The design of a major new school is a rare event in the life of a community. In many places, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. For Westbrook, the community and educators took to heart the task of creating a school that would serve as an educational
- By Daniel Cecil, Anthony Roy
- 10/01/11
Schools play a key role in our efforts to reverse the obesity epidemic by promoting physical activity, educating students on healthy eating and teaching them behaviors that will keep them healthier throughout their life. Unfortunately many schools
Facilities maintenance in combination with a robust oversight of an agenda of scheduled maintenance and inspections might be the best way to be proactive and prevent problems before they become problematic.
Everyone agrees that physical activity has a powerful positive influence on emotional stability, physical health and the ability to learn. Every student whether a natural athlete or not needs to be physically active. Growing bodies demand it
When Westbrook, Maine, committed to building a new middle school to replace the overcrowded 40-year-old Wescott Junior High School, it was no surprise that many in the community wanted to be involved, but no one imagined that more than 400 people would ac
- By Daniel Cecil, Anthony Roy
- 10/01/11
Collaborative learning reflects a conceptual shift from traditional pedagogy to joint learning experiences for both the experts and the students. In the more traditional paradigm of teaching, professors disseminate information strictly through lecture, bu
Researchers discovered that classroom amplification systems improved student performance as long ago as 1993. Three years later, another study reported a decline in teacher absenteeism among teachers using amplification systems. Nearly two-dozen studies c
- By Michael Fickes
- 10/01/11
A new poll, sponsored by United Technologies Corp. and the U.S. Green Building Council's Center for Green Schools, offers surprising results on the perceived state of our schools and support for federal investment in school building improvements that
- By Christine Beitenhaus
- 10/01/11
An often-overlooked factor in how students learn is the arrangement of classroom furniture. In primary and secondary school classrooms, the choice of furniture arrangement is influenced by the age of the students, the pedagogical intentions of the teacher
The legislation to get infrastructure and school rebuilding projects off the ground may never get through Congress, but if it does, school construction once again should be ready to go and should result not just in better operating buildings, but i
The bad news about fires in general, and school fires in particular, is that it usually takes a tragic occurrence with a significant loss of life before codes are enacted that require measures designed to prevent similar fires from occurring again. The go
- By Thomas G. Dolan
- 10/01/11
It is often assumed that sustainable products are consistently under-performing and, therefore, not worth any upfront premiums. This misunderstanding can lead to the purchase and installation of products that have negative impacts on both the planet and t
- By Rachel R. Belew
- 09/01/11
As districts make the decision to introduce new learning technology, digital resources and e-books into classrooms, their school libraries and librarians are helping lead students and teachers through these changes in spaces that are evolving to meet the
- By Christine Beitenhaus
- 09/01/11
School buildings cannot fall victim to our throwaway mentality. We have invested too much and need to do what it takes to protect that investment. When we look at the poor condition of many of our school facilities, we need to remember that it was not a l
Not every space needs to have every element necessary for student-centered education, but it should be included somewhere in the school. If we want the best from our students, we have to design a variety of spaces so that they can be their best.
Recently released by CDW-G, "21st Century Classroom Report: Preparing Students for the Future or the Past?" explores how students, faculty and districts view and use technology in high school classrooms. This is the second year CDW-G has done th
- By Christine Beitenhaus
- 08/01/11
FAST!, Fix American Schools Today, is an opportunity for a national project to address chronic deferred maintenance and could create hundreds of thousands of jobs. Most school districts do not have resources to address the maintenance and repair backlog,
- By Mary Filardo, Jared Bernstein, Ross Eisenbrey
- 08/01/11
K-12 school districts that break their addiction to printing and find new ways to manage the flow of printed materials are logging substantial savings. The Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township, near Indianapolis, for instance, slashed printing e
- By Michael Fickes
- 08/01/11
Schools are generally safe places. But in the wake of Columbine and other school emergencies, educational administrators nationwide are searching for new, more effective ways to protect their students and staff. School Planning & Management reached ou
- By Danielle Przyborowski
- 08/01/11
Keeping buses rolling requires fuel and that's been expensive in recent years. School boards and school systems' management are constantly seeking ways to economize their school bus fleet through better management and optimizing routes an
Educational budgets are tighter than ever, oftentimes frozen or no longer even existent within K-12. But with every challenge lies an opportunity. Here are areas for consideration in creating "more with less."