Presents the insights of a panel of architects regarding school design intent, classroom functionality, and building attributes for effective learning environments. The presentation includes a significant number of floor plans and photographs of recent schools that offer flexible classrooms, out-of-classroom learning and collaboration areas, and examples of "green" school features. 53p.

Summarizes research to demonstrate the difference that the British Building Schools for the Future (BSF) schools are making to young peoples attitudes towards education and learning, as measured by their levels of engagement and enthusiasm for school. Overall findings indicate that student attitudes had become more positive after the move into the new school buildings. The proportions of students who: 1) said that they felt safe at school most or all of the time increased from 57 to 87 per cent, 2) said that they felt proud of their school increased from 43 to 77 per cent, 3) Said that they enjoyed going to school increased from 50 to 61 per cent, 4) Perceived that vandalism in their school decreased from 84 per cent of respondents to 33 per cent, 5) perceived that bullying decreased from 39 per cent of students to 16 per cent, and 6) expected to stay on in the sixth form or to go to college increased from 64 per cent to 77 per cent. It is not possible to attribute a causal link between improved attitudes of the students and the move to the new BSF building, but the numbers and levels of positive findings suggest an association between the move to the new surroundings and improvements in students' outlooks regarding their experience of school and their expectation for the future. 31p.

Reports on a survey of college students to determine any correlation between five levels of cleanliness and academic achievement. The findings showed that eighty-eight percent of students reported that the lack of cleanliness becomes a distraction when cleanliness descends to the third level. Eighty-four percent reported that they desire the first and second levels of cleanliness to create a good learning environment. Cleanliness ranked as the 4th most important building element to impact their personal learning, after noise, air temperature and lighting. Seventy-eight percent reported that cleanliness has an impact on their health, providing 892 comments of how cleanliness affects their health and 681 comments on how to improve campus cleanliness. 144p.

Decries "prison-like" schools and suggests a complete national overhaul in school design. Among the author's additional 38 ideas to save America are the lengthening the school day and school year. 320

Examines the Manassas Park, Virginia, City Schools' 10-year turnaround from a low- performing district to one in which every school was accredited by 2005. The turnaround is largely credited to superintendent Tom DeBolt, who was hired in 1995. The author considers the district's turnaround from four organizational perspectives and addresses the critical role of professional and political leadership in overcoming the challenges of low morale, scarce resources, changing demographics, and dysfunctional school-community relations. The book offers lessons for any school system facing the challenges of low performance, underfunding, political turmoil, and a culture of low expectations, with special attention to school size and the impact of improved facilities. 182p.

Advocates federal spending to improve the condition of school buildings, noting the respective short- and long-term economic benefits of construction industry promotion and an improved learning environment. The document includes an examination of the size and condition of the U.S. school inventory, a discussion of the importance of school facility quality, details on how capital investment in schools can improve local economies and close achievement gaps between low- and higher-income students. Charts illustrate per student maintenance and operation expenditures, as well as construction spending according to school district levels of free and reduced lunch students. Includes 22 endnotes and references. 9p.

Reports on the educational impact of the Building Schools for the Future(BSF) capital investment in secondary schools in England, and identifies best practices in the delivery of the BSF programme. 25 school site visits were carried out involving interviews with headteachers and other members of staff, together with a pupil survey. In addition, a national headteacher survey was conducted with 1,918 schools. The report concludes that the vast majority of existing schools are now old (built before 1976) and are increasingly unsuitable for modern teaching and learning, that existing literature indicates that improved (new or refurbished) buildings contribute to pupil performance, and that there are high expectations of BSF with the majority of teachers believing that the BSF programme will support educational transformation. 324p.

Reviews preliminary results of Pennsylvania's "Classrooms for the Future " program, a three-year effort to provide laptop computers, high-speed Internet access, state-of-the-art software, and intensive teacher training and support to high school classrooms across the state in the core subjects of English, math, science, and social studies. Observers and students reported that teachers spent significantly less time in whole-class lectures and more time interacting with small groups and individual students. Teachers reported that students spent significantly more time working in groups and that the physical setup of classrooms often changed to accommodate more collaborative student learning. There was a notable shift in the nature of assignments given to students toward "real world" topics and toward teaching styles in which students participate in hands-on projects. A before-and-after analysis indicated students using the technology tools in learning spent significantly less time "off task" and that there was a significant increase in the level of engagement. 77p.

