As energy prices continue to increase, K-12 schools look for ways to conserve energy and minimize their energy expenditures. A growing number of school districts have turned to engineers who use software-based energy modeling as a predictive and analytica
Some school districts have tapped the creativity of board members, architects and/or planners to restore, renovate or rebuild some their local structures to serve as educational spaces. Not only has this concept served them in the "green" sense
Some school districts transforming their open spaces have looked up to their roofs. There's been plenty of activity up there, with districts transforming what can be a functional afterthought into a new asset in order to advance strategic goal
The K-12 school restroom, however mundane it may be in discussion, is an integral part of that school's community and total environment. Their design and construction rely on good but affordable materials, and planners and designers need to consider fixtu
Are your schools safe? Here's one district that's working to create a safe learning environment for its students, and how you can follow its lead.
It's no surprise that purchasers are demanding to know the complete story of a product and its impacts on the environment: What is the product's carbon footprint? To what extent did the product's raw materials extraction affect the ecosystem? Does the pro
From the reauthorization of the ESEA to the Super Committee's debt negotiations and appropriations bills, Fritz Edelstein gives School Planning & Management an update on what's going on in Washington.
Technology is coming for you. Resistance is futile. That probably describes the bias in the K-12 world toward classroom technologies. These technologies, like interactive whiteboards, do indeed hold great promise for teachers that embrace, study an
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
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
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
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
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
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
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