Something in the Air – Environmental Conditions, Student Learning, and School Infrastructure

How much does the natural/environmental component of a school's physical environment (heat and air pollution) contribute to human capital accumulation and to educational inequality, and can infrastructure investments mitigate these harms? This talk reviews a growing body of research on how environmental conditions shape student learning, focusing on heat, air pollution, and school infrastructure. Across this research, a consistent pattern emerges: cumulative exposure to both heat and air pollution meaningfully impairs learning, primarily by degrading the quality of instructional time rather than through indirect channels like health shocks or economic disruption. Effects fall disproportionately on Black, Hispanic, and low-income students. This talk will conclude by drawing connections between the empirical research and school infrastructure policy.

Dr. Joshua Goodman is a professor of education and of economics at Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, where he works on the economics of education policy. His research applies causal inference methods to large quantitative data sets, to provide rigorous evidence on the impacts of education policies. His work focuses on a variety of education policy issues, including: the determinants and consequences of college choice; the effects of secondary math coursework; the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on public schools; and the role of stressors in student learning.