This paper translates the best of educational practice into school design criteria for architects and communities who wish to build innovative schools that reflect community excellence. The paper first discusses the School Zone model, an integrated system for addressing school design and curriculum. This educational system is then linked to the built, natural, and cultural environment so that the resultant architecture can act as a three-dimensional textbook. The paper then presents a survey of 16 case studies that reveal basic patterns for reform in school curriculum and facilities design illustrating the philosophical framework behind the School Zone model. Four key issues or patterns extrapolated from the studies are examined that show how involving children in the design process has implications for the role schools play in the community. Patterns for reform using design criteria from multiple sources are outlined so that communities may take action to build and evaluate programs that synthesize community and educational needs. An appendix contains research questions based on the patterns observed in the case studies are offered for further study. (Contains 50 references.) (GR)