What’s Driving Today’s School Bond Referendum Efforts? Part 1

By Tony Sjolander, Director of Project Planning and Development, Kraus-Anderson

A national leader in K-12 school construction, Kraus-Anderson constructed more than $1 billion in school facilities during the previous five years and ranked sixth nationally in Building Design + Construction. The team works with school districts early in facility planning to evaluate options, address questions and provide informed pre-referendum guidance.

So, what is a district’s why?

School districts often answer that strategic question with a purpose such as: “To educate and prepare children to succeed now and in a postsecondary world that is changing faster than ever.”

For many districts, the vision, mission and strategic goals established by the board of education and administration guide how education is delivered today and how it may be delivered in the future. Each district’s approach reflects its unique priorities and community. It may look very different from that of a neighboring district.

The difference between a district’s current learning environment and its desired future state is often influenced by the physical spaces where students learn.

Three Common Threads

 

When evaluating the effect of facilities on a district’s ability to deliver education, three common considerations emerge:

  • Educational adequacy
  • Building condition
  • Building capacity

Educational adequacy addresses how learning spaces support educators in providing an effective learning experience for students. Measures of educational adequacy often relate to Bloom’s Taxonomy, which includes critical, creative and innovative thinking skills. Students use six cognitive processes:

 

  • Remember
  • Understand
  • Apply
  • Analyze
  • Evaluate
  • Create

Collaboration Is Key

Another measure of educational adequacy is collaboration and teamwork among students and staff. This is closely connected to social and emotional learning.

Evolving pedagogy and program expansion also affect how districts define educational adequacy. Kraus-Anderson is seeing increased interest in project-based learning, or learning by doing. In this approach, students apply principles and knowledge to develop solutions.

Traditional lecture-style classrooms are giving way to makerspaces, hackerspaces and fab labs: creative environments that support exploration, experimentation, building and collaboration.

Learning stairs at Alexandria High School in Alexandria, Minnesota.

Adaptable Learning Environments

Learning spaces are increasingly designed for flexibility, adaptability and reconfiguration. They can accommodate small and large groups, multiple teaching methods and changing program needs.

Movable walls, mobile furniture, portable computing devices, learning lounges and corridors designed for learning all reflect the need to support enhanced programming and future needs that may not yet be defined.

STEM and STEAM are also shaping educational adequacy. These approaches integrate science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics to support applied learning and problem solving.

Modern learning environments may include:

  • Individualized learning that shifts emphasis from teacher-centered instruction to student-centered learning.
  • Academies, small learning communities and magnet schools that help students explore personal interests in preparation for postsecondary education and careers.
  • Flipped classrooms, where students view lecture content outside class and use classroom time for discussion or project work.
  • Micro-schools, which use a school-within-a-school strategy within larger public schools.
  • Learning spaces that reflect workplace environments in business and industry.
  • Digital learning that allows students to use technology inside or outside the school building through decentralized, cloud-based resources.

Supporting Special Education and Community Use

 

Educational adequacy also includes meeting the needs of students with physical, developmental and mental disabilities. Inclusive learning environments can help accommodate different learning styles, support services and accessibility requirements.

Community space is another important consideration. Commons areas, auditoriums, athletic facilities and other amenities can serve the broader community, not only PK-12 students and staff.

Educational adequacy is one of several factors districts may evaluate when planning facility improvements and bond referenda. Learn more about K-12 construction, referendum support, school bond referendum drivers and inclusive learning spaces for special education students.

Next: A look at building condition and building capacity as drivers of school construction and referendum efforts.

CATEGORY: Innovation