Just one day of poor air quality can affect students' life outcomes.
Social scientists have long known that in so-called high-stakes testing, there is much more at play than simple intelligence differences among students. Studies have routinely shown, for example, that variations in SAT scores in the US correspond neatly with variations in parental income. However, there may be more to social class variations in test scores than has previously been demonstrated. A recent study in Israel has shown that high levels of air pollution on test day can have a marked effect on both test scores and future earnings, which implies that students who take tests in poorly ventilated buildings in polluted areas — mainly low-income, low-status groups — are quite literally limited by their surroundings.
The study's authors, economists Victor Lavy, Avraham Ebenstein and Sefi Roth, compared the scores of over 55,000 students on the Israeli Bagrut exam, which is used in college admissions, with the levels of ambient air pollution on the day of their tests. They found a significant correlation between increased levels of air pollution and decreased test scores. The economists also tracked these students for ten years after they took the exam and found that for each additional 10 PM2.5 units of exposure, future income was decreased by 2 percent. These results show that even a single day of increased air pollution can have negative consequences for students' life outcomes.
If you attend or work in a school with poor ventilation or low air quality, investing in an air purification system can have profound impacts on you and your students' capacity to learn. Contact us at US Air Purifiers for more information on the benefits of air purifiers and help making your selection.