RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Taken by Storm: The Effects of Hurricane Katrina on Medium-Term Student Outcomes in New Orleans
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 0819-10367R2
DO 10.3368/jhr.58.5.0819-10367R2
A1 Douglas N. Harris
A1 Matthew F. Larsen
YR 2022
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2022/03/31/jhr.58.5.0819-10367R2.abstract
AB Hurricane Katrina was one of the nation’s worst natural disasters. It also triggered one of the nation’s most intense market-based school reforms, in which almost all traditional public schools were turned into charter schools. We study the effects of these combined events on students who attended New Orleans public schools before and after the storm. Using matched difference-in-differences, we find that student test scores, high school graduation, college attendance, and college graduation all rose sharply. Most racial and income gaps in outcomes declined. The school reforms appear to have been the main mechanism.