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High Performance Schools

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, high performance schools are facilities that improve the learning environment while saving energy, resources and money.

High performance schools take an integrated, "whole building" approach to optimizing key building systems and technologies to support the mission of K-12 education, creating school conditions that improve student and teacher comfort and productivity.2

In short: high performance schools reduce the use of natural resources, while quantitatively and verifiably increasing student performance and test scores.

 

Creating a high performance K-12 school

The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS), is a leading non-profit organization focused on making schools better places to learn by facilitating the design, construction and operation of high performance schools through key programs like:

  • CHPS Operations Report Card - FIRST AND ONLY industry-recognized benchmarking tool for the TOTAL learning environment. The ORC program empowers schools to improve their maintenance and operations to create healthier, more efficient and comfortable learning environments that have lower operating costs and are better for students and staff.

  • State-specific CHPS Criteria for new construction and major renovations

Trane has been committed to improving the quality of education for over 50 years, helping school districts nationwide create comfortable and sustainable school buildings that are fiscally and environmentally responsible.

For more information on how Trane professionals can help school districts in implementing the CHPS Operations Report Card assessment please contact your local Trane account manager.

In addition, Trane is actively involved in the U.S. Green Building Council LEED® for Schools program. With over 700 LEED accredited professionals on staff, Trane provides professional support to school districts that are striving to improve their learning environments or to gain LEED building certification.

Consequences of poor school conditions

The high performance schools movement is a response to research linking poor school conditions to lower teacher and student performance. Many students and teachers simply cannot work up to their full potential in a deficient school environment.

Distractions caused by poor acoustics, glare, mildew, lack of fresh air, and temperatures that are too hot or too cold cause many students and teachers to struggle.4

Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) has been linked to reduced teacher and student performance, short- and long-term health problems and low staff retention.5

Learn how Trane can help with improving classroom acoustics.
Learn how Trane can help create and maintain an environment that is conducive to learning.

 

Resource Efficiency

High performance schools on average offer:

  • 33.4 percent direct energy savings

  • 50 percent indirect energy savings

  • 32.1 percent water savings3

 

SOURCE: According to Greening America's Schools: Costs and Benefits, a report by Gregory Kats

1. USGBC
2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
3. Gregory Kats, Greening of America's Schools: Costs and Benefits, a Capital E Report, October 2006.
4. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Do Indoor Environments in Schools Influence Student Performance? 2006.
5. E-Source Snapshot of k-12

Research

Additional Resources