RESEARCH REVOLUTIONIZES SCHOOL LIGHTING AND BUILDINGS. NEW EDUCATIONAL CONCEPTS DEMAND FLEXIBLE LIGHTING DESIGN. VISUAL AND AUDITORY AIDS MUST BE CONSIDERED. LIGHT REQUIRED ON THE TASK DEPENDS ON THE DETAIL TO BE SEEN INVOLVING ITS CONFIGURATION, SIZE, AND CONTRAST WITH ITS BACKGROUND. THE BRIGHTNESS OF SURROUNDINGS MUST BE DESIGNED TO BALANCE THAT OF THE TASK. COLOR USAGE ALSO AFFECTS THE LUMINOUS ENVIRONMENT. MEASUREMENT OF REQUIRED ILLUMINATION CAN BE MADE WITH THE VISUAL TASK EVALUATOR. OPTIMUM VISIBILITY OCCURS WHEN THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE SURROUNDINGS IS EQUAL TO OR A LITTLE LESS THAN THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE TASK. SURROUNDINGS SHOULD NOT BE LESS THAN ONE-FIFTH THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE TASK, AND PREFERABLY ONE-THIRD. DISCOMFORT GLARE CRITERION IS APPLIED IN THE SELECTION OF LIGHTING UNITS. LUMINOUS CEILINGS REDUCE VEILING REFLECTIONS TO A MINIMUM. INCLUDED ARE A TABLE OF ILLUMINATION LEVELS AND SURFACE REFLECTANCES FOR SCHOOLS THAT ARE CURRENTLY RECOMMENDED, AND A SKETCH SHOWING THE POTENTIAL SOURCES OF SPECULARLY REFLECTED GLARE AS WELL AS A SIMPLE TEST FOR DISCOMFORT GLARE. THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE MAY, 1966 ISSUE OF AMERICAN SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY. COPIES MAY BE OBTAINED BY WRITING TO THE EDITOR, AMERICAN SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY, BUTTENHEIM PUBLISHING CORP., 757 THIRD AVENUE, NEW YORK, N.Y. (RK)