Dissertation by Leigh (2012). This study was designed to address questions related to (a) school facility conditions in two elementary schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia and (b) the relationship of school facility conditions to teacher attitudes. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant relationship between school facility conditions and teacher attitudes. Two instruments were utilized to answer the proposed research questions, the Commonwealth Assessment of Physical Environment (CAPE), and the My Classroom Assessment Protocol (MCAP) instrument. The schools used in this study were selected to provide a contrast between an older and a newer building.
Tag: Facilities Maintenance
Green Revolving Funds: An Introductory Guide to Implementation & Management
(ICF International, 2013). The goal of this introductory implementation guide is to provide practical guidance for designing, implementing, and managing a green revolving fund (GRF) at a college, university, or other institution. The GRF model is widespread in higher education, with at least 79 funds in operation in North America representing over $111 million in committed investment as of late 2012.
Inequality in School Buildings
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.
Printable Version of Blog Post
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.
Maintenance Best Practices for Metal Roofing
(Vorley & Deress, 2008). Proper maintenance plans for metal roofing include regular inspections to check for distress conditions, which can include: movement distress of panels and fasteners; sealant failures; fastener gaskets; damage from snow, ice or hail; failures of surface coatings; and drains and gutters clogged with debris.
Do K-12 School Facilities Affect Educational Outcomes?
(Posted on October 9, 2014). Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. There is growing evidence of a correlation between the adequacy of a school facility and student behavior and performance. Almost all of the studies conducted over the past three decades, including two in Tennessee, have found a statistically significant relationship between the condition of a school, or classroom, and student achievement. In general, students attending school in newer, better facilities score five to seventeen points higher on standardized tests than those attending in substandard buildings.
Lasting Effects of Creating Classroom Space: A Study of Teacher Behavior
Duncanson, E. (2014). Research has shown that rooms with greater amounts of open floor space have higher test results. Four recent trends that have negatively impacted open space in classrooms: (1) storage of CCSS materials in the classroom, (2) storage of science kits in the classroom, (3) inability to remove unwanted material, and (4) inability to remove unneeded furniture from the classroom. Teachers have reacted to the loss of classroom space: (1) desks are rearranged frequently to create specific spaces needed for an activity; (2) daily planning considers the use of space; (3) hallways and the library are used to increase student space; (4) the amount of materials readily available for student use have been reduced. (5) tall book cases have replaced horizontal models; (6) the size of interest/exploration centers had decreased. Administrators need to create a system to dispose of unwanted materials. The center for school improvement resides in the classroom.
Building Conditions and Students Achievement and Behavior
Dissertation by Carol Cash (1993)
This study examined the relationship between the condition of school facilities and student achievement and student behavior. The entire population of small, rural high schools in Virginia was used in this study. Building condition was determined by the Commonwealth Assessment of Physical Environment which was completed by personnel in the divisions of the forty-seven schools in the population. Student achievement was determined by the scale scores of the Test of Academic Proficiency for grade eleven during the 1991-1992 school year. Student behavior was determined by the ratio of the number of expulsions, suspensions, and violence/substance abuse incidents to the number of students in each school. All achievement scores were adjusted for socioeconomic status by using the free and reduced lunch numbers for each school. These variables were investigated using analysis of covariance, correlations, and regression analysis.
School Districts Explore Solutions For Excessive Portable Classroom Use
(Posted August, 29, 2014). SPOKANE, Wash. — Teachers at Spokane’s Jefferson Elementary don’t have to look far to know what they left behind.
The school’s old portable classrooms sit just a block away from their brand new building. It was in those portables where for nearly 30 years, Nancy Avery made the choice between fresh air and listening to her students, when she’d routinely switch off the noisy ventilation system that drowned out their voices.
(Posted August, 29, 2014). SPOKANE, Wash. — Teachers at Spokane’s Jefferson Elementary don’t have to look far to know what they left behind.
The school’s old portable classrooms sit just a block away from their brand new building. It was in those portables where for nearly 30 years, Nancy Avery made the choice between fresh air and listening to her students, when she’d routinely switch off the noisy ventilation system that drowned out their voices.
