This brief describes a new method for states to determine how well their charter school facility needs are being met with state policies, both at present and in the future as the number of charter schools increases. The brief also illustrates how this new approach, called a Charter Facility Index, can be used in practice, with three state…

Excel"in"Ed has developed a methodology called the Charter Facility Index by which states can assess whether they are addressing the full facility needs of charter schools. The Charter Facility Index allows states to determine how well charter school facility needs are being met with existing state policies. The index also helps states…

State policymakers can help public charter schools overcome obstacles to their stability, growth and ability to provide high-quality options to students--simply by providing these schools with access to affordable financing to build their own facilities. Ownership is a critical option to address charter school facility needs. Most charter schools…

In this article, Shushok, Farquhar-Caddell, and Krimowski, compare the vestiges of old residential environments as introduced in a 1981 article entitled "Invitational Engineering in the Residence Halls" by Jack Murphy and William Purkey ("The Journal of College and University Student Housing," v11 n1 p13-16 Sum 1981) (See in…

The APPA Facilities Performance Indicators (FPI) is perhaps one of the most powerful analytical tools that institutional facilities professionals have at their disposal. It is a diagnostic facilities performance management tool that addresses the essential questions that facilities executives must answer to effectively perform their roles. It…

Buildings consume approximately 40 percent of the energy used in the U.S., and efficiency is widely recognized to be the most effective means for containing demand and reducing use. Institutions of higher education make up a significant proportion of building area and annual energy and facility-related costs in the United States. The national…

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) may not be the only aspect of a green school, but it is one of the most significant. Advanced environmental instrumentation technology now provides school business officials with tools to measure the factors that contribute to their schools' IEQ. These new devices make it possible to identify the toxic or…

This article invites teachers to let their students' imaginations soar as they become part of a team that will design a whole new kind of living technological museum, a facility that celebrates the world of infrastructure. In this activity, a new two-story building will be built, occupying a vacant corner parcel of land, approximately 150…

Students are creating content in a variety of ways and using numerous technologies to share that content that did not exist when their teachers were students. Students are interacting with the new technologies they see on TV, at the movies and through their social networks. They are creating and sharing websites, posting self made videos and…

When it comes to building student housing, the stakes for universities and colleges have never been higher. From competing for prospective students and environmental bragging rights to contesting for space on the typical campus, institutions face a fundamentally different landscape than they did when housing previous generations of students. A…

Making the right decisions at the right time is critical. Following through on those decisions is challenging and can take courage. One example of a group of institutions and facility management professionals stepping up to the task and having the courage to challenge the status quo is the State of Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning…

Doors serve a variety of needs and purposes in schools: (1) Exterior doors provide building security and protection from the elements; and (2) Interior doors control the movement of people among school spaces, help control noise and air flow, and act as flame and smoke barriers during a fire. In a lockdown, they serve as safety barriers. From a…

Describes how various states and school districts are coping with the need to repair, renovate, or replace schools built during the 1950s and 1960s. (PKP)

This publication discusses conditions that feed wildfires, how a building catches fire, determining the school's risk, creating a survivable space for the school, the importance of maintenance, the fire-resistant school, meeting code requirements, and related flood and mudslide risks. Much of this publication has been adapted for schools from the…

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 1990 includes a provision requiring that new construction and alterations to existing facilities comply with the ADA Standards for Accessible Design. This report explains 23 common accessibility errors or omissions that the Department of Justice has identified during the course of its enforcement efforts.…