Investigates the relationship between school building condition and student achievement as measured by their performance on Virginias Standards of Learning (SOL) examinations at the middle school level. Data on the condition of the school buildings, the percentage of passing scores from SOL examinations for each Virginia middle school, and the socioeconomic status of the students attending the schools were considered. Students performed better in newer or recently renovated buildings than they did in older buildings. The percentage of students passing the Commonwealth of Virginia Standards of Learning Examination at the middle school level was higher in English, mathematics and science in standard buildings than it was in substandard buildings. Building age, windows in the instructional area, and overall building condition were positively related to student achievement. Finally the data from this study were compared to the results of earlier studies that examined high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia, finding that these results were consistent with the findings of other studies. 135p.

At a Design for Learning Forum held in Minneapolis on October 11-13, 2006 to examine future forces shaping school design, forum participants arrived at 10 key findings: 1) recognize the paradigm change; 2) create new links to the national education reform effort; 3) build for a changing student population; 4) design for the age wave; 5) use technology to expand learning but recognize its limits; 6) design for health, safety, and sustainability; 7) blur bounderies by designing for community benefit; 8) involve citizen designers to reinvigorate the design process; 9) expand the research agenda; 10) develop a campaign for innovative design. 66p.

Presents a survey of all 150 English local educational authorities, revealing the results of capital investment over the last 10 years. The booklet shows that schools are off to a positive start, and it demonstrates that excellent design can support broader aims from school sport and healthy eating to personalized learning and provision for pupils with special needs and disabilities. 62p.

Examines the potential of environmentally-conscious school design for improving education. This book provides an assessment of the potential human health and performance benefits of improvements in the building envelope, indoor air quality, lighting, and acoustical quality. The report also presents an assessment of the overall building condition and student achievement, and offers an analysis of and recommendations for planning and maintaining green schools including research considerations. Includes 390 references. 180p.

Reports on principals' satisfaction with environmental factors in their schools, and the extent to which they perceive those factors as interfering with the ability of the school to deliver instruction. The report describes the match between the enrollment and the capacity of the school buildings, approaches for coping with overcrowding, the ways in which schools use portable buildings and reasons for using them, and the availability of dedicated rooms or facilities for particular subjects, such as science labs or music rooms, and the extent to which these facilities are perceived to support instruction. More than half of the principals reported that their school had fewer students than the school’s design capacity. The remaining schools included those that had enrollments within 5 percent of their capacity (22 percent) and those that were overenrolled (10 percent were overenrolled by between 6 to 25 percent above their capacity, and 8 percent by more than 25 percent of their design capacity). Those schools that principals described as overcrowded used a variety of approaches to deal with the overcrowding: using portable classrooms (78 percent), converting non-classroom space into classrooms (53 percent), increasing class sizes (44 percent), building new permanent buildings or additions to existing buildings (35 percent), using off-site instructional facilities (5 percent), or other approaches (12 percent). 93p.

Reports the results of a British survey of teachers regarding their school environment. 530 respondents rated their schools for design, layout, lighting, ventilation, furnishings, flexibility, safety, and physical activity accommodation. 32 percent of the respondents rating their environment as poor, and 87 percent believed that the environment had an influence on pupil behavior. 6p.

Presents conclusions on the impact of school facilities on learning, drawn from a literature review of 22 sources. Includes 35 references, 13 of which are suggestions for further reading. 7p.

Illustrates a research model that links human capital, social capital, and physical capital as elements that work together to enhance student achievement. Data for the study was gathered from the U.S. Census Bureau Data, the Common Core of Data from the U.S. Department of Education, and NAEP data on student achievement. With the negative effects of poverty controlled for, investment in human, social, and physical capital explains a large percentage of the variation in student achievement. Investments in teacher compensation (human capital) and instructional support (social capital) demonstrated larger effects than investments in school infrastructure (physical capital), but all were statistically significant. 18p.

Presents the results of a colloquium concerning how school buildings look, how they work, and how they are used by pupils and teachers in contexts where usually the priority is simply to be able to offer basic school training for youngsters. Strongly contrasting views are expressed, all backed by data and coherent arguments: 1) School buildings are of secondary importance. The headmaster, teachers and their relation to pupils are the essential factors of a successful school and learning programme. 2) Culturally and climatically well thought school buildings and schoolyards do greatly improve the possibilities for a successful school and learning programme. 3) Experiences involving the concerned actors (teachers, parents, pupils) in planning and construction of schools and schoolyards improve the possibilities for successful school and learning programmes. Includes reports from Yemen, Jordan, Egypt, and Gaza and the West Bank in the Palestinian territories. 144p.

