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    School Facilities & Student Performance

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    Gom-o Eugenio Jr
    Research has found that school facilities can profoundly impact student and teacher outcomes. Studies show that classroom conditions like temperature, noise levels, and building quality are strongly linked to student performance, behavior, and academic growth. Improved facilities benefit both students and teachers, with teachers reporting that physical improvements enhance the learning environment. The evidence suggests that technologically advanced, well-designed learning spaces that support active learning can boost student achievement independently of other factors.

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    School Facilities & Student Performance

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    Gom-o Eugenio Jr
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    Research has found that school facilities can profoundly impact student and teacher outcomes. Studies show that classroom conditions like temperature, noise levels, and building quality are strongly linked to student performance, behavior, and academic growth. Improved facilities benefit both students and teachers, with teachers reporting that physical improvements enhance the learning environment. The evidence suggests that technologically advanced, well-designed learning spaces that support active learning can boost student achievement independently of other factors.

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    Research has found that school facilities can profoundly impact student and teacher outcomes. Studies show that classroom conditions like temperature, noise levels, and building quality are strongly linked to student performance, behavior, and academic growth. Improved facilities benefit both students and teachers, with teachers reporting that physical improvements enhance the learning environment. The evidence suggests that technologically advanced, well-designed learning spaces that support active learning can boost student achievement independently of other factors.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    1K views5 pages

    School Facilities & Student Performance

    Uploaded by

    Gom-o Eugenio Jr
    Research has found that school facilities can profoundly impact student and teacher outcomes. Studies show that classroom conditions like temperature, noise levels, and building quality are strongly linked to student performance, behavior, and academic growth. Improved facilities benefit both students and teachers, with teachers reporting that physical improvements enhance the learning environment. The evidence suggests that technologically advanced, well-designed learning spaces that support active learning can boost student achievement independently of other factors.

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    of 5

    School Facilities & Student Performance 

    Summary of Research Studies 


    June 2018 
     
    A growing body of research has found that school facilities can have a profound impact on 
    both teacher and student outcomes. With respect to teachers, school facilities affect teacher 
    recruitment, retention, commitment, and effort. With respect to students, school facilities 
    affect health, behavior, engagement, learning, and growth in achievement. Thus, researchers 
    generally conclude that without adequate facilities and resources, it is extremely difficult to 
    serve large numbers of children with complex needs. 
    Center for Evaluation and Education Policy (CEEPA), (2015). The Importance of School Facilities in 
    Improving Student Outcomes. Retrieved from www.psu.edu.ceepa. 
    https://sites.psu.edu/ceepa/2015/06/07/the-importance-of-school-facilities-in-improving-student-o
    utcomes/ 
     
    This paper shows that the condition of school facilities has an important impact on student 
    performance and teacher effectiveness. In particular, research demonstrates that comfortable 
    classroom temperature and noise level are very important to efficient student performance. 
    The age of school buildings is a useful proxy in this regard, since older facilities often have 
    problems with thermal environment and noise level. A number of studies have measured 
    overall building condition and its connection to student performance; these have consistently 
    shown that students attending schools in better condition outperform students in 
    substandard buildings by several percentage points. School building conditions also 
    influence teacher effectiveness. Teachers report that physical improvements greatly enhance 
    the teaching environment. Finally, school overcrowding also makes it harder for students to 
    learn; this effect is greater for students from families of low socioeconomic status. Analyses 
    show that class size reduction leads to higher student achievement. 
    Earthman, G. I. (2002). School Facility Conditions and Student Academic Achievement. ​UCLA's 
    Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access​. Retrieved from 
    https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5sw56439 
     
     
    The objective of this research is to identify the relationship between formal learning spaces 
    and student learning outcomes. Using a quasi-experimental design, researchers partnered 
    with an instructor who taught identical sections of the same course in two radically different 
    formal learning environments to isolate the impact of the physical environment on student 
    learning. The results of the study reveal that, holding all factors except the learning spaces 
    constant, students taking the course in a technologically enhanced environment conducive to 
    active learning techniques outperformed their peers who were taking the same course in a 
    more traditional classroom setting. The evidence suggests strongly that technologically 
    enhanced learning environments, independent of all other factors, have a significant and 
    positive impact on student learning. 
    Brooks, D. C. (2011), Space matters: The impact of formal learning environments on student 
    learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 42: 719-726. 
    doi:​10.1111/j.1467-8535.2010.01098.x 
     
