Dollars & Sense II - Architects of Achievement

174 Pages·2005·2.75 MB·English

dollars
&
SENSE II
Lessons from Good, Cost-Effective Small Schools
By Barbara Kent Lawrence, Ed.D
Paul Abramson
Victoria Bergsagel
Steven Bingler
Barbara Diamond, J.D.
Thomas J. Greene,
Bobbie Hill
Craig Howley, Ed.D
David Stephen
Elliot Washor, Ed.D
Copyright © 2005 by KnowledgeWorks Foundation. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this pub-
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To order a copy of this publication free of charge, please contact KnowledgeWorks
Foundation, Concordia, or Architects of Achievement.
KnowledgeWorks Foundation
One West Fourth Street, Suite 200
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Architects of Achievement
7900 E Green Lake Dr. N, Suite 212
Seattle, Washington 98103
Telephone: [phone]¶
Fax: [phone]
Website: www.archachieve.org
Concordia, LLC
201 Saint Charles Avenue, Suite 4314
New Orleans, Louisiana 70170
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Website: www.concordia.com
Acknowledgement: With thanks to Dollars & Sense, a magazine that covers economic
issues from a progressive point of view, for permission to use the title Dollars & Sense
for this publication. For more information about the magazine, please visit
http://www.dollarsandsense.org.
Funding for this publication was provided by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and
KnowledgeWorks Foundation.
Sponsors
KnowledgeWorks Foundation is committed to furthering universal access to high-quality
educational opportunities for individuals to achieve success and for the betterment of society.
The Foundation provides funding and leadership for education initiatives throughout Ohio. What
makes the Foundation unique is its multi-faceted approach to education philanthropy: we fund,
facilitate, and do. The Foundation believes the approach of investing, supporting, and actively
participating maximizes the results of improving education. The Foundation is committed to
sharing knowledge gained and lessons learned with others in Ohio and across the U.S.
Concordia is a national leader in the planning and design of innovative environments for
learning. Over the past 22 years, research alliances have included the MIT Media Lab, Harvard
University’s Project Zero, the University of New Mexico, the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, the Thornburg Institute, the Appalachian Education Lab, and the West Ed Lab.
Domiciled in New Orleans, Louisiana, the firm’s work emphasizes collaboration and integration
as tools for addressing the needs of diverse constituencies.
Architects of Achievement is focused on building bridges between educational practice and
architecture – especially as it relates to meeting student needs. They provide high-level
consulting expertise related to new construction, renovation or simple reconfiguration to support
powerful small schools and educational complexes. Bringing research regarding how people learn,
they help school districts, charter organizations and foundations think creatively about effective
design solutions that foster synergy between program and building. Working with groups
throughout the nation committed to developing better learning environments, they believe that
ALL students can achieve if provided the opportunity, tools and support.
Dollars & Sense II: Lessons from Good, Cost-Effective Small Schools
Table of Contents
Index of Select Small Schools viii
Overview x
About This Report x
Introduction 1
Operating Costs of Good Small Schools 2
Selecting Good Small Schools 4
Small Schools, Big Ideas 6
Introduction 6
Staffing 6
Juggling Act 6
Using Rules Strategically 6
Double Duty 7
Sharing Administrative Duties 7
Sharing Staff 8
Importing Teachers 8
Accepting No Substitutes 8
Using Mentors and Tutors 8
Adjunct Faculty 8
Using Volunteers 8
Multiple Credentials 9
Hiring Young, First-Time Teachers 9
Hiring Retirees and Career Changers 9
Project- and Internship-Based Curriculum 9
Other Incentives 10
Educational Program 10
Focused Mission 10
Attracting Students 10
Course Cycles 10
Ordering Supplies 11
Services 11
Transportation 11
Food Service 12
Athletics 12
Health Care 13
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Dollars & Sense II: Lessons from Good, Cost-Effective Small Schools
Sources of Funding 13
Renting Space 13
Business Located in Schools 13
Trading Spaces 14
Building Shared Space 14
Selling Memberships 14
Renting Computers 14
