This manuscript contains a discussion of the evaluation of survey instruments used in research studies to assess the influence the school building has upon student and teacher performance. Under the assumption that the school building influences student and teacher performance, it is necessary to determine the actual physical condition of the…

This article is on the development of the School Facility I.Q. Inventory (SFIQI), an instrument to assess the extent of knowledge a school administrator possesses in delivering their assignment to manage his/her school building. The instrument was designed based on the current literature. The validity of the instrument was verified by a panel of…

This paper features an expanded Web-based "Facilities Performance Indicators (FPI) Report." The purpose of APPA: Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers (APPA's) Facilities Performance Indicators is to provide a representative set of statistics about facilities in educational institutions. The goal for this year was to…

Portland Public Schools serves nearly 50,000 students in 90 schools averaging 77 years of age. Building age combined with decades of deferred maintenance created serious health and safety issues, numerous unfavorable media reports, and an irate public. In response, PPS Board of Directors commissioned an independent evaluation of various…

The present paper deals with a wide range of issues related to the environmental quality in learning spaces, such as thermal and visual comfort, as well as energy efficiency. All of these issues fall under the umbrella of the UN Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Upon reviewing publications of past studies, interviews were…

The National Council on School Facilities is interested in maintaining good quality local, state, and national facilities data that can be analyzed and reported to inform policy, practice, and spending. The "State of Our Schools" 2016 report examined 20 years of school district and state funding for K-12 public school facilities…

Improving the school building may well be the most overlooked means of improving student health, safety, and academic performance. Yet in conversations about factors that lead students to academic success, only rarely does the role of the physical environment come to the fore. By downplaying the importance of the building, policymakers and parents…

Schools are the ideal setting for combining state health and education goals for all children. Children and adolescents spend more time in schools than in any other environment outside of their homes. They also form foundational health habits during their school years. By emphasizing school health and wellness, state leadership can support both…