Abstract: This interdisciplinary session demonstrates how third-party building rating systems drive measurable improvements in school environmental performance, student health outcomes, and academic achievement and how they can serve as a catalyst for the kinds of creative, student-centered learning environments that define tomorrow’s schools.

As districts nationwide work to deliver healthier, more sustainable, and equitable learning spaces, certifications like LEED and CHPS have emerged as powerful tools for making the case, aligning stakeholders, and shaping environments that go beyond square footage supporting pedagogy, flexibility, wellness, and genuine innovation. Designed specifically for the A4LE community, this session delivers a data-rich, practitioner-focused look at what these frameworks are actually delivering on the ground, with a particular focus on what’s coming with LEED v5 and its implications for K12 design.

Speakers from Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) will share real-world examples of how rating systems drive innovation, cost savings, and community engagement at multiple scales from LAUSD’s 700+ school portfolio to individual modernization projects. USGBC will highlight lessons learned from districts across the country using LEED and CHPS to shape high-performance learning environments that put teaching, learning, and student well-being at the center.

Drawing from USGBC’s latest schools database, LAUSD’s internal findings, and current research, the session presents evidence that certified schools can achieve significantly greater energy efficiency, reduce absenteeism, and improve standardized test scores. We’ll also trace the national story: from a small cohort of early adopters to several thousand LEED and CHPS schools today, an exponential expansion that is reshaping expectations for what a high-performance learning environment looks like and what’s possible when the built environment is treated as a learning tool, not just a container.

Finally, we’ll explore the recent merger of USGBC and the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS): why it matters, what changes, and what stays the same. Bringing these two efforts together creates clearer pathways for districts, reduces confusion in the marketplace, and sets the stage for a more unified, impactful framework that is easier to navigate and easier to explain to boards, voters, and community partners.

Learning Objectives:

1. Data and talking points to make the case for pursuing industry certifications with superintendents, boards, and community partners, grounded in outcomes for students, staff, and budgets.
2. A working knowledge of best-practice standards for new construction, modernization projects, and minor renovations including how LEED v5 will influence design, operations, and long-term budgets.
3. Clarity on the USGBC–CHPS merger and what it means for districts currently using CHPS or LEED and how it may streamline future high-performance school projects.
4. Practical strategies to integrate rating system requirements into educational visioning, programming, and design so that certifications are not an add-on, but a vehicle for delivering more innovative, healthier, and higher-performing learning environments for kids.