Disparities in Learning Mode Access Among K-12 Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic, by Race/Ethnicity, Geography, and Grade Level - United States, September 2020-April 2021

Abstract

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools across the United States began transitioning to virtual learning during spring 2020. However, schools' learning modes varied during the 2020-21 school year across states as schools transitioned at differing times back to in-person learning, in part reflecting updated CDC guidance. Reduced access to in-person learning is associated with poorer learning outcomes and adverse mental health and behavioral effects in children (1-3). Data on the learning modes available in 1,200 U.S. public school districts (representing 46% of kindergarten through grade 12 [K-12] public school enrollment) from all 50 states and the District of Columbia during September 2020-April 2021 were matched with National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) demographic data. Learning mode access was assessed for K-12 students during the COVID-19 pandemic, over time and by student race/ethnicity, geography, and grade level group. Across all assessed racial/ethnic groups, prevalence of virtual-only learning showed more variability during September-December 2020 but declined steadily from January to April 2021. During January-April 2021, access to full-time in-person learning for non-Hispanic White students increased by 36.6 percentage points (from 38.0% to 74.6%), compared with 31.1 percentage points for non-Hispanic Black students (from 32.3% to 63.4%), 23.0 percentage points for Hispanic students (from 35.9% to 58.9%) and 30.6 percentage points for students of other races/ethnicities (from 26.3% to 56.9%). In January 2021, 39% of students in grades K-5 had access to full-time in-person learning compared with 33% of students in grades 6-8 and 30% of students in grades 9-12. Disparities in full-time in-person learning by race/ethnicity existed across school levels and by geographic region and state. These disparities underscore the importance of prioritizing equitable access to this learning mode for the 2021-22 school year. To increase equitable access to full-time in-person learning for the 2021-22 school year, school leaders should focus on providing safety-optimized in-person learning options across grade levels. CDC's K-12 operational strategy presents a pathway for schools to safely provide in-person learning through implementing recommended prevention strategies, increasing vaccination rates for teachers and older students with a focus on vaccine equity, and reducing community transmission (4).

FIGURE 1

Changes in access to full-time in-person (A), hybrid (B), and virtual-only (C) learning, by race/ethnicity — United States, September 2020–April 2021^, * Learning modes are defined as “full-time in-person” (access to in-person learning 5 days a week), “hybrid” (access to part-time in-person learning), and “virtual-only” (no access to in-person learning; entirely online). ^† Race/ethnicity data are based on district-level National Center for Education Statistics 2019–20 demographic data (https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/elsi). Hispanic students could be of any race. Students included in “All other races/ethnicities” include non-Hispanic students who are American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian or Pacific Islander, or two or more races. ^§ Data before January 1, 2021, were collected less frequently and are not presented at weekly intervals. Data during January 1–April 23, 2021, are presented on a weekly basis. Date labels are condensed for readability. ^¶ Access to full-time in-person learning increased significantly for all races/ethnicities (p<0.01 for all four regressions), access to hybrid learning increased significantly for all races/ethnicities (p<0.01 for all four regressions), and access to virtual learning decreased significantly for all races/ethnicities (p<0.01 for all four regressions).

FIGURE 2

Student access to learning modes, by grade level and race/ethnicity — United States, September 2020–April 2021^, * Learning modes are defined as “full-time in-person” (access to in-person learning 5 days a week) and “virtual-only” (no access to in-person learning; entirely online). ^† Race/ethnicity data are based on district-level National Center for Education Statistics 2019–20 demographic data (https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/elsi). The “Students of color” category includes all students not identified as non-Hispanic White, including students who are American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian or Pacific Islander, Black or African American, Hispanic, or two or more races. ^§ Data before January 1, 2021, were collected less frequently and are not presented at weekly intervals. Data during January 1–April 23, 2021, are presented on a weekly basis. Date labels are condensed for readability. ^¶ Trends over time for non-Hispanic White students and students of color by grade level were analyzed using linear regressions of percentage of students with access on number of weeks from the start of the study period with the grade level group’s total district enrollment for the race/ethnicity group as analytic weights. Access to full-time in-person learning increased significantly for all three grade level groups for both non-Hispanic White students and students of color (p<0.01 for all four regressions), and access to virtual learning decreased significantly for all three grade level groups for both non-Hispanic White students and students of color (p<0.01 for all four regressions).