The built environment matters. School districts that spend tax dollars to improve their schools can get much more than a new or renovated building. A new study suggests statistically significant connections between school modernization and occupants’ well-being and satisfaction; and that the modernization process enhances community engagement and connectivity. Evidence also indicates that school modernization has a significant positive impact on key educational indicators, including test scores, graduation rates, and enrollment over time.
Conducted by the Drexel University School of Education in conjunction with global design firm Perkins Eastman, the 140-page “Addressing a Multi-Billion Dollar Challenge” study (free download) evaluated more than two dozen schools—both modernized and non-modernized—across the District of Columbia and Baltimore City school districts. With tools to measure indoor environmental quality, assessments of design, layout, and ambiance of each building’s interior and exterior, surveys for the people who use the schools, and interviews with community members, the research team concluded that modernized schools outperformed non-modernized schools to the significant benefit of students, teachers, and staff in almost every category. (Download the free PDF report.)
This study was performed against a backdrop of alarming disinvestment in the US public schools that educate more than 49.4 million children across the country, and the average age of a public school in the US is 49 years, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Furthermore, the annual shortfall in maintenance and improvements for those buildings is $85 billion, according to a 2021 report titled The State of Our Schools.
“Tackling the nation’s inadequate school facilities is a critical step toward supporting equitable education and community resilience,” says Sean O’Donnell, FAIA, LEED AP, principal of Perkins Eastman and co-principal investigator of the study. “Our research [suggests] that modernized schools can make a marked difference in terms of educating our children, enhancing the lives of teachers and administrators, and better engaging with the surrounding communities.” The assessed condition of a school building using these measures, O’Donnell says, “sends a message to everyone about how we value students, families, and our communities, and what our collective hopes for the future are. Modernized schools look toward a better future for all.”
Making the case for K-12 school modernization funding
Identifying the potential benefits of school modernization that will help jurisdictions build a stronger case for the importance and funding of school modernization was the goal of this study. The study’s report also provides design guidelines for how best to spend modernization dollars, as well as tools and guidance for designers and school districts who might benefit by replicating the study’s methods. The researchers found the greatest opportunities for improvement as schools plan for upgrades should focus on instructional space ambiance, exterior presence, safety and security, community assembly space, and main office location. Data revealed that school modernization made a significant impact across multiple indoor environmental quality factors—such as air quality, lighting, acoustics, and thermal comfort—which can all impact students’ ability to focus and learn.
The multi-disciplinary research team for this study investigated the differences between 28 modernized and non-modernized elementary, middle, and high schools. Students showed enhanced academic performance in the updated schools. Modernized schools also hold the potential to enhance community health and wellness while helping to anchor their communities through, among other things, providing health clinics, food distribution, and publicly accessible recreational facilities.
In 2019, the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows awarded Perkins Eastman and the Drexel University School of Education the 10th biannual Latrobe Prize, a $100,000 grant to pursue projects that can demonstrate “direct and practical impact” on people and the architecture industry. J+J Flooring provided an additional grant of $30,000. The team researched Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), including thermal comfort, air quality, acoustics, and lighting. Additionally, they studied Educational Adequacy (EA), which considered how well a school’s spaces and design features supported learning and teaching within that environment. Additionally, Community Connectivity (CC), evaluated how a school’s spaces and design features supported stakeholders’ perceptions about, use of, and engagement with the school. The researchers determined that, in multiple categories, modernized schools offered greater IEQ and EA than non-modernized schools, while CC had mixed though favorable results.
Bruce Levine JD, clinical professor and director of the Educational Policy Program at the Drexel University School of Education and co-principal investigator of this study, says, “The future of America’s students and their families demands that we act now to improve the academic settings where we strive to educate our young people. Investing in modernizing our schools can and will make a difference not only in the experiences of students and educators but in the ripple effects for society, our economy, and national interests.”
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Aug 19, 2022
2022 Giants 400 Report: Tracking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
Now 46 years running, Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report rankings the largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. This year a record 519 AEC firms participated in BD+C's Giants 400 report. The final report includes more than 130 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Daylighting | Aug 18, 2022
Lisa Heschong on 'Thermal and Visual Delight in Architecture'
Lisa Heschong, FIES, discusses her books, "Thermal Delight in Architecture" and "Visual Delight in Architecture," with BD+C's Rob Cassidy.
| Aug 9, 2022
Designing healthy learning environments
Studies confirm healthy environments can improve learning outcomes and student success.
K-12 Schools | Aug 1, 2022
Achieving a net-zero K-12 facility is a team effort
Designing a net-zero energy building is always a challenge, but renovating an existing school and applying for grants to make the project happen is another challenge entirely.
Education Facilities | Jul 26, 2022
Malibu High School gets a new building that balances environment with education
In Malibu, Calif., a city known for beaches, surf, and sun, HMC Architects wanted to give Malibu High School a new building that harmonizes environment and education.
Daylighting | Jul 15, 2022
Tubular system provides daylight for modular school with small windows
Tubular system provides daylight for modular school with small windows.
K-12 Schools | Jun 4, 2022
A school district in Tennessee holds ceremonies for two new student facilities
A new gym and performance art center were designed and built by the same firms.
Codes and Standards | Jun 2, 2022
Guide helps schools find funding for buildings from federal, state government
New Buildings Institute (NBI) recently released a guide to help schools identify funding programs for facilities improvements available from federal and state government programs.
Coronavirus | May 20, 2022
Center for Green Schools says U.S. schools need more support to fight COVID-19
The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council released a new report detailing how school districts around the country have managed air quality within their buildings during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
K-12 Schools | May 16, 2022
Private faculty offices are becoming a thing of the past at all levels of education
Perkins & Will’s recent design projects are using the area to encourage collaboration.