Relationship of School Facilities Conditions

Relationship of School Facilities Conditions to Academic Achievement and Teacher Retention

"The Walls Speak: The Interplay of Quality Facilities, School Climate, and Student Achievement" states that entering into recently public discourse is "the condition of our nation's schools." (nd) This work relates that a "growing body of literature...provides evidence to a link between school building adequacy and students achievement. One examined link between school facilities and student achievement may be school climate. School climate may be a mediating variable, explaining, at least in part, the deleterious impact that poor school facilities has on learning." (nd) This work states that of all the schools in the United States at least "twenty-one percent...are more than fifty years old and another fifty percent are at least thirty years old. These schools now require a total of $127 billion dollars in new construction and retro-fitting." (nd) This specific report is of a case study involving 82 participants from middle schools in the state of Virginia who completed surveys. Two measures are reported to have been used in this study: (1) School-climate Index; and (2) Quality of facilities Scale.

The School Climate Index (SCI) is stated to be a "new measures of school climate adapted from the work of Hoy and his colleagues." (nd) Four subscales comprise the School Climate Index: (1) academic press; (2) teacher professionalism; (3) collegial leadership; and (4) community engagement. The 'Quality of Facilities' measure is a scale which asks teachers concerning their view of how well the facilities are maintenanced and how attractive the facilities are. This study states preliminary findings indicate "that quality facilities were significantly positively related to all of the school climate variables: collegial leadership, teacher professionalism, academic press, and community engagement. The quality of facilities was unsurprisingly uncorrelated to student SES, although resource support was related to SES. Resource support and quality facilities were related, indicating that where resources were adequate, facilities also tended to be of higher quality. As in earlier research, both facilities quality and climate were found to be related to student achievement. Future analyses will examine school climate as a mediating variable between facilities quality and student achievement." (nd)

The work of Buckley, Schneider and Shang (2004) relates a study of teacher retention and its relation to school facilities and state that it is argued among many analysts that "...current school staffing problems are caused as much by teacher attrition as by the failure to attract new teachers." (Buckley, Schneider, and Shang, 2004) it is stated that school conditions "may be just as important as salary in the retention decision." (Buckley, Schneider, and Shang, 2004) the work of Rosenholtz and Simpson (1990) are stated to "offer a detailed analysis of how organizational factors contribute to teacher's commitment to the workplace. Their evidence shows that school management of student behavior and the burden of non-teaching obligations affect new teachers' commitment much more than it does experienced teachers." (Buckley, Schneider, and Shang, 2004) Additionally stated to contribute to the job dissatisfaction of teachers is "the lack of resources in a school..." And it is stated that this type of job dissatisfaction "can lead to attrition." (Buckley, Schneider, and Shang, 2004)

