News Flash-
May,
2007
We are saddened to
learn that Mike Nixon lost his long
struggle with cancer on May 4, 2007. Mike will be remembered as a pioneer &
advocate for classroom acoustics & noise control.
April
13, 2006
An
industry partnership has made the classroom acoustics standard available at no cost
to interested parties. To obtain a copy of ANSI S12.60-2002 go to the ASA Standards Store at
http://asastore.aip.org/. You
will be able to download the standard after establishing a username and
password.
November
27, 2005
An
amended version of the act concerning adequate acoustical conditions in
classrooms in Connecticut schools has been passed by the General Assembly and
signed into law. The bill requires classrooms and libraries in new or altered
school buildings after July 1, 2005 to comply with ANSI S12.60 standards except
where modifications would compromise health and safety, or the purpose and
function of a specific room. Waivers from the standard may be also be granted
to relocatable classrooms that would be used for less than thirty-six months.
June
10, 2005
A
bill to improve the learning environment in Connecticut schools has been
favorably reported by the State House and Senate Committees. The bill will require
new or altered school buildings after July 1, 2005 to comply with ANSI S12.60
standards. The bill has been referred to the Finance Committee.
Help is on the way!
A
software program for calculating the acoustics of Classrooms and other
functional spaces is available from E.A. Acoustical Engineering, Inc.
RASP is a user friendly, point and click method of calculating the Reverberation Time in a space or how much acoustical material is required to bring it into compliance with the ANSI classroom acoustical standards.
Click here for ordering information…
June
21, 2003
The
ANSI Appeals Board has completed the final action in the long series of appeals
against the ANSI S12.60-2002 standard. The board has determined that the case
presented recently by ARI in requesting a further appeal against the standard
was not supported. Several petitions by other organizations to have the
standard withdrawn were also rejected earlier this year.
Now
that a standard exists for the acoustical design of classrooms, it remains only
to be seen how widely the standard is utilized in future school construction
and renovation projects.
March 3, 2003
Decision of the ANSI Board of Standards Review
The ANSI Board of Standards Review
(BSR) has issued its decision in the appeal filed by the Air-Conditioning and
Refrigeration Institute (ARI) against the S12 Standard, ANSI S12.60-2002
American National Standard Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design
Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools. The BSR upheld the Standard and the
development and approval process that was followed by S12 in adopting it. This
is the second time the BSR has acted to uphold this Standard. Last fall two
trade associations representing manufacturers of modular buildings and a small
group of school business organizations requested that ANSI withdraw the
Standard claiming that it was "not in the public interest." The ANSI
BSR also rejected those claims.
While all these parties
still have an additional opportunity to appeal the decisions of the BSR to
ANSI, appeals at this level are very rare and must show why the decision of the
BSR is clearly wrong. Paul D. Schomer, Ph.D., Standards Director at the Acoustical Society of
America has
stated that they will continue with every effort to support the Standard, and
are confident in the knowledge that it is technically correct, economically
reasonable, feasible to implement, and most of all it is important and
beneficial for the children of the US.
Public Awareness
Growing
As awareness of the existence and importance of the ANSI standard increases,
demand for it has grown. Nearly 300 copies have been sold so far. While
this is a large sales volume for such a new standard it is far less than is
needed. But the momentum for public education may now be moving in its favor.
It comes from long-planned videos and growing press coverage.
Two New Videos
Two videos are now available as promotional tools.
One-Hour Video: "Future of Our Schools: Inside and Out"
The long awaited public TV program has begun airing on public television
stations throughout the nation. Public awareness of classroom acoustics will
grow as the video is aired repeatedly in these television markets.
Classroom Acoustics: Listening vs. Learning (9 1/2 minutes)
This short video on classroom acoustics was spun off from the hour-long video.
You can use it to introduce classroom acoustics to architects, educators,
parents, etc. Copies are available from the Educational Audiology Association
through its website http://www.edaud.org/ or by phone: (800) 460-7322, or by
e-mail: eaa@L-Tgraye.com. The cost is
$10.00, plus shipping.
June 27, 2002
The ANSI Board of
Standards Review
has approved
the classroom acoustics standard, now designated:
ANSI S12.60-2002 American National Standard Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design
Requirements and Guidelines for Schools
A nearly 5-year
effort by the Working Group has finally brought the new standard to fruition.
