On the learning environment

Informed decisions on seemingly difficult local issues often require a view that exceeds daily horizons.


Cutting to the chase


There are activities that are more difficult in certain environments.  Some have trouble writing in a noisy setting, icing a wedding cake in hot humid weather or reading in subdued lighting and many more. 

And so it is with the modern school facility. It is a site to return and repeat experiments, a place to rehearse, a place to perform, a place conducive to learning, a central resource location, and a place to share experiences and pass on information. In short it must be conducive to learning.

The age of a building can be a relative thing. The Cathedral at Chartres and its exquisite stained glass windows can be no better. It serves the purpose it was originally intended to serve, and remains an example of the best of what a cathedral can be in artistically representing the architectural standard for a place conducive to worship. It is spiritual in nature. It is not transient. It was built to last.

But schools serve a dynamic group of students and teachers, where new ideas are explored daily, or hourly. And if new ideas are to be presented to an ever more sophisticated group of students in an ever more sophisticated world, then the facilities must be able to adapt to those educational needs. 

Additionally, as more programs are mandated by legislative bodies, often no matter what the enrollment numbers, facilities will need to accommodate those changing requirements.

In a report on the impact of inadequate school infrastructure on student performance, David Branham, Ph.D of the University of Houston Center for Public Policy (click) cites several correlations. Simply put, the report studied 226 public schools and found that poor facilities have a direct impact on student abilities.

According to the report:

Specifically, schools in need of roof repair, schools with a high percentage of temporary buildings, and schools with inadequate custodial staffs will have lower attendance rates, higher drop out rates, and lower accountability ratings than schools without such structural problems.

The report goes on to say that people initially vote for school issues based on what they perceive as their own best interests. "That being the case," Branham writes, " it makes sense to discover what those interests are. In other words, if voters can see that school infrastructure has an effect on student achievement, then they may make a more informed vote on bond initiatives that support school infrastructure."

The state of Florida implemented a constitutional amendment recognizing the impact of class size on education, and requiring that different ages and programs have space and teacher/student ratios that optimize an educational experience.

A report on the amendment rationale, which includes input from the American Institute of Architects, recognizes that school expansion has not kept pace with population expansion, and also states that there was a gap in school spending compared to other growth related areas.

A part of the report states:

According to the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s New Cornerstone Report published in 2001-2002, Florida’s population expanded rapidly in the 1990s from 13.1 million to almost 16 million in 2000, a gain of nearly 18%. In addition, the Chamber reported that between 1991 and 2001, the K-12 expenditures in Florida did not keep
pace with either inflation or the rate of student growth. What has
resulted from this shrinking financial support is a construction
and maintenance backlog that has the potential to cripple Districts
as their physical plants age and they struggle to address the immediate concerns of campus overcrowding. With the Class Size Amendment added to the equation - which state economists estimate will require 30,000 more classrooms – there is potential for losing focus of the importance of a quality learning environment.

The Florida report also notes that there is a direct impact on teacher satisfaction related to work environment, which could have an impact on teacher contract matters.

Still another report on the funding of schools in Tennessee notes that the impact of a school environment has historical evidence.

The report, entitled "Do K-12 School Facilities Affect Education Outcomes?" states:

As far back as the 1920s, industrial research established the
relationship between environmental factors and employee
productivity and morale, but these lessons have not been applied
widely in educational settings. In recent years, however, the
importance of school facilities has been increasingly recognized.
There are now eight states where the courts have explicitly made the funding of capital facilities a part of education equalization remedies.

School facility factors such as building age and condition, quality of
maintenance, temperature, lighting, noise, color, and air quality can
affect student health, safety, sense of self, and psychological state.
Research has also shown that the quality of facilities influences
citizen perceptions of schools and can serve as a point of community pride and increased support for public education.

Wisconsin too has looked at its school facilities. A joint research paper done for the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) and the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators (AWSA) surveyed state schools. The research paper found interesting information about the age and condition of schools in the Badger State

It notes that three-fourths of Wisconsin's public school buildings were built before 1970, nearly one-fourth before 1940. About two percent were built in the 19th Century. Most of the existing buildings were constructed during the 1950's and 1960's. These buildings have been the target of considerable criticism because of their relatively poor construction. A 1989 study of the nation's school buildings by the Education Writers Association concluded that buildings of this age are "wearing out quickly and have severe repair needs. . . Many construction experts say the buildings were intended to last only about 30 years. If so, their time is up" (Lewis, et. al, p. 2).

The Wisconsin research concludes:

Furthermore, in our focus on numbers and quantitative measures, we must not forget the human dimension. Ultimately, we need to keep in mind that the 172 buildings judged inadequate by the principals in Wisconsin have an enrollment of nearly 75,000 students whose lives are affected on a daily basis by substandard school facilities.

While school facility matters are dealt with across the state and nation, at the local level the faces of individual students and teachers come into focus. We are no longer dealing with statistical figures and graphs, we are dealing with your children and my children. None of us think of our children as a statistic. They are the growing future. We urge them to be the best, to pursue the most, to aim high while learning conditions may be less than optimum.

Music teachers cannot expect students to learn on a mangled instrument. Ag teachers cannot demonstrate germination, photosynthesis or plant growth if seeds are planted where there is no light. So it is with students in all subject areas. It is essential to have the environment and tools that will maximize the odds for student success.

It is a national concern that really comes down to common sense. Everyone needs a location where they can study, exercise, play, perform and socialize, yet currently we have a tendency to shoot for the lowest common denominator in educational facilities. At the same time we say that we value education. Should school be any less accommodating than the areas where we work or pursue other interests? If anything it should be superior.

Why is a 50 year old school considered old? Because it was likely built with the scope of education that was prevailing at the time of its design.

It is time to see the facilities for education the way the designers, builders and supporters of structures like the cathedrals of Europe. When education is again seen as more than finite as an ever changing and never ending endeavor, planning and building for education will appear less transient as well.
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Best to all,

Lloyd