    Research studies listed in this summary are not exhaustive nor necessarily reflect local demographics
    Assessments have been made of 153 classrooms in 27 schools in order to identify the impact 
    of the physical classroom features on the academic progress of the 3766 pupils who occupied 
    each of those specific spaces.This study confirms the utility of the naturalness, individuality 
    and stimulation (or more memorably, SIN) conceptual model as a vehicle to organise and 
    study the full range of sensory impacts experienced by an individual occupying a given 
    space. In this particular case the naturalness design principle accounts for around 50% of the 
    impact on learning, with the other two accounting for roughly a quarter each. Within this 
    structure, seven key design parameters have been identified that together explain 16% of the 
    variation in pupils' academic progress achieved. These are Light, Temperature, Air Quality, 
    Ownership, Flexibility, Complexity and Colour. The muted impact of the whole-building 
    level of analysis provides some support for the importance of “inside-out design”. The 
    identification of the impact of the built environment factors on learning progress is a major 
    new finding for schools' research, but also suggests that the scale of the impact of building 
    design on human performance and wellbeing in general, can be isolated and that it is 
    non-trivial. It is argued that it makes sense to capitalise on this promising progress and to 
    further develop these concepts and techniques. 
    Barrett, Peter, et al. "The impact of classroom design on pupils' learning: Final results of a holistic, 
    multi-level analysis." ​Building and Environment​ 89 (2015): 118-133. 
     
    Discusses a study that explores whether improving school buildings has a direct and positive 
    affect on student learning, attendance, and teacher turnover rates. Identifies the 
    environmental aspects of the school facility that have the potential to enhance learning. The 
    study shows a direct relationship between building quality and student achievement.  
    O'Neill, D. J., & Oates, A. D. (2001). The impact of school facilities on student achievement, 
    behavior, attendance, and teacher turnover rate in Central Texas middle schools. ​Educational 
    Facility Planner​, 36(3), 14-22. 
     
    This paper reports on a literature review conducted in the UK for the Design Council and 
    CfBT (Higgins et al., 2005) which looked at the evidence of the impact of environments on 
    learning in schools. We have reviewed the available evidence regarding different facets of 
    the physical environment and provided an analysis based on different areas of effect, 
    including the extent to which different facets interact (positively and negatively) with one 
    another. Our conclusions suggest that, although the research often indicates the parameters 
    of an effective environment, there is an overall lack of empirical evidence about the impact of 
    individual elements of the physical environment which might inform school design at a 
    practical level to support student achievement. However, at a secondary level of analysis, 
    there are indications that environmental change can be part of a catalytic process of school 
    development and improvement.  
    Woolner, P., Hall, E., Higgins, S., McCaughey, C., & Wall, K. (2007). A sound foundation? What we 
    know about the impact of environments on learning and the implications for Building Schools for 
    the Future. ​Oxford Review of Education​, 33(1), 47-70. 
     
    An explanatory, mixed method study examined the impact of learning spaces on teachers’ 
    pedagogy, student engagement and student learning outcomes in a technology-rich school 
    setting. Its quasi-experimental design allowed examination of differences in these variables 

    Research studies listed in this summary are not exhaustive nor necessarily reflect local demographics
    between two settings - ‘traditional’ classrooms, and ‘new generation learning spaces’ 
    (NGLS). Results from quantitative analyses over a one-year period indicated that particular 
    configurations of learning spaces did have a measurable effect on how students’ perceived 
    their learning experiences and their engagement levels, with improvements often linked to 
    NGLS. In addition, comparative analyses of experimental and control group standardised 
    assessment data in subjects English and mathematics indicated a similar effect for the same 
    participants. The study suggests that a single-subject, repeated measures design (SSRD) can 
    be used to measure the outcomes effect of space on student learning outcomes. In this regard, 
    this approach addresses a perceived lack of empirical data highlighted by recent reviews of 
    research on this topic. 
    Byers, Terry, Wesley Imms, and Elizabeth Hartnell-Young. "Making the case for space: The effect 
    of learning spaces on teaching and learning." ​Curriculum and Teaching​ 29.1 (2014): 5-19. 
     
    Improving student achievement is vital for our nation’s competitiveness. Scientific research 
    shows how the physical classroom environment influences student achievement. Two 
    findings are key: First, the building’s structural facilities profoundly influence learning. 
    Inadequate lighting, noise, low air quality, and deficient heating in the classroom are 
    significantly related to worse student achievement. Over half of U.S. schools have inadequate 
    structural facilities, and students of color and lower income students are more likely to 
    attend schools with inadequate structural facilities. Second, scientific studies reveal the 
    unexpected importance of a classroom’s symbolic features, such as objects and wall décor, in 
    influencing student learning and achievement in that environment. Symbols inform students 
    whether they are valued learners and belong within the classroom, with far-reaching 
    consequences for students’ educational choices and achievement. We outline policy 
    implications of the scientific findings—noting relevant policy audiences—and specify critical 
    features of classroom design that can improve student achievement, especially for the most 
    vulnerable students. Inadequate school facilities are related to worse test scores, even when 
    taking into account (by statistically controlling for) the socioeconomic status and racial 
    makeup of students (Crampton, 2009; Durán-Narucki, 2008; Lewis, 2001; Tanner, 2008).  
    Cheryan, Sapna, et al. "Designing classrooms to maximize student achievement." ​Policy Insights 
    from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences​ 1.1 (2014): 4-12. 
     