The next steps are
publication and dissemination. The standard will soon be available in hard or electronic copy.
June 24, 2002
Parents Voice, a new
parents group interested in improving classroom acoustics for hearing impaired students,
has posted a petition on their website http://www.parentsvoice.org aimed at
the Secretary for Education.
November 17, 2001
A building code change was proposed to the International Code Commission (ICC) on November 14. It adds a classroom acoustics section to the International Building Code (IBC). The proposed IBC code is closely based on the draft ANSI standard (S12.60-20X), from whence it obtains its authority. With ICC approval, classroom acoustic provisions become requirements in all states adopting the IBC! Classroom acoustic provisions could be published in the IBC's January 2003 edition. The proposal was developed by an ad-hoc team consisting of members of the Access Board, NAIMA (North American Insulation Manufacturer's Assoc.), and the ANSI standard Working Group co-chairs.
October 26, 2001
Passed in 1975 to offer America's 6 million students with disabilities a "free, appropriate public education," IDEA is due for reauthorization next year in Congress. President Bush & U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige have pledged to use the upcoming reauthorization as an opportunity to focus on giving students with disabilities access to a quality education & leaving no child behind. In testimony last week before Congress, Paige declared that President Bush & he are "determined to ensure that every child gets a sound education." "All parents have the right to expect high standards in educating their children," Paige told lawmakers. "We can accept no less. This also means excuses are not good enough: We need results. It means raising average performance is not enough: We need to look at all children to ensure that they are learning." In a further effort to improve IDEA, President Bush has created the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education to study federal, state & local special education programs. The commission, chaired by former Iowa governor Terry Branstad, will deliver recommendations to the president no later than April 30, 2002.
To provide the public with opportunities to offer comments, the department's Office of Special Education Programs has scheduled the following forums:
· Salt Lake City, UT: Oct 10
· Mobile, AL: Oct 16 & 19
· Minneapolis, MN: Oct 23
· Providence, RI: Nov 5
· Reno, NV: Nov 15* Washington, DC: Dec 6
· San Antonio, TX: Dec 19
"We have committed to get the input of educators, parents, disability
advocates & others to improve the educational opportunities of students
with special needs," Pasternack said. The forums in Mobile, Reno & San
Antonio will be held in conjunction with the Education Department's regional
Improving America's Schools Conferences where department officials annually
meet with local & state educators to discuss federal education
programs.
For more information on the forums, visit the Office of Special Education
Program's Web site at:
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/New/
March 24, 2001
ASA/ANSI Draft Standard – Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design
Requirements and Guidelines for School Classrooms and Other Learning Spaces,
passes initial ballot.
The Draft Standard has been approved by the ANSI Accredited Standards Committee S12 on the first ballot.
This is an important first step in the approval process. However, the work is not complete. Final approval by ANSI is expected to take from one to two months following resolution of certain open items and comments by working group members.
The Draft Standard has now been given an official designation S12.60 200X/468.
Click
here for the latest Progress Summary from the Access Board
March 1, 2001
FIRST LADY Laura Bush has issued "A Guide for Parents: How Do I Know a
Good Early Reading Program When I See One?" & "Ready to Read,
Ready to Learn." She also announced her plans to focus America's attention
on recruiting the best & brightest to the teaching profession &
ensuring that all young children are ready to read & learn when they enter
the classroom.
The full text of the guide for parents can be seen on the US Department of
Education website, along with the 5-page "Ready to Read, Ready to
Learn":
Among the points emphasized in the guide …. "Reading instruction & practice includes work on letters, sounds & blending sounds. Students learn to blend letters & sounds to form new words."
http://www.ed.gov/inits/rrrl/guide.html
CEFPI Presents Classroom Acoustics Workshop at NSSEA Show in Dallas
-----------------------------------------------------
The Council of Educational Facility Planners International is sponsoring a special workshop, Is Your School Listening? Classroom Acoustics Standards and Design, February 8, 2001 at the NSSEA School Equipment Show in Dallas, Texas. Learn about the new federal standards and regulations for ADA and Acoustics from Lois Thibault, architect and coordinator of research for the U.S. Access Board. Tools of the trade will be provided by Mike Nixon, president of EA Acoustical Engineering Inc. and technical committee member of the Acoustical Society of America’s Architectural Acoustics Committee. Discuss acoustics design, assessment and noise control in classrooms with acoustical engineer, Howard Pelton. Find out what works and what is new on the market from a panel of experts. For registration information, call CEFPI at 480-391-0840 or visit the CEFPI website at www.cefpi.org.
