This study examined the relationship between the condition of school facilities and student achievement and student behavior. The entire population of small, rural high schools in Virginia was used in this study. Building condition was determined by the Commonwealth Assessment of Physical Environment which was completed by personnel in the divisions of the forty-seven schools in the population. Student achievement was determined by the scale scores of the Test of Academic Proficiency for grade eleven during the 1991-1992 school year. Student behavior was determined by the ratio of the number of expulsions, suspensions, and violence/substance abuse incidents to the number of students in each school. All achievement scores were adjusted for socioeconomic status by using the free and reduced lunch numbers for each school. These variables were investigated using analysis of covariance, correlations, and regression analysis. This study found the student achievement scores were higher in schools with better building conditions. Student discipline incidents were also higher in schools with better building condition. Science achievement scores were better in buildings with better science laboratory conditions. Cosmetic building condition appeared to impact student achievement and student behavior more than structural building condition. Finally, varying climate control, locker, and graffiti conditions were factors which were positively related to student achievement scale scores. / Ed. D.

no abstract provided by author / Master of Science

M.S.

The School of Homeric Studies is thing apart; a numbered artifice of pieces, and this is a place apart: a place of song, a place of anger, a place of prayer. / Master of Architecture

It is in man's nature to want to know his place within his environment. This inherent need manifests itself in many ways, often unique to the cultures and societies that husband them. The primacy of man's need for a sense of his place in the world is evident in the collective mythologies that surround every culture's history of its people's origins and of their understanding of the world and their place in it, between earth and sky. This sense of one's groundedness, of one's place, is essential and more than simply a matter of orientation or territoriality, although both these needs are very real. The roots we plant in the soil provide an anchor and give us our bearing. One's connection to the environment is intrinsic to the knowledge of who one is and where, both as an individual and as a part of a larger collective. Our associations with larger contexts, be they physical, social, political, or spiritual, are moorings against the uncertainties of our world. They define our lives and our relationships with one another. It is within this framework that we are bonded to the past, and ultimately, guided into the future. / Master of Architecture

The possible development of a private school/community recreation complex on a specific site in Christiansburg, Virginia was proposed. Thorough architectural programming (including interaction with the school’s administration) and site analysis preceded the generation of design proposals for the project. A phased structure built of concrete masonry with aluminum-framed atria was proposed, responding primarily to the administration’s desire for a low cost, low maintenance structure which provided a maximum of natural illumination. Although the building would have a distinct presence within the existing neighborhood, care was taken not to cause the new complex to overpower the surrounding residential and commercial buildings. A description of the complete design process is presented in addition to graphic representations of the proposed facility. / Master of Architecture

This thesis investigates how architecture can go beyond basic programmatic requirements of a school to create a more pleasant environment for students and staff through the use of natural light and geometry. / Master of Architecture