Poster #137 - Weathering Change: Revealing Extreme Weather’s Impact on Student Achievement to Boost Climate Resilience in Schools

• In Event: Saturday Poster Luncheon

Abstract

Introduction: Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and severity, threatening many sectors including education (Bell et al., 2016). Disruptions from hurricanes, tornadoes, heat waves, and flooding can severely hinder students’ access to school-based learning and services, negatively affecting their academic and social-emotional outcomes (e.g., Gibbs et al., 2019; Gomez & Yoshikawa, 2017; Prentice et al., 2024). Moreover, the likelihood of students experiencing these events and their adverse consequences is increasing drastically, with disproportionate impacts expected for children compared to adults (Lai et al., 2014; Thiery et al., 2021; UNICEF, 2019). Yet despite the robust and growing scholarly interest in the intersection of education and climate change, the evidence base remains limited by its retrospective research format, offering few tools with actionable information for K-12 policymakers before disaster strikes.

Research Questions: Our poster presents evidence for the following research questions:

1. What proportion of students attend districts affected by extreme weather events (storms, fires, floods, tornadoes)?


2. How do the characteristics of districts affected by extreme weather between 2009/10 and 2018/19 school years differ from unaffected districts?


3. What are the short- and long-term impacts of exposure to an extreme weather event on student achievement?

Addressing these research questions represents a foundational step toward developing a proactive tool that enables district and state policymakers to anticipate and effectively respond to disruptions from extreme weather.

Methods: We analyze a ten-year panel dataset comprising county-level disaster declaration data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), school district characteristics from the Common Core of Data (CCD), and district-level achievement data from the Stanford Education Data Archive (SEDA). Using these data, we quantify the prevalence of extreme weather events (RQ1), characterize affected districts (RQ2), and estimate an event study model to assess immediate and sustained impacts on student achievement (reading and math test scores), controlling for local demographics and employment information (RQ3).

Preliminary Findings: In 2019, 16% of students nationwide were enrolled in a district that had experienced an extreme weather event at some point in the previous 10 years, including floods (12%), severe storms (7%), fires (4%), and tornadoes (1%). Many of these events were concentrated in specific regions. For example, nearly all students in Nebraska (99%) were in districts that experienced floods; most students in Louisiana (61%) were in districts that experienced severe storms; and nearly a quarter (24%) of California students were in districts affected by fires. Next steps include exploring characteristics of districts that experienced extreme weather and estimating the impacts on student achievement.

Implications: Findings underscore the importance of targeted resource allocation by educational agencies to maintain student learning continuity following weather disruptions. Our poster will include engaging and practical visualizations of linked weather and education data to foster discussion about how these data can provide actionable information for education administrators planning for and responding to extreme weather events.

Author

• Nicholas Ortiz, SRI Education
  Presenting Author