Indoor Air Quality and the School EnvironmentEnsuring our children’s health and academic success

Provided by the American Association of School Administrators

Perspective“In the construction of buildings, whether for public

purposes or as dwellings, care should be taken to provide good ventilation and plenty of sunlight….schoolrooms are often faulty in this respect. Neglect of proper ventilation is responsible for much of the drowsiness and dullness that….make the teacher’s work toilsome and ineffective.”

-Health Reformer, 1871

What is Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)? The temperature, humidity, ventilation, and

chemical or biological contaminants of the air inside a building.

- Webster’s Dictionary

Did you know… Americans spend 90% of their day indoors – in classrooms,

offices, and at home11;

90% of schools in U.S. were built before 1980, and 50% before 19608;

50% of schools nationwide report unsatisfactory environmental conditions8;

Students whose school facilities are in poor condition have test scores about 5.5 percentage points below students whose school facilities are in fair condition, and about 11 percentage points below students in excellent facilities.5

Why should we care about IAQ in our schools? Nearly 55 million people (20% of US population) spend their

days inside elementary and secondary schools8;

In 1999, one in five public schools had unsatisfactory IAQ levels1;

58% of schools indicated that their district does not have an IAQ management plan6,

Asthma in Schools Between 1980 and 1996, the prevalence of asthma increased

45 percent among children ages 5-146; In 2002, 6.1 million children under the age of 18 were

reported to currently have asthma6; Asthma is the third leading cause of hospitalization in

children under 15 years of age2; Asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeism,

accounting for 15 million missed days per year3.

The Link Between IAQ and Asthma Asthma prevalence in schools has been associated

with higher relative air humidity, higher concentrations of volatile organic compounds, and mold or bacteria7.

Many asthma triggers are found in and due to the school environment, including: Dust mites found in carpeting, stuffed animals, and other

cloth/fabric Animal dander from classroom pets Cockroaches Mold

Challenges and Awareness

Asthma Triggers Coats Stuffed animals Carpet Space is densely

populated MORE??

Indoor Air Quality and Student Achievement Poor IAQ can reduce a student’s ability to perform

specific mental tasks requiring concentration, calculation, or memory6. Students may appear sluggish or sleepy, or have

headaches; Indoor air quality is related to asthma and other

aspects of health in schools6. More missed school days Tired from a lack of sleep

Many School Leaders Don’t… Believe asthma is an epidemic.

CDC and EPA officials have called childhood asthma an epidemic.9

Believe asthma and IAQ affect academic performance. Asthma and poor IAQ do affect academic performance.5

Consider the school environment a priority. Students thrive academically in environments that support their

health and well being.

School Facilities 2004 report by the Maryland Task Force to Study Public

School Facilities identified deficiencies in every jurisdiction of the State10

The price tag to improve the nation's school facilities is estimated to cost somewhere between the $127 billion (according to the National Center for Education Statistics) and $268 billion (according to the National Education Association)4.

What is wrong? Can you determine how the following photos

compromise good indoor air quality?

Challenges and Awareness

Building cleanliness

Wall dust can be an asthma trigger

Challenges and Awareness

Vent is partially covered

Challenges and Awareness

Poor chemical management

Improper ventilation

Awareness

Idling near windows, doors, and students

What Are Our Options?

Reactive Response

Proactive Response

How to get started Obtain EPA’s Tools for Schools Program Kit Define IAQ team and appoint a leader Conduct walkthrough of buildings Create laundry list of items for repair Create communications plan for internal and external

stakeholders Establish action plan for handling future IAQ-related

events Establish policies to minimize exposure to asthma

triggers (i.e., no pets, no smoking)

AASA Resource to Help Us Begin Copies of EPA’s Tools for Schools Kit – free to schools Schoolhouse in the Red (2004 edition) School Governance & Leadership (Spring 2003) Frequently Asked Questions on AASA website Scholarships to attend EPA IAQ Tools for Schools Annual

Symposium Powerful Practices: A Checklist for School Districts

Addressing the Needs of Students with Asthma Urban Resource Coalition Rural Resource Coalition

Website: www.aasa.org

EPA Resources to Help Us Begin Tools for Schools Design Tools for School Indoor Air Quality Symposium (held each winter in

Washington, DC) H-SEAT Mold Remediation online tutorials and publications

Website: www.epa.gov/schools

Other IAQ Resources National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities –

www.edfacilities.org

Council for Educational Facilities Planners – www.cefpi.org

Environmental Law Institute – www.eli.org

Allergy & Asthma Network, Mothers of Asthmatics http://www.aanma.org/

References1About IAQ Design Tools for Schools, Introduction (June 20, 2006).U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. http://

www.epa.gov/iaq/schooldesign/introduction.html.2Asthma Facts and Figures (June 2006). Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. http://

www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=8&sub=42. 3Asthma Prevalence, Health Care Use and Mortality, 2002. (2004). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services.4Colgan, C. (June 2003). “What Schools Cost: The Dollars and Sense of Construction, Maintenance, and Energy,”

American School Board Journal, 190, 6. http://www.asbj.com/specialreports/0603Special%20Reports/S1.html.5Indoor Air Quality and Student Performance (March 2001, Revised 2003). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.6Moglia, D.; A Smith; DL MacIntosh; and JL Somers (January 2006). “Prevalence and Implementation of IAQ

Programs in U.S. Schools” Environmental Health Perspectives 114, 1, 141-146. http://www.ehponline.org/members/2005/7881/7881.pdf.

7Schneider, M. (November 2002).Do School Facilities Affect Academic Outcomes? National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities.

8School Facilities: The Condition of America’s Schools, Report to Congressional Requesters (February 1995). U.S. General Accounting Office. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/pdf_files/he95061.pdf.

9Steps to a Healthier US Prevention Report (Winter 2004).U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 18, 2. http://odphp.osophs.dhhs.gov/pubs/prevrpt/04Volume18/Iss2Vol18.pdf.

10Task Force to Study Public School Facilities Final Report (February 2004). State of Maryland, Library and Information Services, Office of Policy Analysis, Department of Legislative Services. http://mlis.state.md.us/other/education/public_school_facilities_2003/Final_Report.pdf.

11The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality (April 1995). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, Office of Radiation and Indoor Air. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/insidest.html#Intro.