Sparks, S. D. (2018, November 05). Sounding an Alarm: Background Noise Can Hurt Student Achievement. Retrieved February 13, 2019

A study of high-school students in a high-poverty district found that about 40% of students said high noise levels affected their performance on a standardized math test. Researchers found that urban schools were noisier than suburban or rural schools, and the decibel levels at some schools were almost double the recommended level for classrooms.

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