The link between school environments and student academic performance

Abstract

Healthy school environments are critical for children to learn, play, and grow. Although research focusing specifically on the benefits of green spaces on academic performance is limited, the current research does in fact point to the link between greater amounts of trees on campuses and higher academic performance. We are beginning to develop an understanding of the benefits of trees but only a few comprehensive studies have been performed that measure the effects of trees on academic achievement. We examine the relationship among green spaces, students’ socio-economic factors, and their academic performance by using spatial measurements in geographic information system (GIS).The research study included 219 District of Columbia (D.C.) public schools. School environment measurements (e.g., land cover), school demographic data (e.g., number of students, student teacher ratio and free lunch enrollment), and school performance data (e.g., DC Comprehensive Student Assessment in Mathematics and Reading) were collected and georeferenced. GIS was used to integrate spatially dependent information regarding student and environmental factors with the land cover data.We found that schools with more trees had a higher percentage of proficient or advanced scores in Mathematics and Reading standardized tests after controlling for school size, student teacher ratio, and free lunch enrollment. However, not all types of landscapes have the same beneficial properties. Large expanses of land, “featureless landscapes,” including large areas of campus lawns and athletic fields have negative effects on academic performance. These results may help to guide the decisions made by landscape architects on the basis on evidence when they plan new and renovate existing schools.