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This research project examined how educational facilities are perceived and used by the occupants. It sought to inform the design of effective learning environments in elementary schools through a heightened awareness of the needs of the occupants and an understanding of how they use their school facilities. Project objectives included the following: (1) to increase awareness of the needs of facility users by encouraging a dialogue between designers, educators, and facility occupants; (2) to develop a knowledge base that will lead to the design of effective learning environments; and (3) to assemble a set of visual examples of effective learning environments that can be used as a resource to facilitate communication between architects and educators. The project involved the case study of three elementary schools: Irwin Avenue Open Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina; Grasonville Elementary School in Grasonville, Maryland; and Cougar Elementary School in Manassas Park, Virginia. In addition to detailed building descriptions with photographs, significant findings were: (1) a sense of community at multiple scales provides students with a sense of belonging and a sense of place; (2) functional spaces that allow for multiple uses and a variety of tasks encourage students to make choices for themselves, fostering the development of individual responsibility; and (3) experiential learning takes place when a student is engaged in an activity; active participation allows students to apply what they learn and helps them define their interests, thereby contributing to a sense of self. Implications for designers are also discussed. Appendices contain interview questions, the survey instrument, and school floor plans. (EV)

This document provides a case study of the renovation of Johnson-Williams Middle School in Clarke County, Virginia. Chapter 1, "Planning and Designing a School Renovation," describes considerations for measuring the quality of a school renovation project, including its value to users and its imapct on learning. It summarizes the research methods and rationale used in this study of the renovation, presents the condition of the school prior to renovation, and articulates the planning phases of the construction processes. It concludes by delineating the projected outcomes and expected benefits of the renovation project to its stakeholders. Chapter 2, "Undertaking the Construction Process," discusses the guiding principles of the project and the punch-list phase of construction. Chapter 3, "Outcomes of Renovation," discusses the results of the renovation in terms of industry standards of renovation quality, user perceptions of facility quality, changes in social interactions and school relationships, and student achievement outcomes. The concluding chapter provides thoughts on educational facilities research and implementing school renovation. Appendices contain a list of the primary sources and architectural plans of Johnson-Williams Middle School. (Contains 102 references.) (EV)