Long before closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, many Pennsylvania schools faced a different health crisis: unsafe facilities. Crumbling buildings, asbestos, lead, and other school facility health and safety risks plague many schools across Pennsylvania, particularly in low-income districts and those that enroll a high percentage of Black and…

Libraries, long the heart of academic life, nonetheless have been perceived as a passive space for physical resources and quiet study. Changes in the dissemination of information, as well as teaching and learning methods that focus on high-impact practices, have driven library staff to reimagine the physical buildings of libraries. To meet the new…

Honors administrators spend much of their time explaining and describing what honors is and does. When they talk about what honors looks like nationally, they should have answers to the following important questions: How pervasive is the model of separate honors facilities?; How pervasive are the legendary closets that honors programs have so…

An existing facility that is being upgraded or retrofitted today typically is 30 to 45 years old, often with limited natural light, antiquated mechanical systems and retrofitted technology. All too often at the outset of a project, the broader project goals--and even those narrower in scope--seem daunting or altogether impossible when staring at a…

For several years, schools and universities have been battered by a sputtering economy that on many campuses has brought about slashed budgets, curtailed programs, shuttered facilities and terminated employees. But throughout the gloomy financial conditions, one of the bright spots for education institutions is the continued growing embrace of…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between newly constructed or remodeled high schools and academic achievement and behavioral measures. School districts ranked in the lowest quartile of property wealth in Ohio were identified as the sample group which built or remodeled high schools under the Ohio School Facilities…

Could new types of pedagogy that involve more classroom projects and peer instruction encourage school districts to replace outdated furniture and redesign classrooms? Or could new classroom designs using modular furniture have an impact on how teachers engage their students? These are just a few of the questions that educators, instructional…

This article asks the following questions: (1) Is there a link between new construction and student achievement? (2) What role does socioeconomics play in the answer? Data were collected for seven academic indicators and two behavioral indicators. The high schools ranked in the lowest wealth quartile were then divided into two groups: schools with…

This document is the final report on Central State University's implementation of Section 371 of Ohio Amended Substitute House Bill 153. Implementation of Phase I action items required that deliverables and timelines be shifted to give Central State the best opportunity for early success. In Phase II, Central State responded aggressively to a…

In December of 2011, a team of eight consultants authored a report to the Ohio Board of Regents and Central State University titled "Accentuating Strengths/Accelerating Progress (AS/AP)." AS/AP provided a road map for the administration, faculty, and staff of CSU to achieve the excellence it has sought under the leadership of President…

On May 31, 2012, Central State University submitted the Phase I Report detailing progress made in support of the plan to increase enrollment, improve course completion and increase the number of graduates. The report detailed accomplishments made in support of the following Phase I action items: (1) Identification of Three Degree Partnerships in…

For many schools, "Going Green" once meant turning out the lights after leaving the classroom, filling the recycle bins, and celebrating Earth Day. Not anymore. Although such activities remain staples of environmentally conscious school systems, that consciousness has exploded in an era of high energy prices, global warming threats, and…

In accordance with Ohio Amended Substitute House Bill 153, the Chancellor submitted to the state Legislature and the Governor a plan, developed in consultation with Central State University, that assures the Central State Supplement will be used to promote the goals of increasing enrollment, improving course completion, and increasing the number…

The nation's major city public school districts have substantial construction, renovation, modernization, and deferred maintenance needs because of the age and size of their school buildings, shifting populations, and the need to devote substantial resources to instructional personnel to meet their core academic mission. For instance, the average…

In Ohio's Licking County, the Career and Technology Education Centers (C-TEC) is a leader in the green movement. This eco-friendly school incorporates environmental sustainability in all aspects of its programming and is the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified public building in the state. While eco-friendly…