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The New Designs for the Comprehensive High School project used the break-the-mold design-down process to develop a prototype high school. The basic building block of this design is the personal workstation, not the classroom. Combining the personal workstation with the desire for teaming leads to the idea of a small, flexible group space that accommodates several personal workstations. High school students are grouped into approximately 100 pupils and gathered around a resource/production space to facilitate project-focused tasks. Neighborhoods that are virtually stand-alone schools are created. Along with the multiple-use commons, they give students a meaningful environment with a special identity. The flexible studio frees the school organization from the limitations of the physical environment and allows for the complete integration of vocational and academic subject matter. Support staff are located in as friendly and accessible a manner as possible. Learning technology permits information to be everywhere. Instructional material centers, computer rooms, and the problems of scheduling access to them no longer exist. Many places in the design provide for demonstration and display, now an important part of assessment. This design connects students to their surroundings and provides space for the community in the school. (Three tables show hierarchical organization and space requirements. Eleven figures depict relationship diagrams and graphic representations of the new designs.) (YLB)

This report describes a study conducted by the Boulder Valley (Colorado) Public Schools to determine the impact and value of the district's open-space elementary schools as compared to its traditional school buildings with self-contained classrooms. Specifically, the study sought to determine the effects of varying school designs on (1) the attitudes of elementary students, teachers, and parents toward school, (2) classroom atmosphere, structure, and activity, and (3) the academic achievement of students. The study of academic achievement was completed during the 1973-74 school year; all other data for the study were collected between January and June 1975. Data and findings from the surveys are presented and described in separate sections that focus in turn on teachers' attitudes, students' attitudes, classroom atmosphere and activity, parents' attitudes, and academic achievement. A final section presents tables that summarize data for the entire study and discusses implications of the study's findings. The appendix lists the district's 25 elementary schools by building type and contains samples of the various data collection questionnaires. (JG)

While millions of dollars have been spent to build open space schools, relatively few have been allocated to teacher education, inservice training, and followup supervision. If a school district has a genuine commitment to an educational format that stresses student initiative and responsibility, backed by funds for staff development, teachers must be given encouragement. They need support from administrators, board members and parents; aid in developing both a philosophy and rationale for their approach; workshops where they can learn about teaching materials and develop curriculum ideas; and time to share these things with fellow teachers. (Author/MLF)

This paper describes a model of a collaborative inservice education program based on the work of a Teacher Corps Project sponsored jointly by the School of Education at Stanford University and a neighboring junior high school in the San Jose Unified School District. In this model, the power to determine the content of the inservice program resides with the teachers and, because literature reviews have shown that teachers themselves are better inservice educators than administrators and professors, the teachers are also the inservice educators. A case study is used to describe the model and provides a picture of how collaboration between universities and schools can and did take place. Implementation of the model involves: (1) briefing the relevant community on the inservice topic, outlining its dimensions, and correcting any misconceptions; (2) identification of needs by teachers, administrators, parents, students, and inservice educators; (3) summarizing and cataloguing pertinent literature; (4) obtaining additional information from practitioners in the field; (5) selecting and developing appropriate policies; (6) adopting policies; (7) evaluating policies; (8) disseminating information and writing articles for publication. (MM)

Discussed in this paper is how a multi-faceted research strategy was used to investigate the interacting forces existing in open classrooms. Using behavioral mapping, a standardized naturalistic time-sampling technique for quantifying and describing behavior patterns and use of physical space, day long observations of individual children and interviews with children and teachers, data were collected which enabled analysis of classroom environments from a number of perspectives. (Author)

Presented in this paper is a selection of qualitative indices for four educational innovations (cultural pluralism, individualized instruction, open classroom, and team teaching) prepared by participants of a continuing action lab of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Participants estimated that over 65 percent of the curricular and organizational innovations in elementary schools today are falling short of their educational potential. They realized that innovation involves not only instructional materials, equipment, time redistribution, and structure reorganization, but that it involves changes in the behaviors of teachers and pupils. Participants were asked to consider specific teacher and pupil behaviors that should accompany particular innovations and to prepare priority indices for teacher and pupil observable behaviors. These indices were to represent only behaviors that would merit inclusion on a checklist for evaluating the actual classroom success of innovations. The indices were consolidated and converted into a scale conducive to rapid, brief responses that could be used in an informal, self-evaluative manner. For each innovation, indices are provided for teacher and pupil observable behaviors relative to an evaluative rating continuum from one to five (from many observations of desirable indices to many observations of less desirable indices). A brief synthesis of the thinking of the action lab members is offered by way of eight recommendations for change for the consideration of school faculties, curriculum and organization supervisors, teacher educators, and consultants. (MM)

