Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP / Getty Images
The first federal data on education during the coronavirus pandemic reveal that almost half of public schools were open for full-time face-to-face classes, and white children are much more likely to attend classes in person than African American, Hispanic or Asian American students.
The data from the survey conducted by the Institute of Education Sciences of the Department of Education, suggest that the nation is close to a goal set by President Biden for back to school and at a considerable distance for a complete return to normalcy.
The The survey also raised questions about the quality of education provided to home learners. About one-third of schools offer two hours or less of live instruction per day for those who learn full or part time at home. Some schools do not offer it.
The survey results include a representative sample of schools serving fourth and eighth grade students, the federal government’s first attempt to assess the state of education since schools closed en masse a year ago . The report also provides the first demographic and regional breakdown of in-person learning, exposes an analysis of the survey published by The Washington Post .
Closer to a target of President Biden
Biden has made the reopening of schools a key goal for his presidency and said that wants most K-8 schools to be open for full-time face-to-face classes sooner of his 100 first days in office, at the end of April.
The survey, which covered January and, in some cases, February, suggests that it is likely to reach that target. It found that the 47% of schools serving students fourth grade and the 46% of those who attend to eighth grade students were open for full in-person instruction.
But the survey also found that millions of students still do not have a full-time school available, while others chose for distance education.
In general, the 47% of fourth graders and the 68% of 8th graders were home for at least part of the school week, either with completely remote learning or with hybrid programs combining classroom time, often alone one or two days a week, with distance education.
The minority gap
Most surprising is the wide racial gap in face-to-face education.
The survey found that about half of all white students attended school in person full time in january. But only the 28% of African American students, the 33% of Hispanic students and the 15% of Asian Americans.
The gap reflects the differences in what schools that serve students of different races offer, as well as the decisions of families.
Districts in large cities, which serve more Students of color have taken longer to reopen face-to-face classes and, in many cases, do not offer a full-time face-to-face option. Officials who conducted the survey said that had not yet analyzed to what extent offerings versus family preferences influenced the results.
Families with minority students, who have seen their communities devastated by the pandemic, have also been more prone to choose remote instruction.
Summit by education
The new data comes when Administration officials meet on Wednesday for a virtual summit that promotes the reopening of schools.
National Safe School Reopening Summit https://t.co/1sxbukOVGw
– US Department of Education (@usedgov) March 28 , 2021
The summit will include comments from First Lady Jill Biden and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona , as well as conversations aimed at showing the best practices of the districts that operate in person.
President Biden and Vice President Harris will also make prerecorded remarks.