Cheryl Capozzoli
SLE 704
Ed Facilities Article Review
8/7/12
In reading the education facilities planning articles, it’s not difficult to see how some are already
shaping what we do in our school facilities. A trend with high impact, school choice or options in
educating children, is having significant changes in public education as well as school level
planning. When thinking about possible enrollment within a district or school, a superintendent
would have a difficult time estimating fluctuations in student enrollment numbers since parents
continue to opt for new forms of schooling for their children. A superintendent would need to
plan for facility upgrades or new designs that create more flexible learning options for students.
They would need to design schools that were more universally accessible. Blended learning
options would be necessary in planning for the current and future students.
Teacher preparation and staff development for the effective use of technology will become high
priorities (p.3, 2007). After seven years, one would think that this trend prediction would have
been more significant by 2012. Yet sadly enough it is still not in a consistent forefront of
education. Technology has created efficiency at so many levels in education systems. With its
continued power to enhance the system to even greater heights, we will be faced with building
and sustaining more robust infrastructures and flexibility for use of digital resources for staff and
students. Facility infrastructure planning would need to be included in a superintendent’s efforts
to upgrade buildings. Seamless and timely access to district level information is essential in
today’s schools. Technology is also expanding virtual learning options with some cost savings.
Flexible learning environments are becoming the norm in today’s schools. We will not need the
facilities once used to house thousands of students and staff during the same time. A
superintendent will need to stay informed about growth of and demand for e-learning
Cheryl Capozzoli
SLE 704
Ed Facilities Article Review
8/7/12
opportunities and practices. We must plan for schooling experiences that better meet the needs
of today’s students.
Schools are also being required to be accessible facilities and must provide instructional
accommodations for all students. Learning needs are diverse and school buildings must be
upgraded to code. A superintendent must be ready to upgrade as requirements change and
expand. Although learning styles are also being considered in student learning experiences, I
have not witnessed trend to transform facilities in many schools today. As much as the articles
indicate the trends, there has been little done to rapidly redesign school environments in the
last decade. School reform initiatives led by state politicians are not in congruence with many of
these trends. Learner centered or more specialized schooling options are occurring in new
school designs, but as charters expansions not so much public education. Many of the newer
options are offering more diverse and personalized learning options for students.
To enhance their scores on state or national tests, students may be
required, for instance, to sign up for a second course in math rather than
taking art as an elective. Even students doing well in math or science may be
encouraged to take more math and science, rather than non-academic
electives, to raise their school’s academic profile. As schools increase the
focus on traditional academic subjects, demand for music, art, vocational
courses, and even physical education may diminish. (p. 3, 2007)
This trend is happening at such a rapid pace and to the detriment of our students. More and
more schools are eliminating the so called non-essentials to decrease budget expenditures. As a
measure of cutting costs, we are depleting our students of some of the most essential learning
opportunities. As superintendent, I would not cut these types of courses, but try to build
interdisciplinary courses by weaving them into core content areas. Opportunities for co-teaching
and project based learning could be established through creative curricular planning and
professional development. Students would benefit from such innovative instructional
approaches and be exposed to well balanced 21st Century K-12 schooling experiences. It is
Cheryl Capozzoli
SLE 704
Ed Facilities Article Review
8/7/12
critical for a superintendent to pay close attention to the trends shaping our world in order to
leverage the resources creating those trends to ultimately drive effective institutional practices
and facilities.
Cheryl Capozzoli
SLE 704
Ed Facilities Article Review
8/7/12
References:
Stevenson, K. (2007). Educational Facilities Shaping School Planning and
Design. National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities. Retrieved August 7,
2012, from www.ncef.org/pubs/trends2007.pdf
Stevenson, K. (2007). Educational Facilities within the Context of a
Changing 21st Century America. National Clearinghouse for Educational
Facilities. Retrieved August 7, 2012, from www.ncef.org/pubs/trends2007.pdf