As districts contemplate how to safely reopen schools for the coming year, it is important that each facility that is used to carry out the mission of the district be maintained to provide a safe and healthy environment. This maintenance involves cleaning and sanitization, modifications supporting social distancing, modification of movement…

Participation and engagement are important factors in students' academic achievement and in increasing interest and motivation in the learning process. This study evaluates participation and engagement in circle formations in both outdoor and indoor education settings. Over a four-week study period, four instructors collected data on different…

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…

Discusses physical and educational design considerations in South Lake Tahoe's new Meyers Elementary School. (DE)

This project was conducted to determine the conditions that make a satisfying study environment in colleges and universities and to relay the findings to those who design and manage educational spaces. The investigation focused upon the process of studying and its relation to environmental setting, and data was primarily gathered through site…

In multigrade instruction, children of at least a 2-year grade span and diverse ability levels are grouped in a single classroom and share experiences involving intellectual, academic, and social skills. "The Multigrade Classroom" is a seven-book series that provides an overview of current research on multigrade instruction, identifies key issues…

This document reviews the literature, previously cited in RIE, concerned with open plan schools. The open plan design is defined as one that encompasses large, open areas that shelter numbers of students, paraprofessionals, and teachers in a climate of daily change. Central to the discussion of the open plan concept is the consideration that a…

This publication provides a periodic report on the changes begun in the New York City public schools under the direction of the City College Advisory Service to Open Corridors. The Open Corridor concept involves a cluster of classrooms around a single corridor which is used as an activity center. Children from the various classrooms may go to the…

School systems, as never before, are attempting to provide for physically handicapped children. Much has been accomplished, but an even larger task is still before us. Thousands of such children are not yet able to take advantage of their birthright--the opportunity for education. There are numerous reasons for this, one of which is lack of…

Further explains the theory of "experiential time," which argues that children can process more information and have more time for complex play when the size of the learning environment is decreased, which increases a child's command of space. (SD)

This memorandum is the first report on the activities of the School Environment Study, a research, development, and dissemination program focused on open-space schools. The program has as its goals to (1) gather and coordinate basic data about the characteristics of open-space schools; (2) study the effects of varying space arrangements on student…

This publication brings together some recent examples of what the Commission believes to be noteworthy open space schools. In addition, the Commission has drawn from its own experiences with the planning, design, and construction of open space schools. The material serves to call attention to the development of open space, to offer a few…