Standardized Math Test Research Articles

The association between visual impairment, educational outcomes, and mental health: insights from eyeglasses usage among junior high school students in rural China

This study examined the association between visual impairment, visual impairment corrected by wearing eyeglasses, academic performance, and mental health among junior high school students in rural China. Visual acuity assessments were conducted on 19,425 junior high school students by trained medical and research professionals to determine the presence of visual impairment. All sample students were surveyed with a questionnaire that asked about individual and family characteristics, eyeglasses ownership, and educational aspirations and included a standardized math test. Students then completed an official Chinese simplified version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to assess their mental health multidimensionally. Among our sample, 37.2% of them suffered from visual impairment, but only 43.4% of the visually impaired students wore proper eyeglasses. Approximately 9.3% of students were categorized as high risk for mental health problems based on their SDQ score. A significant positive association existed between impaired vision and poorer mental health, and eyeglasses usage was associated with better mental health among visually impaired students. For students with better academic performance, eyeglasses usage associated with better mental health. Eyeglasses usage shows a positive association with higher education aspiration both for students with better and worse academic performance. The significant positive relationship between eyeglasses usage and mental health may guide future interventions and policies designed to improve student mental health by supplying them with eyeglasses.

Allow Me to Explain: Benefits of Explaining Extend to Distal Academic Performance.

How does the act of explaining influence learning? Prior work has studied effects of explaining through a predominantly proximal lens, measuring short-term outcomes or manipulations within lab settings. Here, we ask whether the benefits of explaining extend to academic performance over time. Specifically, does the quality and frequency of student explanations predict students' later performance on standardized tests of math and English? In Study 1 (N = 127 5th-6th graders), participants completed a causal learning activity during which their explanation quality was evaluated. Controlling for prior test scores, explanation quality directly predicted both math and English standardized test scores the following year. In Study 2 (N = 20,384 10th graders), participants reported aspects of teachers' explanations and their own. Controlling for prior test scores, students' own explanations predicted both math and English state standardized test scores, and teacher explanations were linked to test performance through students' own explanations. Taken together, these findings suggest that benefits of explaining may result in part from the development of a metacognitive explanatory skill that transfers across domains and over time. Implications for cognitive science, pedagogy, and education are discussed.

Depression Takes a Toll on Academic Performance: Evidence from Rural Students in China.

Depression is a growing public health concern around the world. For adolescents, depression not only impedes healthy development, but is negatively associated with academic performance. The purpose of this paper is to examine the prevalence of adolescent depressive symptoms in a sample of rural primary and junior high school students. Additionally, we examine various factors to identify subgroups within the sample that may be more vulnerable to depression. Finally, we explore the extent to which depression correlates with academic performance and conduct a series of heterogeneity analyses. We utilize cross-sectional data derived from 30 schools in underdeveloped regions of rural China encompassing primary and junior high school students (n = 1,609). We find a high prevalence of depression, with 23% and 9% of students experiencing general depression (depression score ≥ 14) and severe depression (depression score ≥ 21), respectively. Female gender, elevated stress and anxiety levels, boarding at school, exposure to bullying, and having depressed caregiver(s) are positively correlated with depressive symptoms, while high social support exhibits a negative association. Importantly, our analyses consistently show a significantly negative link between depression and academic performance, which is measured using standardized math tests. For instance, transitioning from a non-depressed state to a state of general depression (depression score ≥ 14) is linked to a decline of 0.348-0.406 standard deviations in math scores (p < 0.01). Heterogeneity analyses reveal that this adverse relationship is more pronounced for male students, boarding students, those with lower social support, individuals with more educated mothers, and those with lower family assets. Our findings underscore the high prevalence of depression in rural schools and the detrimental impact on academic performance. We advocate for the implementation of policies aimed at reducing student depression, particularly within vulnerable populations and subgroups.

Four years of pandemic-era emergency licenses: retention and effectiveness of emergency-licensed Massachusetts teachers over time

Most states responded to the onset of the pandemic by granting temporary licenses that allowed teachers to work in classrooms without first passing the typical licensure exams. In this paper, we examine the result of this policy in Massachusetts using data on multiple cohorts of emergency licensed teachers (ELTs). We find that ELTs were slightly more likely to be retained in the same school than teachers from other entry routes. However, ELTs’ students scored significantly lower on standardized tests in math and science than other students in the same school and same year. Our findings are at odds with earlier, more positive assessments of emergency licensure. Our updated results appear to be driven by more recent cohorts of ELTs. Overall, this study suggests policymakers should be cautious when drawing sweeping conclusions about the impacts of teacher licensure based solely on the earliest cohort of teachers who obtained pandemic-era licenses.