December 11, 2000 ….Progress reported on new ANSI Standard for Classroom Acoustics
---------------------------------------------------------
Draft # 8 of the new ANSI Standard for Classroom Acoustics is currently under review by a joint ANSI/ASA task group. The next, and perhaps final draft, should be completed soon for submittal to peer review. The goal is to have the final draft standard ready and available to the Access Board for their May 2001 Board Meeting.
October 27, 2000 ……Secretary Asks Congress to Pass School Modernization Bill
---------------------------------------------------------
Education Secretary Riley joined President Clinton in calling on the leadership in Congress to support America's Better Classrooms Act of 2000, H.R. 4094, a bipartisan school modernization bill. He pointed to a 1999 study telling that millions of students are trying to learn in schools where roofs are leaking, ceilings are falling down, & basic safety features are absent. The press release & report are at:
http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/10-2000/102400.html
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2000032-
"Technology & Buildings for a New Century" Teleconference
---------------------------------------------------------
The first Satellite Town Meeting of the 2000-2001 season gets under way September 19 from 8:00 to 9:00 PM (ET) when Department of Education Secretary Riley & guests discuss school design & educational technology. Among the questions they will address:
· What should schools of the 21st century look like?
· How can new or renovated facilities accommodate fast growing enrollments, while providing the smaller learning environments students need?
· In what ways has technology revolutionized teaching & learning? How can buildings reflect that change?
· How can communities find resources to make these investments?
For details & to register online for "Modernizing Schools: Technology & Buildings for a New Century," please see http://www.ed.gov/MailingLists/STM-LIST/msg00127.html
Note: Apple Computer's Apple Learning Interchange provides live & archived webcasts of Satellite Town Meetings: http://ali.apple.com/events/edgovseries/
May 4, 2000
Grants to Improve Services for Children with Disabilities
---------------------------------------------------------
Yesterday the Department of Education announced 9 state grants, totaling $7.5 million annually for 5 years, to help improve special & general education services for students with disabilities.
The 9 states are Alaska, Connecticut, Illinois, Montana, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, & Oklahoma. The awards were made under the competitive State improvement Grant program, established by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997. The $7.5 million supplements $18 million granted to 18 other states last year. For more information, please see
http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/05-2000/0502b.html
President Clinton's FY2001 Education Budget Request was announced today (February 7, 2000).
This budget represents the largest jump in discretionary spending in the history of the Department of Education. The request is for $40.1 billion, an increase of $4.5 billion or 12.6 percent over FY2000 spending.
Included in the budget is a school modernization proposal in two parts. First, the Department seeks to provide $25 billion in tax credit bonds over two years to modernize up to 6,000 schools. Second, they request $1.3 billion for urgently needed renovation on the discretionary side of the budget. This discretionary funding is new and will support renovation work in 5,000 schools.
Congress now needs to get on the ball and pass very much needed school modernization legislation.
A detailed summary of the President's request for education (& related information) can be found at:
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/Budget01/BudgetSumm/
November 8, 1999
The Access Board's official Response to Petition for Rulemaking on Classroom Acoustics has been published in the Federal Register. This document confirms the commitment of the Board to support the development of a standard on Acoustical Design by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). For the full text of this important announcement go to: -
http://www.access-board.gov/rules/acoustic2.htm.
BBC reports findings of research by Herriot Watt University in Edinburgh
(See BBC Education News: - http://news2.thls.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/education/newsid_487000/487721.stm)
Announcement of International Symposium:
The Turkish Acoustical Society (TAS) has announced plans for a Joint Symposium and Congress to be held in Istanbul on May 24-25 2000 on the subject of NOISE CONTROL & ACOUSTICS for EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS.
Check their web-site for information on submittal of papers, registration etc.
