Development of an American National Standard for classroom acoustics

Abstract

A draft ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Standard for classroom acoustics will be submitted for approval this year. It is believed that adopting this Standard will result in a more inclusive and effective education system. Although eliminating acoustical barriers benefits everyone, young children and persons with hearing, language, speech, and learning disabilities are special beneficiaries. Titled ‘‘Acoustical performance criteria, design requirements, and guidelines for schools,’’ the draft, designated ANSI S12.60-200X, limits noise and reverberation in classrooms and imposes minimum values of sound isolation between enclosed classrooms and adjacent spaces. The effort began when many members of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) became convinced that noise and reverberation in classrooms were serious barriers to learning. The ASA organized a Task Force on classroom acoustics, assembling volunteer scientists and engineers from architectural acoustics, noise, speech, and psychological acoustics. Task Force outreach seminars led to a broad coalition of individuals, and public and private organizations. They determined that a national Standard for classroom acoustics was needed. To develop that Standard, ANSI Working Group 42 on classroom acoustics was established and scoped. Draft 10 was successfully balloted in the S12 Committee in January 2001. In this paper we discuss the development of the Standard.