how handwriting and distance to school cause pygmalion effects

Not only selling and buying a house influences my ability to think; I came across this article about how handwriting skill influences test results. It is deeply troubling that handwriting may have a huge effect on marks at school. This is as unfortunate as the fact that travelling distance is also of influence on school results. I've not yet found the reference to this on internet. I've heard parents complain on the Dutch radio.
What are teachers measuring?
But more importantly, how can schools allieviate these influences?