A study of earth-covered schools in Oklahoma was conducted for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assess the viability of these structures as learning and teaching environments, as cost beneficial investments, and as potential shelters from natural and man-made disasters. The study was aimed at identifying what information is currently available to define broad trade-offs between earth-covered and traditional schools, applying this information to provide an initial quantitative assessment of costs and benefits, and defining what additional studies and measurements might be desirable. Major areas considered were sociological, physiological, and psychological functional adequacy of earth-covered schools; economic differences, their costs and benefits; and practical aspects of disaster protection. A summary of the benefits of earth-covered schools reached at a workshop in Oklahoma is included. From the study it is concluded that an excellent opportunity exists for FEMA to develop sufficient hard data on benefits of earth-covered schools that will generally influence decisions in favor of more such structures. (Author/MLF)