Provides a summary of research on small schools and shared facilities showing that, on average, smaller schools provide a safer and more challenging school environment that leads to higher academic achievement and graduation rates, fewer disciplinary problems, and greater satisfaction for families, students, and teachers. Also includes 22 case studies of public schools in 11 states, representing urban, suburban, and rural communities; district-run and charter public schools; and co-housing of almost 50 schools and social service agencies. These studies document the ability of smaller schools to improve academic achievement and behavior in safe, nurturing, and stimulating environments. The studies further suggest that sharing facilities with other organizations can enable schools to offer broader learning opportunities for students, provide higher quality services to students and their families, and present a way to efficiently use tax dollars. 68p.

Explores measured performance rates for absenteeism, learning outcomes, staff satisfaction and comfort, energy usage, and building operations at the 2006 AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects Award-winning Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, and other green education facilities. The presentation explains how daylighting, access to views, indoor air quality, and ventilation affect student and teacher performance; compares projected and actual performance; and demonstrates the tools available to evaluate performance. 65p.

Examines 12 educational trends influencing the planning and design of school facilities. The trends were identified by reviewing the latest research on school facilities and student outcomes; current issues, problems, and initiatives in the educational field; emerging demographic patterns; and the authors previous work on this subject. The trends are: (1) School choice and equity will redirect facilities planning. (2) Small schools may be favored over large ones. (3) Class size may continue to be reduced. (4) Technology will be increasingly used to lower personnel costs and to deliver instruction. (5) School missions may change. (6) Classrooms will be reconfigured to accommodate various learning styles or tasks. (7) Schools will see extended hours of use to accommodate year-round schooling, non-traditional students, and community use. (8) Electronic media will increasingly replace paper. (9) Grade configurations will change. (10) Special education will continue to be mainstreamed. (11) Early childhood programs will expand. (12) Schools might disappear altogether in favor of home and distance learning. Includes 40 references. 8p.

Discusses brain function, the brain's relationship to movement, and emphasizes school design that encourages movement. 4p.

Describes how architecture embeds cultural and educational values, and how schools often send negative messages about institutional life. International examples illustrate both nurturing and non-nuturing environments, with the respective favorable and unfavorable values of design details and materials included. 30p.

Reports the results of a study demonstrating improved reading, mathematics, and Scholastic Aptitude scores following large-scale renovations of school buildings in the Wake County Public School System. From a sampling of eighteen schools, with data from two years before and after the renovations, improvement from 1 to 7 percent was observed, depending on the grade being tested. Includes eight references. 16p.

Investigates the adequacy and quality of middle school facilities in Humble ISD middle schools as reported by the primary users of these facilities, the teachers and administrators. These middle school educators also provide an assessment of the impact that these facilities have on the learning environment. The study also assesses the quality and adequacy of these middle school facilities through a quantitative evaluation conducted by an unbiased assessment team in order to ascertain which factors in each of these six facilities have the greatest quality and adequacy and the impact that they have on the learning environment. This study also investigates the relationship between what educators perceive as adequate and quality facility factors and their perception of the impact that these factors have on the learning environment. Finally, this study reviews any congruency or agreement between educators perception of adequacy and quality and architect assessment of adequacy and quality. 329p.

This issue brief on school facilities financing policies discusses the obstacles that impair efforts to build and maintain schools that are conducive to learning, including state funding systems that rely heavily on local bonds and provide incentives to build schools cheaply and defer maintenance, and state policies that limit funding specifically for their facilities. This also addresses rising facilities costs, inadequate schools in urban and rural districts, and recent court rulings. 4p.

Assesses the effect of size of school enrollment on state test scores, attendance, dropout, and retention rates. Scores on state assessments were typically as high or higher at large schools than those at smaller schools. Scores for middle and high school students were generally higher for those enrolled at larger schools. Scores for elementary school students attending relatively large schools were generally as high or higher than for those attending smaller schools. The differences in performance may be the result of advantages larger schools can provide such as a wider range of classes. Teachers and administrators of larger schools may also have found ways to address the negative aspects of attending a larger school, such as creating the smaller learning communities. High-performing students may seek out large schools in order to take advantage of the wider ranges of classes. Schools with high scores could also attract more students, so that performance affects size. 78p.