Buckley, Schneider, and Shang report that interviews with public school teachers in New York City reveals that "a large percentage of teachers said they did not have access to adequate basic supplies. Most teachers had to use their own money to equip their classroom. Of the teachers interviewed 26% report spending $300 to $1,000 of their own funds on classroom supplies over the year, 14% spent $100 to $200 and 12% $50 to $75." (Buckley, Schneider, and Shang, 2004) New York City teachers reported that "they do not have enough textbooks or the textbooks they do have are in poor condition. In turn, photocopying materials becomes a considerable part of their tasks, but school copy machines are frequently broken, and teachers have to rely on family, friends or other private resources to reproduce the materials." (Buckley and Schneider, 2004; citing Tapper, 1995) it would be lax of this study not to mention the findings that the NCLB has contributed to failure of schools to retain teachers in that "erratic government education policies and unresponsive education bureaucracies are a significant source of frustration for new teachers." (Buckley, Schneider, and Shang, 2004) Because teachers render their practice "in a specific physical location (a school building) and the quality of that location can affect the ability of teachers to teach, teacher morale, and the very health and safety of teachers. Despite the importance of the condition of school buildings, serious deficiencies have been well-documented particularly in large urban school districts." (Buckley, Schneider, and Shang, 2004) Buckley, Schneider, and Shang relate that there are a variety of factors that affect the quality of school buildings "and, in turn, affect the quality of teacher life and educational outcomes." (2004) the example provided is 'poor indoor air quality...is widespread and many schools suffer from 'sick building syndrome' which in turn increases student's absenteeism and reduces student performance." (Buckley, Schneider, and Shang, 2004) Buckley, Schneider, and Shang state that another area of school facilities that has been linked to the performance of teachers is "thermal comfort." (2004) it is stated that the work of Lowe (1990) states findings that "the best teachers in the country emphasized their ability to control classroom temperature as central to the performance of both teachers and students." (Buckley, Schneider, and Shang, 2004) Phillips (1997) is stated by Buckley, Schneider, and Shang to have stated findings that classroom lighting plays a particularly critical role in student performance." (2004) in fact, "seventeen studies from the mid-1930s to 1997 states findings that "appropriate lightning improves tests scores, reduces off-task behavior, and plays a significant role in the achievement of students." (Buckley, Schneider, and Shang, 2004) it is additionally related by Buckley, Schneider, and Shang that there has emerged a "renewed interest in increasing daylight in school buildings." (2004) in fact, the primary method of lighting schools until the 1950s was through use of natural light however, at the time the cost of electricity was decreasing unlike today's rising prices of electricity. Buckley and Schneider state that changes recently "including energy efficient windows and skylights have renewed recognition of the positive psychological and physiological effects of daylight. The study indicated that students with the most classroom daylight progressed 20% faster in one year on math tests and 26% faster on reading tests than those student who learned in environments that received the least amount of natural light."(2004) Buckley, Schneider, and Shang also report the work synthesis of Lemaster conducted in 1997 of 53 studies pertaining to school achievement which states findings that "student achievement and studies behavior reports that daylight fosters higher student achievement." (2004) Buckley, Schneider, and Shang also review the condition facility relating to noise levels in the school and state that "...research linking acoustics to learning is consistent and convincing: good acoustics are fundamental to good academic performance." (2004) the work of Earthman and Lemaster (1997) is reported to have stated three 'key' findings which include: (1) higher student achievement is associated with schools that have less external noise; (2) outside noise causes increased student dissatisfaction with their classrooms; and (3) excessive noise causes stress in students." (Buckley, Schneider, and Shang, 2004) it is additionally that importance is attached by teachers to "noise levels in classrooms and schools" and that the work of Lackney (1999) states findings that "teachers believe that noise impairs academic performance."(Buckley, Schneider, and Shang, 2004) Buckley, Schneider, and Shang report the use of a multivariate model in testing "the extent to which facilities quality affects teacher retention." (2004) the factors that may affect retention are listed along with the percentages of teacher responses in the study reported by Buckley, Schneider, and Shang in the following table labeled Figure 1 in this study

Factors that May Affect Retention

Number of Observations = 835

Source: Buckley, Schneider, and Shang (2004)

The work of Olson and Carney entitled: "Sustainable K-12 Schools" published in January 2006 states: "Housing nearly 20% of Americans on a typical school day, school buildings have enormous potential to consume natural resources. Furthermore, recent trends in school construction reflect the nationwide phenomenon of sprawling development, with new schools and most commonly being single-story structures on large sites at the end of communities. These factors together highlight the significant effect that school buildings can have on the environment." (Olson and Carney, 2004) the World Commission on Environment and Development defines sustainability as 'meeting the standards of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own special needs'. (p.5) Sustainable building is reliant upon an approach stated as one that is a "whole building...fully integrated...to design, construction and operation." (Olson and Carney, 2004) This approach is also known as 'green' or high performance' building design and are facilities with the following benefits:

Provide optimal environmental and economic performance;

Increase efficiencies, saving energy, water, and other resources;

Provide satisfying, productive, quality indoor spaces;

Are designed, constructed and operated through fully integrated processes, systems, and teams;

Educate building occupants about efficiency and conservation (Olson and Carney, 2004)

The school building other than providing shelter for students and teachers while school is in session also is known for other affects. Some of those are as follows:

1) Affect the environment;

2) Either save or expend energy;

3) Economically feasible or expensive to maintain, heat and cool.