Grants 14
Donations 14
Financial Benefits of Good Relationships with the Community 15
Sharing Space 15
Recruiting Students 15
Federal Funding 16
Title 1 16
Impact Aid 16
Work Study 16
Emergency Repairs and Renovations 16
Qualified Zone Academy Bonds 16
Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Grants 16
New Market Tax Credit 16
State Programs 16
Facilities Design and Construction 17
Site Selection 17
Smaller School Sites 17
Donated Sites 18
Design and Construction 18
Free Design 19
Construction Bidding 19
Renovation 19
Additions 20
Leasing 20
Adapting Existing Space Within a School 20
Using Students and Volunteers 20
Flexibility/Adaptability/Multiple Uses 21
Sharing Academic Work Space with Partners 21
Reducing Square Footage per Student 22
Sharing Space for Athletics and Extracurricular Activities 22
Partnerships in Construction 22
Green Construction 23
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Dollars & Sense II: Lessons from Good, Cost-Effective Small Schools
Furnishings, Fixtures, and Equipment (FF&E) 23
Furnishings and Furniture Donations 23
Build it Yourself 24
Sharing Internally 24
Flexibility/Mobility 24
IT Built or Rebuilt by Students 24
IT Serviced by Students 24
Maintenance 24
Investing in Preventive Maintenance 24
Reducing Trash and Graffiti 25
Maintaining the Building 25
Maintaining the Grounds 25
Using Computers Effectively for Maintenance and Operations 25
Facilities Operations 25
No Janitorial Staff 25
Reduced Security Staff and Equipment 26
Utilities 26
Natural Lighting 26
Dual Fuel 27
Automatic Light Sensors 27
Solar Power 27
Keeping Cool 27
Automatic Water Shut-off 27
Wind Power 27
Computerized Control Systems 27
Retrofitting 27
School Profiles 28
Suggestions for Further Work 60
Conclusion 60
The Dollars & Sense Team 62
Resources 65
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Dollars & Sense II: Lessons from Good, Cost-Effective Small Schools
Illustrations
Boxes
Definition of Terms 5
Benefits of Networks 7
PowerSchool 8
Saving on Transportation 11
Creativity Pays 15
Site Sizes – New Guidelines 18
Tips for Designing Spaces for Autonomous Small Schools 22
Savings from Solar Power 23
Charts
Analysis of School Budgets 3
Appendix 1: 68
Information by School
Contact Information
School Type and Location, Grades Served, Number of Students, Demographics
Budget
Facilities
Appendix 2: 104
School Facility Construction Analysis Summary
Appendix 3: 110
Test Scores for Schools in This Report
Appendix 4: 113
Strategies Grid
Appendix 5: 115
Criteria for Selecting and Evaluating Schools
Appendix 6: 122
Selected References
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Dollars & Sense II: Lessons from Good, Cost-Effective Small Schools
Index of Select Small Schools
Avalon Charter High School St. Paul, MN Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy (FALA) Flagstaff, AZ
Urban charter high school Urban charter high school
125 students (2004-2005) 160 Students (2004-2005)
Grades 9-12 • Project-based program Grades: 9-12 • Arts-based program
Facility: renovation Facility: modular units
This small, urban, teacher-owned charter high school offers a rich, This charter high school attracts students from a wide geographic
project-based curriculum. It is located in the Warehouse District in a area to its rigorous arts-based academic program. Located on the
cost-effectively renovated building that it shares with two other grounds of the Museum of Northern Arizona, the school is ideally
charter schools. situated to share activities with the museum and its neighbor, The
See page: 28 Peaks senior living center.
See page: 36
C.C. Blaney Elementary School Hollywood, SC
Rural elementary school High Tech High San Diego, CA
190 students Urban charter high school
Grades PK-5 • Arts infusion program 368 students (2002-2003)
Facility: additions and renovations 454 students (2004-2005)
This older rural school was recently modernized to reflect the district’s Grades 9-12 • Internship and project-based curriculum
new commitment to provide a first-class facility and program to a Facility: renovation
largely African-American population. More than 98% of students are Putting a high school in a former storage building on a
eligible for free or reduced-cost lunches, and Title 1 money supports decommissioned naval base might not seem sensible, but the artful
a curriculum infused with the arts. renovation of this facility has created a building ideally suited to this
See page: 30 project-based school.
