Schools Designed for Learning: Denver School of Science and Technology

Schools Designed for Learning THE DENVER SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY video and resource guide

presented by: American Architectural Foundation KnowledgeWorks Foundation Target

PRESENTED BY:

The American Architectural Foundation (AAF) is a national nonprofit organization that seeks to educate individuals and community leaders about the power of architecture to transform lives and improve the places where we live, learn, work, and play. Through numerous outreach programs, grants, and educational resources, AAF inspires people to become thoughtful and engaged stewards of the built environment.

AAF’s Great Schools by Design initiative aims to improve the quality of America’s schools by promoting good design, encouraging collaboration in the design process,and providing leading-edge resources that empower schools and communities to transform themselves. At AAF, we seek to make individuals and communities aware of their vital role in shaping the world around them. For more information, please visit us online at www.archfoundation.org.

KnowledgeWorks Foundation is committed to furthering universal access to high quality educational opportunities for individuals to achieve success and for the betterment of society. The Foundation seeks to increase the number and diversity of people who value and access education, by creating and improving educational opportunity at pre-kindergarten through high school and post-high school institutions and through community organizations.

In Ohio and across the nation, billions of dollars are being spent on the rebuilding of our nation’s public schools. KnowledgeWorks Foundation recognizes this investment as a tremendous opportunity to re-connect the public with public schools – to bring a diverse group of stakeholders to the table to consider the relationship between the new schools and their communities. As community members discuss how the school can serve as a center of community and how the community can further the mission of the school, KnowledgeWorks Foundation believes that such conversations will lead to more effective schools and healthier neighborhoods.

With AAF, KnowledgeWorks Foundation is a partner on the Great Schools by Design video series and was a partner on the National Summit on School Design. For more information, please visit us at www.kwfdn.org.

Minneapolis-based Target serves guests at 1,494 stores in 47 states nationwide by delivering today’s best retail trends at affordable prices. Target is committed to providing guests with great design through innovative products, in-store experiences, and community partnerships. Whether visiting a Target store or shopping online at Target.com, guests enjoy a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to thousands of unique and highly differentiated items. Target (NYSE: TGT) gives back nearly $3 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs.

Since opening its first store in 1962, Target has partnered with nonprofit organizations, guests, and team members to help meet community needs. With AAF, Target is a presenting sponsor of Great Schools by Design. For more information, please visit www.target.com.

Schools Designed for Learning THE DENVER SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY video and resource guide

presented by: American Architectural Foundation KnowledgeWorks Foundation Target

When you attended school, did you learn in a place that had brightly painted walls, a loft-like atmosphere, and comfortable sofas to sit on with your friends between classes?

Like many of us, you probably attended a traditional school that had an institutional feel and standard classroom layout.

Perhaps it didn’t even have windows or adequate ventilation. But the nature of education today has become more interactive and experiential. Students now have the opportunity to learn in multiple ways, and the spaces where they learn should be equally varied. Our school facilities should reflect the latest thinking in education.

For students at the Denver School of Science and Technology, learning takes place in an environment that is engaging, instructive, and comfortable. The building is an example of design supporting learning, and it provides spaces that are both flexible and inspiring. In addition, the school is outfitted with cutting edge technology—the building is a wireless environment, and each student works with a laptop computer. These students learn in new and exciting ways every day.

It is truly a school that has been designed to promote student achievement, and you will see many examples of this powerful idea in the video.

Within this resource guide, you will find an overview and history of the Denver School of Science and Technology, a checklist of ways that school design can support learning gathered from the Design for Learning Forum held by the American Architectural Foundation and Target, and reference materials on how to create an effective discussion about the video.

We hope that the video and resource guide help generate discussions and enthusiasm in your community about the importance of design excellence in your schools.

These educational resources are one part of the American Architectural Foundation’s Great Schools by Design, an initiative that promotes collaboration, design excellence, and innovation in the design of educational facilities. School design institutes, publications, videos, and forums provide community leaders, educators, and design professionals with a wealth of information to help improve school design across the country. AAF is proud to have partnered with Target as a presenting sponsor of Great Schools by Design and with KnowledgeWorks Foundation as a partner on the Great Schools by Design video series and the National Summit on School Design.

Our schools are great investments in the future, and we cannot afford to neglect the design of these facilities and their impact on students. Thank you for your commitment to improving the quality of America’s schools.

Ronald E. Bogle President and CEO American Architectural Foundation

Chad P. Wick President and CEO KnowledgeWorks Foundation

Laysha Ward Vice President of Community Relations Target

Table of Contents About the Denver School of Science and Technology Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Academic Achievement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Smart Design Strategies for Student Achievement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

How to Use the Video in Your Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Photo: Š Jim Berchert, Courtesy kilpp

Video Schools Designed for Learning: The Denver School of Science and Technology . . . . . . . . . Inside back cover

ABOUT THE DENVER SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Overview Opened in 2004, the Denver School of Science and Technology (DSST) is a unique and innovative public charter high school located in Stapleton, Colorado, a redeveloped neighborhood near downtown Denver. The neighborhood, now filled with a new community of housing and businesses, is the site of the former Stapleton International Airport.

When the new Denver International Airport was completed in 1995, Stapleton International was closed, and the site began its journey toward becoming a residential and business district. After master planning by the city of Denver, the site was sold to developer Forest City Enterprises, Inc. The goal was to create a neighborhood that would be pedestrianfriendly and dense in population. DSST is located on a 10-acre site within this development and will accommodate 425 students when it is at full capacity in 2008. It is housed in a unique, colorful, award-winning building in which both the building structure and the mechanical systems are exposed in order to facilitate learning.

The school’s student body is diverse, with a student population of approximately 34 percent African American students, 24 percent Hispanic students, 34 percent white students, 3 percent Asian students, 5 percent other backgrounds and 44 percent low-income students overall. DSST is representative of the economic and racial diversity of the Denver region. Students entering the school are selected through a blind lottery system and come from up to approximately 50 middle schools in the region, including public, parochial, and private schools.

At DSST, learning happens in many different spaces throughout the school.

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The primary goal of DSST is creating a community of learning that focuses on fostering both academic and personal success that is based on a liberal arts curriculum geared toward math and science. The importance of community is visible throughout the school, in both the organization of spaces and the spirit of the students. The school also seeks to close the achievement gap that exists with science and math in the United States and serve as a model for other schools nationwide.