Reviews eight school size studies performed by doctoral students and graduate faculty at the University of South Carolina. These studies examine the relationship of South Carolina school size to academic achievement and to costs per student at all grade span groupings, including elementary, middle, and high school. The studies are categorized by grade span covered, and their methodology and findings summarized. Results of the studies are varied and sometimes contradictory, and additional issues arise such as poverty, differing results in grade spans, cost versus outcomes, middle and elementary school climate factors, and variance of the South Carolina findings from those in other states. Smaller middle schools appeared to produce better student outcomes, and where larger elementary and high schools appear to perform better, there is evidence that results vary dramatically depending on the children served. Includes 23 references. 8p.

Describes one eastern North Carolina high school's initiative to implement Smaller Learning Communities as a strategy for strategic change. The study revealed that the implementation of SLC's elevated expectations within the school and community. The SLC's provided support for all stakeholders through structured systems that increased leadership capacity, self-efficacy, and personal and professional growth. As SLC's were created, learning communities formed that acted as catalysts of change within the school and district. The greatest gains in student achievement were experienced by students specifically in SLC structures. Students benefited most when SLC structures and strategies were implemented. Teachers' level of collegial support was greatest for those involved in SLC structures. Parents and community members viewed the SLC implementation as providing a specialized experience for the high school students and viewed the restructuring in a positive light. It was found that SLC implementation was very time-intensive for teachers and administrators, with SLC administration and teachers feeling isolated. Interestingly, they were deeply committed even though implementation was time-intensive. 281p.

Details findings and recommendations of a National Research Council study that discovered a lack of evidence-based studies on the benefits of green schools, a large number of confounding factors and variables complicating the research, a need for more attention to moisture control in green school guidelines, considerable evidence concerning the effect of indoor air on occupant productivity, inconsistent results on the association between daylighting and student performance, and a link between decreased noise levels and increased student achievement. Includes 146 references. 80p.

Presents results of a study conducted at 82 Virginia middle schools, where randomly selected faculty were surveyed on a variety of issues at their school, including facility condition. The research determined that quality of the school facility was positively related to school climate variables and student achievement, but the precise role of school climate a mediating variable between facility quality and student achievement is yet to be determined. Includes 23 references. 6p.

Discusses the redesign and renovation of an open-plan middle school that is incompatible with the instructional policies practiced. TEAMS (Technology Enhancing Achievement in Middle School), an advanced educational system is proposed to be implemented at the school, will be reflected in the educational philosophy of the school and the new proposed design. The project will seek to create an environment that is an expression of the school's educational approach and make the school a place that students look forward to entering. The proposed design covers site conditions, types of construction and materials, energy conservation, and other "green" design features. 97p.

Reviews the effect of school facility conditions on learning, as reported in over 300 journal articles, papers, and published reports that were collected by other authors. The areas of building quality, maintenance, visual comfort, thermal comfort, acoustics, and indoor air quality are considered. Includes 12 references are included. 8p.

Investigates the impact of good design on improved pupil supervision, increased attendance, better well-being, enhanced educational attainment, flexibility of teaching spaces, and other intangible benefits. The paper concludes by suggesting that improved understanding of the impact of design on outcomes, combined with new valuation methods for capturing intangibles, should raise awareness of appropriate levels of investment needed to achieve design quality and deliver particular outcomes. Includes 32 references. 7p.

Describes some design and planning impacts on cognitive learning and student performance. The classroom design impact discussion focuses on the relationship of students to instructional media at the front of the room. Extreme viewing angle or distance from the display results in distorted or missing information. Suggestions for educationally appropriate options are included. The site design discussion involves a school with a campus built on both sides of a ravine. The distribution of the educational program across these two halves resulted in a learning gap between gifted and traditional students, which was resolved by reorganizing the campus into team teaching neighborhoods. 6p.

A field intervention experiment was conducted in two classes of 10-year-old children. Average air temperatures were reduced from 23.6oC to 20oC and outdoor air supply rates were increased from 5.2 to 9.6 L/s per person in a 2x2 crossover design, each condition lasting a week. Tasks representing 8 different aspects of school work, from reading to mathematics, were performed during appropriate lessons and the children marked visual-analogue scales each week to indicate SBS symptom intensity. Increased ventilation rate increased work rate in addition, multiplication and number checking (P<0.05), and subtraction (P<0.06). Reduced temperature increased work rate in subtraction and reading (P<0.001), and reduced errors when checking a transcript against a recorded voice reading aloud (P<0.07). Reduced temperature at increased ventilation rate increased work rate in a test of logical thinking (P<0.03). This experiment indicates that improving classroom conditions can substantially improve the performance of schoolwork by children. [Authors' abstract] 368-372p.

Summarizes the presentations of the Academy for Neuroscience for Architecture's February 2005 conference on K-6 classroom design. The workshop focused on the affect of the learning environment on brain development, with group sessions on acoustics, light, spatial competence, color, visual function, and wayfinding. 43p.

Explores the impact of learning environments on student achievement, engagement, affective state, attendance, and well-being through an extensive review of the literature dating back approximately 25 years. This review finds clear evidence that extremely poor environments have a negative effects on students and teachers, and that improving these has significant benefits. However, once school environments are raised to minimum standards, the evidence of effect is less clear. Citations to the 167 sources reviewed are provided. 47p.

Presents results of a study of two New York counties indicating that school facility condition does affect student achievement. Data regarding school condition, student complaints, and academic achievement in these schools were gathered from local and state sources. When correlated, poorer academic achievement was evident in schools where environmental hazards had been identified. Recommendations for better collection, linking, and distribution of these three data sources are also included. 39p.

Gathers and summarizes significant research that examines the value added by good architectural design in healthcare, education, crime and safety, housing, and social inclusion. 93p.

Laments that university professors often must teach "around" the architecture, which impede the teaching and learning experience. The author proposes that the school facility must be conceived as a teaching and learning instrument in its own right, and at many American universities, the physical setting is unsuccessful, typically following the passive "egg crate" closed classroom format. Also described are three other closely related principles that also shape many aspects of school facility design: Every aspect of a school facility should be program-driven, the facility should be an expression of the values and goals of the university program that uses it, and the facility should strive to be flexible enough to accommodate the educational changes that will certainly occur in the future. 8p.

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between school facility design variables and student achievement as determined by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. The Design Assessment Scale for Elementary Schools designed by Kenneth Tanner (1999a) was used to evaluate 21 schools in a large urban district. The design variables included movement patterns, large group meeting places, architectural design, daylighting and views, psychological impact of color schemes, building on students scale, location of the school, instructional neighborhoods, outside learning areas, instructional laboratories, and environmental. The 2003-2004 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skill 5th grade scores on reading, math, and science were used to determine student achievement. T-tests were used to determine the relationship between design variables and student achievement within TEA designated rating categories. An ANOVA was used to determine if a relationship existed between Texas Education Agency school categories and building design variables. This study concluded all building design variables had a statistically significant relationship with student achievement within each school category. However, there was not a statistically significant relationship between building design variables and school ratings. 109p.

Presents 25 design patterns, along with plans, sectional views, and photographs that illustrate existing innovative learning environments from around the world. Specific designs are offered for classrooms, common areas, storage, laboratories, the arts, physical fitness, outdoor spaces, dining areas, furnishings, and flexible spaces, with additional recommendations on lighting and ventilation. The impact of the designs on learning, socialization, and health is discussed in each section. Includes 21 references. 118p.

Tenth grade students from Westview High School in Portland, Oregon, decided to tackle the question of whether room temperature affects student performance. Their teachers and club advisors supervised the study. The team conducted several aptitude tests on 9th graders in classrooms with varying temperatures to determine how well they performed. This summarizes how they conducted the test and what they found. The data was not strong enough to conclude exactly the amount of effect that temperature variation has on attention span.

Reports on a study to documents the difference between the occupant's perception of performance in a LEED-certified higher education building with a higher education building that is not LEED certified. The details of the physical conditions were obtained by measuring the noise levels, lighting levels, and thermal comfort conditions at the two buildings over a period of two days in addition to contextual information on the two buildings. Occupants' perceptions were documented through web-based surveys. It was found that LEED certification did not influence the perception of the occupants. Furthermore, it was found that even though the buildings meet the recommended standards, occupants often complained about various parameters. Daylighting and thermal comfort contributed to better IEQ, and had a positive affect occupant' perception of productivity and performance. Includes 38 references. 68p.

