An Investigation of Hurricane Impact on Schooling

Odum Institute 95th Anniversary Speaker Series | Professor Cassandra Davis
 
 
In honor of our 95th anniversary, the Odum Institute is organizing a speaker series to highlight the interdisciplinary impacts of social science research. As part of this series, Professor Cassandra R. Davis will hold a talk about the impacts of Hurricanes Harvey and Matthew on public schools in Texas and North Carolina, followed by a Q&A session. Refreshments will be provided.

About Dr. Davis:

Cassandra R. Davis holds a Ph.D. in Education from UNC Chapel Hill. Within the last four years, Dr. Davis has held the role of principal investigator on five research evaluations totaling over $800,000. The most recent of these projects funded from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and is entitled, “Investigating School District Resilience and the Impact of Hurricane Exposure on Student Outcomes.” During 2018, Davis received funding to explore the impacts of Hurricanes Harvey and Matthew on public schools in Texas and North Carolina. Both of these projects represented large-scale qualitative studies that specifically targeted underrepresented students. Dr. Davis has also collaborated with school districts to assist them with understanding and applying best practice strategies on topics related to improving graduation rates of underrepresented groups, supporting students with learning differences, identifying opportunity and achievement gaps amongst students, assessing the quality of professional development training for school personnel, and investigating ways to engage parents. Dr. Davis’ areas of interest include education policy, the impact of natural disaster on schools and communities, program evaluation, qualitative research methods, and the social and historical context in education.

Talk description:

After a hurricane hits, schools must manage recovery efforts that consider the needs of their students, staff, facilities, and communities. Studies on school responses after disasters are rare and very little evidence currently exists to guide educators and policymakers in designing effective recovery plans for educators following a disaster.
 
This presentation presents results on the varying ways schooling is interrupted by natural disasters and provides promising practices for educators impacted by hurricanes. Prof. Davis will also answering the following questions: (1) What are the major disruptions for schools after a hurricane? And, (2) What practices can schools use to assist recovery?