DSST Snapshot Completed: January 2005 Square footage: 65,883 square feet Cost: $11 million Current school population: 238 Projected school population: 425 Current Grade Levels: 9–10 Projected Grade Levels: 9–12

History DSST is part of a movement in education toward creating smaller high schools that encourage the personalization of education through the design of the school facility. It is also part of a trend toward creating schools that specialize in science, technology, engineering, and math, often referred to as STEM schools. Examples of this type of school exist in California, Illinois, North Carolina, and other states. One of the earliest examples of this type of specialized school was High Tech High School, which opened in San Diego in 2000. Many of the design ideas at the core of DSST were derived from High Tech High, as well as the Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory at the Engineering School of the University of Colorado—though they have been adapted for the particular needs and requirements of the Denver community.

Photo: © Jim Berchert, Courtesy kilpp

The creation of DSST grew from a desire to create a highperforming school that would serve as a model for other Denver schools and help increase student achievement in math and the sciences. It also was seen as an opportunity to have students interact with the growing science, medical, and design-based businesses located in Colorado and eventually to provide college-educated skilled workers for those industries.

The school was founded by David Greenberg, an education reformer and businessman, with the support of Colorado Governor Bill Owens and other education leaders in the state such as Jackie Sullivan, an engineering professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The school received start-up funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and then raised $15 million in construction and operating grants from a wide variety of philanthropic and corporate donors, including a $5 million investment from Denver Public Schools. The Denver Public Schools Board approved the school’s charter on September 16, 2002. Construction of the new campus began in February 2004 and was completed in January 2005.

DSST’s building cost $11 million and contains 65,883 square feet, which is $130 per square foot in 2002–03 dollars.

Forest City, the developer of the Stapleton neighborhood, donated 10 acres of land to the school as part of its strategy to use great schools as a means of attracting families to the neighborhood and encouraging business development.

Overall, the cost of the Denver School of Science and Technology was comparable with that of other high school projects in the Denver area, demonstrating that design excellence need not cost more than cookie-cutter institutional design. The architecture firm for the project, klipp, found that the school’s innovative design ended up costing $1 less per square foot to build than the average local high school in the Denver area.

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Design Floorplan for the Denver School of Science and Technology

GALLERIA MEETING SPACE

POD #3

POD #2

POD #1

SCIENCE LAB

CLASSROOM

CAFETERIA

FLEXIBLE LEARNING SPACE

STUDIO

GYMNASIUM

TEACHER OFFICES

ADMINISTRATION

Behind the bright colors and unique geometry of spaces at DSST lies a relationship to the way academics are taught and community is formed at the high school. Designed by klipp, an architecture firm in Denver that has created many successful educational and civic structures, the school is flexible and aims to support student achievement through the design of its spaces. Located at the southwestern corner of the new Stapleton neighborhood, the school is an iconic presence that serves as an example of the value the community puts on education and students. The building is designed to complement the residential scale of the neighborhood, and it is sited to face the street and neighborhood, with the parking lot located behind the building.

The school features a series of gathering spaces that can be used for various academic and social purposes throughout the day. The largest of the gathering areas, near the school’s entrance, is where the school’s daily “morning meeting” for both students and faculty is held.

Student and faculty announcements, skits, and other community functions are all encouraged in this communal setting. Each of the three academic areas, or “pods,” also includes spaces for gathering that have comfortable, noninstitutional furniture where students can study and

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socialize. The overall feel of the spaces is relaxed, comfortable, and dignified. These academic clusters are linked by a “galleria,” or large open hallway, that is lined with skylights and also serves as a gathering place for students and faculty members. The second floor of the school, not yet in use, will be occupied by students in grades 11 and 12; it provides classroom space, studio space, and project space suited to older, more independent students.

Teachers at the school share an office space but have individualized work areas, allowing for easy collaboration and sharing of information.

Each academic area or “pod,” as students and faculty say, contains a series of classrooms and a lounge. The pods are designed to be used by a variety of teachers over the course of the day. This mobile approach to classroom usage is intended to prevent some of the territoriality that is often found in traditional high schools. At DSST, this classroom system is still being refined and tested, and it will probably be implemented more fully over the next several years—especially with the students in grades 11 and 12. There are also flexible work areas that can be used for break-out sessions, lounges for class presentations, science labs, and faculty offices with designated meeting spaces.

Teachers share office space but have personal assigned areas within that space. This grouping leads to better collaboration and information sharing among faculty members.

The school is also exceptionally open to the surrounding environment. In fact, every classroom on the first floor of the building has a door leading to the exterior, many opening onto courtyards that are designed to serve as outdoor meeting spaces. Classrooms themselves and other spaces are flooded with natural light, contain contemporary furniture, and provide wireless Internet access.

When designing the school, klipp relied both on their experience and on a series of focus groups with potential students from the Denver region. What they discovered was that kids wanted a school that did not appear institutional, that was “cool,” and that resembled a hip web company more than a school. To this end, the architects worked to make spaces seem exceptional and instructive, rather than institutional. They were able to use materials that are more common in commercial and residential construction, which contributes to the school’s unique appearance and helped reduce construction costs. By exposing the ductwork for the heating and ventilating systems, as well as other utilities and the structure of the building, they managed to create a school that is both educational and beautiful. Students can learn about loads, angles, and other aspects of physics by looking at the building itself. The integration of technology into the building is also critical in making the various spaces used for research and collaboration.

“Today’s digital kids construct knowledge in real time, on the fly, and the physical learning environment has to support that experiential, inquiry-based, hands-on learning in a way that talks to today’s kids. They are being educated for the knowledge era, not the industrial era of 50 years ago.”

JACKIE SULLIVAN, PROFESSOR, University of Colorado at Boulder and Founding Board Member of the Denver School of Science and Technology

DSST’s morning meeting happens in this colorful space, which is reconfigured during the day for different uses. schools designed for learning

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Academic Achievement Although DSST has been open for only two years, it has already demonstrated impressive results in the academic achievement of its students and in its attendance record. Many factors invariably have led to the success of the school, and students and faculty members all claim that the building itself is a strong factor contributing to students’ desire to achieve.

