There is growing evidence that investment in school facilities, and new school construction in particular, can improve K-12 student outcomes, particularly for low-income students. Funding for school infrastructure, however, is inequitably distributed. Moreover, given a lack of national data on school facilities, researchers have focused on…

Aiming to relieve overcrowded schools operating on multiple tracks, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has invested more than $19 billion to build 130 new facilities over the past decade. District leaders asked researchers at Berkeley to estimate the achievement effects of this massive initiative--benefits that may stem from entering…

This report examines the Chicago Public School System's need for capital improvement, and it highlights action plans for the future. The report reveals that many planned school improvements projects are unfunded and that there is about $229 million worth of projects that no longer appear in the city's capital improvements plan. Overcrowding…

The 51.7 million students enrolled in public and private schools this year outstrip the 51.3 million mark set in 1971. Today's taxpayers are reluctant to pay for new schools; therefore, school leaders need to be creative in handling the enrollment crunch. Experts in fast-growing districts offer tips. (MLF)

This report examines the severe overcrowding facing U.S. public and private schools in the next decade and the challenges for cities and the suburbs, the need for school construction and the nationwide effort to modernize schools, and the changing cultural diversity of these students. Enrollment statistics from 1970 through 2010 are provided along…

This report examines the severe overcrowding facing U.S. public and private schools, the need for expanding pre-K opportunities, the policy implications these enrollments create, additional teacher requirements, and school construction levels. Enrollment statistics from 1970 through 2010 are provided along with comparative data on states, school…

This report takes the experience of one city--Chicago, Illinois--and uses it as a detailed example of how the struggle to rebuild U.S. schools, particularly a large-scale program, has fared in the real world, highlighting the need for a federal role in helping state and local governments fix its school buildings and relieve overcrowding. Chapter…

New York City's public school system was challenged during the 1990s by fiscal pressures that coincided with a surge in student enrollment. The focus of this report is how the City's schools performed under these combined pressures. There were four major conclusions relating to disappointing school performance: school buildings grew more crowded;…

To address the inadequate condition of school buildings across the city, the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) established a Capital Improvement Program (CIP) in 1996, an ongoing plan for reviewing and upgrading CPS infrastructure over 5 years. Capital projects include additions, annexes, new replacement schools, and new area schools. This report…

The objective of this report is to answer the big questions about whether in the foreseeable future most school overcrowding in New York City will be eliminated and all city children will have class sizes and access to school libraries, science labs, art/music rooms, and physical fitness activities that are the norm for students in the rest of the…

The elimination of student overcrowding--the objective in writing this report and the objective in seeking reforms of the school facilities construction process--must be the top priority for the city in the next decade. The premise of this report is that much of the planning process for building and repairing schools requires fundamental change,…

Enrollment growth and a lack of classroom space influenced the school district of Jefferson County, Colorado, to consider a year-round school program. A study committee decided that a plan called Concept 6 was the most appropriate for addressing local needs. Under Concept 6, there would be six instructional terms; students would attend school for…