student and teacher attitudes, behaviors, and performance within schools slated for renovations in a large metropolitan school district. The research applied a school leadership-building design model to explore how six characteristics of facility quality-movement, aesthetics, play of light, flexible and responsive classrooms, elbow room, and security-interact with four aspects of school climate: academic press, community engagement, teacher professionalism, and collegial leadership. Because the schools were older and participants in the research perceived them as being in great need of maintenance and repair, the school building characteristics were often described as absent qualities. The survey data revealed moderate to strong relationships between the quality of school facilities and school climate. The interviews further explicated these relationships. Two additional themes-counterbalance and equity-emerged as being significant to occupants' interactions with their current facilities. This study used a mixed-methods triangulation design data transformation model. Specifically, school climate surveys, photo interviews with students, walking tours of the school facility, and formal interviews were triangulated to obtain complementary data and a more complete understanding of the educational facility to be renovated and its impact on occupants.

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