Association of solid fuel use with cognitive function and the modifying role of lifestyle: A nationwide cohort study in China

BackgroundAs opposed to a healthy lifestyle, indoor air pollution from solid fuel use may be harmful for cognitive function. However, the extent to which lifestyle modifies the association between solid fuel use and cognitive function remains unknown. MethodsA total of 21,008 individuals aged 16 to 92 were enrolled in 2010 and followed up to 2014 in the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). Cognitive function was assessed using standardized math and word tests in two waves. Solid fuel use at baseline was assessed by self-reporting of firewood, straw, or coal used for cooking. Lifestyle profile was classified into two groups (favorable vs. unfavorable) based on five modifiable lifestyle factors including alcohol drinking, smoking, body mass index, diet, and physical activity. Linear mixed-effects models were employed to assess the association of solid fuel use and lifestyle with cognitive function. The effect modification of lifestyle was analyzed. ResultsA total of 49.7% of the study population used solid fuels for cooking and 17.4% had a favorable lifestyle. Solid fuel use was associated with a significant decrease in cognitive function (β = −0.29, 95% CI: −0.39, −0.19 for math test; β = −0.62, 95% CI: −0.84, −0.41 for word test). Lifestyle significantly modified this association (p-interaction: 0.006 for math test; 0.016 for word test), with the corresponding association being less pronounced among participants adhering to a favorable lifestyle compared to those with an unfavorable lifestyle. ConclusionA favorable lifestyle may attenuate the adverse association between solid fuel use and cognitive function. Adopting a favorable lifestyle has the potential to mitigate the adverse neurological effects due to indoor air pollution.

Later ("evening") circadian preference is associated with poorer executive, academic, and attentional functioning in adolescents with and without ADHD.

Adolescents vary considerably in their circadian phase preference; those with greater "eveningness" (also known as "night owls") have later bedtimes, wake times, and peak arousal compared to those with greater "morningness." Prior research suggests that (a) greater eveningness is associated with worse academic, executive, and attentional functioning; and (b) adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tend to be high in eveningness and to have deficits in these school-related constructs. However, few studies have examined circadian preference alongside two potential confounds-sleep duration and sleep quality-as predictors of daytime functioning, or whether the strength of associations differs across adolescents with and without ADHD. Participants were 302 adolescents (Mage = 13.17 years; 44.7% female; 81.8% White); approximately half (52%) had ADHD. A multi-method, multi-informant design was used. Specifically, adolescents reported on their circadian preference, school night sleep duration, and sleep quality. Adolescents provided ratings of their academic motivation (intrinsic, extrinsic, and amotivation) and were administered standardized achievement tests in reading and math. Adolescents and parents completed ratings of daily life executive functioning (behavioral, emotion, and cognitive regulation), and they and teachers also provided ratings of ADHD inattentive symptoms. Above and beyond sleep duration, sleep quality, and covariates (sex, family income, pubertal development, medication use), greater eveningness was uniquely associated with poorer academic, executive, and attentional functioning across most measures. Sleep quality was uniquely associated with a handful of outcomes, and sleep duration was not significantly uniquely associated with any outcome in the regression analyses. ADHD status did not moderate effects. This study provides compelling evidence that poorer academic, executive, and attentional functioning are more closely associated with greater eveningness than with sleep duration or quality in adolescents. Findings suggest that targeting circadian preference may be important to reduce these problems in adolescents, especially in clinical samples such as ADHD for whom academic, executive, and attentional difficulties are exceptionally common.

The Effect of Time Variables as Predictors of Senior Secondary School Students' Mathematical Performance Department of Mathematics Education Freetown Polytechnic

This study aimed to investigate the effect of time variables as predictors of senior secondary school students' mathematical performance in Kossoh Town, Western Rural. The time variables considered in this study included the time of day when the math test was administered, the amount of time spent studying math outside of school, and the time of year when the test was taken. A sample of 250 Senior Secondary School Students from different public schools participated in the study. They were administered a standardized math test at three different times of the day (morning, afternoon, and evening), and their scores were recorded. Additionally, the students were asked to report the amount of time they spent studying math outside of school and the time of year when they took the test. The results of the study indicated that the performance of girls in the mathematics tests varied depending on the time of the day and their age group. The highest pass rates were observed in the morning and the lowest in the evening. Additionally, older girls and boys (above 20) generally had lower pass rates compared to younger age groups. This means time variables had a significant impact on the students' mathematical performance. Furthermore Students who took the test in the morning scored higher on average compared to those who took the test in the afternoon or evening. Additionally, students who reported studying math outside of school for a longer period of time had higher scores on the test. Finally, students who took the test later in the school year scored higher compared to those who took the test earlier in the year. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that time variables play a crucial role in predicting Senior Secondary School.