There are no minimum academic requirements for students to attend DSST, and a substantial number of students selected to attend in the lottery process are below grade-level proficiency in math and reading. Yet on the state standardized tests in reading, writing, and math, the school has performed with the top schools in Colorado. In 2005, the school’s founding grade 9 class was the highest-scoring grade 9 class in Denver in math and the second-highest-scoring class in reading and writing. DSST was also the only Denver high school to earn a “significant growth” rating on the Colorado Student Assessment Program test scores from one year to the next.

Student attendance at the school, which is also an important predictor of academic success, is typically about 96 percent.

In addition, achievement levels for minority students are significantly higher than in other Colorado schools.

For example, the Colorado Children’s Campaign asserts that in 2004/05, “African American students at DSST were five times more likely to be proficient in math, three times more likely to be proficient in writing, and two times more likely to be proficient in reading than their counterparts in Denver Public Schools. A Hispanic American student at DSST was 13 times more likely to be proficient in math, 4 times in reading, and 3 times in writing than his or her counterpart.”

The school has been highlighted by the U.S. Department of Education during National Charter Schools Week. It has won various design awards such as the Learning by Design Outstanding Educational Facility Grand Prize and a citation by the American Institute of Architecture Denver. The school was also featured in Newsweek’s May 2006 article, “Great American High Schools.”

Students at DSST come from a wide range of backgrounds and achievement levels.

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Community The gathering spaces at DSST support a strong sense of community, a value that is at the heart of the school’s philosophy. Morning meetings, faculty advisory groups, and workshop classes all reinforce the concept of community.

The daily morning meeting is a 15-minute all-school gathering at which students and teachers share announcements, plans, and even apologies for breaking community rules. When a student violates a rule, he or she must ask forgiveness from the community and be reinstated by the entire community.

This focus on responsibility and community is what DSST’s Head of School Bill Kurtz calls “the culture of the school.”

He believes that this culture, in combination with other factors, such as well-designed learning environments, sets the stage for student achievement.

approach to supporting all aspects of a student’s life helps pave the way for students to perform well academically.

Because students come from various backgrounds and with various levels of academic preparedness, these advisories help ensure that students do not drop out of the system or fall behind in their classes. Academic work and test scores are monitored closely between teachers, and additional support is provided for students as needed. This one-on-one approach to guidance is another factor contributing to the school’s success in retaining students and creating a culture of academic achievement.

The student advisory system is another example of how the school supports students and helps them succeed.

Each student is assigned to an advisory group that has twice-weekly meetings to discuss academic plans, challenges, college preparation, and even home and family issues. This

Morning meeting is a time for the school community to gather and make announcements, issue apologies, and present awards.

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SMART DESIGN STRATEGIES FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT As seen in the accompanying video about the Denver School of Science and Technology, there are many ways that design can support learning in your school. Although every school facility project has regulations and standards that must be met, the following list of strategies is meant to inspire you to think outside the box and consider new ideas for your school. Resources for you to dig deeper and learn more about each topic are also included.

These strategies are based on AAF’s findings at the Design for Learning Forum held in October 2006 and presented in partnership with Target, and on findings from the National Summit on School Design presented

by AAF and KnowledgeWorks Foundation in October 2005. These two events brought together educators, thought leaders, students, principals, and architects from around the country to help AAF gather the best information and ideas about school design in the 21st century. To learn more, visit www.archfoundation.org.

Energize Your School with Engaging, Flexible Spaces and Innovative Design Often, schools are designed more for the industrial age than for today’s students who learn in multiple ways and must develop skills that are relevant to the 21st century. The spaces in these schools are often uninspiring and uniform, and constructed of indestructible or unattractive materials.

This type of rigid school building does not allow for the flexibility and creativity that students and teachers now seek in their learning environments to encourage different learning styles and keep students current in an ever-changing world.

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There are many strategies for creating schools that break the mold and respond to the latest thinking in educational theory. Providing a variety of flexible spaces that may be used for such activities as personalized learning, project-based learning, distance learning, and group learning will allow teachers and students to gather in a variety of configurations.

In addition, a variety of other design considerations can affect the quality of a school environment, such as the impact of using appropriate colors, providing daylight, choosing healthy building materials, and many other factors. All of these choices affect students’ and teachers’ mood, behavior, and productivity.

Resources

Public School Facilities and Teaching http://www.21csf.org/csf-home/Documents/

A Beautiful School Is a Caring School

Teacher_Survey/SCHOOL_FACS_AND_TEACHING.pdf

http://asbointl.org/asbo/files/ccPageContent/DOCFILENAME/

Schneider, Mark, BEST Initiative

000000007294/SBA_June_04.pdf

As part of the BEST initiative, the 21st Century School Fund commissioned a survey of 1950 public school teachers in Chicago and Washington, D.C., to assess the effect of school facilities on teaching. This survey was used to identify what factors teachers believe are important to their ability to teach, assess the adequacy of school conditions and school design as experienced by teachers, examine the distribution of quality school facilities, and analyze the impact of facilities on learning outcomes.

Jarman, Delbert; Webb, Linda; and Chan, T.C., School Business Affairs, June 2004 This article reviews several studies on school building aesthetics and concludes that, in addition to promoting student achievement, a beautiful school building sends the message to parents and community leaders that the school district cares about the education of the children by creating an attractive environment to support student learning. The community’s appreciation may lead to constructive support of the school and its educational process.

(Re)Designing Learning Environments http://www.edutopia.org/redesigning/home.html

A Well Designed School Environment Facilitates Brain Learning http://shop.cefpi.org/journalview.esiml?jid=3723 Chan, Tak Cheung; Petrie, Garth, Educational Facility Planner, v. 35, n. 3, p. 12-15, 2000 Examines how school design facilitates learning by complementing how the brain learns. How an artistic environment, spaciousness in the learning areas, color and lighting, and optimal thermal and acoustical environments aid student learning is discussed.

Building Schools for the Future http://www.edfacilities.org/rl/future.cfm National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities This website provides citations and links about the planning and design of 21st century schools.

The Language of School Design: Design Patterns for 21st Century Schools http://www.designshare.com/patterns Nair, Prakash; Fielding, Randall, DesignShare, 2005 Presents 25 design patterns, along with plans, sectional views, and photographs that illustrate existing innovative learning environments from around the world. Specific designs are offered for classrooms, common areas, storage, laboratories, the arts, physical fitness, outdoor spaces, dining areas, furnishings, and flexible spaces, with additional recommendations on lighting and ventilation. The impact of the designs on learning, socialization, and health is discussed in each section.

