Study: School Design Affects Student Performance

They say that “clothes don’t make the man,” but when it comes to schools, looks matter. Several recent studies have shown a connection between school environment and student performance. Not only can well-designed schools boost student performance, poorly designed schools can negatively affect student achievement.

Studies and Surveys

The Huffington Post reported the findings of a study that is currently being conducted in the United Kingdom. The architecture firm Nightingale Associates paired up with the University of Salford to conduct a yearlong study that looked at seven primary schools, 34 classrooms and 751 students throughout the 2011-2012 academic year. Students’ math, reading and writing skills were assessed at the beginning and end of the year, and classrooms were rated on a number of physical elements like lighting, temperature, sound, layout and color. A strong correlation was found between environment and performance, affecting as much as 73 percent of assessment score changes. The study will continue for another year and a half, adding 20 more schools.

British school architects are using the findings to oppose government restrictions on educational designs. The government has been quick to dismiss the study’s new evidence. A government spokesperson stated, “There is no convincing evidence that spending enormous sums of money on school buildings leads to increased attainment. An excellent curriculum, great leadership and inspirational teaching are the keys to driving up standards.”

Meanwhile, in the United States, at least one-third of the nation’s public schools are in need of repair. In a 2007 Department of Education survey, 43 percent of the schools in this country reported that their physical environments were “interfering with the ability of the school to deliver instruction.” The biggest issue? It would cost billions in additional spending to renovate schools.

Building Better Schools

Education Week reports that newer school design is favoring open, well-lit spaces over the old narrow hallways and artificial lighting. Spaces that invite collaboration help students feel more invested, engaged and safe. Bassetti Architects, a firm in Seattle, has been working with larger schools on increasing student involvement by creating smaller communities within larger schools. In Eugene, Oregon, Holt Elementary, which is part of a 16,000-student district, has added glass walls separating classrooms and technologically focused classrooms.

Schools that are more open also contribute to a feeling of security. Some schools have benefited from following the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPED) standards by doing things like increasing surveillance, getting rid of lockers and replacing textbooks with tablets, and having an open floor space that is easy to survey. After a tornado destroyed its high school, Joplin, Missouri renovated a shopping center with wide-open spaces, bright colors and areas that encouraged mingling. The changes resulted in less disciplinary referrals and a greater sense of security among students following a deadly disaster.

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