Hayfield Community SchoolsFacility Research Study Summary

Regular School Board Meeting

January 9, 2017

School Facilities and Student Achievement

School facilities have a measureable impact on the

achievement of our children.

The growing body of research demonstrates that clean

air, good light, and a quiet, comfortable and safe

environment are important for academic achievement.

During the school year, children spend the majority of

their waking hours inside our school buildings.

School Facilities and Student Achievement

Three areas of research have been extensively studied

and have been proven to have a measureable impact

on student performance.

Lighting

Air Quality and Temperature

Acoustics and Noise

School Facilities and Student Achievement

Students who receive instruction in buildings with good environmental conditions (ie., lighting, air quality and temperature, acoustics) can achieve test scores that are 5 to 17% higher than scores for students learning in substandard surroundings.1

Schools with better building conditions have up to 14% lower rates of student suspension, truancy, and behavior problems.2

Student achievement scores tend to decrease as the school building ages – to as high as 9%.3

School Facilities and Student Achievement

Lighting

The quality and quantity of light that students receive impacts

their achievement, health and behavior.

Student performance is improved by an even distribution of

daylight along with limited glare and thermal heat gain.4

Standardized math and reading scores among students exposed

to different lighting conditions found a 21% increase in

performance from students exposed to the most daylight

compared to those exposed to the least.5

School Facilities and Student Achievement

Components of a well-lit learning environment

Natural light

Lighting fixtures that reduce the negative effects of artificial

lighting

Minimal glare within the classroom

Control of light sources to shade students from direct sunlight

with adjustable window coverings

School Facilities and Student Achievement

Air Quality and Temperature

Airborne pollution and thermal discomfort have negative effects

on concentration and attendance.

Children are uniquely susceptible to indoor air quality: their

bodies require more oxygen than those of adults, and they

inhale a proportionally greater volume of air.6

Poor indoor air quality can reduce a person’s ability to perform

specific mental tasks requiring concentration, calculation, or

memory.7

School Facilities and Student Achievement

Air Quality and Temperature

Antiquated HVAC systems may pollute the air that passes through the school building and decrease the efficiency of the system as a whole.8

Students’ reading speed, comprehension, and mathematics performance are adversely affected by room temperatures above 74 degrees.9

The correlation between room temperature and achievement scores consistently indicate that student performance in environments with good temperature control generally exceed those from children who learn in poorly-regulated classrooms.10

School Facilities and Student Achievement

Acoustics and Noise

Noise pollution from facility equipment, poor acoustics, adjacent

classrooms have been proven to have a negative impact on

student performance.

HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems all contribute to the

ambient noise in academic settings.

Being unable to hear a teacher undermines student ability to

absorb the material being taught.11

School Facilities and Student Achievement

Acoustics and Noise

The harmful effects of learning in an environment with poor

acoustics and background noise include negative impacts on

long-term memory, reading ability, teacher effectiveness, and

student attitudes toward school.12

As with poor air quality, children are more susceptible to the

negative effect of noise pollution than adults.13

Noise exposure impacts teacher performance negatively in the

way of fatigue, frustration, and lost instructional time.14

School Facilities and Student Achievement

Considerations for improving acoustics and noise

Noise from facility equipment

Acoustic properties of learning spaces

Baseline indoor and outdoor noise levels

School Facilities and Student Achievement

The school facility can be viewed as the rising tide that lifts

all boats.

Well-designed learning environments have demonstrable effects

on student health, student achievement, and teacher

performance.

Students and staff working and learning in more optimal

environments and ideal conditions tend to perform better.

Their basic needs have been met.

They are able to focus on more complex tasks.

School Facilities and Student Achievement

Moving Forward

Assess our current situation

Prioritize

Communicate our needs

Plan

Remember our primary purpose

Provide excellent educational opportunities for every student

every day

School Facilities and Student Achievement

Next Steps

Facility tour prior to adjournment of this meeting

Review the data and information provided in the Mid-Audit

Update from UNESCO (November 14, 2016)

Facility Committee Meeting on January 19, 2017 at 7:30

p.m. in Hayfield High School Library

Board committee members, Staff representatives, UNESCO

Prioritization of needs

School Facilities and Student Achievement

Resource List

1. Earthman, G.I. School Facility Conditions and Student Academic Achievement. 2002.

2. Boese, S. and Shaw, J. New York State School Facilities and Student Health, Achievement, and Attendance: A Data Analysis Report. 2005.

3. Blincoe, J.M. The Age and Condition of Texas High Schools as Related to Student Academic Achievement. 2008.

4. Boyce, P. Reviews of Technical Reports on Daylight and Productivity. 2004.

5. Heschong, L. Re-Analysis Report: Daylighting in Schools, Additional Analysis. 2001.

6. Adams, W.C. Measurement of Breathing Rate ad Volume in Routinely Performed Activities. 1994.

School Facilities and Student Achievement

Resource List

7. Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environment Division. Indoor Air Quality and Student Performance. 2000.

8. Bluyssen, P.M, Cox, C., Seppanen, O. Why, When and How do HVAC Systems Pollute the Indoor Environment, and What to Do About It? 2003.

9. Harner, D. School Building Condition, School Attendance, and Academic Achievement in New York City Public Schools: A Mediation Model. 1974.

10. Chan, T.C. Physical Environment and Middle Grade Achievement. 1981.

11. Shield, B.M., Dockrell, J.E. The Effects of Noise on Children at School: A Review. 2003.

12. Klatte, M., Hellbruck, J., Seidel, J., Leistner, P. Effects of Classroom Acoustics on Performance and Well-Being in Elementary School Children: A Field Study. 2010.

School Facilities and Student Achievement

Resource List

13. Klatte, M., Lachmann, T., Meis, M. Effects of Noise and Reverberation on

Speech Perception and Listening Comprehension of Children and Adults in a

Classroom-Like Setting. 2010.

14. Shield, B.M., Dockrell, J.E. The Effects of Classroom and Environmental Noise on Children’s Academic Performance. 2008.