Noise and poor acoustics in a classroom means poor student concentration and reduced teacher effectiveness. It has been well documented that children with hearing loss, recurring ear infections, language disorders, learning, attention and behavioral difficulties and English as a second language have even more difficulty understanding speech in noise than their peers. Poor acoustics in classrooms can affect speech recognition ability, psychoeducational development, psychosocial development and teaching conditions. Satisfactory classroom acoustics are also important considering the emphasis of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-336) on removing barriers and improving accessibility of educational facilities.

There are current noise standards for classrooms that were developed in an effort to mandate acceptable noise levels. The standard, completed in 2002, has been approved as ANSI/ASA (Acoustical Society of America) S12.60-220, Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements and Guidelines for Schools. It sets specific criteria for maximum background noise (35 dB). The sound of one chair scraping on the floor of a classroom was measured at 80 dB although teacher's voice loudness levels average 60-65 dB. This amount of excess noise may reduce speech recognition up to 10-40%.