4) Affect student learning;

5) Affect the health of students and teachers alike and 6) Affect the retention of teachers. (Olson and Carney, 2004)

Criteria involved in the design, operation and maintenance of these 'sustainable' buildings are those as follows:

Sustainable site planning and landscaping design that decrease the use of pesticides and provide an outdoor learning environment for students;

Good building envelope design such as efficient windows and high R-value insulation that reduce draftiness and increase student and teacher comfort levels;

Proper lighting along with increased use of daylighting to improve student performance and increase comfort levels;

Good indoor air quality from adequate air filtration and exchange systems and the banning of idling buses or delivery trucks near buildings that eliminate toxins, allergens and other harmful pollutant sources. Incorporating natural gas, biodiesel, methanol, or solar electric buses into a district's existing vehicle fleet would also reduce harmful emissions and improve air quality in and around the school;

The use of green supplies and materials to eliminate or minimize possible sources of toxins, allergens and other harmful pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or formaldehyde. Use of green supplies and materials will also reduce contributions to lung ailments such as asthma.;

Proper design maintenance of heating, cooling, and ventilation systems that run quietly and efficiently and do not produce noisy distractions to student learning. Using certain controls can minimize noise distraction. The relatively small size of a typical classroom makes this decision more critical, because the effect of ventilation air noise is greater than in a larger space such as a gymnasium; and Onsite renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaics, that can be used as a teaching tool to develop student interest in alternative energy sources. (Olson and Carney, 2004)

Other than the protection that sustainable buildings provide to schools and communities these types of building designs are economical and save over the long-term to energy costs and further bring about improvement in "teacher retention and bolstering student performance. Insurance rates are further lowered and liabilities decreased. The benefits provide a great percentage of the expense accrued in constructing the sustainable school building. The environment and atmosphere of the school is "one factor in high attrition rates..." (Olson and Carney, 2004) Environmental conditions can significantly affect the experience teachers have in the classroom in terms of their ability to effectively educate students, their personal health and well-being, and their overall satisfaction with their profession." (Olson and Carney, 2004) School facilities further "affect student health and learning. While the interrelationship between buildings, occupant health, and performance may not be perfectly understood, growing evidence and common sense dictate that children cannot learn as well in suboptimal facilities that trigger health symptoms, cause discomfort or are distractingly noisy.

Indoor air quality, daylight, thermal conditions, acoustics and other factors that collectively shape overall indoor environmental quality plays a significant role in creating good learning spaces." (Olson and Carney, 2004) Olson and Carney state the indoor air quality is "...a primary variable in maintaining health indoor environments conducive to learning. Contaminants in indoor spaces may be two to five times - and sometimes greater than 100 times - higher than outdoor levels. This along with the significant amount of time that students and teachers spend inside schools and children's increase susceptibility to pollutants, underscores the importance of good indoor air quality." (Olson and Carney, 2004) Stated as symptoms known to be associated with indoor air quality being poor are those as follows:

Headache

Fatigue

Shortness of Breath

Sinus Congestions

Cough

Sneezing

Eye, nose and throat irritation

Skin irritation

Dizziness

Nausea (Olson and Carney, 2004)