If inservice education is to strongly affect teacher attitudes, it must be given higher priority and made part of the total package of curriculum improvement in schools. To achieve this higher priority, alternative modes for inservice education must be developed and both universities and school systems must find ways to work cooperatively to make inservice part of the regular school day and program. Such a model was developed cooperatively by John Carroll University and the Cleveland Heights-University Heights school district for the purpose of retraining veteran teachers to move from traditional elementary classrooms to new open space elementary schools. The first phase of this project consisted of a needs assessment conducted by the University. This was carried out for each teacher by University consultants, and the final contract, objectives, and schedule were negotiated. Based on this, the second phase consisted of three training days where teachers were released all day to work with consultants on interpersonal relations skills and classroom environment analysis and diagnosis. In the third phase clusters of three to four teachers met for an intensive planning day. Phase four was designated as the simulation experience where teachers and students tried out new environment and teaching learning styles in a simulated setting. Phase five consisted of a day away from the school on the University Campus where teachers and consultants formally evaluated the positive and negative aspects of simulation experience and set future goals. Phase six involved implementation of the program in the new setting based on work done in phase five. (JMF)

The third report of the 'Buildings in Use' study specifically addresses those aspects of a building that directly support user activity. These are areas of 'activity support' exclusive of furniture that include studies of specialized areas and functions within the school as well as storage, classroom display, window usage, and some activity support equipment. Measures in this area include capacity, anthropometric fit, and amount of usage. (Author/MLF)

The purpose of this practicum was to develop and implement a workable program of open campus for the Harriton High School of Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. The first phase of the practicum defined needs and shortcomings, defined objectives, developed a model program of open campus, and evaluated this program. In the second phase of the practicum, a refined program was implemented into the school and the open campus program was evaluated. The evaluation indicated that the model program was successful in terms of fostering student self-discipline and an atmosphere conducive to academic achievement. Also, subsystems related to the program of open campus--attendance, discipline--improved under the program developed. (Author)

The primary objective of this study was to encourage teacher education programs to further the knowledge of the principles, modes of teaching, learning styles, and organization of open education. Procedures used in conducting the study were (1) an analysis of the literature reflecting a theorectical framework within which the components of open education might be identified, (2) an analysis of the literature pertaining to the characteristics of the open classroom at the primary level and the open concept, and (3) a search of current empirical data suggesting the effectiveness of the open education movement for altering elementary school practices. Rationale were presented for open space, nongrading, and multiage grouping. Results from the study suggest that teacher education should make greater use of nontraditional approaches, more instructors should implement nontraditional approaches in their own teaching processes to serve as models for teacher trainees, teacher education programs should make a concerted effort to ensure that teacher candidates comprehend the underlying principles of personalized learning and programs, and initiative should be taken by teacher education programs to establish cooperative programs with schools in developing open environments within their systems through onsite support to the educational community as it develops an individualized approach to learning. (IRT)

Southeast Alternatives describes six elementary and secondary schools -- the result of a 1971 proposal for Federal funding for experimental schools to bridge the gap between experimentation and actual school practice and for evaluation of the effort. Discussion of the mechanics of implementation, including organization, governance and finance, and support facilities, such as the Teacher Center and Television and Media Studio, describes each school in its larger context. Tuttle Contemporary School, placing priority on acquiring basic skills with new techniques in the traditional classroom, Pratt Continuous Progress School providing a self-paced curriculum in basic skills, and Marcy Open School applying developmental concepts and student participation in activity planning to achieve self-confidence -- all provide elementary education in Southeast Minneapolis. The Southeast Free School for students from the age of four aims to build confidence and awareness within students so that they will want to learn necessary skills. Marshall-University High (MUH) School provides education options and experimentation in the school and community. MUH includes a special education program and a transitional program for grades six, seven, and eight. (JH)

