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Review and Assessment of the Health and Productivity Benefits of Green Schools An Interim Report (2006) / Chapter Skim
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5 Noise, Acoustics, Student Learning, and Teacher Health
Pages 42-45

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From page 42...
... issued voluntary standard S12.60, "Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools," which calls for a maximum ambient noise level of 35 dB(A) and includes recommendations for the required sound isolation between classrooms and adjacent spaces or the outdoors (ANSI, 2002)
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From page 43...
... NOISE AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT Since the 1970s, a number of studies have been conducted that compare the reading skills of students in schools exposed to transportation noise with the reading skills of students in schools in quieter areas. A study in the early 1970s looked at the performance of children in a New York school that was parallel to the tracks of an elevated train.
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From page 44...
... The pooled data gathered through the study were analyzed statistically using multilevel modeling, and the final results were adjusted for a number of factors including children's long-standing illness, parental support for schoolwork, and home ownership. The authors noted that the study's limitations were that it was cross-sectional, not longitudinal; was restricted to 9- and 10-year olds; did not focus on noise exposure in the students' homes; and used different noise assessment techniques in the three countries.
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From page 45...
... · Although there is strong evidence that reduced noise levels are most important for younger children because they are still developing speech discrimination, additional research is required to more precisely define possible needs for control of reverberant sound for younger children. · Some available evidence indicates that teacher health, in regard to voice impairment, may be adversely affected by noisier environments, although the magnitude of the effect cannot currently be estimated as a function of exposure to noise.
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Key Terms

  • ambient noise
  • aircraft noise
  • acoustical design
  • noise levels
  • noise exposure

  • background noise
  • traffic noise
  • speech sounds
  • design requirements
  • socioeconomic status

  • schools near
  • study found
  • various ages
  • children ages
  • performance criteria

  • american national
  • road traffic
  • excessive background
  • schools located
  • authors noted

  • voice impairment
  • excessive reverberation
  • standards institute
  • educational outcomes
  • acoustical performance

  • episodic memory
  • significant impairment
  • teacher experience
  • unwanted noise
  • equivalent word


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