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Energy Efficient Schools Improve Learning
A primary concern for teachers and parents is how to improve the learning environment. A growing body of research links student achievement and behavior to school building designs that reduce energy consumption.
Energy saving improvements incorporated into a school building's design can help a school provide a more effective learning environment.
- Energy savings can be redirected to educational needs: additional teachers, instructional materials, or new computers.
- Energy improvements can also have a positive impact on student health, comfort, and performance.
For more information, you can download How Parents and Teachers Are Helping to Create Better Environments for Learning (PDF 405 KB).Download Acrobat Reader.
Daylighting and Student Performance
Recent research reveals a strong connection between the use of daylighting in school buildings and student performance.
In Canada, a study by the Alberta Department of Education revealed that exposure to full-spectrum light or daylighting in school buildings resulted in students with:
- Better attendance (3.5 fewer days of absence per year).
- More positive moods.
- Better scholastic performance
Intrigued by the results of the Canadian study, the architectural firm Innovative Design in Raleigh, North Carolina, undertook a study of its own daylighting designs. This study demonstrated that although many variables can influence student performance, it appears that students clearly benefit from daylighting in school buildings.
- Students who attended daylit schools outperformed students who didn't by 5%-14%, depending on whether short- or long-term impacts were assessed.
- Over time, the impact of daylighting exposure increases. Eighth graders improved by 21% between 1992 and 1995, compared to a county average of 10%. (For a copy of this study, call Innovative Designs at 919-832-6303.
For a summary of these and other studies involving daylighting and student performance, you can download Daylighting in Schools: Improving Student Performance and Health at a Price Schools Can Afford (PDF 565 KB). Download Acrobat Reader.
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