Ten hypotheses were tested to evaluate the effects on pupils and teachers of open space construction. Over 2,000 students in open and traditional schools were selected for experimental and "control" groups. Grades 4 and 7 pupils were selected specifically since major data indicative of academic achievement were drawn from the County Testing Program that was administered to all grades 4 and 7 students. In addition to these tests, questionnaires were sent to teachers and principals of schools involved in the study and to about 500 parents. Study findings indicate in part that there are no significant differences in achievement between students in open plan and traditional design schools, and that students from traditional design schools express significantly more positive attitudes about the nonphysical and physical aspects of their learning environment than do students in open plan schools. (Appendixes may reproduce poorly.) (MLF)

This two-phase study identifies the techniques used by teachers in their classrooms to arouse and maintain the attention and interest of their students (student engagement). During the first phase (reported in another document), 24 third- and fourth-grade teachers and their students in nine elementary schools in low-income communities were the subjects of an investigation examining the principal influences on student engagement including: (a) student characteristics; (b) contextual variables; (c) teacher attitudes toward open space, classroom organization, and control ideology; (d) global teacher strategies; and (e) specific teacher strategies. During the second phase, 15 teachers were observed in a single school, including grades K-6, that moved from self-contained classrooms to a new open-space building. Eight observations were made in each architectural condition. Major findings are that; (a) teacher behavior accounts for a large proportion of variance in student engagement; (b) specific and global teacher strategies are strongly related to level of engagement; (c) teacher attitudes are associated with level of engagement; (d) classroom architecture is not strongly related to level of engagement but is associated with the pattern of classroom organization and teacher-student interaction; (e) student characteristics have little or no correlation with engagement levels; (f) the pattern of classroom organization affects engagement and interacts with classroom architecture in its effects on student behavior; and (g) there is extreme variability in student and teacher behavior in the classroom. (Author)

This report examines the Ford Foundation's efforts in developing and implementing alternative schools to the public schools or in providing seed money to new alternatives designed for public support. The publication begins with a look at the origin of the alternative school movement and then describes several kinds of school alternatives assisted by the Foundation in recent years, such as the Philadelphia Parkway Program, a school without walls; the East Harlem Block Schools, two day-care centers and a private elementary school scattered in three large storefronts in different locations; and the Massachusetts Experimental School System, established as a model for other school systems in the State. The Foundation advocates public funding as the long-term solution to the question of survival for most alternative schools. (Photographs may reproduce poorly.) (Author/DN)

This final evaluation report of two ESEA Title III projects conducted by the Training Center for Open-Space Schools, District of Columbia, contains detailed descriptions of the projects' evaluation design, evaluation methods, results, conclusions, and recommendations. Continued on-site training, freedom of choice for teachers, and human relations training are emphasized in the recommendations. Tables of data and examples of data-gathering forms are appended. Some charts may reproduce poorly. (DW)

This study was designed to test four groups of pupils entering the second grade in the York County School Board area--two groups in open schools and two in traditional schools--chosen because of the similarity in the schools' size and location and in the socioeconomic status of the pupils. The students were tested once each year for three years and comparative data were analyzed for 198 subjects who were in the same schools throughout the three years. Results showed no consistent differences in curiosity and creativity between the two types of school systems. However, there was an increasing difference between the students of the two types of schools in their attitude toward schooling. This difference favored the open school system. (Author)

This study concerns the diffraction of sound around flexible partitions used in teaching spaces. It includes a comprehensive study of the acoustical conditions in several school buildings in India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. The noise reduction properties of some typical partitions the minimum height of the partition between two teaching spaces, the material of the partitions, and the position of chalk-boards were some of the important factors considered in the study. Noise levels prevailing in the classrooms of different countries were also measured. (Author/MLF)

