Using Air Conditioning Can Actually Boost Test Scores

Anyone who’s ever tried to study in extreme heat is likely not surprised by the latest news about how test scores are affected by temperature. A recent study, Effects of Classroom Ventilation Rate and Temperature on Students’ Test Scores lays it all out perfectly, as reported in an article titled Fresh Air in Classrooms Could Improve Test Scores, TU Studys Show.

The University of Tulsa is responsible for the study. It began because researchers wanted to see what the effects of hot, stuffy classrooms really were. This was one of the first studies that proved there is indeed a direct and obvious correlation between lower temperatures and higher tests scores.

All it takes is reducing the temperature slightly to see children do better in classrooms. Dr. Richard Shaughnessy, from the University of Tulsa, says that student’s performance in class can be predicted by simply using a carbon dioxide detector. He says, “Improving ventilation, bringing in more outdoor air and lowering temperatures in the classroom dramatically improves students’ ability to achieve.”

The study looked at 140 classrooms, all of them fifth-graders. They learned that math scores were higher in classes with lower temperatures. By how much? Believe it or not, scores went up 12 points for every 1 degree drop in air temperature. According to the study, 72 or 73 degrees is the perfect temperature to strive for.

So why don’t more schools have air conditioning? There are generally a few reasons. One, schools want to lower costs by raising the temperature. He says that almost all schools they visited were undercooled in the summer and overheated in the winter.

Portable school rooms, which are being used more and more as classrooms sizes rise and new schools aren’t being funded, are a huge culprit. Not only do schools believe they’re expensive to heat, but without the right ductless air conditioning and filtration system, they can cause serious allergy problems for students and teachers alike.

Though it costs money to add air conditioning, the good news is that there are so many new window air conditioners and other options that don’t require a huge initial investment and are so energy efficient that the value of better test scores is well worth the cost.