Brian Proctor

K-12 Education Leader/Education SpecialistRATIO Design

With more than 25 years in public education, Brian Proctor serves as an Education Specialist and K–12 Practice Area Leader at RATIO, where he helps lead strategy, engagement, and growth across the firm’s K–12 practice. A former elementary principal who helped design and open a new school, Brian brings a unique perspective that bridges educational leadership and learning environment design.

He works closely with school communities, guiding inclusive visioning processes that translate educational goals into environments that support teaching, learning, and student success. Known for his relationship-driven approach, Brian helps align educators, leaders, and design teams around a shared vision for learning that reflects both current needs and future aspirations.

A frequent national presenter, Brian focuses on how learning environments influence culture, behavior, and student outcomes. His work emphasizes understanding how spaces perform after occupancy, helping teams evaluate and evolve environments over time to support belonging, wellbeing, and meaningful learning experiences.

Thu Oct 29•9:30 AM – 10:30 AM

Beyond the Ribbon: Evaluating the Performance of Learning Ecosystems

Most school projects are celebrated at ribbon cutting, yet few teams evaluate whether learning environments truly support learning once occupied. This…Most school projects are celebrated at ribbon cutting, yet few teams evaluate whether learning environments truly support learning once occupied. This session explores how learning ecosystems influence engagement, wellbeing, and performance over time…Most school projects are celebrated at ribbon cutting, yet few teams evaluate whether learning environments truly support learning once occupied. This session explores how learning ecosystems influence engagement, wellbeing, and performance over time. Through a narrative of ten chapters, participants will examine how environments evolve in new and existing spaces. Using the COURSE framework and a small-group scorecard activity, attendees will eva…Most school projects are celebrated at ribbon cutting, yet few teams evaluate whether learning environments truly support learning once occupied. This session explores how learning ecosystems influence engagement, wellbeing, and performance over time. Through a narrative of ten chapters, participants will examine how environments evolve in new and existing spaces. Using the COURSE framework and a small-group scorecard activity, attendees will evaluate environments and identify practical strategies they can apply immediately.Show MoreClick the title to see all detailsShow More

EDsession (60 minutes in classrooms)TRACK 4: Evidence, Impact & the Future of Practice — Research, systems, sustainability, and accountability

Brian ProctorK-12 Education Leader/Education Specialist, RATIO Design

Dr Robert DillonUS Co-Ordinator, Planning Learning Spaces in Practice/ Rogers Elementary School

More Information

Tags:Group C

Allow Registration:No

Capacity Unlimited:No

Indicate how the topic is applicable to Health, Safety, Welfare (HSW) Design credits.:This session qualifies for Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) credit as it focuses on how learning environments influence occupant wellbeing, behavior, and performance after occupancy. Participants will examine how environmental conditions such as lighting, acoustics, spatial layout, and furniture impact comfort, engagement, and safe use of space. Using the C.O.U.R.S.E. framework, participants will evaluate how design decisions and operational systems support healthy, safe, and effective learning environments over time.

Learner Engagement:This session is intentionally designed around adult learning principles that emphasize relevance, reflection, collaboration, and immediate application. Rather than a lecture-style format, participants are actively engaged through a combination of storytelling, guided reflection, small-group discussion, and hands-on evaluation exercise. The session is structured as a narrative of ten “chapters” in the life of a learning environment, allowing participants to connect new ideas to their own experiences as educators, designers, and leaders. Throughout the session, participants are prompted to reflect on their own learning environments and consider how space, culture, and systems influence teaching and learning. Engagement is deepened through structured peer-to-peer interaction. Participants will engage in small-group discussions at key points in the session to share observations, challenge assumptions, and connect the content to their own contexts. The session culminates in a collaborative evaluation activity where participants use the C.O.U.R.S.E. framework and a structured scorecard to assess a learning environment scenario. This hands-on exercise allows participants to apply concepts in real time, analyze environmental performance, and identify practical strategies they can use in their own schools or projects. By combining storytelling, reflection, discussion, and application, the session ensures participants are not only learning new concepts, but actively engaging with them and leaving with tools they can immediately apply in their own learning environments.

Learning Objective 1:Evaluate how learning environments influence student engagement, wellbeing, and instructional practices over time using a post-occupancy lens.