Next steps toward improving classroom acoustics for all.

For the past ten years, the ASA has been very influential in the improvement of classroom acoustics, especially with the adoption of ANSI S12.60‐2002. In fact, we have been a part of a worldwide effort to improve the learning environments for children, thanks in large part to the efforts of Nixon. Even after the adoption of the standard, we must still be involved in local and state policy decisions involving classroom acoustics, especially in urban districts with older school buildings, diverse students, and declining enrollment. We can and should form partnerships with personnel in local school districts to evaluate and fix acoustical problems in schools. Recently we worked with a local urban school district to evaluate schools and determine the best investment for improving acoustics. In some schools, sustained noise levels were well over 65 dBA, largely because of poor quality doors and windows that allowed in high levels of external noise from hallways and outside. Solutions included: damping ventilation vibration, adding door seals, and judicious use of amplification systems when higher‐signal levels were needed. In most cases, reducing noise problems at the source was the best investment of district funds.