This thesis focuses on multimodal interactions for the design of a learning environment, analyzing the structure of the interactive space between the learner and the content to be learnt, and introducing a framework to structure it. It proposes that multimodal interactions can encourage rhythmic cycles of engagement and reflection that enhance learners meaning construction in science concepts, such as forces and motion. The framework was the outcome of an iterative process of analysis and synthesis between existing theories and three studies with learners of different ages. Through these theory-informed studies, the significance of physical manipulation of objects and symbols through the employment of multiple modalities was emphasized as a way to facilitate learners meaning construction, engagement and reflection. 224p.

Investigates the impact of school size on a range of student, teacher and school outcomes by an examination of existing studies. The findings suggest that there is no overall relationship between secondary school size and outcomes. However, at the level of the individual outcomes, the findings emerge that suggest a reasonable confidence that examination attainment is maximized and absence is minimized at a certain point in the range of secondary school size. Further, costs per student decline as schools get larger. However, they also suggest that teacher and student perceptions of school climate decline and some kinds of violent behavior may increase. This review would seem to refute some of the more prevalent myths regarding the advantages and disadvantages of smaller and larger schools. For example, that student achievement is universally higher in smaller schools and that student behavior is universally worse in larger schools have been shown to be inconsistent with the current evidence. The relationship appears to be much more complex than such simple arguments suggest. 200p.

Summarizes the current state of scientific knowledge about the adverse impacts of school indoor environments on health and performance. Key gaps in knowledge and critical outstanding research questions are also summarized. The report is based on a literature review that examined the relationships between indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in schools and the academic performance, attendance, and health of students. The quality of scientific methods and the consistency of findings among studies were also considered, as were similar studies in other building types, due to the lack of scientific information available specifically from studies in schools. The evidence suggested that poor environments in schools adversely influences the health, performance, and attendance of students, but overall inadequacies in school IEQ have not been systematically characterized. Includes 125 references. The public dissemination of this report is required by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Section 5414. Studies of National Significance, subsection (a) (1) Unhealthy Public School Buildings. 36p.

The attrition of both new and experienced teachers is a great challenge for schools and school administrators throughout the United States, particularly in large urban districts. Because of the importance of this issue, there is a large empirical literature that investigates why teachers quit and how they might be better induced to stay. The authors build upon this literature by suggesting another important factor: the quality of school facilities. The importance of facility quality is investigated using data from a survey of K-12 teachers in Washington, D.C. The authors find in their sample that facility quality is an important predictor of the decision of teachers to leave their current position. [Author's abstract] 12p.

Presents detailed results of surveys of New Zealand teachers, students, principals, board members, and design agencies, regarding the effect of good school design on learning outcomes. Survey results, conclusions, and recommendations are presented on the topics of space, shape and layout flexibility; air flow and temperature control; lighting; acoustics and noise management; furnishings; technology; teachers support spaces; student spaces; and grounds and school layout. 174p.

Prioritizes the 31 criteria for school facilities established by the Maryland Task Force to Study Public School Facilities based on the links beteween conditions in school buildings and student achievement. The author, drawing on a large quantity of research, recommends addressing first the criteria that relate to student health and safety: 1) potable water, 2) fire safety, 3) adequate lavoratories, 4) security systems, and 5) emergency communications systems. Elements directly linked to student achievement should then be addressed as follows: 1) human comfort, 2) indoor air quality, 3) lighting, 4) acoustical control, 5) secondary science laboratories, and 6) student capacity. The 31 criteria may be found at http://www.mlis.state.md.us/other/education/public_school_facilities_2003/Definition%20of%20Standards.pdf. (Contains 75 references.) 66p.

Presents the results of a survey of Scottish school teachers working in new or renovated schools. Only 27 percent of teachers believed that their comments had had any impact on the final plans, and numbers for involvement with specific issues (HVAC, accessibility, lighting, safety and security) were considerably lower still. Satisfaction with completed projects, however, was somewhat higher, with ranges between 40 and 60 percent. 42p.

Advises school board members on a variety of school condition and construction issues, including the impact of facilities on student achievement, how to get started with capital improvements, new construction versus renovation, project management, selecting design professionals, key components of school design, "green" construction, financing, and typical legal problems of school construction. 186p.

