Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Feb 1;149(12 Suppl 2):e2021054268M.
doi: 10.1542/peds.2021-054268M.

Urban Classification, Not COVID-19 Community Rates, Was Associated With Modes of Learning in US K-12 Schools?

Jennifer L Goldman  1 , Jennifer E Schuster  1 , Vanessa F Maier  2 , Rohit Anand  3 , Elizabeth E Hill  4 , Sabrina M Butteris  5 , Gregory P DeMuri  5 , Samantha A Omidfar  6 , M Alan Brookhart  7 , Joyce Pak  8 , Daniel K Benjamin  9   10   11 , Kanecia O Zimmerman  9   10   11
Affiliations

Urban Classification, Not COVID-19 Community Rates, Was Associated With Modes of Learning in US K-12 Schools?

Jennifer L Goldman et al. Pediatrics. .

Abstract

Objectives: To identify factors associated with the decision to provide in-person, hybrid, and remote learning in kindergarten through 12th grade school districts during the 2020-2021 school year.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study evaluating school district mode of learning and community coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) incidence and percentage positivity rates at 3 time points during the pandemic: (1) September 15, 2020 (the beginning of the school year, before Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance); (2) November 15, 2020 (midsemester after the release of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance and an increase of COVID-19 cases); and (3) January 15, 2021 (start of the second semester and peak COVID-19 rates). Five states were included in the analysis: Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The primary outcome was mode of learning in elementary, middle, and high schools during 3 time points. The measures included community COVID-19 incidence and percentage positivity rates, school and student demographics, and county size classification of school location.

Results: No relationship between mode of learning and community COVID-19 rates was observed. County urban classification of school location was associated with mode of learning with school districts in nonmetropolitan and small metropolitan counties more likely to be in-person.

Conclusions: Community COVID-19 rates did not appear to influence the decision of when to provide in-person learning. Further understanding of factors driving the decisions to bring children back into the classroom are needed. Standardizing policies on how schools apply national guidance to local decision-making may decrease disparities in emergent crises.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST DISCLOSURES Dr Brookhart serves on scientific advisory committees for American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, AbbVie, Amgen, Atara Biotherapeutics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Gilead, US Renal Data System, and Vertex; he receives consulting fees and own equity in NoviSci/Target RWE. Dr Benjamin reports consultancy for Allergan, Melinta Therapeutics, Sun Pharma Advanced Research Co. Dr Zimmerman reports funding from the National Institutes of Health and US Food and Drug Administration.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Percentage of elementary schools in-person. Percentage of elementary schools in-person by urban classification and median SARS-CoV-2 community incidence.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Factors associated with K–12 mode of learning. Community and school district factors associated with K–12 mode of learning. The log-odds of being in person are in red versus virtual in blue.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Honein MA, Barrios LC, Brooks JT. Data and policy to guide opening schools safely to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection. JAMA. 2021;325(9):823–824 - PMC - PubMed
    1. United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . CDC releases indicators for dynamic school decision-making. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/s0915-dynamic-school-decision-ma.... Accessed August 13, 2021
    1. Leidman E, Duca LM, Omura JD, Proia K, Stephens JW, Sauber-Schatz EK. COVID-19 trends among persons aged 0-24 years - United States, March 1-December 12, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021;70(3):88–94 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Verlenden JV, Pampati S, Rasberry CN, et al. Association of children’s mode of school instruction with child and parent experiences and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic - COVID experiences survey, United States, October 8-November 13, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021;70(11):369–376 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Engzell P, Frey A, Verhagen MD. Learning loss due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2021;118(17):e2022376118. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types