This publication presents case studies of school buildings to demonstrate the application of a post occupancy evaluation (POE) during various stages of the design and planning process. It explains that because POE is a process for gathering information about a building in use, it can be applied effectively both to renovation and expansion projects and to new construction. The case studies were selected because each addresses community and user participation as an integral part of the school planning process. In Jamestown, North Carolina's Millis Road Elementary School addition, the initial application of a POE using a school building assessment survey provided information about the school's performance that helped inform the architect about existing conditions and the needed improvements desired in the new classroom addition. The Davidson Elementary School project in Davidson, North Carolina linked all stages of the school building process, from user participation in the development of the program to the evolving design solution, and a building evaluation after completion. The Centennial Campus Middle School in Raleigh, North Carolina began with a vision shared by university educators and county school officials about the creation of schools within a school. Finally, the Rosa Parks Elementary School in Berkeley, California (formerly the Columbus School) demonstrated a participatory process that included parents, teachers, children, and community members who initiated and passed a bond measure to rebuild the earthquake-damaged school. The case studies include building plans and photographs. Appendices contain a six-factor school building checklist, a school building rating scale, an inclusive school building assessment checklist, and a classroom arrangement rating scale. (Contains 27 references.) (EV)