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PAUL ABRAMSON'S COLUMN ON SCHOOL PLANNING
This is a compilation of Paul Abramson's knowledgeable and provocative "A Final Thought" column, as published in School Planning and Management magazine. Abramson is an educational consultant working with school districts on facilities and planning issues. 
Don't Skimp on Classroom Size.Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v47 n7 , p54 ; Jul 2008
Recommends classrooms of at least 900 square feet, in order to provide sufficient space for current teaching modalities.
Pods vs. Corridors.http://www.peterli.com/spm/resources/articles/archive.php?article_id=1857 Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v47 n6 , p72,7382 ; Jun 2008
Advocates for the organization of classrooms around open, or common, spaces, noting the requirements for and advantages of the open space.
A Design Today with Tomorrow in Mind.
http://www.peterli.com/spm/resources/articles/archive.php?article_id=1820 Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v47 n5 , p78 ; May 2008
Advocates design of schools to accommodate evolution in instructional methods, including elimination of double-loaded corridors, a minimum of 900 square feet per classroom, and accommodation of small learning communities.
Making Schools Green Inside, as Well as Out.
http://www.peterli.com/spm/resources/articles/archive.php?article_id=1769 Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v47 n4 , p114 ; Apr 2008
Recommends examination of procedures and behaviors within schools that spread germs and pollution, and which require no facility modification to remedy.
How Inflation Erodes School Construction.
Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v47 n3 , p70 ; Mar 2008
Illustrates how the record $20.7 billion spent on school construction in 2007 is actually less, in real dollars, than in 1974, due to inflation.
A Chance to Change Codes.
http://www.peterli.com/spm/resources/articles/archive.php?article_id=1703 Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v47 n2 , p74 ; Feb 2008
Laments the negative effect of some state codes on innovative school design, and proposes participation in an upcoming conference to help resolve the problem.
Providing the Tools for a 21st Century Education.
Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v47 n1 , p110 ; Jan 2008
Analyzes recent statistics on cost and size of new high school construction in the U.S., with many costing close to $100 million. Size, space per student, and construction costs in particular states are cited as reasons.
A Classroom's Size Determines Its Capacity.
Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v46 n12 , p54 ; Dec 2007
Reviews the evolution in classroom capacity as educational programming has changed and offers a contemporary formula for determining a classroom's capacity based on its size and the furnishings, technology, and storage that accompany a proper learning environment.
Spending Dollars for Excellence.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1656.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v46 n11 , p58 ; Nov 2007
Responds to a New York state program to give extra funding to school districts, to be spent on any of five strategies to improve student achievement. The author considers the positive and negative aspects of each strategy, discusses how the districts are planning to use the money, and the often-unfunded facility implications of some of the strategies.
Making a Problem an Opportunity.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1623.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v46 n10 , p66 ; Oct 2007
Reviews options to relieve school crowding, including staggered scheduling and releasing deserving seniors to independent study or college classes.
More Security in Smaller Schools?
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1546.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v46 n7 , p62 ; Jul 2007
Highlights the higher incidence of student apathy and absenteeism in larger schools, and the opportunity for increased safety in smaller learning environments, where anonymity is unlikely, and responsible team of adults can know and care for a manageable number of students with whom they have regular contact.
Importance of an Educated Community.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1365.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v46 n5 , p70 ; May 2007
Encourages the inclusion of community and faculty in school planning. A significant part of this process includes educating people the community as to what is current in education, what this implies for their new space, and what is possible for the type of facility they seek.
A Giant Half Step.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1314.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v46 n3 , p70 ; Mar 2007
Reviews possibilities for contemporary classroom arrangement when a more traditional "double-loaded corridor" school design is desired. Size of classrooms, technology integration, and clustering configurations are covered.
Money Concerns Come First.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1278.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v46 n2 , p74 ; Feb 2007
Reviews some situations where cost-saving schemes have inappropriately superceded educational concerns.
Putting a Lock on Students.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1285.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v46 n1 , p98 ; Jan 2007
Laments situations where students are locked into classrooms and out of public libraries for safety reasons and proposes school design and use solutions that might help.
Shared Maintenance?
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1246.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v45 n12 , p46 ; Dec 2006
Advises small school districts to consider joining together to engage permanent maintenance teams that provide consistent service, rather than to individually engage local contractors who build no history with the school's facilities.