Math items about real-world content lower test-scores of students from families with low socioeconomic status

In many countries, standardized math tests are important for achieving academic success. Here, we examine whether content of items, the story that explains a mathematical question, biases performance of low-SES students. In a large-scale cohort study of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS)—including data from 58 countries from students in grades 4 and 8 (N = 5501,165)—we examine whether item content that is more likely related to challenges for low-SES students (money, food, social relationships) improves their performance, compared with their average math performance. Results show that low-SES students scored lower on items with this specific content than expected based on an individual’s average performance. The effect sizes are substantial: on average, the chance to answer correctly is 18% lower. From a hidden talents approach, these results are unexpected. However, they align with other theoretical frameworks such as scarcity mindset, providing new insights for fair testing.

Preparing for the next pandemic: predictors and effects of COVID-19 remote learning.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced school closures and rapid transitions to distance learning, which were widely associated with negative effects on educational attainment and mental health among youth. Research is now emerging about the relationship between distance learning and educational outcomes, as well as factors that sped or delayed the return of in-person learning in specific geographic regions. In the state of Massachusetts, in the United States, high schools (9th-12th grade) varied in the length of time that passed before in-person learning was offered. This study investigated (1) what factors were associated with the date at which schools implemented hybrid/in-person learning, and (2) what factors, including time in remote learning, were associated with loss of educational attainment. The sample included N = 267 regional/local high schools. Analyses investigated whether time to hybrid/in-person learning was associated with the percentage of students from low-income households and from minority ethnic/racial groups, local political affiliations and COVID incidence rate in September 2020, and the size of the district. The second set of analyses examined whether the high schools' observed losses in standardized math test scores between 2019 and 2021 were associated with the amount of time students remained in exclusively remote learning, as well as the percentage of students from low-income households and minority ethnic/racial groups, the COVID cumulative incidence rate in the region by April 2021, and the size of the school district. Multiple linear regression analysis examining variance in the date at which hybrid/in-person learning was implemented was most strongly predicted by the size of the school district. Multiple linear regression analysis examining variance in the loss of educational attainment was most strongly predicted by the percentage of students from low-income households in the high school. Exploratory analyses comparing charter schools with regional public high schools found that charter schools showed significantly greater loss of educational attainment, contrary to hypotheses. Additional protections for students from larger school districts, lower-income families, and charter schools are needed in case of future population-level disruptions in education.

Preschool or/and kindergarten? The long-term benefits of different types of early childhood education on pupils' skills.

Developing countries have witnessed great progress in early childhood education (ECE) enrollment rate over the past three decades. Preschool and kindergarten are the two most common types of ECE in developing countries. Questions remain as to which of the two types of ECE is more effective in promoting child development in developing countries, including both cognitive and non-cognitive skills. The objective of this paper is to examine the long-term benefits of attending preschool or/and kindergarten on pupils' cognitive and non-cognitive skills in rural China. We pooled data from two large-scale surveys conducted by the authors themselves at 136 rural primary schools in 20 counties from three provinces in northwestern China in 2009. The final study sample consisted of 9,839 pupils who both reported their ECE experience and completed cognitive and non-cognitive tests. We measured pupils' cognitive skills by standardized math test scores and grade retention, and their non-cognitive skills by both self-reported self-efficacy, mental health, and teacher-reported behaviors. Inverse Probability Weighting (IPW) was used to balance the pre-treatment variables between the treatment (Any ECE, Preschool Only, Kindergarten Only, or Preschool+Kindergarten) and comparison (No ECE) groups. Results from IPW show that compared with their peers without any ECE experience, pupils with any ECE experience perform better in cognitive skills (0.118 standard deviations (s.d.) increase in the TIMSS, 7.1 percentage point (pp) decrease in the probability of grade retention) but not in non-cognitive skills. By ECE types, attending kindergarten only is associated with a 0.150 s.d. increase in the TIMSS, a 7.0 pp decrease in the probability of grade retention, and a 0.059 s.d. decrease in the index of behavioral problems of pupils. Moreover, attending both preschool and kindergarten predicts a lower probability of grade retention, but attending preschool only has few benefits. Heterogenous analyses suggest that the long-term benefits of ECE are more prominent among the Han pupils from households with higher socio-economic status. Our findings imply that increasing access to ECE can be an effective instrument to improve pupils' skills in less-developed rural areas of China, especially their cognitive skills. Among different types of ECE, attending kindergarten contributes more to pupils' skill development in rural China than other types. We call for strengthened efforts to ensure equal access to quality ECE for preschool-aged children in rural China.

