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AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE NEEDED BY SUPERINTENDENTS AND ARCHITECTS TO ENHANCE THEIR COLLABORATION IN THE SCHOOL DESIGN PROCESS

The purpose of the study was to identify perceptions of the contributions made
by superintendents and architects respectively when programming a new school.
Areas of collaboration were determined by a qualitative analysis of the responses
of superintendents and architects to questions regarding their perceptions of areas to
discuss when collaborating in the designing of a new school. Ninety-four Texas
superintendents and forty-six architects participated in the survey.
Major research findings from this study addressed the areas of knowledge needed
to enhance the collaboration process. Budget is the driving force within the collaboration
between superintendents and architects when designing a school. The superintendent is
the key communicator in the design process. Architects are the individuals most
concerned with using the instructional delivery methods used by teachers to guide the
design process. Three main areas to address when designing a school to support student
safety are accessibility, surveillance and visibility. Instructional specialists, specifically at the district-level, are often not included as a part of the facilities committee.
Superintendents obtain knowledge and the skill to collaborate with architects on a school
design process through on-the-job experience.
Recommendations are made to further enhance the collaboration.
Superintendents and architects need to view budgets as a way to prioritize needs rather
than to limit possibilities when designing a school. Superintendents must continue to be
aware that they are the lead communicator in the school design process and must
continue to work to effectively communicate their district�s and community�s needs,
expectations, and vision. Superintendents must be prepared to communicate instructional
delivery methods and expectations to architects when designing a school.
Superintendents and architects need to consider accessibility, camera
surveillance, and visibility when designing a school to support student safety. Facilities
committees should include district level curriculum experts as part of the school design
process, as these individuals are knowledgeable of the district�s instructional vision. It is
important for superintendents who are designing a school project to have prior
experience in participating in the design process, or to collaborate with other
superintendents with experience to guide and assist them in the process.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:tamu.edu/oai:repository.tamu.edu:1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2009-05-321
Date16 January 2010
CreatorsLovesmith, Deanna M.
ContributorsCollier, Virginia S., Burlbaw, Lynn M.
Source SetsTexas A and M University
Languageen_US
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeBook, Thesis, Electronic Dissertation
Formatapplication/pdf

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