Access Board Holds Classroom Acoustics Workshop:
In mid May 1999, the Access Board organized a workshop on classroom acoustics sponsored by the Fairfax (VA) County Public Schools. The workshop focused on Camelot School, a 500-student elementary school that mainstreams about 60 children with hearing impairments. The audience included school personnel and those involved in a renovation of the school scheduled for next year. The principal of the center for children with hearing impairments asked the Board to structure the workshop in an effort to make the case for well-designed acoustics. The workshop featured presentations from experts in acoustical design, educational audiology, and research on children with hearing impairments or who are otherwise at risk in acoustically poor settings. Board member Donna Sorkin, who is executive director of the Alexander Graham Bell Association, gave the keynote presentation. This kind of outreach is part of a comprehensive Board plan to further the development of standards for acoustics. The following day, the Board participated in a meeting of an industry working group on classroom acoustics. The Board has worked to broaden the membership of this group, which was organized jointly by the Acoustical Society of America and the American National Standards Institute, as it develops technical and scoping standards for classroom acoustics. At this meeting, the first for newly appointed members, the group reviewed the last draft materials and scheduled its next meeting for November in Columbus, Ohio.
(from ADAAG Board update)
June 9, 1999: School Modernization Bill Proposed: -
Last month, Congressman Rangel (NY) proposed legislation that would make nearly $25 billion in bonds available to states & school districts over the next 2 years to build & modernize up to 6,000 public schools. The bill (H.R. 1660), which is based on the Administration's proposal, would make school construction cheaper for states & school districts by providing federal tax credits to pay the interest on School Modernization Bonds. By using these bonds, states & districts that normally rely on regular tax-exempt bonds to pay for school construction could save millions of dollars in interest costs. One third of America's schools, about 25,000 schools, are in need of at least one major repair, according to the General Accounting Office.
Information on the Rangel bill, the Administration's School Modernization proposal, the need for school construction, recent Congressional action, Qualified Zone Academy Bonds, School Planning & Design, & other resources & initiatives can be found on the redesigned School Modernization website:
http://ed.gov/inits/construction/
March 15,1999: The following Access Board memo was released to interested parties. It indicates the Board's continuing commitment to the issue of Classroom Acoustics: -
MEMORANDUM
TO: Board Members and Federal Liaisons
FROM: Lawrence W. Roffee, Executive Director
DATE: February 19, 1999
SUBJECT: Classroom Acoustics
On April 6, 1997, the Access Board received a petition for rulemaking from a parent of a child with a hearing loss, requesting that the ADA Accessibility Guidelines be amended to include new provisions for acoustical accessibility in schools for children who are hard of hearing. Several acoustics professionals, parents of children with hearing impairments, individuals who are hard of hearing, and a consortium of organizations representing them also have urged the Board to consider research and rulemaking on the acoustical performance of buildings and facilities, in particular school classrooms and related student facilities.
On June 1, 1998, the Board published a Request for Information (RFI or notice) to gather public input on this issue. The Board sought comment on a variety of issues in the notice and indicated that it would determine a course of action after evaluating responses to the notice. Alternatives included research, rulemaking, and technical assistance on acoustical issues. Approximately 100 comments were received in response to the RFI. The preponderance of the comments were from parents of children with hearing impairments and from professionals in acoustics and audiology. Few comments were received from school systems. The staff recommends taking the following course of action in response to the petition:
--collaborate with an existing Acoustical Society of America (ASA)/ANSI Working Group on Classroom Acoustics to develop a technical and scoping standard;
--broaden the Working Group membership to include other stakeholders, including representatives of school systems, school designers, disability organizations, the Department of Education, and the Board;
--commit $10,000 designated for acoustics in the FY 1999 research budget to support administrative costs of the Working Group and consider additional Board funding in FY 2000;
--commit to a 2-year standards development process;
--ensure the enforceability of the standard, if acceptable (referencing the standard in ADAAG is one of the ways that it could be enforced; there are other ways, as well, such as working with the Department of Education to amend their section 504 rules, requiring compliance with the standard as a condition of accepting Federal funds for school construction, etc.); and
--publish a notice in the Federal Register within the next three months outlining the Board's response to the ROI and providing guidance on classroom acoustical design.
This course of action is consistent with the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 and the Board's goal to take a leadership role in the development of codes and standards for accessibility.
[Section 12 of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 requires Federal agencies and departments to use technical standards that are developed or adopted by voluntary consensus standards bodies, using such technical standards as a means to carry out policy objectives or activities. It also requires Federal agencies and departments to consult with voluntary, private sector, consensus standards bodies and to participate with such bodies in the development of technical standards when such participation is in the public interest and is compatible with agency and departmental missions, authorities, priorities, and budget resources.]