In their own words, 50 students in two Los Angeles area schools reveal their feelings about litter, graffiti, and the appearance of their schools. The analysis includes a discussion of the research in environmental psychology as it pertains to overcrowding, noise and pollution, design and appearance, and their effects on productivity. Excerpts of…

The extent to which school buildings support education has been an important topic for policymakers. One issue is the physical condition of the buildings, particularly as school buildings age. Another is the ability of the buildings to accommodate shifts in the nation's population: some communities have experienced decreases in school-age…

Better physical conditions produce better student outcomes. Other factors affecting a school's physical environment and academic productivity include school structure, school size, teacher-pupil ratio, school location, grade-level configuration, and classroom size. Building or remodeling schools according to obsolete images is fiscally and…