Research suggests students learn better in classrooms that are modern, comfortable, and safe, but the age and condition of school facilities varies widely across the state. According to a recent estimate, California school districts need to spend between $3.1 billion and $4.1 billion annually just to maintain their existing facilities. Further,…

Lack of commonly used vocabulary for informal learning environments hinders precise communication concerning what is observed, assessed, and understood about the relationship between space and learning. This study empirically extends taxonomies of terms and phrases that describe such relationships through content analysis of descriptions of…

In April 2008, the Wisconsin Erie School District attempted and failed to pass a school bond referendum to renovate its high school. In November 2008, again the school district did not pass a referendum. Interestingly, in the 2009-2010 school year, the district was successful in passing a bond referendum. Although the original bond measure called…

The role of the academic library has shifted from developing book collections to serving the information and technology needs of students and faculty. The needs of library users change more quickly and unpredictably than the needs of books, and library directors have pushed beyond the traditional incremental approach to library development to…

The 2017 Thought Leaders report focuses on "Transforming Facilities to Achieve Student Success." The report makes the case that student success starts with retention and graduation, but it can expand to include factors from personal career goals to social responsibility. A key message from the report is that through strategic investment…

Educational leadership professors prepare aspiring leaders by providing uplifting opportunities to connect theory and practice. This paper proposes a research-based model called leadership-focused coaching, an approach to support graduate students in developing and honing instructional leadership skills and responsibilities (Gray, 2016). This…

The 18th Annual College Construction Report examines the history of college construction, construction activity, nationally and by region, construction currently underway, construction projects expected to start in 2013, the types of buildings being constructed, the types of buildings being renovated, and the rising costs of different building…

If students and teachers do not feel safe, it is difficult for learning to occur. But how safe do they really feel? And what do teachers think would improve that sense of safety? Is it another security camera, an additional active shooter drill? A social-emotional learning program? Resources for student mental health? What are schools doing now to…

Vocational education, including SBAE, reoriented as its role in U.S. public schools and society changed. However, the types of facilities in which to teach SBAE have remained somewhat consistent, even as the program's curriculum became less dominated by a production agriculture orientation. We examined the historical evolution of learning spaces…

In 2017, the California Department of Education (CDE) announced the "Small School District Assistance Initiative," aimed at providing targeted assistance to small and rural school districts in the state. A prime focus of the initiative is assisting small and rural school districts with improving their facilities. To aid CDE's efforts,…

This study investigates the school facility challenges and issues facing rural and small school districts in California. A mixed method approach was utilized (analysis of district characteristics, spending patterns, and 40 interviews with superintendents) to understand the capital investment patterns and facility planning processes of these…

One plausible method for ensuring students are truly understanding science fundamentals beyond being actively and intellectually engaged is to consider how informal learning environments can provide meaningful relevancy by connecting to real-world instances. Transforming traditional science centers into informal learning centers will ensure that…

The Ministry of Education role is to provide leadership and funding to the K-12 education system, through governance, legislation, policy and standards in British Columbia. It places student success at the centre of its mandate, by continually focusing on improving results and ensuring equity of access and outcomes for all learners. This year more…

Just over a decade ago, Washington, District of Columbia (DC) made the choice to transform the way public education works for students, families, and educators in the District. In order to set more young Washingtonians up for success in school and in life, the choice was made to invest in the modernization of outdated buildings throughout the city…

When trustees, presidents, and senior college administrators meet, one topic dominates the conversation: how to keep education quality high and costs down. To keep quality high, college leaders need to have strong faculties and state-of-the-art facilities for teaching and research. Quality counts but it also costs, and that is where the pressures…