Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) and Learning in Schools
Connecting school buildings, classroom IEQ, absenteeism, health & learning
Schools
School is the foundation for a child's future.
It is an exciting time filled with opportunities.
It is a unique period of rapid growth and development.
But, it is also a vulnerable time for students.
School indoor environmental quality (IEQ) impacts health and learning
Schools with good indoor environmental quality promote students' well-being and learning.
Students and educators feel good inside these schools, so they can focus on learning and teaching.
There are many factors in school environments that can impact students' health and learning. Below are some pathways connecting IEQ to disrupted learning.
Some environmental pollutants come from outside, from plants, traffic, or the weather. Outdoor air pollutants can enter schools through building openings such as windows, doors, and cracks in the building envelope.
Other pollutants are generated indoors from building materials, cleaning products, fossil-fueled mechanical systems, or school occupants' breath.
Buildings with good heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems can maintain comfortable thermal conditions indoors.
Good ventilation can help remove contaminated indoor air and replenish classrooms with fresh air.
Efficient filters can remove indoor pollutants or prevent outdoor pollutants from entering a building.
How filters can clean indoor and outdoor air in a room
The lack of or inadequate mechanical ventilation, filtration, heating, and air conditioning can lead to the accumulation of viruses and indoor pollutants (CO2, PM, allergens, etc) and create conditions that feel uncomfortably hot or cold.
The state of US school buildings
How old are US school buildings?
Based on US public school data, school buildings are on average 65 years old. More than 25% were built before 1950, 45% were built between 1950 and 1969.
Every region of the US has majority older school buildings.
Older schools are found across all types of neighborhoods, although schools in cities and rural areas are the oldest.
In some of the major US cities, the average year that public schools were built was between 1940 and 1975.
Most students attend urban schools in the United States.
Investing in HVAC as a solution
How to improve IEQ in Schools?
The solution to ensure healthy IEQ in all schools is to invest in upgrading HVAC and filtering systems, in combination with climate-resilient interventions, such as enhancing insulation, installing shading devices, and planting trees.
Investing in schools' IEQ is key but upgrades are expensive. How can decision-makers prioritize investments?
Having accurate school IEQ data to inform and support grant applications will be key to successful funding.
Additionally, collecting IEQ data in classrooms will help prioritize those schools with most need.
Image Credits: Timothy Lehman and Mark Hopf (Fanning Howey)
An equity lens
Collecting data on classroom indoor environmental quality can help equitably prioritize school improvements.
While all students are affected by old school buildings and systems, it is important to consider which students are most vulnerable.
School building investments should be weighed by the needs of the students being served.
Explore our gallery of maps and graphics on the state of US schools
Key takeaways
Poor IEQ in school classrooms can negatively impact student health and learning.
Old school buildings are more likely to have poor IEQ, whether they are public or private, and most school in the US are old.
Solutions exist to improve IEQ in old schools, but with limited funding, school leaders need tools and data to prioritize investments.
Are you interested in IEQ and schools? Learn about our research, and contact us here:
