10 Steps to Success
Dec 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Mike Kennedy (mkennedy@asumag.com)
Even in a struggling economy, schools and universities can provide stimulating and appealing learning spaces.
Learning Climate
Many educators believe that the number of students in a classroom is a critical factor in bolstering student achievement, especially in the primary grades. But having fewer students per classroom means that schools need more teachers — and the money to pay them. Education institutions strapped for funds are finding it difficult to meet the class-size-goals mandate that states have imposed.
In Georgia earlier this year, Gov. Sonny Perdue acquiesced to budget pressures and agreed to grant waivers for the next two years for school districts who can't meet the state's class-size mandates.
Smaller schools are another way that districts are trying to create improved learning conditions. Throughout the nation, small-school advocates have launched programs to create smaller schools.
"Small schools provide a personalized learning environment where students work on complex projects, study multidisciplinary topics, meet high expectations, and effectively demonstrate what they know and can do," says the Oregon Small Schools Initiative. "Students in small schools are also more engaged in the life of the school — they participate in more extracurricular activities and report feeling a part of shaping a positive school culture."
Renaissance 2010 — Chicago's plan for creating new, high-quality schools and phasing out failing campuses — calls for most new schools to have small student populations. Since 2005, the district has opened 76 Renaissance 2010 schools.
"National and local research has demonstrated conclusively that students achieve more and are more likely to graduate and go on to college in a small school," the school district says. "Accordingly, most high schools created through Renaissance 2010 should be no more than 600 students in grades 9 through 12."
Appealing
Despite the dismal economy, educators and administrators should strive to make their facilities inviting and aesthetically pleasing spaces where students and staff feel welcome. Many new schools are including spaces where students can gather informally and interact outside the more formal setting of the classroom.
Some high schools, seeing students flock to Starbuck's and similar operations before and after classes, have opened coffeehouses and cyber cafes in their own buildings to keep the caffeine-fueled discussions and Internet surfing on campus.
For colleges and universities that continually are competing for students, creating appealing spaces applies not only to a student's academic life, but also to a 24-hour existence that includes food, shelter and recreation. That means residence halls that provide amenities that students have come to expect in their home lives, such as apartments and suites that offer more privacy than housing from previous generations, and dining options more diverse and flexible than the typical institution food service of the past.
Technology
As students change the way they tap into information and communicate with their classmates and friends, the learning environment should be able to adapt to their preferences. Laptop computers and miniature devices such as iPods are becoming de rigueur equipment for the 21
For many education institutions, that means establishing wireless Internet access on their campuses so students and staff can have immediate access to online sources of information. Interactive whiteboards are supplanting chalkboards and overhead projectors, and giving instructors new ways to present material to students. The growing reliance on laptops, cell phones, MP3 players and other mobile devices will require abundant and easy-to-access electrical connections to keep appliances charged and operating.
Mike Kennedy, staff writer, can be reached at mkennedy@asumag.com.
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