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June 27, 2025
A comprehensive report examining New Orleans schools 20 years after Katrina provides insight into the city's education transformation and lasting student gains. The study, released by Tulane University's Education Research Alliance, compiles over a decade of research tracking the nation's first all-charter school system.
"These are the largest, broadest, most sustained improvements academically that I've ever seen any school district achieve by any means," said Doug Harris, Tulane professor of economics and director of the Education Research Alliance.
The research shows that New Orleans schools, 20 years after Katrina, have risen from the bottom of state academic rankings to the middle of the pack, where they've remained since 2015. Student test scores, graduation rates, and college attendance all improved significantly in the decade following the storm.
Graduation rates climbed nearly 20 percentage points to 75% by 2015 and have since increased to 78%. During the COVID-19 pandemic, New Orleans students outpaced much of the state in academic recovery. In 2024, New Orleans received its highest-ever school performance score since the state began using that rating system in 2018.
Research found that much of the improvement stemmed from closing underperforming schools and holding charter schools accountable for meeting performance goals. Researchers found that school closures did not trigger negative outcomes critics predicted, such as increased student mobility or higher crime rates.
Harris noted that while other districts shouldn't expect identical results, some lessons are transferable. Districts with declining enrollment should consider closing low-performing schools, despite the disruption. "It's not easy, it's painful, it's disruptive," he said, "but it does lead to improvement."