The World of Inquiry School (WOIS) derived its impetus from the wish to demonstrate that quality integrated urban education was both feasible and practical. The aim was to create a school in which the ethnic mix of the student body was a microcosm of the ethnic mix of the larger community. In addition, a new organizational school system, modeled after the interest area format of informal British primary schools, was an integral part of the proposed educational plan. The school was funded as part of a larger federal project, Project UNIQUE, that was initiated by the Superintendent of the Rochester City Schools. The school was located in an inner city building in Rochester. The faculty was chosen for teaching skill, interest in innovative education, and for special knowledge and skills such as art, science, and manual arts. In planning the school, rooms were set aside as interest areas devoted to art, science, crafts, etc., but contained many other materials and activities as well. Children were assigned to family rooms in the morning and were allowed to choose the interest area of their choice in the afternoon. A family room teacher is primarily responsible for the basic instruction in language arts skills and number skills. He individualizes instruction and keeps records of each pupil's progress in the major subject areas. (Author/JM)

This study attempts to evaluate Toronto-area schools built using the Study of Educational Facilities (SEF) building system from the standpoint of the teachers and students who use the schools. While the SEF building system did not dictate an open-space plan, all local school boards in the Toronto area designed their SEF schools with varying degrees of open space. Emphasis of the study was on analyzing students' and teachers' reactions to open-plan schools, rather than to SEF schools as such; however, only SEF schools were included in the survey. An extensive questionnaire was administered to a sample of 979 grade five and grade eight students from 22 SEF schools to determine their attitudes toward the open educational program and building design. A longer and more sophisticated questionnaire was completed by 535 of the 586 professional staff members at the same 22 schools. Responses to the different questionnaire items are presented in graph and table form, grouped in separate chapters according to subject matter. Replicas of the student and teacher questionnaires and sample floor plans of several SEF schools are included in the appendix. (JG)

Limited to a comparison of one open school and one traditional school, this study was performed to empirically assess the claims of open classroom proponents. Approximately 250 students in grades 1 through 6 of two elementary schools, one utilizing an open classroom instructional program and the other a traditional instructional program, comprised the sample in the two-year study which focused on the assessment of the comparative effects of the two instructional programs upon three student variables: (1) self-concept, (2) attitude toward school, and (3) achievement of basic skills. Measurement of these variables were accomplished by the use of the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale and the Pictorial Self-Concept Scale, the "Faces" Inventory, and the Stanford Achievement Test. Pretests on the three variables were administered in May and June of 1972; posttests were administered in May and June of 1974. Analysis of covariance was used to analyze this data. In addition, data related to teacher attitudes and classroom environment and practices was collected and analyzed. Results do not provide support for any conclusive comprehensive statements concerning the relative effectiveness of the open or traditional instructional program. However, there was evidence to suggest that the open classroom instructional program effected positive changes in the affective areas of self-concept and attitude toward school. Students in both instructional programs performed equally well in the achievement of basic skills. (Author/RC)

This report, representing a 12-month case study of a new Scottish primary school, draws together educational issues concerning problems and possibilities of open-plan schooling by locating them in the day-to-day work of a particular open-plan school. During 70 days of field work, the researcher spent time observing classes, interviewing parents, children and teachers, and collecting comments on preliminary drafts of the final report. The first part of the report contains an introduction and seven essays: Becoming an Open Plan School; Open Plan Schools Past and Present; First Days at School (the experiences of one class and their teacher); The Case of the Missing Chairs (the relationship between teaching techniques and material resources); All Work and No Play? (the changing character of the primary school curriculum); Episodes of School Life (a day in the life of a pupil, teacher and class); The Logic of the Open Plan School (a theoretical integration of the architectual and educational use of the term 'open plan'). Research documents and methodological appendices comprise the second part of the report. (Author/MS)

Four evaluation instruments were used to assess the impact of inservice and preservice training in open education techniques experienced by four teacher groups. The Semantic Differential Scale was used to determine teacher attitudes on the concepts of behavior modification, team teaching approach, parental involvement, self-contained classrooms, open space, evaluation, and inservice training. A 50-item questionnaire was administered to ascertain teacher perceptions of openness. A third instrument was used to rate open space facilities and obtain suggestions for improvement. The final item was a team teaching survey. Analysis of the data is presented by each instrument followed by findings, conclusions, and recommendations. (MLF)