Criteria: Relevance of research, extensive review of the literature, standing of the agency
Key Takeaway: Studies and field experiences demonstrate that maintenance and repair programs designed to improve the school environment and reduce asthma exacerbations at school are likely to improve health, reduce absenteeism and enhance academic performance.
Summation and Insights:
- Adding custodian/maintenance workers — and reducing the square footage each worker must maintain by an average of 1,000 square feet — increases ADA by 1 student per 1,000 and reduces the dropout rate by 4 students per 1,000.
- Eliminating the maintenance backlog and providing an annual maintenance budget that keeps the backlog at a minimum can increase ADA rates by an average of 4 to 5 students per 1,000 and reduce the annual dropout rate by 10 to 13 students per 1,000.
- Test scores uniformly increase as building conditions improve. Test scores can increase by 3 percent to 17 percent. Specific results depend on the type of test and the degree of difference in building condition.
- HVAC maintenance that ensures effective drain pan drainage, reduces excess moisture, avoids moist insulation, and eliminates pollutant sources within the HVAC system or within 25 feet of the outside air intakes has been shown to diminish the incidence of lower respiratory symptoms (e.g., shortness of breath, coughing, chest tightness and wheezing) by up to 60 percent in adult populations.
- Higher outdoor air ventilation rates increase Average Daily Attendance and improve student performance
- Raising classroom outdoor air ventilation rates can reduce absenteeism by approximately five to 10 absences per 1,000 students for a 1,000 parts per million, or ppm, decrease in the difference between indoor and outdoor carbon dioxide (CO2) levels.
- Classrooms with low outdoor air ventilation rates (e.g., about 7 cfm per person) could experience an improvement in school work performance (speed of school work tasks) of about 8 percent by doubling ventilation rates to the standards set by ASHRAE (about 13 to 15 cfm per person, based on typical design assumptions). Similarly, doubling low classroom ventilation rates could improve standardized test scores by about 10 percent.
- Dampness and mold have been determined to be associated with 30 percent to 50 percent increases in a variety of respiratory and asthma-related health outcomes in homes. A comprehensive program to prevent dampness and mold could reduce the rates of respiratory illnesses associated with school environments
Resource: https://www.epa.gov/iaq-schools/evidence-scientific-literature-about-improved-academic-performance