Black, S. (2007).
Buildings and classrooms play a role in how students learn, but while amenities are nice, don't let the frills overshadow your district's instructional goals.
Category: Reports
HR6 – “Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007”
(2007).
To move the United States toward greater energy independence and security, to increase the production of clean renewable fuels, to protect consumers, to increase the efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles, to promote research on and deploy greenhouse gas capture and storage options, and to improve the energy performance of the Federal Government, and for other purposes.
Merging Eras
Mack, G., & Love, D. (2007). 194 (4)
This article details the renovation/restoration of a 1927 building into a neighborhood elementary school
No Cost School Renovation
Zorn, R. L. (2006). 193 (5)
Ohio’s Poland Local School District recently completed $5.5 million in additions and upgrades at no cost to the taxpayers. How did they do it? The district entered into a multiyear energy performance contract that allows them to pay off their loan through the savings realized by the renovation itself.
Building Minds, Minding Buildings – Turning Crumbling Schools into Environments for Learning
American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO (AFT) (2006).
This report provides an overview of the condition of schools, the affect of those conditions on the ability of students to learn and staff to do their jobs; and outlines action for the AFT and our affiliates at the national, state and local level. (December 2006)
Learning to Learn, Pre-kindergarten — Kindergarten Design Implications
Johnson, K. (2006).
As the current K-12 generation approaches societal maturity they will encounter issues that are changing almost as fast as they are identified. Fast on the heels of the elementary population are the pre-kindergarten children who will be facing an ever-changing global society. Business and educational leaders have called for universal preschool education that will meet the developmental needs of pre-K children. These developmental needs are identified through research that supports the advantages of early childhood education and intervention. The primary goal is to close achievement gaps as they invest in the future. As world competitors in the global marketplace make investments in early education, and domestic social and economical conditions dictate the need for childcare, the call for implementing pre-K universal programs is being heard. State funded preschool programs have expanded over the last decade. By the 2001-2002 school year, 40 states had preschool programs. The social benefits of high-quality early learning programs and the long-term effects of early intervention on achievement are continually supported by research. Preschool has been shown to increases early reading and math skills in kindergarten and studies found that children who attended quality preschools demonstrated lower incidents of social problems. A national survey of American families revealed 82% of three and four year olds with employed mothers are in non-parental care, and 43% use child care centers for this care. With so many children already enrolled in environments outside of home, attention must be given to the merits of pre-K education. It is important to note that the research explaining the benefits of early education, qualifies the findings with the descriptive phrase "high quality." As states come on-line with pre-K programs they are requiring certified, degreed teachers and standard approved curricula. These requirements are elevating the importance and professionalism of the early childhood learning environment.
Johnson_Learning to Learn_Pre-Kindergarten_Kindergarten Design Implications
Report from the National Summit on School Design – A resource for educators and designers
(2006). Washington, DC: American Architectural Foundation.
The National Summit on School Design convened more than 200 professionals from around the country to discuss current trends related to school design. The event was an open dialogue on school design, where participants were actively engaged in discussions about school design principles for the 21st century and the challenges and tensions related to effective design. This report details eight overall recommendations made by Summit participants following discussions on a range of school design topics.
Improving Comfort, Enhancing Learning
Yocum, F. (2006). 193 (12)
This article details the efforts of one Ohio school district to raise capital and pay for improvements with energy savings during a time of economic hardship and budget cuts.
Growth and Disparity – A Decade of U.S. Public School Construction
Building Educational Success Together (2006).
In 1995, a federal report by the General Accounting Office (GAO) estimated that $112 billion was needed to bring the nation's school facilities into good repair. Subsequent studies estimated it would take more than $320 billion to build new schools to handle swelling enrollments, renovate aging buildings, and equip all buildings with the technologies needed to prepare students for success in the 21st century. By far, though, the most troubling findings were that the academically neediest students--minorities and impoverished students--were most likely to attend the most decrepit facilities. Now, for the first time ever, this report provides a comprehensive analysis of who has benefited from school construction spending across the nation. In this report, the Building Educational Success Together (BEST) research team looks at how much was spent, what was accomplished, and which students and communities saw benefits. The analysis looks at the decade from 1995, when the GAO report was first released, to 2004, the most current information available. The authors found unprecedented spending and growth in school facility construction across the country, but this report confirms what many educators and communities have suspected for years: these billions of dollars spent on facilities have not been equally available to affluent and low-income communities and for minority and white students. Overall, the schools in poor condition 10 years ago received the least investment in their facilities, even as the nation's schools have seen record spending in school facilities. This report is a step in recognizing the tremendous opportunity and challenge of providing the highest quality education and the highest quality school buildings to all our children.
The Physical School Environment; An Essential Component of a Health-Promoting School
Wargo, J. (2004). (Doc. 2)
This document includes information to create a healthy school environment, and to identify and modify aspects of the physical environment that jeopardize safety and health. However, physical interventions alone will not suffice. The document also contains guidance to ensure that positive changes in a school’s physical environment are supported, reinforced and sustained by school health policy, skills-based health education and school health services, the core components of an effective school health programme as called for in the international initiative to Focus Resources on Effective School Health (FRESH)