These symptoms are referred to collectively as "sick building syndrome" which is a term that describes "situations in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spend in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified." (Olson and Carney, 2004) the health threats are accompanied by affects on "...concentration, attendance, student performance and achievement." (Olson and Carney, 2004) the American Lung Association states: "...asthma, which is exacerbated by poor indoor air quality, alone accounts for 14 million missed school days each year, making it a leading cause of school absenteeism." (Olson and Carney, 2004) Olson and Carney report that a study conducted in 1992 in Alberta Canada over a two-year period that made a comparison of children who attended schools with 'full-spectrum' light vs. those attending schools that were similar with normal lighting in the schools. The study states findings that full spectrum light with trace ultraviolet resulted in students: (1) learning faster; (2) testing higher; (3) growing faster and having fewer than expected cavities; and (4) 1/3 fewer absences from school attributed to illnesses (3.5 fewer days per year absent). (2004) These findings support the belief that lighting systems in school either have negative or positive effects and should not be considered a neutral factor in schools. (2004)

Olson and Carney additionally relate the study conducted in 1999, by the Heschong Mahone Group which is stated to be "one of the largest and most rigorous studies investigating the relationship between daylighting and student performance" and states results that indicate "that students in classrooms with the most daylighting progressed faster and scored higher on standardized tests than students with the least daylighting. A 2001 reanalysis of the data showed that overall, elementary school students in classrooms with the most daylight showed a 21% improvement in learning rates compared to students in classrooms with the least daylight. The study also found that students with well-designed skylights in their room, ones that diffused daylight and allowed teachers to control the amount of light entering the room, progressed 19 to 20% faster than those students without a skylight." (Olson and Carney, 2004) it is very important to note the statement of Olson and Carney that "A Turner Construction green building survey conducted over the Internet by Bayer Consulting between August 12-26, 2005 states finding that over seventy-percent of executives believe that green buildings enhance student performance and teacher retention. " (2004) survey reported to be conducted by 'Building Design & Construction and Reed Research Group' in 2004 reported that "the expectation of higher initial construction costs is the greatest impediment to acceptance of green schools with sixty-three percent of respondents citing this as a barrier. At the same time, a Turner Construction survey showed that seventy-three percent of executives who had experience with green K-12 educational facilities expected total costs over 20 years to be lower when compared to conventional facilities. (Olson and Carney, 2004) According to Rod Wille, Senior VP of Turner Construction: "The overall message of these findings is that far more education and information are still required about the experience with Green construction. Although most executives believed that Green facilities generate a host of benefits to their occupants and are less expensive over time, executives appeared to lack confidence that they can achieve those outcomes. Many executives don't yet recognize the proven track record that exists for sustainable construction..." (Olson and Carney, 2004) Another area in which those who make decisions concerning construction of schools according to Theresa Lehman who works with the Boldt Company is in her experience to be "misperceptions surrounding funding issues and communication barriers between decision makers and other stakeholders are major obstacles. In addition to confirming that budget controllers tend to overlook life cycle costs, she notes that the people in charge of making decisions are often unaware of alternative funding opportunities such as performance contracting, tax benefits, tax credits and grants that reduce first cost burdens." (Olson and Carney, 2004) Informing the community concerning this information is vital. Olson and Carney state: "Lehman held an open house with the community to share information about the Luck K-12 project and discovered that people were literally shocked at the amount of money that could be saved by incorporating energy efficiency into the HVAC and lighting systems." (2004)

Olson and Carney further state that many incorrect assumptions concerning the initial construction costs of green or sustainable buildings. However, it has been shown in research that these costs are "lower than perceived..." (2004) Olson and Carney report 'The Costs and Financial Benefits of Building Green' a study that states conclusions that "sustainable design can be incorporated into a structure with little or no increase in construction costs, and that the financial benefits of green buildings are over ten times the average initial investment required to design and construct a green building." (2004) Financing barriers can be overcome through various mean, which are also described in the work of Olson and Carney (2004). Sustainable Building Program information can be located at the U.S. Green Building Council (USBC) website online at: www.ugbc.org.The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Rebuild American program, EnergySmart Schools has a website located at: www.energysmartschools.gov.Another useful website is the 'Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) website which is online at www.chps.net.