Association Between Gestational Age and Academic Achievement of Children Born at Term

Differences in academic achievement by gestational age of children born at term, especially at 39 to 41 weeks, are not well understood. To examine differences in academic achievement among children born between 37 and 41 weeks' gestational age. This retrospective cohort study linked birth certificates of children born in Iowa from 1989 to 2009 with school test scores for grades 2 to 11 from 2017 to 2018. Statistical analysis was performed from January to March 2023. Gestational age at 37, 38, 39, and 41 weeks vs 40 weeks from clinical or obstetric and calendar measures. Outcomes were scores in national percentile rankings (NPRs) on standardized school tests in math and reading. Covariates included demographic and prenatal risk factors. The sample included 536 996 children (50.7% male children and 49.3% female children) with math scores (3 576 045 child-grade observations; 6.6%, 15.7%, 28.6%, 35.5%, and 13.7% born at 37, 38, 39, 40, and 41 weeks, respectively) and 537 078 children with reading scores (3 590 408 child-grade observations). Score differences for those born at 39 vs 40 weeks were -0.028 NPRs (95% CI, -0.18 to 0.12 NPRs) for math and 0.085 NPRs (95% CI, -0.067 to 0.24 NPRs) for reading using the clinical or obstetric measure and 0.03 NPRs (95% CI, -0.14 to 0.20 NPRs) for math and 0.13 NPRs (95% CI, -0.042 to 0.31 NPRs) for reading using the calendar measure. With the clinical or obstetric measure, score differences between those born at 41 and 40 weeks were 0.19 NPRs (95% CI, -0.0052 to 0.38 NPRs) for math and 0.098 NPRs (95% CI, -0.096 to 0.29 NPRs) for reading. With the calendar measure, score differences for those born at 41 weeks were -0.22 NPRs (95% CI, -0.43 to -0.013 NPRs) for math and -0.28 NPRs (95% CI, -0.49 to -0.074 NPRs) for reading. With the clinical or obstetric measure, score differences between those born at 37 and 38 weeks vs 40 weeks were -0.59 NPRs (95% CI, -0.84 to -0.33 NPRs) and -0.44 NPRs (95% CI, -0.62 to -0.26 NPRs), respectively, for math, and -0.066 NPRs (95% CI, -0.32 to 0.19 NPRs) and -0.19 NPRs (95% CI, -0.37 to 0.0038 NPRs), respectively, for reading. This study suggests that there is no evidence of a difference in math and reading scores over grades 2 to 11 among children born between 39 and 40 weeks' gestation, and overall no evidence of better scores among those born at 41 weeks' gestation compared with 40 weeks' gestation. The results can further inform decisions on delivery timing at term birth by offering insights into long-term associations of delivery timing with cognitive development and school achievement.

Intersectional Program Evaluation: Considering Race, Class, Sex, and Language in Gifted Program Effectiveness

Gifted education is an effective intervention for high-ability students who need more academic challenges. However, the relationship between program effectiveness and demographic categories has been scantly evaluated. Research focused on the effectiveness of gifted education infrequently considers the intersections of ability, race, sex, socioeconomic status, and language. To fill this gap, I used an ex post facto quasi-experimental design to conduct a cross-sectional evaluation of gifted service models at the intersections of cultural identity groups in Ohio. Findings underscore the relationship between the type of gifted service model and achievement on standardized math test scores varying across demographic groups.

The relationship between accuracy in numerosity estimation, math achievement, and math interest in primary school students.