This website, created by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, provides case studies and other resources about school design and community engagement.

Thinking Outside the Box: Reinventing the Traditional Classroom http://www.cefpi.org/journal.esiml Nigaglioni, Irene, AIA, REFP, Educational Facility Planner, Volume 40, Issue 3 & 4, 2005 Discusses shortcomings of traditional learning environments and provides examples of classroom designs appropriate for contemporary educational delivery. These designs accommodate flexibility, variability, extended learning areas, interdisciplinary teaching, and technology integration.

“I spent a lot of time looking at other schools, and one of the things I discovered was that at the schools I thought were really exemplary, the kids took care of the building. And given that they took care of the building, I didn’t think we needed to have prison-quality materials inside the building. That gave us a lot more freedom in terms of what we could do.”

DAVID GREENBERG, FOUNDER, DENVER SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Leading the Transition from Classrooms to Learning Spaces http://educause.edu/apps/eq/eqm05/eqm0512.asp?bhcp=1 Oblinger, Diana, Educause, November, 2005.

Presents considerations for learning space design, emphasizing the migration away from the traditional classroom as the sole venue for instruction. Incorporation of virtual learning and an improved understanding of human cognition inform this discussion of learner- and discipline-centered space design.

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Create a Community of Citizen Designers Whether building a new school or renovating an older one, actively engaging the community in the design process will help define a community’s values and expectations and allow the architect to create spaces that truly support the needs and learning styles of that particular community. Again and again, school districts discover that an open public dialogue is essential to the success of school projects.

of design, space use, adjacencies, educational appropriateness, etc.

The drawings are organized in chapters according to school room or space type, design issue, or amenity. The purpose of the publication is to help students and others participate in the school design process. Though a British publication, it has application to school design anywhere.

A Visioning Process for Designing Responsive Schools Since school buildings are complex structures and a major public investment, the community engagement process should start early and allow for all stakeholders to provide input before decisions are made. It is best to start with a visioning process that engages the community and encourages people to offer input about the role of the school in educating students and serving the community. In the third section of this guide, you will find resources to help you engage your community with the Schools Designed for Learning video.

These discussions could form the basis for a larger community conversation about new schools in your school district or region.

Important voices in the design process, though far too often neglected, are those of teachers and students. In fact, teachers, students, and the community should be thought of as the client for the project. By including the community in this process, you also allow for people to be “citizen designers,” actively engaging in decisions that will affect their community.

The design process does not end when the school is completed.

Over time, teachers and students will adapt the building to their needs. This adaptation should be supported as a way of personalizing the building and giving students and teachers a greater role in shaping their learning environment.

Resources 10 Principles of Authentic Community Engagement http://www.kwfdn.org/resource_library/_resources/10principles.pdf KnowledgeWorks Foundation, 2005 This reference document distills wisdom about school–community engagement into 10 useful and concise principles.

A-Z Sketchbook of School Build and Design http://www.school-works.org/publications.asp School Works, 2006 Presents a visual guide to the key areas which must be considered when renovating or building a school. The publication is in a hand illustrated cartoon format, with each drawing isolating an issue

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http://www.edfacilities.org/pubs/sanoffvision.pdf Sanoff, Henry, National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, 2001 This manual provides guidance for creating a constructive dialogue between school officials and the surrounding community on the design of schools that contribute to enhancing educational quality.

The manual presents the charrette process as a method for generating design ideas.

Public Engagement and School Facilities Conversation Workbook http://www.kwfdn.org/resource_library/_resources/workbook.pdf The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation and KnowledgeWorks Foundation, 2004 Provides a workbook to assist community groups in engaging the public concerning school facilities. Meeting guidelines help organize the phases of the discussion, provide questions, and assist the facilitating of open, inclusive, and fair dialogue. Worksheets help organize the results of the meetings. Steps for organizing the meeting are detailed, including recruitment of leaders and participants, troubleshooting problematic situations, siting the meeting, and setting up the room.

Schools That Fit: Aligning Architecture and Education http://www.cuningham.com/schoolsthatfit/index.html Cuningham Group, 2003 This book presents lessons learned about designing schools and about the process and the planning that are required to align facilities with programs, and architecture with education. The book provides examples of environments shaped by attention to communities’ individual needs, including small schools, project-based learning, and community schools.

Taking School Design to Students http://www.edfacilities.org/pubs/schooldesign.pdf Borden, Rebecca, National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, 2004 This digest describes seven strategies for effectively involving students in school design. These methods include using student artwork, using disposable cameras, hosting student forums, involving students in planning committees, organizing a student design competition, providing design programs during out-of-school hours, and integrating design activities into class work.

Remember the Fundamentals of Healthy School Design Both research and anecdotal evidence have long indicated the importance and psychological benefits of providing natural daylight, appropriate heating/ventilation, and good acoustics in learning environments. These basic considerations should be accounted for when designing a school.

Photo: © Jim Berchert, Courtesy kilpp

The body’s response to light is powerful, and its psychological and physical impact is well documented. In fact, many European countries now require businesses to provide all employees with close proximity to windows and natural light. Providing similar conditions for our students can positively impact their psychological well-being, alertness, and productivity. Similarly, providing adequate temperatures and ventilation throughout the year is critical to student and teacher performance.

Acoustics are an important, but neglected aspect of many school facility projects. The premise is very simple—students must be able to hear easily what their teachers are saying without reverberation or distracting background noise.

Equally, teachers should not be forced to shout to be heard in a classroom. Although most sensitive architects will provide appropriate acoustic treatments for classrooms and gathering spaces, this is often one of the first items that is cut when school projects are over budget.

Resources Acoustics Take the Lead in Classroom Design http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1082.shtm Kollie, Ellen, School Planning and Management, February 2006 Discusses elements of room size, shape, and surfacing and how they affect classroom acoustics. Examples of how to create desirable and mitigate undesirable internal and external acoustical situations are included, as is a brief review of the American National Standards Institute Standard 12.60 regarding classroom acoustics.

Bring It In http://asumag.com/mag/university_bring/ Kennedy, Mike, American School and University, April, 2006 Identifies six principles to follow when developing a school daylighting design. These principles involve building orientation, windows, assessment of tasks to be performed in particular areas, and integration of daylighting with building architecture and systems.

