Code Compliant School Buildings Boost Student Achievement

Much of the focus in the literature in raising student achievementhas included parental involvement, principal leadership, quality of instruction,students’ socioeconomic status, curriculum, and use of technology. Limited empiricalresearch relates the condition of the school building as a variable that affects studentachievement. Furthermore, there is no research that has examined the impact of buildingcodes on achievement outcomes in the state of Florida. This research determined whetheracademic achievement of 4th-, 8th-, 9th-, and 10th-grade students as measured by themathematics and reading subtests of the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT)increased in new school buildings compliant to the 2000 Florida State Requirements forEducational Facilities. A causal-comparative design determined whether the independentvariables, old and new school building influenced student achievement as measured bystudents’ FCAT mathematics and reading subtest scores. The control group was two cohortsof 4th-, 8th-, 9th-, and 10th-grade students who attended school in old buildings. Theexperimental group was two cohorts of 4th-, 8th-, 9th-, and 10th-grade students whoattended school in new buildings. Transition from an old school into a new school wasthe treatment. Two hypotheses were formulated for testing and the research question forthe inquiry was whether the percentage of students passing the FCAT mathematics andreading subtests increases after transitioning from an old school building into a new2000 UBC (Uniform Building Code) compliant facility