    Results confirmed a link between the quality of school facilities and student achievement in 
    English and mathematics. As well, quality facilities were significantly positively related to 
    three school climate variables. Finally, results confirmed the hypothesis that school climate 
    plays a mediating role in the relationship between facility quality and student achievement. 
    Cynthia Uline, Megan Tschannen-Moran, (2008) "The walls speak: the interplay of quality 
    facilities, school climate, and student achievement", ​Journal of Educational Administration​, Vol. 46 
    Issue: 1, pp.55-73, https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230810849817 
     
     
     
     
     
     

    Research studies listed in this summary are not exhaustive nor necessarily reflect local demographics
     
     
    Thermal Control & Student Performance 
     
    How does temperature affect the human capital production process? Evidence from 4.5 
    million New York City high school exit exams indicates that heat exposure may affect 
    educational performance in both the short and long run. Taking an exam on a 90°F day 
    relative to a 72°F day results in a reduction in exam performance that is equivalent to a 
    quarter of the Black-White achievement gap, and meaningfully affects longer-run 
    educational outcomes as well, leading to a 12.3% higher likelihood of failing a subject exam 
    and a 2.5% lower likelihood of on-time high school graduation. Furthermore, cumulative 
    heat exposure over the course of the preceding school year may reduce the rate of learning as 
    seen in exit exam scores, controlling for the short-run effect of exam day temperature. 
    Teachers try to offset some of the impacts of exam day heat stress by selectively boosting 
    grades for students who experience particularly hot exam sittings, perhaps in response to 
    low levels of classroom air conditioning. 
    Park, J. (2016). Temperature, test scores, and educational attainment. ​Harvard University Economics 
    Department​. 
     
    This paper analyzed the effect of summer heat on academic achievement. Summer heat can 
    negatively affect student learning, as previous studies have shown that high temperatures in 
    laboratory settings have a negative effect on cognitive abilities. For this analysis, the test 
    scores of five different cohorts were combined with city-level daily temperature data. To 
    control for unobserved heterogeneity, the test scores of students within the same school were 
    compared over time (school-fixed effects estimation). Summer heat negatively affected 
    student test scores. Specifically, an additional day with a maximum daily temperature 
    exceeding 34°C (93.2°F) during the summer, relative to a day with a maximum temperature 
    between 28°C (82.4°F) and 30°C (86° F), decreased the scores of math and English tests by 
    0.0042 and 0.0064 standard deviations, respectively. No significant effects were found on the 
    reading test scores. In addition, these effects were larger in relatively cooler cities, but did not 
    differ based on gender. Finally, the previous year's summer also had negative effects on the 
    current year's test scores. 
    Cho, H. (2017). The effects of summer heat on academic achievement: A cohort analysis. ​Journal of 
    Environmental Economics and Management, ​83​,​ 185-196. 
     
    An analysis published by the National Bureau of Economic Research comparing student test 
    scores with average temperatures suggests that when classrooms get too hot it prevents 
    students from learning as well as they would in more comfortable temperatures, with lasting 
    impacts on students' future success and their ability to contribute economically. It also found 
    that adequate investment in school infrastructure – namely air conditioning – can mitigate 
    the negative effects of hot weather. 
    https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2018-05-29/study-hotter-classrooms-make-i
    t-harder-for-students-to-learn​ (2018) 
     
     

    Research studies listed in this summary are not exhaustive nor necessarily reflect local demographics
     
    Return on Investment  
     
    Public investments in repairs, modernization, and construction of schools cost billions. Yet 
    little is known of the nature of infrastructure investments and the subsequent causal impacts 
    on student outcomes. Because capital investments take many forms, it could operate to close 
    (or widen) achievement gaps. This paper characterizes capital spending resulting from 
    successful bond elections and evaluates its impact on student performance by exploiting 
    spending variation generated from close school bond elections. School districts with 
    successful and unsuccessful bond measures in close elections are similar in initial spending 
    levels and other characteristics, but differ in capital investments following elections. We find 
    that bond passage leads to school openings and tangible improvements in facility conditions 
    at older campuses. Overall, we find modest increases in student achievement and 
    attendance, primarily among poor students. These gains occur at existing campuses, 
    suggesting that renovations (not merely the construction of new schools) can improve 
    student achievement. Complementary analysis exploiting cross-student variation also 
    supports the conclusion of small but measurable impacts on student achievement, high 
    school graduation, and college entry. Though modest, these gains translate into favorable 
    cost-effectiveness in comparison to other interventions due to the durability of capital 
    investment. 
    Martorell, P., Stange, K., & McFarlin Jr, I. (2016). Investing in schools: capital spending, facility 
    conditions, and student achievement. ​Journal of Public Economics​, 140, 13-29. 

    Research studies listed in this summary are not exhaustive nor necessarily reflect local demographics

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