Do School Facilities Affect Academic Outcomes? http://www.edfacilities.org/pubs/outcomes.pdf Schneider, Mark, National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, 2002 This review explores which facility attributes affect academic outcomes the most and in what manner and degree. The research is examined in six categories: indoor air quality, ventilation, and thermal comfort; lighting; acoustics; building age and quality; school size; and class size. The review concludes that school facilities affect learning. Spatial configurations, noise, heat, cold, light, and air quality obviously bear on students’ and teachers’ ability to perform. Needed are clean air, good light, and a quiet, comfortable, and safe learning environment.

The review asserts that this can be and generally has been achieved within the limits of existing knowledge, technology, and materials; it simply requires adequate funding and competent design, construction, and maintenance.

Learning, Lighting, and Color http://www.designshare.com/articles/1/133/ fielding_light-learn-color.pdf Fielding, Randall, DesignShare, 2006 Reviews learning patterns and their connection to visual stimuli. Proper lighting for school entryways and science laboratories is covered, and seven myths about lighting and color in educational architecture are challenged.

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Use Design to Keep Children Safe and Secure In an age when school security is a major concern for schools and parents, many are discovering that design offers potential solutions to these troubling problems. In some cases, design may help make security measures less intrusive to students and more effective, while in other cases it may help change the culture of a place and make it feel more open and secure.

Resources Safe School Design: A Handbook for Educational Leaders Applying the Principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design http://www.transcendingviolence.com/order.htm

At the School of the Future in Philadelphia, students pass their bags through an opening in a wall and pick up their items in another location, never seeing the screening process.

Many additional design strategies exist for making schools more secure and can help foster an environment that promotes learning and openness.

Schneider, Tod; Walker,Hill; Sprague, Jeffrey, ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management, 2000 This document seeks to synthesize, integrate, and make available information regarding Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED). Topics addressed include: characteristics of safe and unsafe schools, causes of vulnerability, and the role of design and technology in creating safer schools, environmental design issues in recent school tragedies, and essential components of safe schools.

The book also provides specific recommendations, information, and forms for conducting a CPTED site assessment.

In addition, designing schools with spaces that promote student-teacher interaction and foster community can create an atmosphere of trust in schools that encourages students to share information with teachers and administrators about potential threats that may exist in the school environment.

Students are often aware of potential problems before they happen, so design that encourages relationships can be an important safety feature.

Safe School Facilities http://www.edfacilities.org/safeschools/index.cfm National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities This website provides a wealth of resources about school safety and security, including a checklist for assessing the safety of new and existing school facilities.

Photo: © Jim Berchert, Courtesy kilpp

School administrators, teachers and designers have also discovered that when a school is designed to promote achievement and is an example of design excellence it leads to a culture of respect for the building itself. Many schools find a correlation between well-designed facilities and lower absentee rates, as well as a decrease in vandalism and behavior problems.

In addition, there is evidence that schools that are designed as “centers of community” experience less vandalism than schools that are isolated from the community. See page 19 to learn more about making your school a “center of community.”

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Integrate Technology into Every Aspect of Learning As demonstrated by the Denver School of Science and Technology, it is best when technology is fully integrated into the school and curriculum, not just added on as hardware and software. From the moment the school design process starts, technology and its role in enhancing learning must be part of the discussion. Computers, wireless Internet access, videoconferencing, interactive whiteboards, and a range of other technology tools offer the potential to transform learning; school-teacher-parent communication; and even the basic functioning of the school building’s security, heating and cooling systems, and lighting.

It is important to remember that kids are “digital natives,” they were born into a digital world where cell phones and computers are commonplace. In this way, they are better able to adapt technology to their needs and use it as a learning tool. In addition to supporting learning, new technologies enhance communication between teachers, students, parents, and the community—for example, many schools operate their own websites where the community can learn more and students and parents can review homework assignments, grades, extracurricular schedules, and other information. Technology also opens doors to students with disabilities and can help close the equity gap between students of various backgrounds.

There are many roadblocks to implementing a plan for technology in schools, including fears about technology becoming quickly out of date and cost issues. Ultimately these concerns may be overcome by effective planning and evaluating the community.

Resources 2006 - 2016 Map of Future Forces Affecting Education http://www.kwfdn.org/map/ KnowledgeWorks Foundation and the Institute for the Future, October 2006 This map presents a forecast of external forces that are important in shaping the context for the future of public education and learning in the next decade; technology is a critical component.

School 2.0 http://www.school2-0.org/ U. S. Department of Education, 2006 School 2.0 is a brainstorming tool designed to help schools, districts and communities develop a common education vision for the future and to explore how that vision can be supported by technology.

School 2.0 provides a “big picture” perspective that allows for a common point of entry so that all community stakeholders can participate.

Elements of the brainstorming tool include a people wheel, the learning ecosystem, horizontal technology layers, supporting elements, and planning and implementation.

Design Your School to be a Textbook for Learning In designing a new school facility or renovating an older one, the building itself can be a resource for educating students. Buildings are complex systems of structural support, geometry, color, ventilation, and technology. At the Denver School of Science and Technology, high school physics students calculate the diameter of columns and learn about how buildings stand up. This is possible because all of the systems in the buildings are in plain sight. This approach to design echoes the trend towards loft-style businesses and homes in many cities.

Other examples of designing a school as a living textbook include creative design features such as a large working sundial, integrating artwork and craft into the building, or creating an outdoor “learning garden” where students can learn about the natural world’s flora and fauna. Such strategies as creating a rooftop playground or garden are both educational and can save a considerable amount of money in locations where land costs are high.

Resources Empowering Learning Through Natural, Human, and Building Ecologies http://www.designshare.com/Research/Kobet/ learning_ecology.htm Kobet, Robert J., DesignShare, 2003 This article asserts that it is critical to understand the connections between human ecology and building ecology to create humane environments that show inspiration and creativity and that also serve diverse needs. It recommends seeking ways to make visible how buildings function and how they are connected to the greater community and environment at large.

The Learning Environment as a Three-Dimensional Textbook http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/10_2/10_2article8.pdf Taylor, Anne, Children’s Environments, 1993 Describes how learning environments can be more educationally and optimally useful if the architecture of the built, natural, and cultural environments are used as teaching tools. Discusses how structures and the surrounding landscape can be used to teach physics, geometry, and other disciplines, enabling students to learn how to evaluate the environment.

“What the Denver School of Science and Technology does as a learning environment is it screams, “Hey, look at me, I’m an active, alive building that has engineered systems … they’re out, they’re visible, they’re in public, and it shows the kids that technology is alive right in their school environment.”

JACKIE SULLIVAN, PROFESSOR, University of Colorado at Boulder and Founding Board Member of the Denver School of Science and Technology

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Provide Personalized Attention in a Small School Environment One of the most powerful predictors of academic success in school environments is the availability of personal attention by teachers and school administrators to students, a situation that is most easily achieved in smaller learning environments.

As demonstrated at the Denver School of Science and Technology, creating a sense of community and collaboration is a task that must both be part of the culture of the school and part of the design of the facility itself. Creating appropriate spaces for different types of interaction and gathering can encourage learning and student achievement.

School districts across the country are consistently faced with the need to create places for students to learn that will accommodate swiftly growing student populations. Although this is a challenge, the benefits of creating small schools can have extraordinary benefits for students and communities.

Even within a larger school building, smaller schools can be carved out to encourage personal interaction. These smaller groupings may function independently during class time, but share facilities such as the cafeteria and library.

Resources Effects of School Size: A Review of the Literature with Recommendations http://www.usca.edu/essays/vol132005/slate.pdf Slate, John; Jones, Craig, University of South Carolina at Aiken, 2005 Summarizes the literature on the effects of school size to describe what is currently known about its relationship to economic efficiency, curricular diversity, academic achievement, and related variables.

Recommendations are made to guide future research and to help educational decision-makers.

Facilities Design Considerations for Small Schools That Share a Building http://www.kwfdn.org/resource_library/_resources/FacilitiesDesignConsiderations.pdf Knowledgeworks Foundation, 2005 Proposes design solutions to promote the success of small schools that share buildings: dedicated space; separate entrances, lobbies, graphics, color schemes, and furnishings; flexibility; a user-driven design process; and school-community partnerships. Scheduling and other management strategies are also covered.

The Hobbit Effect: Why Small Works in Public Schools http://www.ruraledu.org/ Jimerson, Lorna, Rural School and Community Trust, 2006 This paper identifies ten research-based attributes of small schools that are proven to have a positive impact on learning. Among the attributes identified are: greater participation in extra-curricular activities, increased school safety, smaller class size, and wider grade-span configurations.

Small Schools Workshop http://www.smallschoolsworkshop.org/ The Small Schools Workshop is a resource for public schools and school districts engaged in restructuring and whole-school improvement. The Workshop provides guidance and professional development to large public schools that are in the process of restructuring into smaller learning environments.

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Use Your Town, City, and Natural Environment as One Big Classroom At the Denver School of Science and Technology, easy access to a natural environment or outdoor space is a powerful learning opportunity for students. Far from being a source of distraction, students who learn outdoors describe their experience as meaningful and informative. Teachers can incorporate outdoor learning into units about chemistry, physics, literature, botany, and other subjects. The design of a school building should enhance connections to the outdoors, not wall students off from its wonders. Consider creating “outdoor classrooms” that are designed as part of the school’s landscape and are easily accessible from classrooms.

This type of learning experience can be extended to the larger environment around the school, and further to the surrounding region. Urban environments, rural environments, and natural parks all provide countless opportunities for “natural learning” that can help students relate their education to the world itself.

Internships and fellowships with local businesses or charities can also help students learn more and get valuable experience for their future careers. The concept of learning beyond the doors of the classroom should be built into the philosophy and design of a school.

Resources Designing a City of Learning: Paterson, NJ. http://www.tcaup.umich.edu/publications/facultypubs/ designing/designing.html Strickland, Roy, New American School Design Project, 2001 Presents concepts for using public school capital projects as tools for revitalizing a post-industrial American city. It applies the school design and planning strategy called “City of Learning” to historic Paterson, New Jersey. This approach to planning embraces educators’ argument that healthy neighborhoods support successful learning and makes school design and programming holistic by looking beyond the school building to the school setting at the neighborhood, town, and city scales.

Design for Learning: Values, Qualities and Processes of Enriching School Landscapes http://www.asla.org/latis1/LATIS-cover.htm Johnson, Julie, American Society of Landscape Architects, 2000 This paper presents the learning value of school landscapes, as well as design qualities and processes that may enrich these landscapes for children and community.

Schoolyard Learning: The Impact of School Grounds http://www.edc.org/GLG/schoolyard.pdf Israel, Ron, and Kirk Meyer, Education Development Center and Boston Schoolyard Funders Collaborative, 2002 This paper looks at the influence of schoolyards on social development, academic achievement, and on safety and physical well-being.

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Make Your School a Center of Community The concept of “Schools as Centers of Community” is one that has gained widespread support across the country.

The notion that schools should serve as a hub of activity for the community makes sense in both a practical and financial sense. Schools can provide many services that the community needs, while local citizens can also give back to their schools.

For example, while the school is not occupied in the evening, local residents can use the facility as meeting space for extended learning classes. In addition, co-locating a fitness center such as a YMCA with a school can lead to additional community usage and can lead to a savings in construction and tax costs.

Welcoming the community into the school also presents opportunities for learning beyond the classroom through internships, promoting lifelong learning between generations through tutoring and mentoring, and increased support in the community for bond measures supporting local schools.

It is critical that the community feel invested in its schools.

The American Architectural Foundation and KnowledgeWorks Foundation have produced a video case study on Schools as Centers of Community featuring John A. Johnson Elementary School in St. Paul, Minn. Please visit www.archfoundation.org to obtain a copy of this video and accompanying discussion guide.

Resources Catching the Age Wave: Building Schools With Senior Citizens in Mind http://www.edfacilities.org/pubs/agewave.pdf Sullivan, Kevin J., National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, 2002 Examining the trend toward an older U.S. population, this publication discusses why educators and school facility planners should consider designing multipurpose schools that specifically contribute to stronger intergenerational links.

Community Use of Schools http://www.edfacilities.org/rl/community_use.cfm National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities This website provides a resource list of articles and publications about “schools as centers of community” for those who would like more information on various topics.

Schools as Centers of Community: A Citizens’ Guide For Planning and Design http://www.edfacilities.org/pubs/centers_of_community.cfm Bingler, Steven; Quinn, Linda; Sullivan, Kevin. National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, Council of Educational Facility Planners, Building Educational Success Together, Coalition for Community Schools, 2003 This publication outlines a process for planning schools that more adequately addresses the needs of the whole learning community.