Estimation is a primary activity in everyday life, so getting it "right" in primary school provides a foundational basis in mathematical reasoning. This study focuses on numerosity estimation in primary mathematics, which is one of four types of estimation reported in literature. In numerosity estimation, a non-numerical quantitative representation is typically translated into a number. While it is assumed that fostering numerosity estimation has a great impact on the development of mathematical skills, research indicates that math achievement is influenced by non-cognitive aspects such as students' math interests. So, math interest could also influence the accuracy in numerosity estimation. In this study, we investigate the relationship between accuracy in numerosity estimation, math achievement, and math interest in third-grade students. For capturing accuracy in numerosity estimation in a standardized way, we developed an online numerosity estimation test. For assessing the construct of math interest, we used an existing questionnaire. Math achievement was assessed by a standardized math test that includes two subtests focusing on arithmetic and application tasks. The sample was comprised of 185 third-grade students. We analyzed the data using correlation and multiple linear regression analysis. The results showed a significant positive correlation between math interest and math achievement. However, no relationship was found between accuracy in numerosity estimation and math interest nor between accuracy in numerosity estimation and math achievement. These partly unexpected findings suggest further studies dedicated to numerosity estimation and its relationship to other constructs.

Quantifying grade benefits of study: Practice makes better

Problem Roulette (PR), an online study service at the University of Michigan, offers points-free formative practice to students preparing for examinations in introductory science, technology, engineering, and mathematics courses. Using four years of PR data involving millions of problem attempts by thousands of students, we quantify the benefits of increased practice study volume in introductory physics. After conditioning the mean final grade on standardized (ACT and SAT) math test score, we analyze deviations based on student study volume. We find a strong effect; mean course grade rises quadratically with the logarithm of the total number of PR questions encountered over the term (NQ,tot), with an overall gain of 0.77±0.12 grade points between 1<NQ,tot<1000. The gains are persistent across the range of math test scores represented in our sample. While NQ,tot surely correlates with other study habits, the benefits of increased study in general still hold. A model for final grade using test score and study volume largely accounts for demographic stratification, including by sex, parental education level, number of parents at home, nationality or underrepresented minority status, and regional income level, with two significant exceptions: students whose parents did not earn a college degree, who earn −0.27±0.04 grade points (6.1σ) below expectations, and underrepresented minority students at −0.14±0.04 points (3.6σ). Residual scatter in final grade remains comparable to the maximal study gains, implying that the model is far from deterministic: individual variation trumps mean trends. Our findings can help motivate students to study more and help teachers to identify which types of students may especially need such encouragement.1 MoreReceived 20 December 2022Accepted 25 April 2023DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.19.010139Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.Published by the American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasInstructional materials developmentLearning environmentLearning theoryScientific reasoning & problem solvingStudent preparationTechnologyPhysics Education Research

Universal Early Childhood Education and Care for Toddlers and Achievement Outcomes in Middle Childhood

We estimated the effects of Norway’s universal ECEC program—expanding access to 1- and 2-year-olds starting in the early 2000s—on standardized math and achievement tests in 5th grade (age 10) using a population-based survey sample (Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study, MoBa, n = 102,352), linked with national administrative records of child achievement test scores. We used two methods to test the effects of attending ECEC: fixed-effects and instrumental variable regressions. Although both approaches found small and mostly insignificant main effects, the effect of ECEC is consistently stronger for children from families with low parental education. The fixed-effects analyses showed that ECEC reduced inequalities in achievement across levels of parental education by about 10% while the instrumental variable analyses, using variation in ECEC induced by the expansion, showed reduction of about 50%. These results suggest that expanding access to ECEC for toddlers has the potential to reduce achievement inequality.

Building mental toughness: A middle school intervention to increase grit, locus of control, and academic performance

AbstractWe evaluated a curriculum that focused on bolstering grit and locus of control in seventh grade students at a school in upstate New York. The intervention included lessons aimed at building a growth mindset and determination, along with writing projects and collaborative work. A pre−post design was utilized such that surveys measuring grit and locus of control were administered at the beginning of the school year and at the end of the school year for 215 students. Participants also completed standardized tests in reading and math. Students' scores on locus of control showed a significant change toward higher perceived control. The lowest scoring students on grit also showed a significant increase over the same time period. No changes were observed at a comparison school that did not receive the intervention. Both grit and locus of control significantly predicted academic achievement on standardized tests for reading and math. The findings support the intervention and the importance of grit and locus of control in academic achievement.

The Association Between Screen Time and Outdoor Time on Adolescent Mental Health and Academic Performance: Evidence from Rural China.

