Improvements in Staff, Student and Parent Outcomes

The Wake County Public School System released the findings of a 2005-06 grant-funded research project that examined the impact of large-scale renovations of school buildings on student achievement, attendance, and suspension rates, as well as the impact on teacher and parent outcomes. The study found: There is sufficient evidence to suggest that renovations contribute to improvements in staff, student and parent outcomes.

WCPSS, in conjunction with the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI), compared two-year pre-renovation trends to two-year post-renovation trends at 18 of the Wake schools that had undergone a major renovation beginning with or following the summer of 1997 and completed no later than the summer of 2003. The study involved collecting and analyzing data from End-of-Grade and End-of-Course exams, SAT scores, average daily attendance, out-of-school suspensions, and parent satisfaction surveys. Findings also reflect interviews with school staff.

Looking at the 18 schools, the study found:

• Increases in scores on reading and math End-of-Grade exams

• Increases in scores on nine of 10 End-of-Course exams

• Increases in combined SAT scores at five of the six high schools

• Increases in parent satisfaction with school facilities

• Increased average daily attendance at middle and high schools

CEFPI; Rebecca Zulli, Ph.D., Director of Research and Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Christina Lighthall, REFP, Senior Director, Long-Range Planning, WCPSS; and William Carruthers, Ph.D., Senior Director, Grants Administration & Compliance Reporting, WCPSS contributed to the report.

Read the executive summary.

Posted by Kristin Flenniken at 01:18 PM on November 07, 2006 | Leave Feedback

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