Researchers used a nationwide sample of over 1000 schools from 39 different states in the US to examine links between vegetation surrounding schools and academic achievement. Other studies examining this link have reported inconsistent findings, have focused on individual cities or states versus a nationwide sample, and -- in some cases -- focused on individual versus school-level performance. This study aimed to extend our understanding of links between vegetation in student environments and academic achievement by using a large sample of US cities, considering different types of urban vegetation, and considering the moderating effects of urban intensity and socioeconomic deprivation. This study was based on the understanding that a clearer view of the association between vegetation in urban settings and academic performance could provide valuable insights for managing urban vegetation to support student success. The schools included in this study were all urban schools but represented a wide variety of academic achievement levels, geographic locations, and social and physical environments.
Statistical models used in estimating the relationship between academic achievement (as indicated by graduation rates and high school reading and mathematics proficiency) and vegetation (as indicated by tree canopy cover, non-forest vegetation, agricultural vegetation, and urban intensity) considered socioeconomic, political, and ecological factors that could influence achievement and vegetation abundance. In addition to socioeconomic deprivation (i.e., poverty, low educational attainment), these possibly-confounding factors included race, ethnicity, class size, and state and ecoregion effect.
Overall results showed “no significant relationships between environmental variables and academic achievement indicators across the full sample.” Results did show, however, significant interactions between urban intensity and non-forest vegetation. Significant interactions were also found between socioeconomic status and tree canopy cover. “These interactions indicated a positive relationship between non-forest vegetation and graduation rate for schools in highly-urban settings, and a negative relationship between canopy cover and graduation rate for schools that serve primarily low socioeconomic status populations.”
This study provides “a more extensive examination of the influences of vegetation in student environments on academic achievement than previously found in the literature.” The results show that some vegetation types are associated with academic achievement, but that this association varies with urban intensity and socioeconomic context. These findings suggest that designing urban vegetation to effectively support academic performance requires an understanding of the social and environmental context of the community. While this study suggests that the “average effects of nature on student achievement at a national scale may be small, non-existent, or even negative . . . that does not mean that certain populations do not experience considerable benefits.”
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