The Walls Speak: The Interplay of Quality Facilities, School Climate, and Student Achievement

A growing body of research provides evidence of a link between school building quality and student achievement. Less is
known, however, about the mechanisms of this relationship. One unexamined link between school facilities and student achievement is school climate. In this study, the authors examined the hypothesis that at least part of the explanation for
the link between school building quality and student outcomes is the mediating influence of school climate. School climate may explain, at least in part, the deleterious impact that poor school facilities has on learning. It may be that dilapidated, crowded, or uncomfortable school buildings lead to low morale and reduced effort on the part of teachers and students alike, to reduced community engagement with a school and even to less positive forms of school leadership. Thus, poor school climate may play a contributing role in low achievement when school facilities are inadequate. The authors review the current research on the link between building quality and student achievement and behavior, as well as teacher attitudes and performance, discuss the method of their study and the findings, and discuss the implications for future research and for current practice.