Grantee Research Project Results
2016 Progress Report: Sustainable Places, Health and Educational Research in Schools (SPHEReS)
EPA Grant Number: R835635Title: Sustainable Places, Health and Educational Research in Schools (SPHEReS)
Investigators: Cross, Jennifer E , Reynolds, Stephen J. , Dunbar, Brian , Magzamen, Sheryl
Current Investigators: Cross, Jennifer E , Reynolds, Stephen J. , Dunbar, Brian , Magzamen, Sheryl , Manning, Dale , Suter, Jordan , Schaeffer, Joshua
Institution: Colorado State University
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: March 2, 2015 through March 1, 2019 (Extended to March 1, 2020)
Project Period Covered by this Report: March 2, 2016 through March 1,2017
Project Amount: $999,387
RFA: Healthy Schools: Environmental Factors, Children’s Health and Performance, and Sustainable Building Practices (2013) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Children's Health , Human Health
Objective:
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Determine if new, sustainably built schools and sustainably retrofitted schools have a positive impact on human performance, including student health, student academic achievement, employee health and work satisfaction compared to conventional school buildings.
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Examine how features of sustainable buildings that improve environmental quality mediate the relationship between improved air quality and student and teacher health and performance.
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Determine return on investment for sustainable building design and construction in terms of human performance measures.
Progress Summary:
District 1. In Adams 12, we revised our original scope of work to be conducted in three phases. Phase I, was conducted in 2016-2017 and included collection of student performance data (e.g., grades, standardized test scores, days absent, etc.) from all students in the district for the years 2010-2014. In addition, we collected data on IAQ and IEQ from each school in the district. These data were collected using the Operational Report Card methodology from the Coalition for Sustainable Schools. http://www.chps.net/dev/Drupal/orc
In the spring of 2017, we used the student data and the ORC data to build a dataset on all schools in the district. This database allowed us to analyze the impact of IAQ and IEQ on student test scores and growth.
District 2. The second district we proposed to work with was Douglas County School District. We were scheduled to meet with the Board of Education (BoE) to get final approval for the project in August 2016. However, the summer of 2016, the superintendent resided, several BoE members abruptly resigned, and several key administrators also resigned. The BoE cancelled our scheduled meeting and informed us they would not be able to consider any applications for research in the 2016-2017 school year.
IAQ Measurement & Verification. Since air quality testing could not be conducted in the school district during the 2016-2017 school year, we utilized buildings on the CSU campus to test and verify the sampling strategy for various IAQ measures. The IAQ team has successfully constructed an air sampling station that uniquely integrates all equipment and instrumentation proposed in sampling strategy. This station facilitates transportation and deployment of active and passive samplers (including direct reading instruments) while standardizing sampling orientation between classrooms and schools. Further, the sampling station securely houses equipment and protects against tampering or theft. Due to its innovation and customization, an invention disclosure and provisional patent has been submitted.
We successfully collected air quality samples from three buildings on the CSU campus. Our samples were taken during occupied and unoccupied times, and we collected data at three time points across the seasons. These data were then used to make refinements to our data collection protocol as well as to establish and refine the measurement and analysis protocols.
Adams 12 Five Star Schools. We successfully completed data collection and analysis of 4 years of student data. Our analysis examined how movement from schools with one set of IAQ and IEQ measures influenced student success measures (grades and testing scores). This work was presented to the Adams 12 district on June 22. We found consistent evidence that energy efficiency is associated with higher student performance. We did not find consistent evidence for other measures of IAQ or IEQ and student performance, but have designed more robust measures to test in 8-12 buildings in 2017-2019.
IAQ. We successfully deployed the IAQ air sampling stations and collected data from three buildings on the CSU campus. Data from these analyses were presented at two conferences.
Future Activities:
One of the primary goals of our research project was to collect longitudinal data on IAQ, IEQ in schools and related test scores of students. In Phase I, we were able to collect four years of student performance data from all schools in the Adams 12 district. In Phases II and III, we have the unique opportunity to gather IAQ and IEQ data from schools prior to renovation and post renovation. In November 2016, Adams 12 passed a bond to support a variety of facility improvements across the district in 2017-2020. We plan to collect data on those schools undergoing renovation in 2017 and 2018. We will be able to collect pre and post assessments of both IAQ and IEQ in those buildings along with the correlated student test score data.
Time Frame
Data Collection
Phase I
COMPLETED 06/17
2016 -2017
- student records (demographics and test scores) from 2010-2014
- Operations Report Card scores
Phase II
2017 -2019
- Student test score records 2015-2018
- Pre-post renovation IAQ measures, 3 times/year in selected schools
- Pre-post IEQ measures, in selected schools
Phase III
2018-2019
- teacher health survey
- teacher perceptions of IAQ & IEQ in selected schools
- student perceptions of IAQ & IEQ in selected schools
- student health data
Potential No-Cost Extension
2019-2020
- student test score data 2019-2020
Journal Articles on this Report : 2 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other project views: | All 16 publications | 6 publications in selected types | All 6 journal articles |
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Type | Citation | ||
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Magzamen S, Mayer AP, Schaeffer JW, Reynolds SJ. Advancing a multidisciplinary research framework on school environment, occupant health, and performance. Indoor Air 2015;25(5):457-461. |
R835635 (2015) R835635 (2016) |
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Magzamen S, Mayer AP, Barr S, Bohren L, Dunbar B, Manning D, Reynolds SJ, Schaeffer JW, Suter J, Cross JE. A multidisciplinary research framework on green schools: infrastructure, social environment, occupant health and performance. Journal of School Health 2017;87(5):376-387. |
R835635 (2016) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
Indoor Air Quality, Indoor Environmental Quality, green schools, community-based research, health effects, public schools, student performance, teacher health, sustainable schools, cost benefit, sociology, epidemiology, agricultural and resource economics, built environment, modelling, western region, Colorado, CO, EPA Region 8Relevant Websites:
Relevant Web Sites
Colorado State University - Institute for the Built Environment Exit
Stephen J. Reynolds, Ph.D. Bio Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.