Proper planning of school facilities is critical for all school districts no matter how large or small, whether major construction is in the works or the district is managing enrollment declines. When school districts properly plan for their school facilities they have better schools, more public use and higher value for public spending. This…

Driven by new digital technologies, the future of learning is increasingly interactive, individualized, and full of real-world experiences and information. Unfortunately, the average school has about the same connectivity as the average American home, but serves 200 times as many users, and fewer than 20 percent of educators say their school's…

The research is conclusive: Providing a high-quality early childhood education is crucial if we are to reach our state and national goals of educational equity and excellence, preparing children for college and career. The federal government, states throughout the country, and the courts are increasingly recognizing this reality. This report…

In APPA's recently published book, "Strategic Capital Development: The New Model for Campus Investment," the authors make a case for substantial change in capital planning for higher education institutions. The new model posed is intended to urge institutions and systems to (1) identify more systematically all capital needs of all types; (2)…

There is considerable evidence that overlearned symbols, especially arrows, can orient attention to peripheral locations. In 2003, Pratt and Hommel showed that when 1 arrow is selected from a set of arrows, based on an attentional control setting for a specific target color, the selected arrow determines the orientation of attention. Recently,…

As a result of the massive growth of higher education in Turkey, the most pressing priority for this sector today is to meet the new space requirements for an increasing number of students. Now a subject of public attention more than ever before, the second largest item of expenditure for universities is the construction of physical spaces. This…

This article provides an overview of the "Schools of the Future" initiative introduced in California in January 2011 by the newly elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson. Its objective is to focus on the reform of the state school facility programme and to design highperforming, "greener" schools.…

Performing-arts centers can provide benefits at the high school and collegiate levels, and administrators can take steps now to get the show started. When a new performing-arts center comes to town, local businesses profit. Events and performances draw visitors to the community. Ideally, a performing-arts center will play many roles: entertainment…

As students know, the tools in their backpacks can influence success. If they are off to math class, a good calculator is essential. When on their way to English class, a laptop is fundamental. Building facility executives too have tools in their backpacks to assure the successful creation of educational buildings. Only their tools are…

Space is a serious, expensive business on college campuses. Following a decade-long building boom, a crippling recession, a spike in energy prices (with further increases probable), and in some regions fierce competition for a shrinking pool of students, the stakes of managing campus space have never been higher. Students, it is often assumed,…

This research is a retrospective case study designed to document and analyze the process of decision-making by educational leaders and stakeholders at a four-year university. For this study, educational leaders and key stakeholders agreed to extensive interviews about the decisions made during the design, construction, and post-occupancy phases of…

The New Mexico Public Schools Facilities Authority (NM-PSFA) is a relatively small state agency (50 staff members) that manages the allocation of funding for public school facilities in the state while assisting school districts and state-chartered charter schools in facility planning, construction, and maintenance. Like the majority of other…

If your lab facilities are going to be replaced or renovated, you should insist that the science instructors be involved in the process from planning to construction. You know what you'll need in a facility, and your input should be sought out by administrators and architects alike. Once construction is complete, changes can be very costly, so…

The FY 2012 Educational Facilities Master Plan (Master Plan) and Amendments to the FY 2011-2016 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) reflect the adopted actions of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Council and integrate the facilities planning process with the annual capital budget and the six-year CIP. The CIP is developed in accordance with the…

The idea to do research in the area of school construction planning came from this writer's experience in a district that was still using a high school that was built in 1914 and the community was happy with that fact. During this writer's time the district had gone to referendum to ask the voters to approve a $67 million building project that…