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

From US CDC, July 2, 2021 (excerpts)

Summary

What is already known about this topic?

Reduced access to in-person learning is associated with poorer learning outcomes and adverse mental health and behavioral effects in children.

What is added by the report?

Although access to in-person, hybrid, and virtual learning modes varied throughout the school year, during January–April 2021, access to full-time in-person learning for non-Hispanic White students increased by 36.6 percentage points, 31.1 percentage points for non-Hispanic Black students, 22.0 percentage points for Hispanic students, and 26.6 percentage points for students of other race/ethnicities.

What are the implications for public health practice?

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 in all geographic areas. Vaccination and other efforts to reduce levels of community transmission should be intensified….

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….

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….

During January–April 2021, the percentage of students with access to virtual-only learning decreased by 46.0 percentage points for non-Hispanic White students (48.1% to 2.1%), 52.6 percentage points for non-Hispanic Black students (59.3% to 6.7%), 46.1 percentage points for Hispanic students (54.4% to 8.3%), and 55.2 percentage points for students of other races/ethnicities (61.3% to 6.1%). During September 2020-April 2021, students in the South had greater access to full-time in-person learning (62.5%), on average, compared with other regions (Midwest, 37.1%; Northeast, 16.2%; and West, 21.8%). Access to in person learning varied by state with the lowest mean percent of all students with access in Hawaii (1.3%) and highest in Wyoming and Montana (100%) (Table). In 43 states, access to full-time in-person learning was higher for non-Hispanic White students compared with students of color. The District of Columbia, Delaware, Hawaii, Wyoming, and Montana had the lowest disparity; Ohio and Pennsylvania had the highest….

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SA: Hawaii ranks last in in-person learning