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Abstract
Following the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans public schools underwent a variety of changes including a mass influx of charter schools as well as a demographic shift in the racial composition of the district. Using school-level data from the Louisiana Department of Education, this study examines the extent that New Orleans public schools are more or less racially integrated, racially segregated, and concentrated by poverty almost a decade after Katrina. The study utilizes exposure indices, inferential statistics, and geospatial analysis to examine how levels of school integration and segregation have changed over time. Our findings indicate that though a greater share of New Orleans schools are considered racially diverse than prior to Katrina, a greater share of minority students are now attending dually segregated schools, where over 90% of students are classified as minority and are receiving free/reduced lunch.
Keywords charter schools, choice, school choice, educational policy, urban education
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Author Biographies
Stephen Kotok is an assistant professor of administrative and instructional leadership at St. John’s University. His research focuses on how schools affect academic outcomes through processes including school climate, charter schools, and segregation. His recent research is featured in American Journal of Education and Educational Policy,
Brian Beabout is the RosaMary Endowed Professor of Education at the University of New Orleans. His research focuses on charter schools, school–community engagement, and urban school leadership. He is the co-editor (with Mirón and Boselovic) of Only in New Orleans: School Choice and Equity Post-Hurricane Katrina (2015, Sense).
Steven L. Nelson is an assistant professor of leadership and policy studies at the University of Memphis. His research considers the impact of education law and policy on marginalized and disenfranchised populations. Particularly, he interrogates the role of education reform in advancing or impeding educational equity.
Luis E. Rivera is currently completing a master of science degree in economics at the University of Texas at El Paso. His thesis studies dual enrollment participation and outcomes.
