Learning spaces are mission-critical for colleges and universities. Yet institutions lack a commonly accepted set of standards for learning spaces, lack a way to measure how well they work through a third-party certification, and lack a substantive way to compare their spaces to peer and aspirant institutions. Inspired by the success of…

The passage of the Equal Access Act (1984) brought to light the legal conflict that had been building over the previous four decades over who should or should not have access to public school facilities. Following the passage of the Act, many student and community groups began to request use of school facilities. School leaders were called on to…

This study was conducted at the early stages of integrating LEED into the design process in which a clearer understanding of what sustainable and ecological design was about became evident through the duration of designing and building of two academic buildings on a university campus. In this case study, due to utilizing a grounded theory…

This report, and accompanying tables present the findings of the 16th Annual Survey of College Construction prepared for "College Planning & Management" magazine. Representatives of Market Data Retrieval sent survey forms and made follow-up telephone calls to every college in the U.S. seeking information on their construction…

Like professional photographers, early childhood teachers can reframe their perspectives to create innovative and inspiring spaces for young children by concentrating on reframing two design elements: color and texture. When thinking about designing spaces for young children, one of the first considerations is the equipment and its arrangement.…

Providing safe and healthy learning environments for our children is a fundamental way to advance sustainability in our K-12 schools. However, according to reports by the Government Accountability Office, the U.S. Department of Education, the American Federation of Teachers and other organizations, many schools are in poor condition, and many have…

The one facility at school and university campuses guaranteed to be used by most everyone every day is the public restroom--a hub for germs and dirt. Applicants and their parents; visiting faculty and speakers; teachers and students--the variety of people who pass through a restroom and pass judgment is considerable. The impact is considerable…

Early federal court decisions in school desegregation placed little emphasis on public school facilities. Those early decisions focused primarily on requiring black and white students to attend the same schools and requiring the integration of teachers. What does the literature say about the relationship between student achievement and educational…

Three of nine school buildings that have won the latest Educational Facility Design Awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on Architecture for Education stand out from the crowd of other school buildings because they are sustainable and are connected to the nature that surrounds them. They are: (1) Thurston Elementary…

This paper analyzes how an emerging form of schooling--"religious" charter schools--may influence the future of urban Catholic elementary education in America. Specifically, it synthesizes the literature related to religious charter schools and Catholic education. The paper investigates if a common understanding of religious charter schools is…

Jane L. Beyer Westerhold knows no boundaries. As superintendent of the Des Plaines (Ill.) Community Consolidated School District 62 in suburban Chicago, Westerhold has led a three-year master plan with a $109 million facilities upgrade, narrowed the achievement gap between low-income and other students, and kept a AA+ bond rating--the highest…

Given the differences in social, emotional, and physiological development among elementary, middle, and high school students, it should come as no surprise that collaborative spaces should be designed differently for each age group. The needs of younger students do not necessarily mirror those of their older peers. Architect and educator Peter…

Could new types of pedagogy that involve more classroom projects and peer instruction encourage school districts to replace outdated furniture and redesign classrooms? Or could new classroom designs using modular furniture have an impact on how teachers engage their students? These are just a few of the questions that educators, instructional…

In many U. S. states, policy related to teacher job satisfaction and retention has not paralleled reform for student achievement. A study of 385 secondary science teachers, situated in one U. S. state's high school system, reveals the relationships between teachers' job satisfaction with working conditions and retention at both profession and…

Every day in America more than 50 million children go to neighborhood public schools. Parents send them off with every hope they will be safe while there. And yet, as has been the case in too many cities, violence shatters that hope. The Council of Educational Facilities Planners International (CEFPI) seeks to lead in the effort to bolster schools…