A Preliminary Study of the Effects That Four L.E.E.D. Gold Certified Elementary Schools Have on Student Learning, Attendance and Health

Date

2010-12

Authors

LaBuhn, Richard W.

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Abstract

As student enrollment increases in the United States, so too does the demand for educational facilities. School districts that have faced successive years of budget shortfalls have neglected renovations to existing facilities in order to pay for more immediate operating costs. As a result, a growing number of schools have environmental hazards such as poor indoor air quality and inadequate ventilation. Education facilities are also voracious consumers of energy. A green building movement has emerged in the past decade that has sought to minimize the impact that school construction has on the environment, while also providing learning environments conducive to student and faculty health. Proponents of green building claim that green schools improve student test scores, promote better attendance, and provide healthier learning environments. This study focused on four elementary schools that meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (L.E.E.D.) standard and sought to determine whether students in these schools had better standardized test scores, better attendance rates, and fewer health problems than students in conventionally constructed schools.

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Keywords

leadership, indoor air quality, elementary schools, energy and environmental design, green building rating system

Citation

LaBuhn, R.W. (2010). A preliminary study of the effects that four L.E.E.D. Gold certified elementary schools have on student learning, attendance and health (Unpublished dissertation). Texas State University-San Marcos, San Marcos, Texas.

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