We examine how adolescent free time allocation-namely, screen time and outdoor time-is associated with mental health and academic performance in rural China. This paper used a large random sample of rural junior high school students in Ningxia (n = 20,375; age=13.22), with data collected from self-reported demographic questionnaires (to assess free time allocation), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (to assess mental health), and a standardized math test (to measure academic performance). We utilized a multivariate OLS regression model to examine associations between free time allocation and adolescent outcomes, controlling for individual and family characteristics. Our sample's screen time and outdoor time both averaged around 1 hour. About 10% of the sample adolescents reported behavioral difficulties, while a similar percentage (11%) reported abnormal prosocial behaviors. Adolescents with higher levels of screen time (>2 hours) were 3 percentage points more likely to have higher levels of behavioral difficulties (p<0.001), indicating that excessive screen time was associated with worse mental health. Meanwhile, outdoor time was associated with better mental health, and positive correlations were observed at all levels of outdoor time (compared to no outdoor time, decreasing the likelihood of higher levels of behavioral difficulties by between 3 and 4 percentage points and of lower prosocial scores by between 6 and 8 percentage points; all p's<0.001). For academic performance, average daily screen times of up to 1 hour and 1-2 hours were both positively associated with standardized math scores (0.08 SD, p<0.001; 0.07 SD, p<0.01, respectively), whereas there were no significant associations between outdoor time and academic performance. Using a large sample size, this study was the first to examine the association between adolescent free time allocation with mental health and academic performance, providing initial insights into how rural Chinese adolescents can optimize their free time.

Associations between sleep, reading, and mathematics in Taiwanese children.

Some research shows a link between sleep behaviours and school achievement in English-speaking children and adolescents. The current study aimed to examine the relationship between children's sleep behaviours and aspects of their school achievement in Mandarin-speaking children who are living in Taiwan. The present study reports on 69 second-grade children (age range=6.84-8.4 years) recruited in Taipei City, Taiwan. Children's sleep behaviours were assessed through two standardized parent self-report questionnaires: the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC). Children undertook three standardized tests of word reading, reading comprehension and math. Key findings include: (i) sleep disturbances are more prevalent when using the CSHQ scale than the SDSC scale, (ii) around half of second graders struggle with general sleep disturbances as observed by the CSHQ scale, (iii) children who go to bed before 22:00 and have at least 9-h sleep tend to exhibit fewer sleep disturbances, (iv) parasomnias as measured by the CSHQ are negatively correlated with reading comprehension after controlling age and nonverbal IQ, and (v) the amount of sleep (naps) during daytime is negatively correlated with Chinese character recognition, reading comprehension and math after controlling age and nonverbal IQ. There is growing awareness of the value of research that spans culturally and linguistically diverse populations. Our study contributes to ongoing discussions about the relationship between sleep, and skills in reading and math in school-aged children in Taiwan.

Green cover and socioemotional and academic outcomes of school-age children. The case of Santiago, Chile

The association between green cover and health indicators has been extensively studied, pointing to important impacts on stress reduction and emotional outcomes. In addition, several studies have established a positive association between vegetation and children academic achievement. Nevertheless, none of these studies have attempted to measure the association between vegetation and socioemotional and academic outcomes of school-age children concomitantly, which is key to help understanding how vegetation could mediate these associations with children academic performance. In this work, we use socioemotional and standardized math and reading tests data, as well as satellite-derived vegetation cover data, to evaluate the association between green cover over socioemotional indicators and academic achievement of primary, middle and high-school students for the city of Santiago. Our main results suggest that school green cover is associated with improvements on socioemotional outcomes, but not directly with academic achievement. Moreover, these associations are concentrated on 8th and 10th grade students. However, only green cover within schools, but not in the surroundings, shows an association with socioemotional outcomes. Overall, evergreen vegetation presents the strongest association, followed by grass. Vegetated areas dominated by deciduous trees seem not to be associated with neither socioemotional nor academic outcomes.

The effect of workspace tidiness on schoolwork performance of high school students

Adolescents tend not to prioritize organization. Previous research indicates that the degree to which a student's workspace is organized can impact their academic performance. Current literature shows that an organized desk produces better focus and efficiency. Prior studies focused on college students, the professional workplace, and home clutter. However, no literature explored these effects on high school students. The impact of tidy workspaces on adults cannot be assumed to hold for adolescents because of differences in development. Here, we investigated changes in the accuracy and efficiency of high school students when completing an academic task in organized and disorganized environments. We hypothesized that high school students would perform worse, in terms of accuracy and efficiency, in a disorganized environment. Twenty-three high school student volunteers were given a standardized math test in both organized and disorganized workspaces. While students answered more questions and more questions correctly on average in the organized environment, a repeated measures t-test indicated that statistical significance was not reached. Despite this study's lack of statistical significance, further research on this topic is warranted.