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The 30 strategies for education reform discussed in this guidebook, taken together, represent a new, alternative, education model. The guidebook is written to close some big gaps in education -- the gap between research and action, between stated goals and policy, and between perception and reality.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), has prepared A Biosecurity Checklist for School Foodservice Programs: Developing a Biosecurity Management Plan. This booklet presents a wide array of guidelines and suggestions on how to: 1) form a school foodservice biosecurity management team; 2) use the checklist to prioritize measures to strengthen biosecurity inside and outside the primary foodservice area; and 3) create a school foodservice biosecurity management plan.
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This case study involved the examination of three new high schools that opened in the Commonwealth of Virginia between 2006 and 2007. Principal interviews and focus group interviews were conducted between April and June 2008. Document analysis of architectural information was conducted by the researcher for each site location; that analysis yielded shared characteristics of the sites such as floor plans, common professional work areas, use of safety features, and the use of natural lighting throughout instructional and professional spaces. The study determined that the perceptions of the principals and the staff of these new buildings were shared and sufficiently common for identification. The data collected from both groups of participants indicated the existence of three shared themes particular to this case study: improved student behaviors, improved staff and student morale, and a lack of belief that the new buildings had more positively impacted student achievement than had the old buildings. Additionally, data collected from participants in this study seemed to represent acknowledgement of a relationship between sustainable design elements and student achievement as well as student and staff behaviors. All respondents in both interview groups agreed that the amount of natural light incorporated into the design of the building had a positive impact on both student and staff behaviors, indicating that it may have positively impacted student achievement. At all three locations, participants expressed a shared belief that natural light had affected their overall performance, their individual moods, and, in some cases, their ability to maintain their levels of performance as the year progressed. Other factors mentioned by all participants as having had a positive impact included the following: open space in classrooms and hallways, the high ceilings and sense of openness in all the buildings, and enhanced safety and security features present in the buildings. All of the data collected from the participants in this research study led to the conclusion of the researcher that design elements such as natural lighting and climate controlled HVAC systems, as well as wide, open hallways and shared student spaces, do positively impact student behaviors and student and staff attitudes and behaviors.
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A multiagency consortium created and led by the Connecticut Department of Public Health has successfully implemented and continues to sustain the U.S. EPA's Tools for Schools program in the majority of Connecticut public schools. The authors present and analyze the consortium model and their efforts at evaluating the impact of Tools for Schools in Connecticut.
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This paper summarizes the current state of scientific knowledge about the adverse impacts of indoor environments in schools on health and performance. Key gaps in knowledge and critical outstanding research questions are also summarized.
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Building energy-efficient school facilities is not just about being "green." It is about providing high-performance facilities that are safe, healthy, and conducive to learning. It is also about building facilities that are cost-effective from their inception and in the long term. Many school districts are working under ever-tightening budgets, so reduced operating costs are welcomed. With careful planning, facilities and construction departments can build schools that encourage learning, reduce long-term operating costs, and lessen the effect on the environment while controlling up-front construction costs. The keys are including staff as active participants in the process and using a holistic approach to facility design. Guilford County Schools in North Carolina is an example of a district that was able to build a high-performance school that continually saves money. Northern Guilford Middle School is a $20.7 million facility serving 1,030 students. At two years old, it is beginning to show the long-term benefits of energy efficiency with lower electric bills and reduced water use. The school district wanted to use taxpayer dollars wisely while building a sustainable facility and creating a three-dimensional learning experience for students. During the planning and construction of Northern Guilford, the district's facilities staff worked with the architects to develop a holistic design for the school, detailing how the lighting, heating, cooling, and other systems would work together in the building. School districts can construct efficient buildings and lower energy expenses without greater up-front costs. This article offers some points school districts should remember as they develop plans to build high performance schools.
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The article discusses the process of rebuilding damanaged schools after hurricanes swept through the Gulf Coast. The goal is to learn how to rebuild schools the right way, and readers are presented with a 'Lessons Learned' section.
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This document is both a how-to guide and a distillation of the experiences of six universities and colleges across the country that have been working over the past several years to become more disaster-resistant.
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This study examined the relationship between the condition of school facilities, and student achievement and student behavior. Selected high schools in urban areas of Virginia were used in this study. Building condition was determined by the Commonwealth Assessment of Physical Environment. Student achievement was determined by the scale scores on the Test of Academic Proficiency for grade elevan. Student behavior was determined by the ratio of the number of explusions, suspensions, and violence/substance abuse incidents to the number of students in each school.
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This report, Buildings for Academic Excellence, urgently asks city, state, and federal officials, and the greater Baltimore community, to act now to improve the substandard physical condition of city school buildings. It is unacceptable - as well as unconstitutional - to deprive city students of adequate school facilities and an equal opportunity in education. The modernization of school buildings is integral to Baltimore’s education reform effort. To help both students and teachers succeed, state and city leaders must make school facility improvements a higher priority.
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