Presents results of a study that examined the perspectives of elementary school facility designers, elementary school teachers, school district superintendents, and elementary school administrators regarding three progressively specific sets of school facility design characteristics and their influence on elementary education. The research methodology is carefully described, and the varying responses from the study groups to over 125 design principles from different researchers and agencies are compared. 37p.

Presents the results of research that solicited information from educators and other researchers to develop a set of priorities for guiding future work toward understanding how school facilities affect educational outcomes. The phases of this research included: 1) a literature analysis that provided important physical and outcome variables to seed brainstorming lists used in following phases and served as the basis for a gap analysis to identify unavailable information, 2) a set of educational outcomes identified by educators as important to monitor or otherwise track, 3) a set of hypotheses developed by researchers and selected as priorities for future research enhance the understanding of the relationships between physical school facilities and important educational outcomes, and 4) a proposed research agenda for the field. 358p.

Reports the results of a study within the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) that examined the relationship between a school's compliance with health and safety regulations and its academic performance. Schools were evaluated on fourteen measures of compliance which included aspects of environment, safety, maintenance, and vehicular traffic. The fourteen measures were combined to create an "Overall Compliance Rating" (OCR) for each school. The aurthors found that the OCR was linked to academic achievement. (Includes eight references.) 12p.

Considers the philosophy of "place" in education, the history of and current trends in school design, the school infrastructure crisis, and the relationship between the philosophy of education and classroom design. Strategies for enriching students experience of place are suggested, as are predictions concerning the future of place and "cyberschooling" in education. 171p.

Analyzes research relating to the environment's impact on behavior and establishes five different archetypal environments that support learning in the current knowledge age, versus the prevalent but outdated agrarian- and industrial-age models: 1) Environments for Delivering Knowledge; 2) Environments for Applying Knowledge; 3) Environments for Creating Knowledge; 4) Environments for Communication Knowledge; and 5) Environments for Decision Making. 145p.

Defines sustainable schools and its accompanying qualities of good site planning, lighting, indoor air quality, healthy building materials, acoustics, and use of renewable energy. Benefits to student achievement through daylighting and indoor air quality are detailed, and 34 references are included. 14p.

These appendices contain the technical supporting analysis for the conclusions in the report Windows and Classrooms: A Study of Student Performance and the Indoor Environment. Includes technical definitions, onsite data collection forms, model descrptions and results, the mean temperature radiant analysis, and classroom acoustic analysis. 69p.

This study investigates whether daylight and other aspects of the indoor environment in elementary school student classrooms have an effect on student learning, as measured by their improvement on standardized math and reading tests over an academic year. The study uses regression analysis to compare the performance of over 8000 3rd through 6th grade students in 450 classrooms in the Fresno Unified School District, located in California's Central Valley. Statistical models were used to examine the relationship between elementary students' test improvement and the presence of daylight in their classrooms, while controlling for traditional education explanatory variables, such as student and teacher demographic characteristics. Numerous other physical attributes of the classroom were also investigated as potential influences, including ventilation, indoor air quality, thermal comfort, acoustics, electric lighting, quality of view out of windows, and the type of classroom, such as open or traditional plan, or portable classroom. The study also utilized on-site observations of classrooms and surveys of teachers to provide additional insight into comfort conditions. This study found that various window characteristics of classrooms had as much explanatory power in explaining variation in student performance as more traditional educational metrics such as teacher characteristics, number of computers, or attendance rates. The study provides a range of likely effect sizes for environmental variables that other researchers can use to refine the needs of future studies. [Authors' abstract] 131p.

Critically reviews available evidence on relationships between indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in schools and student performance. Because available evidence from schools was limited, the review expanded to include studies on direct relationships between the performance of children and adults and the indoor environments in schools, workplaces, residences, and controlled laboratory settings. The most persuasive available evidence suggests that some aspects of IEQ, including low ventilation rate and less daylight or light, may reduce the performance of occupants, including students in schools. Other evidence identifies additional possible influences, such as pollen and some carpets. (Includes 178 references.) 47p.

Summarizes seven studies on the effect of "green" school initiatives on student health and productivity. For each study, the following characteristics are identified: study type, the research question/hypothesis, the subjects, the physical/classroom variables (independent variables), the methodology and metrics used, The major findings of the study, and weaknesses and criticisms of the particular study. Copies of correspondence and a list of links active as of August 15, 2003 are included. 44p.

