SPACE UTILIZATION REPORT IDENTIFIES ISSUES, RECOMMENDS ADJUSTMENTS
BrainSpaces, a Chicago-based consulting firm specializing in educational space evaluation, presented its comprehensive report on D41’s space use. The report documents existing use and identifies some places where space efficiency and alignment with educational needs could be improved. The data will be used in developing the district’s Master Facilities Plan, which will address facility needs for the next 10 years. BrainSpaces founder Amy Yurko conducted the study. An educator and a licensed architect, Ms. Yurko is the Chair of the Curriculum Design Committee for the American Institute of Architects and has been a faculty member at the University of Southern California and Illinois Institute of Technology. Over the course of several months, the BrainSpaces team met with staff and studied each building in light of educational needs. Ms. Yurko commended the schools for their ability to make things work despite the space crunch. Following are general observations common to all five schools:
- All of the schools are over capacity. Portables allow the schools to provide sufficient general classroom space, but enrollment exceeds the capacity of core areas such as washrooms, libraries, gyms, computer labs, and so forth. Space deficiencies are evident for special programs and services. The schools make full use of “found” spaces areas for instruction, services and offices –such spaces include closets, hallways and storage rooms.
- Class sizes are within District targets, but many classrooms are undersized and crowded.
- Staff office and meeting space is insufficient.
- D41 schools have awkward layouts and in most instances provide less space per pupil than national and state guidelines recommend (calculations of space included the portables); the fact that the schools have been enlarged over time exacerbates space challenges.
- All schools can benefit from in-classroom improvements in technology delivery, storage and furniture; in some cases, moving functions from one room to another may improve space use as well.
- More than 600 students—a school’s worth—are housed in 26 portable classrooms. The portables allow the schools to meet general classroom needs, but the additional students place stress on school infrastructure and core areas.
Ms. Yurko characterized the following recommendations as “tweaks,” noting that enrollment growth, although predicted to be modest, poses significant challenges:
Abraham Lincoln: Space challenges stem mainly from the lack of space for needed special programs and services. General classroom needs are accommodated with the addition of six portable classrooms, the placement of which creates awkward and disruptive circulation patterns. Recommendations include reassigning some spaces to bring grade levels together and providing appropriate furniture systems for the telemation area (a space intended for large-group work). This area is now divided into cubicles where specialists and others work with children; some of these services require privacy and quiet, which is not provided in this space. Adding staff could allow the school to better utilize its second gym. Lincoln needs additional space for small group work, performance, band/orchestra, and more restrooms.
Benjamin Franklin: Franklin has the highest enrollment and the lowest square footage per student. Generally, class sizes at Franklin are too large for the classrooms, many of which are undersized. Franklin needs appropriate space for occupational and physical therapy, small group work, and instrumental music. Moving a special program such as Pre-Kindergarten to another school may free up some space.
Churchill: Churchill has the lowest enrollment and the largest sq. ft. per student of all the D41 schools and is the building with the fewest space challenges. Churchill has the highest special needs population, which requires program space. Recommendations include clustering grade-level classrooms and relocating some functions. Churchill needs space for small-group work, specialists, student services, teacher collaboration and orchestra.
Forest Glen: Most space challenges at Forest Glen are due to the number of special services and the lack of space to provide them. The school office is undersized with no space for conferences or meetings. Forest Glen needs space for small group work, specialists, student services, and band. Portable placement creates awkward and disruptive circulation patterns. Clustering grade level classrooms, enlarging the office space and reconfiguring some other spaces may help.
Hadley: Hadley is the most complex school from both space and use standpoints and is undersized for the enrollment and programs—the average middle school provides 140 sq. ft. per student; Hadley provides 118. Most of its classrooms are undersized and support facilities are insufficient. Hadley is over-scheduled, teachers share classrooms and relocate during the day. Adding 6-8 classrooms, rebalancing the schedule, reducing class size and upgrading classroom furniture are some of the recommendations.
Central Services: The building was designed to house administration and there are no spaces that would support student use without major reconfiguration.
Next Steps: The report and recommendations will provide data for the upcoming Master Facilities Planning process, which will address facility needs over the next 10 years.
ADOPTION OF MAP TESTING RECOMMENDED
The administration is recommending adoption of the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) Test to support its focus on using data about student learning to drive instruction. The instrument, provides specific, timely and targeted data about individual student learning. The MAP assessment is aligned to state learning standards, and to the Illinois goal areas in particular, and delivers results to the teacher the next day with a number of relevant reports. It is adaptive, meaning it adjusts its difficulty level as students respond, and provides the instructional level (called the RIT score) not the grade level.
Next Steps: The BOE is expected to take action on the matter at its Feb. 25 meeting. The testing will cost approximately $40,500 annually; however, the MAP test will allow D41 to eliminate approximately $13,000 worth of other testing, offsetting some of the cost.
CLASS SIZE TARGETS UNCHANGED
The BOE approved continuing the class size targets unchanged for the 2008-2009 school year; these are: K-Gr. 2: 20-22; Gr. 3: 23-25; Gr. 4-5: 25-27; Gr. 6-8: 26-28. These targets are planning guidelines, and some classes may be larger or smaller. Among the factors influencing class size are the diversity of student needs within a classroom, the size of the room itself, and the size of a given grade level at a school.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
A resident questioned the value of certain requirements in the District bid process. Hadley Physical Education teacher Liz Hopkins presented information on a health and fitness project students in grades 4-8 are participating in; a parent asked if the BrainSpaces study examined possible uses for the courtyards at Hadley and Ben Franklin.
|
