A highly anticipated revision to one of the most important standards for school acoustics is now available.
The Acoustical Society of America is pleased to announce the publication of ASA/ANSI S12.60-2026/Part 1, Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools – Part 1: Permanent Schools. Approved by ANSI on August 31, 2026, the revised standard is now published and available through the ANSI Webstore. It revises ASA/ANSI S12.60/Part 1-2010 (R2024) and applies to classrooms and other learning spaces in permanent schools.
A New Edition for Today’s Learning Environments
For more than a decade, S12.60 Part 1 has provided an important foundation for addressing acoustics in permanent school environments. The 2026 revision continues that work with updated acoustical performance criteria and design requirements for classrooms and other learning spaces. The standard provides a means of defining minimum criteria to guide the design of learning spaces in relation to acoustics. The standard also includes Annex A, which addresses verification of noise levels, and Annex B, which provides design guidelines for additional acoustic parameters that can affect speech intelligibility.
Why Classroom Acoustics Matter
Acoustics are an essential part of the learning environment. A classroom may have excellent lighting, technology, furnishings, and visual design, but if students cannot clearly hear and understand instruction, the space isn’t performing as well as it could. Background noise, reverberation, and other acoustic factors can affect how effectively speech is communicated within a learning space. Establishing measurable acoustical criteria gives architects, engineers, acoustical consultants, school districts, and other stakeholders a common framework for addressing these issues. That’s where ASA/ANSI S12.60 Part 1 plays an important role.
Keeping an Important Standard Current
Standards are not meant to remain static. As research advances, technologies change, building practices evolve, and the needs of standards users develop, standards need to be reviewed and updated. The publication of ASA/ANSI S12.60-2026/Part 1 represents that continuing process. The new edition gives professionals working on permanent school facilities an updated resource for considering acoustics during the design and evaluation of learning spaces.
Who Should Know About the New S12.60?
The revised standard is relevant to anyone involved in the acoustical design, construction, evaluation, or improvement of permanent school learning spaces, including:
- Architects and architectural firms
- Acoustical consultants
- Engineers
- School districts and facility professionals
- Contractors and construction professionals
- Building designers and planners
- Educators and advocates interested in learning environments
- Manufacturers and other stakeholders involved in school construction
Whether you’re working on a new school, renovation, addition, or evaluating an existing learning environment, the 2026 edition is an important update to have on your radar.
Get the New Standard
ASA/ANSI S12.60-2026/Part 1 is now available for purchase through the ANSI Webstore.
The standard is published by the Acoustical Society of America and is available through the ANSI Webstore.
Don’t miss the new edition of this important standard for school acoustics. Explore ASA/ANSI S12.60-2026/Part 1 today.