Urban structure types and students' academic performance.

Area of Science:

• Urban planning
• Educational psychology
• Spatial analysis

Background:

• Student academic performance is influenced by various factors, including the surrounding environment.
• Understanding the link between urban morphology and educational outcomes is crucial for policy development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between urban morphology, defined by Urban Structure Types (USTs), and student academic performance.
• To identify specific neighborhood characteristics associated with improved or diminished student achievement.

Main Methods:

• Utilized student-level academic data (2017-2020) for 344,175 students across 256 public schools in the Federal District (FD), Brazil.
• Performed visual interpretation for UST mapping, classifying 21 distinct types.
• Employed mixed-effects regression models, controlling for temporal, socioeconomic, and school-specific factors.

Main Results:

• Several USTs surrounding schools showed significant associations with academic performance.
• Positive associations observed in areas with low population density, high green index, and high-standard residences.
• Negative associations found in areas with old buildings, high traffic density, and exposed soil ('devastated' areas).

Conclusions:

• Urban morphology significantly influences student academic performance.
• Findings support evidence-based educational and urban planning policies for targeted interventions.
• Interventions can foster healthier school environments, enhancing children's development and learning.