An in-depth, evidence-based design approach to the design of elementary and secondary schools The contemporary school must be a vibrant, living extension of its community. Evidence-Based Design of Elementary and Secondary Schools instructs design professionals on how to successfully achieve this goal. With assistance from research-intensive principles grounded in theories, concepts, and research methodologies—and with roots in the behavioral sciences—this book examines and provides strategies for pooling streams of information to establish a holistic design approach that is responsive to the changing needs of educators and their students. This book: Delivers an overview of the current research and learning theories in education, and how they apply to contemporary school design Explores the history of school design in the United States Examines the role of information technology in education Includes case studies of more than twenty exemplary school designs, based on research of the best physical environments for learning and education Considers what learning environments may be in the near future Evidence-Based Design of Elementary and Secondary Schools analyzes the current shift toward a modern architectural paradigm that balances physical beauty, and social awareness, and building technologies with functionality to create buildings that optimize the educational experience for all learners. Enlightening as well as informative, this forward-thinking guide provides educational facility planners, designers, and architects with the tools they need to confidently approach their next school building project. In addition, this guide provides administrators, educators, and researchers with design options for rethinking and creating innovative learning environments.

The fastest way to straighten out the learning curve on specialized design projects Building Type Basics books provide architects with the essentials they need to jump-start the design of a variety of specialized facilities. In each volume, leading national figures in the field address the key questions that shape the early phases of a project commission. The answers to these questions provide instant information in a convenient, easy-to-use format. The result is an excellent, hands-on reference that puts critical information at your fingertips. Building Type Basics for Elementary and Secondary Schools provides the essential information needed to initiate designs for preschools and kindergartens as well as elementary, middle, and high schools. Filled with project photographs, diagrams, floor plans, sections, and details, it combines in-depth coverage of the structural, mechanical, acoustic, traffic, and safety issues that are unique to school buildings with the nuts-and-bolts design guidelines that will start any project off on the right track and keep it there through completion.

Get the comprehensive guide to the sustainable design of schools. The elementary and secondary school buildings and campuses built today are the schools of the future. Sustainable School Architecture is a guide to the planning, architecture, and design of schools that are healthy, stimulating, and will conserve energy and resources. Written with the needs of architects, construction professionals, educators, and school administration in mind, the book provides a road map for sustainable planning, design, construction, and operations. By its very nature, a school is often the centerpiece of its community and, therefore, well positioned to take the lead in influencing environmental awareness. Building on this point, Sustainable School Architecture shows how eco-friendly practices for school construction can create an environment that young students will emulate and carry into the world. Written by experts on sustainable school design, this book: Focuses on the links between best sustainable practices and the specific needs of educational institutions. Has nineteen international case studies of the best contemporary sustainable schools located in urban, suburban, and rural communities in temperate, tropical, and extreme climate zones. Contains valuable information on the California Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) rating system. Serves as a resource for incremental modernization and operation strategies as well as comprehensive transformation. Offers tips on running an integrated, community-based design process with support information on the materials and systems of the sustainable school. Includes contributions by experts on approaches to the sites, systems, maintenance, and operation of sustainable schools. With a practical overview of how sustainability can be achieved in new and existing schools, and how to maintain this momentum in the years ahead, this important book provides architects with detailed guidance for designing healthier learning environments to help usher in a more promising future.

In this informative volume, Patricia Graham, one of America's most esteemed historians of education, offers a vibrant history of American education in the last century. Drawing on a wide array of sources, from government reports to colorful anecdotes, Graham skillfully illustrates Americans' changing demands for our schools, and how schools have responded by providing what critics want, though never as completely or as quickly as they would like. In 1900, as waves of immigrants arrived, the American public wanted schools to assimilate students into American life, combining the basics of English and arithmetic with emphasis on patriotism, hard work, fair play, and honesty. In the 1920s, the focus shifted from schools serving a national need to serving individual needs; education was to help children adjust to life. By 1954 the emphasis moved to access, particularly for African-American children to desegregated classrooms, but also access to special programs for the gifted, the poor, the disabled, and non-English speakers. Now Americans want achievement for all, defined as higher test scores. While presenting this intricate history, Graham introduces us to the passionate educators, scholars, and journalists who drove particular agendas, as well as her own family, starting with her immigrant father's first day of school and ending with her own experiences as a teacher. Invaluable background in the ongoing debate on education in the United States, this book offers an insightful look at what the public has sought from its educational institutions, what educators have delivered, and what remains to be done.