Tag,You're It!
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1225.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v45 n11 , p50 ; Nov 2006
Laments limitations placed on children's schoolyard activity due to liability concerns. Safe playground equipment, proper supervision, schoolyard behavior indoctrination, and tolerance for occasional accidents is recommended.
Learning from the Past?
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1236.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v45 10 , p78 ; Oct 2006
Recounts the effect of the "baby boom" on school construction, followed by that of the decline of births beginning in the mid 1960's. Insights on interpreting current record enrollments is offered, with some districts reporting growth and others decline. Deficiencies in the standard cohort survival method of predicting enrollment are attributed to rapidly changing local economics and housing patterns.
Get the Most from Your Architect.
Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v45 n8 , p54 ; Aug 2006
Advises school districts on preparations that should be made before interviewing architects. A long-range plan including the numbers of students, educational program, and modes of instruction should be completed that also includes grade configurations, technology integration, and community use.
Penny-wise Decisions.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1168.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v45 n7 , p70 ; Jul 2006
Details statistics indicating a sharp rise in school laboratory accidents when less than 60 square feet per student is provided, indicating that attempts to save money by cutting space in laboratories is not only unwise, but unsafe.
Imminent Challenges.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1162.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v45 n6 , p66 ; Jun 2006
Suggests ways to create smaller learning units without losing some of the opportunities that large schools provide, emphasizing ways to use schools as community centers that accommodate a variety of non-school spaces and uses.
Giving Students Some Space.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1138.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v45 n5 , p58 ; May 2006
Discusses increases in space-per-pupil since 1970, and advocates determining space provision according to the educational program, rather than arbitrary space goals and figures reflecting national or regional averages.
Wood Shops and Math Scores.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1127.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v45 n4 , p38 ; Apr 2006
Narrates a situation where a high school wood and metal shop was eliminated to house more academic offerings and improve test scores. Test scores declined, and after several years, it was felt that the loss of the shop had deprived students challenged in math the opportunity to apply mathematical concepts. The shops are scheduled to be restored in the district's planned new construction.
Who's Maintaining What?
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1092.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v45 n3 , p62 ; Mar 2006
Reviews types of maintenance underway in public schools, with categories of work reported as percentages of overall maintenance projects.
A Good Resource.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1087.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v45 n2 , p66 ; Feb 2006
Suggests ways to help establish autonomous territories for small schools within larger facilities, even when cost constraints prohibit true separation of the schools. The use of interior building elements, distributed laboratories and cafeterias, and color identity are described.
A Demographic Projecting Wrinkle.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1052.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v45 n1 , p86 ; Jan 2006
Describes projecting school enrollment by examining ethnic trends, which may help produce accurate forecasts for school districts of any size, especially when the majority population is in decline, but immigration is increasing.
Separate in Space and Concept.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1039.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v44 n12 , p38 ; Dec 2005
Describes why each small school within a larger facility must have its own entrance, cafeteria/commons, lavatories, and administrative center.
From Small School to Harvard.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/1016.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v44 n11 , p46 ; Nov 2005
Cites the case of a New York City high school student that was lost in a system of large schools, but found support in an small alternative school that enabled her to gain entrance to Harvard.
Beware the Cost Cutters.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/994.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v44 n10 , p54 ; Oct 2005
In virtually every school construction project, there comes a time when the desires of the educators clash with the realities of the budget. Typically, construction managers and architects point out opportunities for savings. Unfortunately, they do not always weigh the educational consequences of their choices, and this article advises protection of educational programs when budget-cutting is in progress.
Putting Facilities into Words.
Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v44 n8 , p50 ; Aug 2005
Describes the movement away from the double-loaded corridor plan for elementary schools and recommends consideration of the concepts described in the publication The Language of School Design.
Computer Labs in Elementary Schools?
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/940.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v44 n7 , p54 ; Jul 2005
Advocates combined computer labs adjacent to libraries in elementary schools, preferably with glass between them for acoustical separation that doesn't limit visibility. Stand-alone computer labs require additional staffing and are too easily usurped when more classroom space is needed. Single computers dispersed throughout the classroom are too likely to go unused.
Providing Space for the Future.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/943.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v44 n6 , p67 ; Jun 2005
Advises against designing new schools with per-pupil space allowances that mirror older schools within the same district, simply out of a desire for parity or to meet minimum state standards.
