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Wilson, A. D., Ortiz, H., Dorris, D., Whetstine, L., Royal, M., & Atkinson, H. (2012).

In this case study, Woodrow Wilson High School is highlighted for its commitment to transform the facilities’ learning environment using sustainable design practices in a historic school. Sustainable design features of Woodrow Wilson High School include: an atrium dish skylight with purposeful piping design to capture rainwater for use within the facility, a storm water management system (one 15,000-gallon cistern and one 30,000-gallon storm water filtration system), an innovative roof space with native landscaping, and adaptive reuse areas within the modernized facility.

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Cooner, S. A., Brewer, M. A., & Fitzpatrick, K. (2012). (5-5470-01-1)

This report summarizes the series of "Traffic around Schools" workshops conducted throughout the state of Texas to familiarize TxDOT employees and partner agencies with two key products from previous research projects (0-4286 and 0-5470) and other tools and guidance that are available for dealing with problems around schools. The research team held half-day workshops in Austin, El Paso, Houston, Pharr, San Antonio, and Dallas that were attended by over 150 participants representing 36 agencies. The workshops were well received and helped to highlight and emphasize the important of multi-agency/multi-disciplinary cooperation in the planning, design, and operation of school sites in order to provide safe and efficient transportation access. One of the focus areas of the project and associated workshops was how agencies can effectively deal with the use of reduced speed school zones around schools.

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Federal Emergency Management Agency (2012).

The video portrays an interview with Julie Hedricks, Director of Design and Construction, Wichita Public School District USD #259. Hedricks explains the process and her role in the construction of the first School Safe Room to FEMA's Standard 361. Since the first School Safe Room was built in 2000, Wichita Public Schools have built over 60 additional Safe Rooms in their School System.

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Klocko, B. A. (2012). 3 (1)

The impact of the superintendent in the design decision-making process of sustainable school buildings was examined in this case study analysis of the attitudes and influences of superintendents in six Midwestern school districts that engaged in construction projects during the previous five years. The major findings of this study are: (a) Leadership is the key to greening America’s schoolhouses; (b) Superintendents are inadequately prepared for dealing with issues regarding sustainability; (c) Superintendents who utilized sensemaking as a decision-making strategy yielded high-quality decisions; and (d) Superintendents who could articulate a vision of triple bottom line sustainability which incorporated the environmental, educational, and economic principles of sustainability were viewed by constituents as effective stewards. This purposeful sampling provided rich data to support three distinct motivations for building green—social or educational, environmental, and economic. Today, superintendents mindful of the triple bottom line regarding sustainability are leading the way toward a sustainable future.

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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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Colorado School Safety Resource Center (CSSRC) (2012).

This checklist, alongside the CSSRC Comprehensive School Safety Planning Elements, was modeled after the USDOE (2007) four-phase model of emergency planning: Prevention / Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery. In addition, this checklist is a resource for schools seeking to be in compliance with the Colorado Safe Schools Act CRS 22-32-109.1.

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Litman, T. (2012).

This paper discusses the concept of accessibility and how it can be incorporated in transport planning. Accessibility refers to people’s ability to reach goods, services and activities, which is the ultimate goal of most transport activity. Many factors affect accessibility, including mobility (physical movement), the quality and affordability of transport options, transport system connectivity, mobility substitutes, and land use patterns. Accessibility can be evaluated from various perspectives, including a particular group, mode, location or activity. Conventional planning tends to overlook and undervalue some of these factors and perspectives. More comprehensive analysis of accessibility in planning expands the scope of potential solutions to transport problems.

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Greeney, B., & Slate, J. R. (2012). 2 (2)

In this investigation, the authors examined the attendance rates, dropout rates, and completion rates of Hispanic students in Texas high schools for the 2003-2004 through the 2008-2009 school years as a function of school size.

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Finley, M. D., Ullman, B. R., Trout, N. D., Park, E. S. (2012). (0-6407-1)

This report describes the methodology and results of analyses performed to determine motorist understanding, as well as the operational and safety effectiveness, of automated flagger assistance devices (AFADs) relative to the use of flaggers at lane closures on two-lane, two-way roadways. Based on the motorist survey and field study findings, researchers recommended the use of both types of AFADs (stop/slow and red/yellow lens) in Texas. Researchers did not make any specific recommendations regarding the red/yellow lens AFADs, since the research findings supported the current language in the 2009 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). For stop/slow AFADs, researchers recommended that a gate arm and alternative symbol supplemental signs be required to reduce violations and improve motorist understanding. In addition, researchers made various recommendations regarding the use of both types of AFADs. This report also describes the methodology and results of analyses performed to determine the effectiveness of 1) five stop paddles with embedded lights compared to a standard, un-lit stop paddle and 2) a prototype, portable, remotely operated, instreet school children crossing sign with flashing light emitting diodes (LEDs) around the border of each sign face. Based on the research findings, researchers recommended the use of one of the following to improve the conspicuity of crossing guards without negatively impacting a motorist's ability to recognize the three critical characteristics of a stop sign (i.e., red background color, octagon shape, and white STOP legend): A stop paddle containing flashing red lights arranged in an octagonal pattern at the eight corners of the paddle. A stop paddle containing a series of steady-burn red lights around the border arranged such that the lights clearly convey the octagonal shape of the paddle. A stop paddle containing a series of flashing red lights around the border arranged such that the lights clearly convey the octagonal shape of the paddle.

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Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) and US Deptartment of Homeland Security (2012).

A new publication series, aimed at engineers, architects, building owners, city planners, and emergency managers, makes available years of government, industry, and academic research on designs and materials to make buildings and tunnels terror-resistant and terror-resilient. The Building and Infrastructure Protection Series (BIPS) provides architects and engineers a set of aids for designing critical infrastructure to withstand all kinds of hazards…at a cost that won’t break the budget. “This series lays the foundation for designing a new generation of resilient buildings,” says Mila Kennett, who oversees the series in S&T’s Infrastructure Protection and Disaster Management Division, where she leads the Structural Resilience Branch. An architect by training, Kennett came from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), where she edited a similar publication series after 9/11. Several of the BIPS guides expand upon and update her highly regarded FEMA guides The primer provides school designers and administrators a set of guidelines to design a school where children, faculty and staff will be safe during a physical attack or targeted shooting.

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