See page: 38
Bronx: Small Schools at Morris High Bronx, NY
Urban high school Interdistrict Downtown School (IDDS) Minneapolis, MN
Grades 9-12 • Four schools within a school Urban multi-district school
Bronx International: 300 students 500 students (2004-2005)
Bronx Leadership Academy: 340 students Grades K-12
School of Excellence: 330 students Facility: new construction
Violin and Dance: 170 students This new school in downtown Minneapolis draws its students from
Facility: renovation 10 districts in an effort to create a diverse student body. The location
The four small schools carved out of a failing large urban high school offers many benefits, including a wide variety of private and public
suggest ways schools within a school can raise attendance and resources. The facility offers lessons in a cost-effective and
graduation rates. These schools, with separate identities and environmentally sound design.
programs, also have raised the aspirations of students and teachers. See page: 40
See page: 32
Laurel-Concord Public School Laurel, NE
Camino Nuevo Charter Academy Los Angeles, CA Rural school
Urban charter elementary school 388 students (2004-2005)
257 students Grades K-12
Burlington Street Campus Facility: renovations and additions
Urban charter middle school
Although set in the cornfields of Nebraska, Laurel-Concord Public
294 students
School is a hotbed of entrepreneurial activity. A resourceful school
Grades: PK-8
board and superintendent have found a number of innovative ways
Facilities: renovation
to manage the school and maximize its resources.
Camino Nuevo elementary and middle schools occupy two renovated
See page: 42
buildings in the most densely populated section of Los Angeles. The
schools have turned a dangerous area into an oasis for its Hispanic
Media and Technology Charter Boston, MA
population and have created models for school-community
Urban charter high school
partnerships.
185 students (2004-2005)
See page: 34 High School • Grades 9-12
Facility: renovation
Media and Technology Charter (MATCH) has been remarkably
effective in helping its students, most of whom are Hispanic or
African-American, succeed academically. This small school, located in
a former car dealership near public transportation, provides firm and
caring support, including 10 hours of one-on-one tutoring each
week.
See page: 44
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Dollars & Sense II: Lessons from Good, Cost-Effective Small Schools
Metropolitan Regional and Technical Center Providence, RI Todd Beamer High School Federal Way, WA
Urban charter high school Urban high school with three academies
438 students (2003-2004) 1,350 students (2003-2004)
705 students (2006-2007) (projected capacity) 1,550 students (2004-2005)
Grades 9-12 • Internship-based program Grades 9-12 • Schools within a school
Facility: new construction Facility: new construction
The Big Picture Company schools in Providence, known collectively as This new facility – which can be configured as one school or as many
The Met, include four small schools on the main campus at Public as eight separate schools – provides the flexibility and foresight for its
Street and two others located nearby. The Met’s advisory and schools-within-a-school concept. Its planners knew the school’s
internship programs are based on close relationships between educational program might change and they wanted the building to
students and adult members of the community. lead reform, not block it.
See page: 46 See page: 54
Oak Valley School Lincoln, NE H.S. Truman High School Federal Way, WA
Rural elementary - middle school Two urban high schools
30 students (2004-2005) 197 students (2004-2005) (total for two schools)
Grades K-8 Grades 9-12 • Internship-based program
Facility: new construction Facility: new construction
This tiny rural elementary school has found creative ways to be cost Because many students lived in cramped apartments, the architects
effective while offering a rich, academically sound program that found cost-effective ways to create the airy and light facility for this
emphasizes the fun of learning. Students say they love going to alternative high school. The principal developed an internship- and
school and feel like members of an extended family. advisory-based program that encourages students to stay in school.
See page: 48 See page: 56
R.D. Schroder Middle School Hollywood, SC World of Opportunity Birmingham, AL
Rural middle school Urban alternative school
380 students (2004-2005) 35 to 65 students per day • High school and adult
Grades 6-8 Facility: leased, small addition
Facility: addition and renovation World of Opportunity (WOO) is a remarkable education and job-
R.D. Schroder Middle School and C.C. Blaney Elementary School readiness program that serves students who, in many cases, were
share a 31-acre site. The schools donated the area between their forced out of the local public schools. WOO understands the
respective buildings to the parks department, which created an challenges its students face, and it meets their needs in effective and
athletic facility that serves the schools and the community. affordable ways.
See page: 30 See page: 58
The STAR School Flagstaff, AZ
Rural elementary – middle school
65 students (2004-2005)
Grades K-8
Facilities: adapted modulars
STAR (Service to All Relations) operates a campus of modular
buildings that are fully solar-powered and adapted for the aesthetic
of the local culture and architecture. The curriculum combines the
modern skills of critical thinking with the Navajo traditions of
maintaining harmony with the environment and all who share it.
See page: 50
Tacoma School of the Arts Tacoma, WA
Urban high school
348 students (2004-2005)
Grades 10-12 • Arts-based curriculum
Facilities: renovated, leased in multiple locations
Students at Tacoma School of the Arts (TSOTA) attend classes in nine
different buildings. The school leases or trades space in facilities that
offer first-class accommodations for its arts-based curriculum, and
provides a wide range of resources for students built on partnerships
with local cultural organizations.
See page: 52
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