This book provides a detailed discussion of all of the processes involved in planning a school building. From a discussion on how to organize the local staff to the final evaluation of the building, the separate processes are described in detail.

Nearly half of the nation's school buildings need to be renovated or replaced. This book provides a knowledge base for administrators to plan and manage construction projects, and addresses specific planning tasks including public opinion polling, enrollment projections, financial planning, selecting architects and other professionals, and managing facilities once they are operational. Theodore Kowalski addresses the administrative procedures associated with planning and managing school facilities. As noted at the outset, practitioner interest in school facilities has been growing rapidly in recent years because decades of neglect, poor planning, and cost cutting have created a situation in which large numbers of America's school buildings are in need of major repair or replacement. At the same time, the realization that costs related to repair and replacement have escalated significantly has fueled a new concern among school facility planning and management. Writing for school administrators, superintendents, and board members as well as graudate students in education, Kowalski discusses planning from the perspective of both individual facility projects and more comprehensive district-wide efforts. The responsibilities associated with administering school buildings are also approached from the individual school and district program perspectives. Part One of the book examines historical and contemporary perspectives of school facility planning. A systems perspective is provided for defining the adequacy of school buildings, and the effects of changing demographics, school reform, technology, and obsolescence are detailed. Various planning paradigms and needs assessment are the foci for Part Two. Part Three examines specific tasks related to completing a facility project. They include public opinion polling, securing professional services, and management responsibilities before, during, and after construction. Part Four includes these focused issues: planning elementary schools, planning secondary schools, doing enrollment projections, working with other agencies, choosing between renovation and new construction, financing capital outlay, and maintaining facilities once they become operational.

Provides guidance and tools for planning a school science facility, discussing general room design, budget, furnishings, and other related topics and discussing safety, accessibility, and legal guidelines.

The National Science Teachers Association, in response to the emergence of new science curricula and the need for updated science facilities in the nation's public schools, convened a task force to develop guidelines for K-12 science facility design and use. This guide, a result of NSTA Task Force on Science Facilities and Equipment, includes information about planning facilities design; budget priorities; space considerations; general room and laboratory design; and furnishings for the laboratory/classroom specifically targeting K-5, middle, and high schools. It is designed to familiarize educators, administrators, and citizens with the stages of the planning process for new and renovated science facilities and provides specific, detailed information on many aspects of the planning and design phases. Additionally, chapters address current trends and future directions in science education and safety, accessibility, and legal guidelines. Appendices include discussions on solar energy for school facilities, equipment needs planning, checklists, a glossary of construction terms, and classroom dimensional considerations. (GR)

“A welcome and timely addition to the subject of school design at a time of great change.”—Professor Alan Jones, President of the Royal Institute of British Architects “Comprehensive but also very practical approach.”—Andreas Schleicher, Director for the Directorate of Education and Skills in Paris, France “Any community building a new school should read this book.”—Michael B. Horn, Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation in Boston, USA “Builds a bridge from the simple to the extraordinary... awash in opportunity and inspiration.”—Professor Stephen Heppell, Chair in Learning Innovation at the Universidad Camilo Jose Cela in Madrid, Spain Can school design help us to realize a new vision for education that equips young people for life in a fast-changing world? This is the big question at the heart of Planning Learning Spaces, a new guide for anyone involved in the planning and design of learning environments. Murray Hudson and Terry White have brought together educators and innovative school architects to pool their collective expertise and inspire the design of more intelligent learning spaces. The authors prompt readers to question common assumptions about how schools should look and how children should be educated: •Why have so many schools changed relatively little in more than a century? •What form should a school library take in the Internet age? •Do classrooms really have to be square? The book also tackles vital elements of learning space design such as the right lighting, heating and acoustics, and explores the key role of furniture, fixtures, and fittings. With contributions from leading professionals around the world, including Herman Hertzberger and Sir Ken Robinson, Planning Learning Spaces is an invaluable resource for architects, interior designers, and educators hoping that their project will make a genuine difference. Highly recommended reading for anyone involved with the process of building or updating an educational space.

Developing and updating school improvement plans is an annual ritual for virtually all school principals and their school improvement committees. Still, large numbers of schools continue to produce disappointing outcomes. The authors believe that part of the problem is the result of plans that focus on the wrong targets and that rely on ineffective strategies for improvement. To help principals and their school improvement committees develop and implement plans with a greater likelihood of success, the authors offer a step-by-step process for school improvement planning. They go on to pinpoint specific school improvement goals, including raising reading and mathematics achievement, building robust school cultures, addressing the needs of English language learners, improving instruction, and reducing absenteeism and dropouts. For each goal, a variety of objectives and proven strategies is presented along with sample school improvement plans. The book addresses the differences in planning to turn around a low-performing school, planning to sustain improvements over time, and planning to move a good school to a great school.