In a recent article we looked at data on school closures. Perhaps surprisingly, schools in high-coronavirus areas were no more or less likely to have virtual schooling than those in low-coronavirus areas. Districts with high rates of Covid-19 cases used virtual instruction for an average of 48 days during the 2020-21 school year. In comparison, people with a low incidence of COVID-19 used virtual education for an average of 51 days. Districts hit harder by the pandemic were no more likely to close in-person schools, and fewer in-person schools did not necessarily translate into lower case rates.
Differences in virtual schooling depended more on local political leanings. Right-leaning districts with higher levels of Republican voting were much less likely to switch to virtual schools. School districts in these areas spent an average of 39 days with virtual schooling, while left-leaning districts spent an average of 54 days. Beyond politics, districts with more Black students spent an average of 56 days in virtual school (vs. 36 days for districts with lower percentages of Black students), while districts with higher percentages of Hispanic students were also more likely to switch to virtual school (53 days vs. 43 days).
Virtual school too more Commonly found in the area less Broadband Internet access. Even though internet access was essential for daily school participation using Zoom and online classroom platforms. During the pandemic, there have been reports of students using mobile devices and seeking Wi-Fi hotspots in public spaces to complete school work, with many students falling behind due to lack of consistent access to the internet and school.
Finally, places with higher unemployment spent more time on virtual schooling. On average, these districts spent 57 days virtual learning, while low-unemployment districts spent only 40 days virtual learning.
All of this highlights that school closures have exacerbated existing inequalities. Access to in-person schooling was not equal for all children, and students with greater access to in-person schooling were generally the same students who already had greater access to other academic resources. The school year disrupted by COVID-19 has widened existing gaps in access to education.
We have also seen some of the consequences of a year-long disruption in schooling. Test scores have fallen for all students since the pandemic, and in many districts scores still have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. But this overall trend obscures an important part of the story. Test scores fell even more for students who received less in-person instruction (see Figure 2). In fact, average test score passing rates in math fell nearly twice as much in districts with the most virtual schooling compared to districts with the least virtual schooling. Similarly, for ELA scores, districts with the most virtual instruction had the largest declines in proficiency rates. Because more virtual schooling occurred in underserved areas, test score declines were also greater in these areas. It is clear that virtual schooling cannot replace in-person time at school.