Disparity is seen in classroom instruction
Nearly half of U.S. elementary schools were open for full-time classroom learning as of last month, but the share of students with inperson instruction has varied greatly by region and by race, with most nonwhite students taught entirely online, according to a Biden administration survey.
For the White House, the results of the national survey released Wednesday mark the starting line for President Joe Biden’s pledge to have most K-8 schools open full time in his first 100 days in office. But they also show that he never had far to go to meet that goal.
Among schools that enroll fourth graders, 47 percent offered full-time classroom learning in February, while for schools that teach eighth graders, the figure was 46 percent. The results suggested, however, that at least some students weren’t opting in.
In total, about 76 percent of elementary and middle schools were open for in-person or hybrid learning, while 24 percent offered remote learning only, according to the survey.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said the findings, while encouraging, also showed “critical gaps” for in-person learning, especially for students of color.
The Education Department released the survey data the same day it announced it was distributing $81 billion in school assistance from the $1.9 trillion virus relief bill. In an interview, Cardona said the money will allow schools to start hiring additional social workers and counselors and ensure ventilation systems are safe.
“It gives districts the ability to start planning long term,” Cardona said. “This is not about turning the lights on only — it’s about ensuring that you can create systems that are ready to meet the needs of students, socially and emotionally.”
In January, 38 percent of fourth graders were learning full-time inperson, compared with 28 percent of eighth graders, the survey found. Larger shares of students were entirely remote, with 43 percent of fourth graders and 48 percent of eighth graders learning away from school.
It wasn’t clear what share was learning online by choice.
There were stark differences based on where students live, reflecting the regional battles that have played out as cities debate how to reopen schools.
In the South and Midwest, where schools were the quickest to reopen, just under 40 percent of eighth grade students were enrolled full time in classroom instruction in January. In the West and Northeast, the figure was about 10 percent.
Across all regions, students in rural areas and towns were far more likely to be back in the classroom full time compared with students in cities and suburbs.
In a further illustration of the pandemic’s uneven impact, the survey found striking differences based on students’ race. Among fourth graders, almost half of white students were learning fully in-person, with just over one-quarter learning online. Among Black and Hispanic students, nearly 60 percent were learning entirely remotely.
The difference was even wider among students of Asian descent, with 68 percent remote and just 15 percent attending fully in-person.