When the Great Equalizer Shuts Down: Schools, Peers, and Parents in Pandemic Times

Agostinelli, Francesco; Doepke, Matthias; Sorrenti, Giuseppe; Zilibotti, Fabrizio

doi:10.3386/w28264

Cited by 72 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Given evidence that school closures are detrimental to educational performance, particularly for students of disadvantaged backgrounds 2,7,[15][16][17][18][19][20] , the large socio-economic, geographic, and demographic disparities in exposure to distance learning suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to exacerbate inequalities in learning outcomes across the U.S.…”

Section: This Study Introduces and Analyzes A Us School Closure And Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

Large Socio-Economic, Geographic, and Demographic Disparities Exist in Exposure to School Closures and Distance Learning

Parolin¹,

Lee²

2020

Preprint

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The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many school districts to turn to distance or at-home learning. Studies are emerging on the negative effects of distance learning on educational performance. Less is known, however, about the socio-economic, geographic, and demographic characteristics of students exposed to distance-learning across the United States. We introduce a U.S. School Closure & Distance Learning Database that tracks in-person attendance across more than 100,000 schools from January through October 2020. We measure year-over-year change in in-person attendance for each school throughout 2020 to estimate whether the school is engaged in distance learning after the onset of the pandemic. Our findings reveal large socio-economic, geographic, and demographic disparities in exposure to distance learning. In October 2020, schools recording the lowest third-grade math scores are nearly twice as likely to be closed compared to schools recording the highest math scores. The average racial composition of closed schools is 25 percentage points less white compared to schools operating in-person (40% versus 65%). Moreover, closures are more common in schools with a higher share of students who experience homelessness, are of limited English proficiency, are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunch, live in single-parent families, or are racial/ethnic minorities. Distance learning is more common in high schools and middle schools relative to elementary schools, but disparities in exposure to distance learning are comparable across school type. Given the potential negative consequences of school closures on educational performance, the vast inequalities in exposure to distance learning portend rising disparities in learning outcomes.

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Section: This Study Introduces and Analyzes A Us School Closure And Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

Large Socio-Economic, Geographic, and Demographic Disparities Exist in Exposure to School Closures and Distance Learning

Parolin¹,

Lee²

2020

Preprint

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“…They indicate an average reduction of school-related learning time by about half during the lockdown, with a significant difference between low- and high-performing students, but without significant correlation with parental education. Likewise, Agostinelli et al (2020) report a dramatic widening of the educational inequality gap between children from poor neighborhoods and children from richer neighborhoods in the United States as a result of the pandemic. They explain their finding by the fact that the former are less likely to benefit from positive peer contacts in the pandemic situation, and their parents are less likely (able) to work from home.…”

Section: Background and Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Time Spent on School-Related Activities at Home During the Pandemic: A Longitudinal Analysis of Social Group Inequality Among Secondary School Students

Zinn

Bayer

2021

Front. Psychol.

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Substantial educational inequalities have been documented in Germany for decades. In this article, we examine whether educational inequalities among children have increased or remained the same since the school closures of spring 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our perspective is longitudinal: We compare the amount of time children in secondary schools spent on school-related activities at home before the pandemic, during school closures, and immediately after returning to in-person learning. We operationalize family socio-economic status using the highest parental educational attainment. Based on the theoretical assumption that the pandemic affected everyone equally, we formulate a hypothesis of equalization during the first period of school closures. For the period thereafter, however, we assume that parents with a low level of education had more difficulties bearing the additional burden of supervising and supporting their children’s learning activities. Thus, for that period, we postulate an increase in educational inequality. To study our hypotheses, we use data from the 2019 wave of the SOEP and the SOEP-CoV study, both of which are probability samples. The SOEP-CoV study provides a unique database, as it was conducted during the lockdown of spring 2020 and in the following month. For statistical analysis, we use probit regressions at three measurement points (in 2019, in 2020 during the school closures, and in the month after closures). The comparison of these three time points makes our analysis and findings unique in the research on education during the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular with regard to Germany-wide comparisons. Our results confirm the hypothesis of equalization during the first school closures and the hypothesis of an increase in educational in the subsequent period. Our findings have direct policy implications regarding the need to further expand support systems for children.

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“…2,3 These impacts are largest for the most vulnerable children, including children with learning and/or physical disabilities, children from low-income families, and children of color. 4,5 Due to the severe impacts of school closures on children, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other national organizations strongly recommend reopening schools safely. 6 The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have provided guidance on COVID-19 mitigation policies for supporting safe school reopening, including: 1) universal and correct use of masks among students and staff; 2) maintaining physical distance of >6 feet (recently changed to >3 feet); 3) keeping children and staff in stable cohorts and minimizing mixing; 4) limiting classroom/cohort sizes; 5) encouraging frequent handwashing; 6) maximizing ventilation/air circulation; 7) excluding students or staff with symptoms of illness; and 8) regularly cleaning high-touch surfaces.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preventing COVID-19 Transmission in Education Settings

Kaiser¹,

Watson²,

Dogan³

et al. 2021

Pediatrics

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We conducted a mixed-methods study of educational settings to assess COVID-19 mitigation policies. We observed variable adherence to policies and minimal COVID-19 transmission. What's Known on This Subject:The Centers for Disease Control outlined policies to mitigate COVID-19 spread in K-12 schools (to facilitate safe reopening). School promotion of these policies has been associated with limited school-based transmission, and lower in-school transmission compared to community rates. What This Study Adds:We directly observed adherence to COVID-19 mitigation policies in educational settings. We found variable adherence to policies and minimal COVID-19 transmission (despite high community incidence). We detail barriers and potential strategies for implementing COVID-19 mitigation policies.

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When the Great Equalizer Shuts Down: Schools, Peers, and Parents in Pandemic Times

Cited by 72 publications

References 21 publications

Large Socio-Economic, Geographic, and Demographic Disparities Exist in Exposure to School Closures and Distance Learning

Large Socio-Economic, Geographic, and Demographic Disparities Exist in Exposure to School Closures and Distance Learning

Time Spent on School-Related Activities at Home During the Pandemic: A Longitudinal Analysis of Social Group Inequality Among Secondary School Students

Preventing COVID-19 Transmission in Education Settings

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