Educational facilities for handicapped children are examined in terms of environmental design planning and needs. The first of four sections reports basic findings of the project Physical Environment and Special Education: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Research, which appraised by questionnaires and site visits the present status of special…

This report describes a study conducted by the Boulder Valley (Colorado) Public Schools to determine the impact and value of the district's open-space elementary schools as compared to its traditional school buildings with self-contained classrooms. Specifically, the study sought to determine the effects of varying school designs on (1) the…

This paper describes the contribution of educators in planning new school buildings and adapting existing facilities. It also looks at the measures needed to help teachers make full use of the educational tool represented by the school building, its furniture, and its equipment. Some illustrations from different countries and at different school…

Describes the planning and organization of a media center for a new high school building in Michigan. The philosophical issues considered are discussed in terms of current and future needs and the technology available, and the school's computerized electronic access system for instructional and administrative use is described. (EM)

To better understand construction's impact, an overview of building ecology as a concept and as a decision-making model for school systems is provided. "Building ecology" is defined as the interrelationships among people, the built environment, and the natural environment. It has special relevance for school design because most of the…

As library funding decreases, choosing to convert an unused building into a library is a beneficial alternative to building a new facility. Reuse saves money, building time, and gains greater community support. Offers advice on how to choose a location and what to look for in structure, mechanics, electrical resources; and discusses challenges in…

Addresses design and safety issues of which school business administrators should be aware when they become involved in integrating a preschool facility with an elementary school. Discusses building environmental factors, safety, health codes, play surfaces, energy conservation, and architectural considerations. (KDP)

Ninety percent of the 185 Bureau of Indian Affairs' schools have at least one serious environmental problem. Two-thirds of schools lack infrastructure to connect to the Internet. Tribes and states need to lobby the Senate Appropriations Committee for funding. Sidebar tells of successes, despite the problems, at Santa Fe Indian School (New Mexico)…

Describes how Office of Residential Life at one university met maintenance challenges facing its residential and food-service facilities. Discusses study conducted in 1992 to evaluate widespread management practices and addresses its findings, including six recommended practices. Examines development and implementation of facilities audit,…

In the drive to achieve universal primary education as one of the Millennium Development Goals, there is an increasing recognition of the urgency of focusing on teacher education to both meet the demand for more than one million qualified teachers required to achieve this goal within sub-Saharan Africa, as well as to combat the sometimes poor…

In order to promote closer relations between two existing academic environments--on-campus and distance learning--a pedagogical intervention was made aiming to raise the level of competence and awareness among faculty regarding flexible learning and the use of ICT in higher education. The intervention was a process-oriented pedagogical effort…

School construction completed in 2007--including new buildings, additions to existing buildings, and major retrofit of existing buildings--totaled almost $20.8B, a signifi cant increase over the $20.1B spent on construction completed in 2006. This marks the seventh year in the last eight that annual construction exceeded $20B. During the eight…

A primary goal of the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools (CYFS) is to create, nurture, and develop an environment that builds capacity for a strong relationship between researchers and community partners for the conduct of high-quality research that translates into effective community-based practices. The…

This guide provides evaluative criteria for the elementary-secondary administrator to measure the quality of a school's facilities for general condition and suitability for educational programs. Appraisal criteria and instruments are categorized into six major areas of discussion: "The School Site,""Structural and Mechanical Features,""Plant…

The physical facilities of 700 colleges and universities of the United States were studied by the National Center for Education Statistics in the fall of 1977. The primary study objectives were to: (1) develop a reliable estimate of what American colleges and universities must spend to make their programs accessible to the mobility impaired, as…