The influence of indoor air quality (IAQ) on student test performance

As a follow-up to Prout's (2000) study, this study was conducted to determine the influence of carbon dioxide (CO2) on student test performance. Data were collected in a suburban school district in New Jersey from four classes of elementary school students (two 3rd grade classes and two 5 th grade classes) using the predetermined district-scheduled Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) in language and mathematics. Using a pretest/posttest experimental design, one 3 rd and one 5th grade class served as the control groups, and the other 3rd and 5th grade class served as the experimental groups. All four classes pre-tested in a room that measured 11,750 cubic feet (ft3). Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) readings were taken at the beginning and end of each pretest with a calibrated instrument (TSI 8762), which reported measures of CO2, carbon monoxide (CO), relative humidity (RH) and temperature (T).;At post-test time, the 3rd grade and 5th grade control groups again tested in the same room that measured 11,750 (ft 3). The 3rd and 5th grade experimental groups post-tested in a much larger room that measured 70,000 (ft3 ). IAQ readings were taken again at the beginning and end of each posttest session. The smaller testing room had significantly higher levels of CO2 and these levels increased as testing progressed. The students in the experimental groups had significantly lower levels of CO2 when they post-tested. Independent and dependent samples t-tests were used in the analyses of pretest and posttest scores. Effect size (ES) was calculated to estimate the educational importance of the experimental and control group differences in scores.;Although there was growth from pretest to posttest for all four classes of students, the general education students who were exposed to higher levels of CO2 in the smaller testing site, did not perform as well on the posttest as compared to the general education students in the experimental groups who tested in the larger testing site. Significantly lower levels of CO2 were present in the larger room.