Environments are a complex interaction of physical elements, including sensory components, design and organization, aesthetics, nurturing attributes, and pedagogical resources. Research shows these elements can work together to improve early learning, self-efficacy and higher-order thinking skills. Pamela Evanshen, EdD and Janet Faulk, EdD, have developed an environmental rating scale--Assessing the Pillars of the Physical Environment for Academic Learning (APPEAL)--to help educational professionals evaluate and improve the design and use of elementary learning environments. Transform learning spaces from teacher-centered classrooms where creativity and collaboration are stifled to student-centered, developmentally appropriate learning communities where children thrive. The APPEAL rating scale is a valid and reliable assessment that quantifies six environmental domains: