Prince George's County Public Schools, MD, Educational Specifications - Elementary Schools 2015

Educational specifications serve as the link between the educational program and school facilities, whether contemplating a new building, or assessing the educational adequacy of an existing building prior to renovation. The purpose of educational specifications is to clearly describe the various learning activities to be housed in the school, their spatial requirements, appropriate locations within the building or the site and any special requirements that a designer or a facility planner would need to consider. It is important that all educational specifications attempt to:

• Involve educators and community representatives in the definition of educational needs;

• Enable school planners to better understand the purposes of the facility;

• Help the designers to create a building that fits the educational program and needs of the building occupants or users, and;

• Eliminate oversights that are expensive to correct once construction is complete.

A well-prepared educational specification is an integral part in the creation of a building that enhances the learning environment, accommodates learning activities, and provides pleasant surroundings for occupants and visitors. A poorly developed educational specification generally results in a mediocre facility, or one that is marginally functional for education. Download Plan