Safe and engaging facilities
It is hard to study or concentrate when lighting is poor, when the temperature is uncomfortable, or when the desks and chairs are broken or ill fitting. In addition, the cleanliness and functionality of a school building, including restrooms, play areas, and lunchrooms, communicate care and respect. Finally, community access to schools can leave students feeling at risk for school shootings, even though the publicity surrounding such events is far greater than the likelihood of them happening. All of these subtle components of schooling send a loud message about how much the community values learning. Many of these factors either support or hinder a student’s appreciation of education and ability to concentrate.
The landmark Williams case provides all students with equal access to instructional materials, quality teachers, and safe schools. School districts must assess the safety, cleanliness, and adequacy of school facilities, including any needed maintenance to ensure good repair.
Research shows that safe, healthy, and uncrowded school facilities are a basic part of a good educational program. When teachers work in well-designed and highly functional school buildings, they are able to be more effective than when they must teach in inadequate facilities.1
Safe facilities encompass many aspects:
- lighting
- sound
- temperature
- adequate space to accommodate student learning and movement
- pull-out rooms for special purposes such as counseling
- lunchrooms
- parking areas
- pedestrian walkways
- bathroom supplies and safety
- supervision
- playground equipment and safety
- pleasing surroundings (paint, landscaping, graffiti abatement)
- and handicapped access.
Safety features include:
- fire sprinklers and alarm systems
- proper storage and handling of hazardous materials
- air quality, and potable water.
The health and safety of students must be a prime consideration in the learning environment. For example, “the school staff must consider how to reduce allergens in the classroom and other health issues that are impacting students.”2
As noted at the beginning of this Recommendation, California State Board of Education (SBE) policy states that all students enrolled in public schools in California have the right to safe schools. The SBE policy on School Safety, Discipline, and Attendance (PDF; 103KB; 4pp.) is posted on the California Department of Education Web site.
In the Spotlight
Granite Oaks Middle School, Rocklin Unified School District, a California Middle Grades Partnership Network School
Staff members at Granite Oaks build student pride in having an engaging school. For example, teachers guide students in learning to respect the school campus as their home and engage students as partners in keeping the campus clean. The message faculty members convey is, “This is a professional place of learning.”
Related Links
- Bicycle Head Injury Prevention Program (Outside Source), California Department of Public Health.
- California Bicycle Coalition (Outside Source)
- Facilities, California Department of Education.
- Free Publications from the School Facilities Planning Division, California Department of Education.
- Health & Safety, California Department of Education.
- Healthy Children Ready to Learn: Facilities Best Practices (PDF; 2MB; 66pp.), California Department of Education.
- Indoor Air Quality, A Guide for Educators, California Department of Education.
- Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program (Outside Source), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
- Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (Outside Source)
- Resources for educational facilities planning. California Department of Education.
- Safe Routes to School Technical Assistance Resource Center (Outside Source), California Department of Public Health.
- Safe Routes to Schools Program (Outside Source), California Department of Transportation .
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Footnotes
1 Flora Ida Ortiz, Essential Learning Conditions for California Youth: Educational Facilities (Outside Source), Teachers College Record (Outside Source) Vol. 106, No. 10 (2004), 2015-2031.
2 Taking Center Stage. Sacramento: California Department of Education, 2001, 214.
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