How Do Hurricanes Impact Achievement in School? A Caribbean Perspective

62 Pages Posted: 6 Sep 2016

See all articles by Nekeisha Spencer

Nekeisha Spencer

University of the West Indies (Mona)

Solomon W. Polachek

State University of New York at Binghamton; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Eric Strobl

Ecole Polytechnique, Paris - Department of Economic Sciences; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Abstract

This study examines whether hurricanes have any impact on performance in standardized examinations. The analysis uses a panel of thirteen Caribbean countries and over 800 schools for the period 1993 through 2010. In particular, the effect on subjects in the humanities and sciences are examined. A generalized difference-in-difference technique is utilized to study the relationship at the school, parish, year and country level. The results show a negative and significant effect on performance in the sciences if hurricanes strike when school is in session and a positive or no effect when school is not in session. In addition, subjects in the humanities remain unaffected.

Keywords: human capital, rate of return, hurricanes

JEL Classification: I2, Q54

Suggested Citation

Spencer, Nekeisha and Polachek, Solomon W. and Strobl, Eric, How Do Hurricanes Impact Achievement in School? A Caribbean Perspective. IZA Discussion Paper No. 10169, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2834219 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2834219

Nekeisha Spencer (Contact Author)

University of the West Indies (Mona) ( email )

Mona, Kingston 7
Jamaica

Solomon W. Polachek

State University of New York at Binghamton ( email )

Binghamton, NY 13902-6000
United States
607-777-2144 (Phone)
607-777-4900 (Fax)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

IZA Institute of Labor Economics ( email )

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Eric Strobl

Ecole Polytechnique, Paris - Department of Economic Sciences ( email )

Ecole Polytechnique
Department of Economics
Paris, 75005
France

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
137
Abstract Views
1,057
Rank
379,079
PlumX Metrics