It explores six design principles for creating effective learning environments, provides 13 case studies that illustrate various aspects of the six design principles, and examines the facilities master planning process for getting started and organized, including developing and implementing a master plan.

Schools as Centers of Community: A National Search for Excellence http://www.nationalschoolsearch.org/ KnowledgeWorks Foundation Schools as Centers of Community: A National Search for Excellence seeks out exemplary models of schools from across the country that have been built or redesigned to serve not only student’s academic needs but also the community’s needs. After the search is conducted, one school is presented with the Richard W. Riley Award of Excellence.

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HOW TO USE THE VIDEO IN YOUR COMMUNITY Video as a Discussion Tool This section of the resource guide is intended to help you use the video about the Denver School of Science and Technology to help create enthusiasm for school design in your community.

The video can be a force for change; the information below provides some quick tips on how to use the video and how to create meaningful discussions about its contents.

We recommend showing the full-feature video, which has a running time of approximately 15 minutes, to yield more robust discussion. You should spend a few moments considering the most effective way to use the video and this resource guide. People today are time conscious and often have limited attention spans: they appreciate a thoughtful presentation that is productive and efficient.

SMALLER GROUPS A small group is probably the ideal presentation environment, offering both easy interaction and intimacy.

• A gathering of 6 to 12 participants around a conference table, in a discussion circle, or even in a living room can create an ideal environment for viewing and conversation.

• A standard video monitor or television is appropriate for smaller groups.

• Share objectives and a time frame for the discussion with the group in advance. Keep people on track and on schedule.

Viewing Scenarios

• For groups in the “in-between” range (12 to 25 people), you may wish to set up three or four tables in an “in-the-round” configuration so that everyone can see the monitor.

Video-based presentations and discussions typically use one of the following scenarios:

TIPS FOR BOTH LARGE AND SMALL GROUPS

LARGE GROUPS

Whatever the size of the group, keep these ideas in mind:

The story of the Denver School of Science and Technology can make an ideal keynote item or opener for a community gathering, conference, or meeting.

• Media and print materials can be mailed or distributed ahead of time to attendees. You can ask participants to familiarize themselves with the materials before you convene in order to encourage thoughtful discussion.

Numbers will vary, but 25 people can usually watch a video presentation on a standard monitor in a classroom environment. Any group larger than 25 will probably require an audience-style environment with more sophisticated presentation tools, such as microphones, projection systems, and a different facilitation strategy.

Consider the following if you facilitate a group of more than 25 people: • Use your own judgment on whether to try to conduct a group discussion, using the guide, with the entire viewing group, or whether to break out into smaller groups for discussion. Designate facilitators if you decide to break into smaller groups.

• Share objectives and a time frame for the discussion with the group ahead of time. Keep people on track and on schedule.

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• Both the video and the guide can be distributed to interested parties for their use and for background information.

Stimulating an Effective Discussion Those participating in your discussions will be constantly evaluating, weighing, and judging the relevance of the material they are seeing and hearing. Most adult participants tend to:

HOW TO CREATE A BETTER DISCUSSION

• Validate information on the basis of their beliefs and experiences

You can succeed in facilitating a group discussion even if you have little experience in doing so. Keep these guiding principles in mind:

• Have experiences from which to draw • Contribute knowledge and information to the group at large • Be problem centered • Like to share in the planning and facilitation process These attitudes and behaviors can help lead you to a better discussion if they are guided in a constructive direction.

• Encourage participants to collaborate. Encourage them to ask questions, compare experiences, and share solutions with one another.

• Never put anyone on the spot. Interaction should be voluntary and supported by positive reinforcement. You should avoid criticism or judgment.

Encourage everyone to participate without cajoling or embarrassing them.

• Take nothing at face value. Notice the words and phrases people use, and probe by asking, “What do you mean? Could you elaborate on that?”

“This is the most ethnically and economically diverse school in the state.… There is no majority ethnic group in this school. It’s about 46 percent free and reduced school lunch kids. We have everything from homeless kids to kids whose parents have private jets.”

DAVID GREENBERG, FOUNDER, DENVER SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• Ask people to reconcile their contradictions.

Illuminate what people are struggling with. Ask, “How do these two things you’re saying fit together?”

• Periodically summarize for the group what you think people are saying. Say, “This is what I’m hearing.

Do I have it right?”

• Watch out for your own preconceptions and views. It is easy to interject your own opinions and views without even realizing it.

• Highlight contrasting views and concerns. Pointing out contrasts will help people articulate what they really believe and give you a deeper understanding of what they think.

Source: Public Engagement and School Facilities Conversation Workbook, © 2004 : The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, Bethesda, MD, and KnowledgeWorks Foundation, Cincinnati, OH.

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Ground Rules, Tips, and Troubleshooting It helps to include everyone in planning a discussion and in setting expectations. Let people know the timing of the session and what they can expect in terms of breaks, refreshments, and other amenities. Ask for their buy-in with a set of ground rules for your session.

Here is a suggested set of ground rules to share with the group:

GROUND RULES FOR AN EFFECTIVE DISCUSSION HAVE A “KITCHEN TABLE” CONVERSATION. Everyone participates; no one dominates.

THERE ARE NO “RIGHT” ANSWERS. Draw on your own experiences, views and beliefs— you do not need to be an expert.

KEEP AN OPEN MIND. Listen carefully and try to understand the views of those who disagree with you.

HELP KEEP THE DISCUSSION ON TRACK. Stick to the agenda; try not to ramble.

IT IS OKAY TO DISAGREE, BUT DON’T BE DISAGREEABLE. Respond to others with courtesy and respect, even when you disagree.

Source: Public Engagement and School Facilities Conversation Workbook, © 2004 : The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, Bethesda, MD, and KnowledgeWorks Foundation, Cincinnati, OH.

Tips and Troubleshooting Occasionally you will encounter situations or individuals who seem to be inhibiting the kind of discussion you are trying to facilitate. Here are a couple of tips: • Engage everyone from the beginning, if possible.

This will discourage one or two people from dominating the conversation.

• Use an agenda for your discussion and post it for the group to view. If you feel like things are wandering, return to the agenda and move the discussion forward.

• If you’re wandering into the hypothetical or theoretical, ground the group in the practical with a specific example.

The video is a great help in this regard: use the Denver School of Science and Technology as a point of reference for your discussions.

