Extreme heat poses challenges for an increasing number of schools each year. This analysis across three years of six states’ fall testing administrations found that math scores decrease significantly on hotter test days, with significant negative effects on test scores for temperatures 80°F and above. The largest effects were observed on 101° to 110° days, when students experienced decreases in math scores of approximately 0.06 SDs. A hotter testing day relative to a school’s average testing temperature in a term had a small but negative effect on math scores.
Importantly, schools that serve higher poverty student populations (or have greater than 75% eligible for free or reduced-price lunch) are more severely affected by test-day heat than lower-poverty schools in math. These differences may be linked to disparate conditions of school facilities, as higher resourced schools may be able to prioritize updated HVAC systems.
The researchers did not observe the same effects in reading.
Taken together with recent research, these findings suggest that systemic inequities in education extend to how schools are affected by high temperatures. Geographic factors, such as the intensified impact of heat in cities, are also important to consider. As extreme weather becomes more common, ensuring that every school can provide a safe, climate-resilient learning environment is not just a facilities issue but is fundamental to educational equity and student success.
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