Little Information Is Available on the Condition of School Facilities in Districts That Receive Impact Aid for Students Living on Indian Lands, but Data from Selected States Indicate Conditions Ranged from Good to Poor

Limited independent information is available about the physical condition  of public school facilities that receive Impact Aid funding for students  living on Indian lands. Data from 3 States Indicated Condition of School Facilities at Indian Impact Aid School Districts Ranged from Good to Poor

			Montana

Montana’s assessment data showed that most of its Indian Impact Aid  school districts’ facilities were in good condition, although a larger  proportion of other school districts—that is, those that do not receive  Impact Aid for students residing on Indian lands—had facilities in good  condition. After making these adjustments, the analysis of New Mexico’s data  indicated that all of the Indian Impact Aid school districts had facilities  that were in either good or fair condition. Based on this scoring table, the state’s data showed that   4 Indian Impact Aid school districts were in fair condition and 5 were in  poor condition. Washington’s data indicated that none of the 9 Indian Impact Aid school  districts and about 14 percent of the other school districts had building  systems in good condition. Some Research Suggests That Better School Facilities Are Associated with Better Student Outcomes, and School District Officials Agreed, but There Is Little Evidence of a Causal Relationship

The research studies we reviewed on the relationship between the  condition of school facilities and student outcomes often showed that  better facilities were associated with better student outcomes; however,  there is not necessarily a direct causal relationship, and the associations  were often weak compared with their associations with other factors. A majority  of these studies indicated that better school facilities were associated with  better student outcomes—such as higher scores on achievement tests or  higher student attendance rates. Most of the studies measured the extent  to which better school facilities were associated with better outcomes  after taking into account the impact of other factors that can affect student  outcomes, such as poverty and other demographic characteristics. None of the studies we examined was able to conclusively  determine how much school facility conditions contribute to student  outcomes relative to other factors, such as the educational achievement of  students’ parents or teachers’ qualifications. We received technical clarifications from  Education’s Impact Aid Program within the Office of Elementary and  Secondary Education, which we incorporated in the report as appropriate. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

To determine what information is available about the physical condition of  school facilities in Indian Impact Aid school districts and what is known  about how the condition of school facilities affects student outcomes, we  interviewed officials from state and federal agencies, and associations and  reviewed relevant federal laws and regulations. Because of these differences, facility condition measures  are not strictly comparable across states. Appendix III: Examples of Studies Examining School Facilities and Student Outcomes

Table 5 provides summary information about selected studies on broad  measures of school facilities and student achievement.
Why GAO Did This Study

State and local governments spend billions of dollars annually on the construction, renovation, and maintenance of public school facilities, yet concerns persist about the condition of some school facilities, particularly in school districts serving students residing on Indian lands. The Department of Education's (Education) Impact Aid Program provides funding to school districts that are adversely impacted by a lack of local revenue because of the presence of federal land, which is exempt from local property taxes. Impact Aid can be used for school expenses, such as facilities and teacher salaries. In response to concern about school facility conditions and concern that these conditions can affect student outcomes, GAO was asked to describe (1) the physical condition of schools in districts receiving Impact Aid because of students residing on Indian lands and (2) what is known about how school facilities affect student outcomes. GAO interviewed federal, state, and local officials; analyzed available independent school facility assessment data for three states; visited eight school districts that receive Impact Aid; and analyzed studies examining the relationship between school facilities and student outcomes. GAO is not making recommendations in this report. Education provided technical clarifications, which GAO incorporated as appropriate.

What GAO Found

Limited nationwide data are available about the physical condition of public school facilities in school districts that receive Impact Aid funding for students living on Indian lands, although data from three states indicate the conditions range from good to poor. Montana's assessment data showed that the majority (39 of 60) of Indian Impact Aid school districts had facilities in good condition. New Mexico's data showed that all 19 Indian Impact Aid school districts had facilities in either good or fair condition. Washington's data--based on assessments from 9 of 29 Indian Impact Aid school districts--indicated about half (4 of 9) of the Indian Impact Aid school districts had facilities in fair condition and about half (5 of 9) had facilities in poor condition. Facility assessments are not comparable across states. School district officials from 8 districts told GAO their facility conditions are affected by factors such as fiscal capacity, the age of buildings, and remote locations. The research studies GAO reviewed on the relationship between the condition of school facilities and student outcomes often indicated that better facilities were associated with better student outcomes, but there is not necessarily a direct causal relationship and the associations were often weak compared with those of other factors, such as the prevalence of poverty or other student characteristics. A majority of the studies GAO reviewed indicated that better school facilities were associated with better student outcomes--such as higher scores on achievement tests or higher student attendance rates. Most of the studies measured the extent to which better school facilities were associated with better outcomes, after taking into account the impact of other factors. None of the studies examined was able to conclusively determine how much school facility conditions contribute to student outcomes relative to other factors, such as student demographics, and none proved a causal relationship between school facilities and student outcomes.