School Design and Planning Laboratory, Department of Workforce Education, Leadership, and Social Foundations, University of Georgia, 2008.
The purpose of this study is to compare student achievement with three school design classifications: movement and circulation, day lighting, and views. From a sample of 71 schools, measures of these three school designs, taken with a ten-point Likert scale, are compared to students’ outcomes defined by six parts of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS): Reading comprehension, Reading vocabulary, Language arts, Mathematics, Social studies, and Science. Data are tested through reduced regression analysis, where the difference between R 2 of the reduced regression is compared to the R 2 of the full regression. This result, in each case, is defined as the effect of the school’s physical environment on students’ outcomes represented by achievement scores on the ITBS. Significant effects are found for Reading vocabulary, Reading comprehension, Language arts, Mathematics, and Science. The study’s findings regarding movement and circulation patterns, natural light, and classrooms with views have implications for designing new schools or modifying existing structures. They are especially important to school leaders, educational planners, and architects who engage in programming for educational facilities.