The work of Michael a. Berry (2002) entitled: "Healthy School Environment and Enhanced Educational Performance: The Case of Charles Young Elementary School, Washington, DC" states: "The 1997 renovation of the Charles Young Hill Top Academy in the District of Columbia is a classic illustration of how an improved school environment contributes to higher levels of educational performance." (2002) Berry reports a case, which he states "illustrates the connection between environmental quality, comfort, health and well-being, positive attitudes and behavior, and higher levels of educational performance." (2002) This case demonstrates that old and aging school buildings do not have to be destroyed or abandoned but instead "they can be successfully revitalized and made to contribute effectively to the process of education." (Berry, 2002) the successful management of a school environment is critical and is an investment into the education budget that is required if the school building itself is to foster and not deter learning. Research has shown that "facility management systems determine environmental quality in schools and that the quality of the school environment shapes the attitudes of students, teachers and staff. Attitudes further affect both teaching and learning behavior and in turn, behavior affects performance. (Berry, 2002; paraphrased) Finally, it has been demonstrated by research that "educational performance determines future outcomes of individuals and society as a whole." (Berry, 2002) Schools that are high performance schools have traits in common which include the following:

high performance school seeks and provides adequate space and opportunities for students and teachers to spread out, reflect, interact, exchange information, examine and test ideas;

The appearance of the school is inviting. Students, teachers, and the local community want it to be there;

The school has adequate natural lighting that enhances productivity;

The school strives for student-friendly conditions throughout the building;

The school is inviting to good teachers and supports their retention;

The school is designed to reduce stress. It is comfortable, has a consistent temperature, and manages noise;

The school is clean and sanitary; and the risk of an adverse health effect is very small. (Berry, 2002)

The following table shows the General Environmental Factors both before and after restoration of the school in Berry's 2002 report.

General Environmental Factors (Berry, 2002)

The following table shows the 'attitudes and behaviors analysis reported in the work of Berry (2002).

Attitudes and Behaviors Analysis

Source: Berry (2002)

It is important to note that since the restoration of the school in 1997 the retention of teachers has been much higher at Charles Young Elementary School. The findings in the study of Berry (2002) further support the environment of the school being critical to student learning. As shown in the following table the learning of students has greatly improved in several areas since the 1997 school restoration.

National Test Results

Source: Berry (2002)

The work of Chan (1982) entitled: "A Comparative Study of Pupil Attitudes Toward New and Old School Buildings" relates that students "attending the modern school hold far more positive views of their surroundings than those attending the older schools." Chan relates that positive attitudes among students "produce positive pupil performance and behavior, while negative attitudes contribute to impaired learning and behavioral problems." (Chan, 2002) the work of Chan and Petrie (1998) entitled: "The Brain Learns Better in Well-Designed School Environments" state that the need in schools exist for "adequate ventilation, aesthetically pleasing facilities, proper color and lighting, and comfortable temperatures and quiet surroundings."

The Southeast Center for Teaching Quality 'Best Practices & Policies' journal published in November 2004 states: "For virtually any business or organization, the conditions in which employees work drive their satisfaction and productivity. Yet, while business often focuses on employee satisfaction, many schools struggle to address critical working conditions - isolating teachers in classrooms with closed doors, denying them basic materials to do their job, inundating them with non-instructional duties, providing them with little input into the design and organization of schools, and offering little opportunity for career advancement and professional growth. Such conditions are closely related to teacher turnover and difficulties in recruiting and retaining teachers." (Southeast Learning Center, Best Practices & Policies journal, 2004) Ingersoll (2003) relates that working conditions of teachers in schools demonstrates: "...a clear but difficult lesson: If we want to improve the quality of our teachers and schools, we need to improve the quality of the teaching job." Reported by the Southeast Center for Teaching Quality (SECTQ) is an effort in North Carolina, which is coming to all U.S. states concerning innovation in approaches designed to improve the teachers working conditions. Recommendations arising from this study are those as follows:

States should ensure that working conditions data is gathered and used to drive school-based reforms to help retain teachers;