Cooler rooms, higher grades?
Driving home from work on Kinoole, with my car registering an outside temperature of 99 degrees, my ears perked up when a story came on the radio about the effect of heat on students’ performance in school.
Having always lived in hot climates, I recalled the lethargy that would set in when the classroom temperature soared.
A recent climate study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that the years 2015, 2016 and 2017 have been the warmest ever on record. This trend is unlikely to reverse anytime soon, and with ever-rising temperatures comes an increase in the number of heat spikes.
Harvard University’s Center for Climate, Health and Global Environment conducted a study that found those given a written arithmetic test in a room without air conditioning, where air temperatures averaged 80 degrees, performed 13 percent poorer than those who took the same exam in an air-conditioned room, where air temperatures averaged 71 degrees.
Students in rooms that were not air conditioned also responded 10 percent slower in the number of correct responses per minute. A similar result was found in adult workplaces.
A study at the University of California, Los Angeles, recently concluded that taking a algebra test in a room at 90 degrees resulted in a 10 percent less likelihood of passing the exam than on a 72-degree day.
The heat is a factor in the Big Island children’s rate of high school graduation. Perhaps this is something to consider when discussing how to improve our children’s educational outcomes here on the Big Island.
Bryan Masashi Siebuhr
Hilo
Help the police
Mahalo to all of the Neighborhood Watch volunteers who assist in the tracking, identifying and reporting of suspicious activity to our Hawaii Police Department.
With their vigilance, officers are able to respond efficiently to problems that plague our communities.
Neighborhood Watch encourages all residents to remember: “See it, hear it, report it.” Call the nonemergency number 935-3311 or 911 for emergency assistance. Join or start a volunteer group in your neighborhood. Help keep your community safe!
Bobbye St. Ambrogio
Hilo