Healthy school environments are essential to ensure the best setting for learning. When school environments are unhealthy, students and staff may be exposed to harmful pollutants and chemicals that can cause their health, attendance, and scholastic performance to suffer. Among the factors that can affect the environmental quality of school indoor…

Environmentally preferable products, sustainability, "green," reducing environmental footprint--have all become part of the everyday lexicon as schools, businesses, households, and the public sector have increasingly focused on strategies and tactics designed to reduce their impact on the environment and human health. State governments have been…

This article presents case studies from three districts implementing green cleaning. In 2008, Missouri passed legislation requiring state education officials to convene a committee of stakeholders with the purpose of developing green cleaning guidelines and specifications for schools. The guide, published by the Department of Elementary and…

Ten or even five years ago, it would have been a major undertaking for a school district to convert to a comprehensive green cleaning program. At that time there was little precedence and no "roadmaps" for doing so. Thus schools faced numerous challenges that included: (1) what defined a green cleaning product; (2) should a comprehensive program…

Options (busing, magnet schools, vouchers, and charters) proffered to make urban public schools more effective have met with political debate and mixed success. Suggests 14 basic policy initiatives that have sufficient use and research support to create genuine opportunities for student success. (Contains 13 references.) (Author/MLF)