Why Portables?
span style="color: #222222;">Presented by EarthFix Media.
Portable, modular or relocatable classrooms -- whatever you call them -- are a necessity for schools. Students don't come in class-size packages of 25 to 30 and budgets are tight. But many portables become permanent fixtures, in place for decades at a time. Costly and insufficient, these aging structures burden the grid, frustrate teachers and administrators and compromise student health. EarthFix examines the extent of the problem, how it happened and what can be done about it. (Posted August 29, 2014)
The Importance of School Facilities
By Dr. Linda Lemasters
August 22, 2014.
Scholars have researched the question for nearly a century: Do facilities affect student outcomes and teacher instruction? To respond to that question, the next three Bricks and Mortar BLOGS will address (a) the importance of school facilities for our nation, (b) best practices in school facilities, and (c) the impact of school facilities on the learner. Knowledge of the three is intricately related.
We all know where the schools in our community are; most of us give little thought as we drive by them every day as to the size of their acreage, the amount of square feet under roof, the incredible amount of money to make the fields and buildings available to students, as well as community activities. Are there any other governmental functions, other than schools, that require such a huge expanse of real estate?
A few years ago the 21st Century School Fund shared a fact sheet with general composite information about school facility infrastructure (2011). Although I have worked with school facilities for over two decades, I had no idea of the magnitude of our national school resources. The facts are: there are nearly 100,000 preK-12 public schools, which over 55 million school-age children attend, and over 6.6 billion gross square footage of building space and 1 million acres of site area. The public investment is well worth discussion by educators. If we add this information to a more recent survey from the United States Department of Education via the National Center for Education Statistics (2014) on facilities, the facts are more startling. Of the 1800 schools surveyed, billions of dollars are needed for renovations and repairs, averaging $4.5 million per school. Even with only a small portion of our total 100,000 public schools having the same needs, there is a crisis in the public schools our children attend.
Another area we often overlook is the funding needed for operating our school buildings. Utilities alone cost localities nearly $9.5 billion dollars a year—fluctuating with the weather. Knowing that these costs fall totally to the localities, along with the majority of other upkeep expenses in most states, should make us attentive to the scope of the influence of facilities on our localities and states. In addition, personnel for schools take 60-80% of local budgets.
What are the implications for our students and teachers—and for communities? Most frequently, the needed maintenance, retrofits and renovations entail HVAC, replacing ineffective windows and doors, upgrading classroom lighting, and replacing leaking roofs. We all need fresh air, especially children, yet many of the old HVAC systems do not provide the proper ventilation; some do not maintain a thermal environment to enable students to focus on their work; and/or, the health related problems with respiratory illnesses keep children and teachers home from school. Poor classroom lighting has its on own effects on children’s eyes, health, and mood. Leaky roofs can exacerbate mold, mildew, and destroy computers, furniture, and flooring. Even with such an incomplete list, we can exhibit and the research supports how needed maintenance affects safety, health, capital resource damage, and budgets. Nearly all of these retrofits and renovations can save energy and thus money—money that can be used for instruction.
Part of the mission of the Education Facilities Clearinghouse is to call to the attention of educators and policy makers the magnitude of importance of school facilities on our localities and states. Our school buildings and grounds and their impact on all of us are multi-dimensional and more important than most people realize.
References:
Condition of America’s Public School Facilities: 2012-13. U.S. Department of Education, NCES, Report 2014-022 (March 2014).
PK-12 Public School Facility Infrastructure Fact Sheet. 21st Century School Fund (February, 2011).
Linda Lemasters, Director, Education Facilities Clearinghouse Linda is an associate professor in the Graduate School of Education and Human Development of The George Washington University, where she teaches graduate level coursework, advises students, and directs student research. Her areas of expertise and research include educational planning, facilities management, and women CEOs. She actively conducts research concerning the effects of the facility on the student and teacher, publishes within her field, and has written or edited numerous books including School Maintenance & Renovation: Administrator Policies, Practices, and Economics and book chapters including a recent chapter, Places Where Children Play, published July, 2014 in Marketing the Green School: Form, Function, and the Future.