The End of Kindergarten As I Knew It?
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/925.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v44 n5 , p46 ; May 2005
Describes a shift in kindergarten curriculum away from play-based learning to stricter teaching of reading and writing.
Closing Up an Open School.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/917.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v44 n4 , p62 ; Apr 2005
Describes an open school that parents, and some teachers, want to divide into classrooms. The infrastructure of the school must be repaired, but common areas work well as they are and certain aspects of the open plan work well with the educational program.
Is This Educationally Sound?
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/879.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v44 n3 , p62 ; Mar 2005
Describes the potential loss of exploratory courses that stimulate students and may encourage their efforts in the core curriculum.
How Small Is Too Small?
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/854.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v44 n2 , p62 ; Feb 2005
Describes ways that small schools can be as viable as large schools in their curricular offering by providing students with technology, flexible space, access to local resources, and abandoning lock-step scheduling.
Are You Providing Enough Space?
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/798.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v43 n12 , p42 ; Dec 2004
Reviews the increase of square footage per student from 1970 to today due to accommodation of technology, special needs students, and on-site service providers.
Alternative Funding and Community Schools.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/783.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v43 n11 , p46 ; Nov 2004
Suggests ways that a school district can create a community school with shared use and costs by partnering with community organizations at the outset, when the need for a school is presented, rather than just opening certain areas of the school to community use after it is completed, and expecting widespread community support in return.
A Few Common School Issues.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/758.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v43 n10 , p62 ; Oct 2004
Describes four problems that all school systems seem to face at some point: how to plan and design middle schools, how to accommodate updated science instruction, how to include special education students in regular classes, and how to effectively use open space.
Using Schools in Summer.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/717.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v43 n8 , p46 ; Aug 2004
Advocates the use of school buildings during the Summer for diverse programs, not just remedial education. Adding these three months to the building's use will help justify building a quality building and air-conditioning it.
Where is LEED Leading Us?
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/709.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v43 n7 , p54 ; Jul 2004
Reviews misconceptions about requirements for LEED certification, affirms the values of LEED schools, and advocates designing around the educational program first, and then adjusting the school building to meet LEED requirements.
If Small is Best, Why Stay Large?
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/700.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v43 n6 , p87 ; Jun 2004
Discusses the continuing trend to build large high schools, the reasons generally given for building them, and the mixed results of creating small schools within large ones.
Problems with Middle Schools.
Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v43 n5 , p63 ; May 2004
Describes attributes of successful and unsuccessful middle school programs, and proposes that if a middle school program is wrong, then merely switching to a K-8 arrangement will not make a difference.
Time to Go in a New Direction.
Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v43 n4 , p35 ; Apr 2004
Describes three innovative high school facilities: 1) Fort Millennium High School, which occupies two floors of a Manhattan office building, 2) Noble High School in North Berwick, Maine, which organizes a 1500-student facility into fifteen 100-student small schools, and 3) a combination continuing education high school/community center/Head Start facility in Arlington, Virginia.
Plan Ahead for School Housing Needs.
Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v45 n3 , p51 ; Mar 2004
Advocates an overall school housing master plan that includes demographic analysis, respects the needs and desires of the community, and considers what is ultimately in the long-term best interests of the children.
Ideally, Inefficient Use is Best.
Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v43 n2 , p75 ; Feb 2004
Suggests general guidelines for estimating middle and high school capacity by calculating the percentage of time during the day that each room is occupied.
Remembering the Lessons of the 70's.
Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v43 n1 , p79 ; Jan 2004
Compares the increase in per pupil energy costs during the energy crisis of the 1970's with a comparable increase during the 2000's. Similarities indicate that energy awareness programs from the 1970's should be re-implemented.
Redistribute Classrooms, Not Students.
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/452.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v42 n7 , p50 ; Jul 2003
Supports the idea of intermingling subject areas within a building, so that the students do not travel as far, the teachers teach as a team, and the school feels smaller.
Can You Cut Budgets and Improve Programs?
http://www.peterli.com/archive/spm/422.shtm Abramson, Paul School Planning and Management; v42 n2 , p71 ; Feb 2003
Presents ideas for creative planning ahead to provide equal or better services at lower costs, particularly in a situation where budget cuts are inevitable.
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