Author

Lyn G. Guy

Date of Graduation

2001

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine what relationship, if any, existed between building condition and student achievement in West Virginia's high schools. Since every West Virginia school district was required to submit a Comprehensive Education Facility Plan (CEFP) for the next ten years to the State School Building Authority in January of 2000, the research used the facility evaluation instruments that were a part of this document. Building condition comprised the three facility evaluations that are part of the CEFP as well as the age of the building, the density of the student population, and the size of the school. The population of the study was 119 of the 126 high schools operating in West Virginia during the 1998–1999 school year. Student achievement involved the April 1999 results on the Stanford Nine Achievement Tests. It is well established that the biggest predictor of student achievement is socioeconomic status (SES). Therefore, once building condition was determined (below average, average, and above average), an analysis of covariance was conducted between building condition and student achievement, with SES as a covariate. The results of this analysis were mixed, with the general conclusion that there is little significance in the relationship between building condition and student achievement as constituted in this study. It is interesting to note that reading scores and the site evaluation were strongly correlated; that math achievement and the building component evaluation were strongly correlated; and, that science achievement and the facility space evaluation were strongly correlated, albeit as building condition improved, science achievement went down. Of some interest is the conclusion that the best buildings in the state contained students with a higher level of poverty as measured. Further, it is interesting to note that the work of the School Building Authority seems to be leveling the playing field for students of poverty. There is little variation among test scores of students with high rates of poverty in above average buildings and more affluent students in below average or average buildings.

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