PATTI DEANN AYERS
Exploring the Relationship Between High School Facilities and Achievement of High
School Students in Georgia

Doctoral Dissertation

The University of Georgia
(Under the direction of C. KENNETH TANNER)

Student achievement is affected by many variables. This study focused on one area that has received minimal attention through the years: the relationship between high school facilities and student achievement. This study explored the relationship between certain design features identified in the literature and student achievement as measured by the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT). The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between the selected design features and the GHSGT. The population of the study included 27 public high schools in two Regional Service Educational Area districts. Multiple regression analyses were conducted on the data set. Correlative variables including socio-economic status, educational background of the teachers, average number of years teaching, and the size of the student population of each school were used as variables in the equation. The Design Appraisal Scale for High Schools (DASH-I) was completed for each school to determine the total score for the educational facilities variable. This was also included in the regression equations as a correlative variable. Regression models were examined to determine the amount of variance that was explained by DASH-I. Based upon the results of the analyses, school design variables explained approximately 6% of the variance related to the English and Social Studies, 3% of the variance related to the Science, and 2% of the variance related to both the Mathematics and Writing.

Posted December 1999 by Ken Tanner