Briefly reviews the problem of poor indoor air quality in schools, along with its causes, consequences, and solutions. Includes 67 references. 8p.

The classroom environment is a factor in the instructional process and student performance. In this 60-minute videotape, acoustics, energy, education, and building design experts discuss alternative solutions and ideas used in new school construction and renovation projects. Schools in New York, North Carolina, and Washington, DC that have been renovated or newly built are profiled to demonstrate the results of building intended to address the challenges of more complex education curricula. 0p.

Analyzes six design principles that were developed by the U.S.Department of Education in 1998 to help articulate the meaning of 21st century education. It considers the relationships between the built environment and teaching/learning, as viewed through a theory, entitled "The Learning Environment as Place." Its application for this study suggests that schools are special places in the community that are formed from the interactions of people, pedagogy, and the physical environment. Four case studies of actual schools in Juneau, Alaska are utilized to examine such questions as: How does a school support diverse learning? What components of a school reflect its place in the community? How can the design of schools accommodate changes in teaching and social expectations for education over time? The answers suggest that American schools have many complex needs; that they shape, and have been shaped by, changing societal expectations. 192p.

School facilities directly affect teaching and learning. Poor conditions make it more difficult for teachers to deliver an adequate education to their students, adversely affect teachers' health, and increase the likelihood that teachers will leave their school. This study documented how teachers in Chicago and Washington, DC rated their working conditions and perceived the affect of those conditions on their job performance and teaching effectiveness. Teachers noted the inadequacy or lack of science, music, and art classrooms. Significant numbers rated physical education and recreational facilities as not very or not at all adequate. Over 40 percent of teachers considered their classrooms the wrong size for the type of education they delivered. Over 25 percent taught in non-classroom spaces. About one-third of teachers had little or no teacher workspace. Most teachers reported fair or poor indoor air quality. Significant numbers noted poor thermal comfort, poor lighting, dirty and inoperable windows, and dirty restrooms. Many teachers felt their classrooms and hallways were so noisy that it affected their ability to teach, and many believed that school conditions affected their career decisions. 4p.

In 2002, Florida voters passed a Class Size Amendment to the state constitution that limits the number of public-school students assigned to each teacher. Many school districts indicated that amid unprecedented budgetary shortfalls they could comply with the new law only by increasing their use of portable facilities and prototype designs. Recognizing the potential harm these temporary solutions could have on school design and the learning environment, an AIA Florida task force developed alternative solutions. This report outlines the pertinent issues and proposes ways to implement the law without compromising standards of education, and suggests ways to provide solutions and ensure implementation in a design-sensitive and cost-effective manner. 12p.

Presents a compliation of studies conducted by color psychologists, medical, and design professionals. Biological reaction to colors affects vision, mood, and productivity. Thoughtful use of color also aids in wayfinding. Color suggestions for different age groups and room type are offered. (Includes 14 references.) 5p.

Examines the bivariate relationships between five predictor variables related to school facilities design (learning environment functionality, adequacy of social areas, quality of transition spaces, visual appearance, and emphasis placed on safety and security) and two criterion variables (student behavior and academic achievement) in schools with eighth-grade students in Mississippi and Tennessee. When socioeconomic status was controlled for using a partial correlation, there was no significant statistical relationship between building design and student academic achievement. The relationship between the five elements of school design and student behavior is not strong or statistically significant in the simple bivariate correlation or the partial correlations controlling for student socioeconomic conditions. However, this study found statistically significant, strong negative Pearson correlation coefficient values for the student socioeconomic status with both the five elements of school design and academic achievement. Thus, this study found that the student socioeconomic status overwhelms the small influence that school design has on student academic achievement. 76p.

Explores the effect school facilities have on student achievement as measured by the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) test in a high-performing, high-poverty school district in Texas. This study contains a presentation of the information and data findings from the Ysleta Independent School District and its decision in 1994 to include school facilities as a component of its student achievement initiative. The schools were randomly selected and the case study research was conducted using a mixed-method approach. Data provided by the schools' principals on building structure, maintenance, and housekeeping were collected using a questionnaire, and student achievement was measured using the percent of students at each school passing the TARS sub-tests of reading, mathematics, and writing and the percent passing all the TAAS tests from 1994 to 2001. The study resulted in findings that merit attention and support previous research that points to building age, overall building maintenance and cleanliness as elements that help explain student achievement. 220p.