35 - Safe Location — The site and learning environments are free of excessive non-pedestrian traffic and noise. Natural or built barriers may protect these areas.
36 - Safe Place — The indoor and outdoor environments guarantee students and teachers secure and comfortable places to learn.
     a. Separate age-level playgrounds
     b. Separation of large and small children
     c. Bathrooms in classrooms
     d. Supervisable circulation patterns
     e. Day security system (alarms, lights, locks)
     f. Developmentally appropriate playground equipment
     g. Safe playground equipment
     h. Evening security system (alarms, lights, locks)

Section III — DEGREE OF ADEQUACY 

37 - Storage — Secured spaces for teachers and students to store their personal belongings, tools and supplies.
38 - Ceiling Heights - A variation of ceiling heights allows individual comfort and intimacy within the school.
39 - Background Detail — Spaces for colorful displays on walls and doors (e.g. light switches, wall outlets, louvers, and surface raceways) that might be unnoticed by adults.
40 - Visual Stimulation - Walls and finishes should effectively display color and vivid patterns.
41 - Personal Artifacts - Places designed for items of a personal nature that relate to each student.

Section IV - DEGREE OF QUALITY 

42 - Natural Light/ Full Spectrum - Artificial light plus natural light from the outside, preferably on two sides of every room.
43 - Living Views - Views of indoor and outdoor spaces (gardens, animals, fountains, mountains, people, etc.) These allow minds and eyes to take a break.
44 - Paths with Goals - Places designed to provide focal points when walking to particular locations. (E.g. displays of students, work, meaningful posters, benches, or plants).
45 - Personal Space - Places for children to participate in activities and tasks without being jammed (crowded).
46 - Activity Pockets - Spaces designed for small group work.
47 - Outdoor Spaces - Places which are defined; may be surrounded by wings of buildings, trees, hedges, fences, fields, arcades or walkways.

48 - Learning Signature - The school’s focus and passion. If, after touring the school, you have to ask, the school probably does not have one.
49 - Animal Life - Places in a school or on the school grounds for animals to live (Includes butterfly houses, bird houses, trees, etc…). Caring for animals helps teach the students a sense of responsibility and respect (Values).
50- Community Hub — School and community cooperate [school and community projects and community uses school facilities (media center, gymnasium, lunchroom, etc.) and outdoor learning environments].

SECTION VI - OVERALL IMPRESSION

51 - Overall Impression — Judged based on whether the learning environments are student friendly and teacher friendly.

Additional Areas Under Consideration:

Since the first test, several other items have been suggested by participants. Also, there is new evidence in the literature indicating a need to expand the instrument. Therefore, the items shown below may be included in the next round of validation for the elementary school version.

• Small schools (400 -650 students) lead to improved student achievement for 'at risk students.'

• Small class size (13 -17 students) in primary grades can raise student achievement and increase equity.

• Aggression and destructive behavior are increased as the number of children in a room increase. Over crowding implies large classes and schools that are ‘over capacity.’

• High-density schools have negative influence on achievement. High density equals lower student achievement and increased behavioral problems.

• With the ever increasing need to control violence in our schools, it is essential to consider crowding in the physical environment as an influence on design factors such as circulation patterns, personal space for learning, and freedom of movement.

• Modified open spaces contribute to smaller group sizes and more exploratory behavior.

• It is important to infuse physical settings for children with the sense of being in nature.

• The juxtaposition of several playground elements into a "super unit" supports sustained play more than the same pieces would individually.

• Schools need many windows for natural light.

• Full-spectrum light is critical to a child’s health and development.

• Adherence to scale is necessary to produce learner-friendly schools.

• Windows should be low enough for children to "see out."

• Context also includes the school’s activity nodes that may be interpreted as "cooperating facilities."

• Independent instructional neighborhoods within each building and campus are recommended.

• Special spaces should address design aspects concerning the ethnic, religious, and cultural background of the students, the economic mix of parents, and the educational profile of the community.

• Indoor pathways may be color coded to assist in keeping students oriented to the front, back, and other important locations within the learning environment.

• Good design ensures access to the sunny side of the structure and makes all outdoors space usable (positive outdoor space - gardens, for example).

• Students need daylight to regulate "circadian rhythms."

• Poorly lit classrooms can cause students to experience a daily form of "jet lag."

• Some forms of florescent lighting may affect some students by causing mild seizures.

• Hierarchy of open space (views into larger or smaller spaces) provides an inviting transition (intimacy gradients to create a sequence from public to private spaces and vice versa).

The instrument and above section are not an exhaustive, therefore, we will continue to work on the validity of the instrument and seek input from responsible sources. The collection of theoretical and research-based patterns should supplement the search for the relationship between school design and student performance.

www.designshare.com, May, 1999

next >