Durham, NC — June 30, 2025 — A team of Data+ students from Duke University and North Carolina Central University is diving into public school data to better understand how funding holistic support structures in schools (a model called “community schools”) can improve educational outcomes.
The project, titled “Building Stronger Communities: The Evolution of Funding in North Carolina Public Education,” is part of Duke’s Data+ summer research program. Students are working with the Southeast Regional Coalition for University-Assisted Community Schools (SRCUACS) and the North Carolina Community Schools Coalition (NCCSC) to examine how states have funded community school initiatives and the impact that has on key educational outcomes over time.
Using data visualization tools, the undergraduate students Andreya Daugherty (NCCU), Angelie Quimbo (Duke), Josefina Masjuan (Duke), and Nathaniel Hertzberg (Duke), are writing a series of case studies examining states politically similar to North Carolina to understand how they fund community school initiatives and the effect that funding has on outcomes like chronic absenteeism, test scores, and teacher retention. The goal of the project is to produce a report that can be used by the North Carolina Public School Forum to improve its advocacy efforts in the state legislature.
“This project helps us see the bigger picture of how education policy affects the holistic well-being of public-school communities” said Alec Greenwald, the project lead. “By making this data accessible, we hope to support more informed and equitable decisions about school funding.”
The initiative is part of Duke’s broader commitment to using data science for social good and strengthening partnerships between universities and local communities.
Learn more about this project and others at our +Programs Poster Session on July 25th from 2-3:00 p.m. at the Gross Hall Energy Hub at Duke University! For a parking pass, please email ariel.dawn@duke.edu.
For more information, visit bigdata.duke.edu.
Media Contact:
Ariel Dawn
Rhodes iiD Communications Specialist
ariel.dawn@duke.edu
919-684-9312
