ASSESSMENT OF SCHOOL-RELATED COVID-19 CONCERNS AMONG PARENTS OF SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN - UNITED STATES, JANUARY 2021

Abstract

COVID-19-related disruptions to K-12 schooling were documented throughout the pandemic, along with parental concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on children's education. This study describes school-related COVID-19 concerns among parents of school-aged children across the United States in January 2021. Cross-sectional data (n=916) were analyzed from parents of children enrolled in public or private K-12 schools through an opt-in internet panel survey. Weighted prevalence estimates were calculated based on the U.S. Census Current Population Survey and differences were examined by race/ethnicity. Analyses were performed using SAS, version 9.4, with a significance level of p<0.05. Almost half of parents (46.4%) reported their children received virtual-only learning, 24.0% in-person only learning, and 29.6% combined in-person/virtual learning during fall 2020. School learning mode differed by parental race/ethnicity (p = 0.01). Parents reported concerns (somewhat/very concerned) about educational quality (85.2%) and disruption to routines due to virtual learning (70.8%), as well as children contracting COVID-19 at school (82.9%). Parent concerns about children contracting COVID-19 at school differed across racial and ethnic groups (p = 0.03), with a higher proportion of non-Hispanic Black parents (94.0%; p = 0.003) reporting concerns than non-Hispanic white parents (80.2%). Results document racial and ethnic differences in parental concern about the pandemic's impact on children's school experiences. Intentional monitoring and understanding of parental concerns may help education and public health leaders provide more effective supports for students and families as new school-related emergencies arise.

Keywords: COVID-19; Schools; educational leadership; emergency preparedness and communication; parental concerns; racial and ethnic differences.

Figure 1.. Parents’ concerns* about their child(ren) attending school and cntracting COVID-19 by racial and ethnic group†

N = 916 *Respondents were asked about how concerned (very, somewhat, not very, or not at all) they were regarding: Contracting COVID-19 at School: “Your child attending school and as a result contracting COVID-19”” †Pairwise chi squared tests reveal significant differences in parental concerns about their child contracting COVID-19 at school between non-Hispanic Black parents compared with the reference group. Bolded value denotes a p-value < 0.05. Appendix B includes results of pairwise chi squared tests in table format. § Reference group ¶ Other racial groups, non-Hispanic includes participants who identified as Native American and Alaska Natives, Asians, multiracial, and other.