When architect Louis Sullivan
applied this “form follows function” notion to buildings, he added
a stipulation that is rarely quoted, but apropos to the world of school reform.
“Where function does not change, form does not change.” Little
wonder the architecture of high schools remains essentially the same; their
function has remained unchanged for years. (Victoria Bergsagel)
Areas of Service | Real-world
Examples
Smalls Schools Thinking | Small
Schools Resources
All learning begins when our comfortable
ideas turn out to be inadequate. — John Dewey
© 2003-2006 Architects of Achievement, all rights reserved.
This website was designed and developed through the
generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Facilities Strategies for Going Small
School systems throughout the country are raising challenging questions regarding
whether their educational programs and facilities equitably serve all students.
Their research consistently points them to the value of small schools.
Whether designing new schools, conducting major renovation projects, converting
to smaller learning communities by reconfiguring existing space, or adaptively
using community facilities, leaders can utilize a number of facilities strategies
to capitalize on the benefits of small.
There are a number of strategies available to those
interested in capitalizing on facilities planning to “rightsize”
their schools. The matrix below shows common strategies on the left and example
schools along the top. Many of the schools are featured in more detail
on this website. Click on a school name to be taken to the feature page for
that particular school.