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DISCUSSION ROADBLOCKS ARGUMENTS Arguments can be constructive if they aren’t meanspirited or angry. Find out what’s behind the argument.

Ask why people are disagreeing and get to the bottom of it. Break the tension if necessary with a joke or light remark, and steer conversation back to the agenda.

EXTREME POLITENESS Sometimes groups are so courteous that they fail to generate any significant argument or debate.

This can be as harmful to group productivity as much as a hostile argument. Play devil’s advocate in this situation and bring up different or competing ideas.

BOREDOM If people begin to look distracted, tired, or lost, ask a direct question to bring them back into the conversation. Take a quick break if necessary.

PREOCCUPATION Occasionally one group member will have a pet peeve or grudge and continue to bring it up. If this happens, politely acknowledge the speaker and move on: “I understand where you are coming from, but we need to move on to the next topic.”

RAMBLING Some people simply cannot say what they wish to say in a concise way, and this can dominate the discussion. Keep participants focused by asking them to relate their point to the question.

Source: Public Engagement and School Facilities Conversation Workbook, © 2004 : The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, Bethesda, MD, and KnowledgeWorks Foundation, Cincinnati, OH.

Resources A wealth of information is available to help facilitate and extend a discussion on creating a school designed for learning.

The following organizations provide useful information that may help you delve deeper in your discussions.

RESOURCES School Design Information and Examples American School and University Magazine: www.asumag.com

Organizations Working to Improve School Design

Architectural Record Building Types Study: K–12 Schools: www.archrecord.construction.com/projects/bts/archives/ K-12/default.asp#

American Architectural Foundation: www.archfoundation.org

DesignShare: www.designshare.com

American Institute of Architects Committee on Architecture for Education (AIA/CAE): www.aia.org/cae

Learning By Design: www.asbj.com/lbd

The Big Picture Company: www.bigpicture.org

National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities: www.edfacilities.org

Building Educational Success Together (BEST): www.21csf.org/csf-home/best/best.asp

National Trust for Historic Preservation: www.nationaltrust.org

Council of Educational Facility Planners: www.cefpi.org

SchoolDesigns.com: www.schooldesigns.com

George Lucas Educational Foundation: (Re)Designing Learning Environments: www.edutopia.org/redesigning

School Planning and Management Magazine: www.peterli.com/spm

KnowledgeWorks Foundation: www.kwfdn.org

Green Design and Healthy Schools

New Schools Better Neighborhoods (NSBN): www.nsbn.org Smart Schools, Smart Growth Initiative: www.smart-schools.org United States Environmental Protection Agency School Design Tools: www.epa.gov/iaq/schooldesign

Chicago Center for Green Technology: www.cityofchicago.org/Environment/GreenTech Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS): www.chps.net Healthy Schools Network: www.healthyschools.org United States Green Building Council: www.usgbc.org

“This had to be a noninstitutional feeling school.… It provides a different kind of space and environment, as opposed to going into the standard classroom with drywall and four walls and a suspended grid ceiling…. And it also gives them a place that they want to be in—and if they want to be there, that’s half the battle.”

William McDonough, Sustainable Design Expert: www.mcdonough.com

Community Process and Facilitation The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation: www.theharwoodinstitute.org

SAM MILLER, PROJECT ARCHITECT klipp–architecture.planning.interiors

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The American Architectural Foundation, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, and Target would like to thank the following individuals for their assistance and time in creating this video and resource guide: Jenni Adams, Student, Denver School of Science and Technology Kailah Brewer, Student, Denver School of Science and Technology Courtney George, Marketing Coordinator, klipp–architecture.planning.interiors David Greenberg, Founder, Denver School of Science and Technology Kamaria Hakeem, Student, Denver School of Science and Technology Mark Heffron, Teacher, Denver School of Science and Technology John Hickenlooper, Mayor, City of Denver Erin Jamroz, Student, Denver School of Science and Technology Monica Joseph, Teacher, Denver School of Science and Technology Brian Klipp, FAIA, klipp–architecture.planning.interiors Bill Kurtz, Head of School, Denver School of Science and Technology Nico Lujan, Student, Denver School of Science and Technology Judy Marks, Honorary AIA, Associate Director, National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities Sam Miller, AIA, klipp–architecture.planning.interiors Mickey Mitchell, Teacher, Denver School of Science and Technology Jackie Sullivan, Professor, University of Colorado at Boulder Kevin Sullivan, Writer and Consultant to AAF and KnowledgeWorks Keat Tan, AIA, klipp–architecture.planning.interiors Denise Thompson, Director of Development, Denver School of Science and Technology Katie Wray, Teacher, Denver School of Science and Technology

We would also like to acknowledge the contribution of The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation to the “How to Use the Video in Your Community” section of this resource guide. In particular, the publication Public Engagement and School Facilities Conversation Workbook (Published with KnowledgeWorks Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, 2004) is cited in this guide.

For more information, please visit www.theharwoodinstitute.org.

Cover Photography: Trudy Hutcherson and © Jim Berchert, Courtesy klipp Photography: Trudy Hutcherson, except as noted Video: GVI Design: fuszion Writing: Aaron Smith, American Architectural Foundation

© American Architectural Foundation 2006. All rights reserved.

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ABOUT GREAT SCHOOLS BY DESIGN Great Schools by Design is a national initiative of the American Architectural Foundation (AAF) that seeks to improve the quality of America’s schools and the communities they serve by promoting collaboration, excellence, and innovation in school design.

Throughout the country, Great Schools by Design engages superintendents, architects, teachers, parents, residents, students, local government officials, and other stakeholders in a far-reaching conversation about what must be done to improve the places where children and young adults learn. We strive to help create schools that both support student achievement and serve as centers of community.

AAF and Target are presenting sponsors of Great Schools by Design.

With AAF, KnowledgeWorks Foundation is a partner on the Great Schools by Design video series and was a partner on the National Summit on School Design.

Co-Founding sponsors of Great Schools by Design are McGraw-Hill Construction and Herman Miller, Inc. Additional sponsors include Cisco Systems, Inc., and the American Institute of Architects.

For more information or to order additional copies of this video and resource guide, please visit www.archfoundation.org American Architectural Foundation 1799 New York Ave., NW Washington, DC 20006 Phone: 202.626.7318 Fax: 202.626.7420 Email: info@archfoundation.org www.archfoundation.org