Elementary and Secondary Education

Shifts in Enrollment and Instructional Mode

< Back to U.S. Education in the Time of COVID

Schools implemented distance education models in early 2020 but returned to in-person instruction by the end of the 2020–21 school year.

Beginning in March 2020, the American education system was confronted with unprecedented challenges as the pandemic caused the closures of many U.S. schools to in-person learning. Schools quickly moved to remote learning models and the most lingering question—for parents, students, educators, and the public—was this: When will U.S. schools re-open for full-time in-person learning? This section—drawing on data from the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), the Household Pulse Survey (HPS), the NAEP Monthly School Survey (MSS), and the School Pulse Panel (SPP)—briefly explores how schools implemented distance education models in early 2020 and the gradual return to in-person instruction by the end of the 2020-21 school year.

As the pandemic continued into the 2020-21 school year and online learning continued to be the predominant instructional mode, parents started to rethink school enrollment options. Thus, this section also explores how enrollment in public schools and homeschooling changed, using data from the Common Core of Data (CCD) and the HPS.

Over 7 in 10 schools moved to online learning in early 2020.

  • Seventy-seven percent of public schools reported moving some or all classes to online distance-learning formats in early 2020 and 73 percent of private schools reported doing so.
  • Both public and private schools in more densely populated areas (city and suburban locations) transitioned to online distance learning at higher rates than town and rural schools.
Figure 1 Percentage of schools reporting moving classes to online distance-learning formats, by school control and locale: Spring 2020
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), "Public Schools (preliminary data)" and "Private Schools (preliminary data)," 2020–21.

Explore detailed results on this topic from the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS)

About two-thirds (67 percent) of adults with children in school reported that their children moved to online learning in fall 2020. The percentage was highest for Asian adults and lowest for White adults.

The Household Pulse Survey (HPS) collected data from adults on mode of instruction for children in their household. The September 2020 HPS showed that:

  • About 67 percent of adults with children in school reported that their children's classes had moved to online learning.
  • About 89 percent reported that their children's classes were affected by the pandemic.
  • The percentage of adults reporting that their children’s classes had moved to online learning was highest for Asian adults (81 percent), followed by Hispanic and Black adults (71 and 68 percent, respectively), and lowest for White adults (64 percent).
Figure 2 Among adults 18 years and older who had children under age 18 at home enrolled in school, percentage reporting that classes for children had moved to a distance learning format using online resources, by race/ethnicity: September 2 to 14, 2020
NOTE: Overall includes other racial/ethnic groups not separately shown. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Data in this figure are considered experimental and do not meet NCES standards for response rates. The survey question refers to enrollment at any time during the 2020–21 school year.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Household Pulse Survey, collection period of September 2 to 14, 2020. See Digest of Education Statistics 2020, table 218.80.

Explore detailed results on this topic from the Household Pulse Survey (HPS)

Total public school enrollment in prekindergarten (pre-K) through grade 8 dropped 4 percent from fall 2019 to fall 2020.

As the pandemic continued into the 2020–21 school year and online learning continued to be the predominant instructional mode, parents started to rethink their children’s school enrollment. The Common Core of Data (CCD) showed that:

  • Between fall 2019 and fall 2020, public school enrollment in pre-K through grade 8 decreased by 4 percent, from 35.6 million to 34.1 million students.
  • Unlike the pattern observed for pre-K through grade 8 enrollment, public school enrollment in grades 9 through 12 increased slightly, from 15.2 million to 15.3 million students.
  • Public school enrollment in pre-K through grade 8 was lower in fall 2020 than in fall 2019 for all states and the District of Columbia. Twelve states had a drop in enrollment of more than 5 percent, with the highest drop in Oregon (8 percent).  
Figure 3 Percentage change in public school enrollment in prekindergarten through grade 8, by state: Fall 2019 to fall 2020
NOTE: U.S. average is for the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data include both traditional public schools and public charter schools. Includes imputations for nonreported prekindergarten enrollment in California and Oregon for fall 2020. Includes imputations for nonreported enrollment for all grades in Illinois for fall 2020. Categorizations are based on unrounded percentages.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), "State Nonfiscal Survey of Public Elementary/Secondary Education," 2019–20 and 2020–21. See Digest of Education Statistics 2021, table 203.20.

Explore detailed results on this topic from the Common Core of Data (CCD)

Homeschooling became more common in fall 2020, with Black households seeing the biggest increase in homeschooling rate.

While total enrollment in public school declined, homeschooling became more common with families when the 2020–21 school year started.

  • About 11 percent of households with school-age children reported homeschooling in October 2020, compared with about 5 percent in April 2020. 
  • Homeschooling rates increased across racial/ethnic groups in the 2020–21 school year, but more substantially for Black households: the proportion of homeschooling increased by five times, from 3 percent in April to 16 percent in October for Black households.
  • Some U.S. states had much larger increases in homeschooling rates than others in the 2020–21 school year. For example, in Massachusetts, the rate jumped from 1.5 percent to 12.1 percent. Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia did not show significant changes in rates.

Explore detailed results on this topic from the Household Pulse Survey (HPS)

About half (52 percent) of fourth-grade public school students were enrolled in full-time in-person instruction by the end of the 2020–21 school year. 

Schools gradually transitioned to in-person instruction in 2021. Results from the NAEP Monthly School Survey showed that:

  • The percentage of fourth-grade public school students enrolled in full-time in-person instruction increased from 38 percent in January 2021 to 52 percent in May 2021.
  • Conversely, the percentage of fourth-grade public school students enrolled in remote learning decreased from 43 percent to 24 percent over the same time frame.
  • Although remote learning decreased toward the end of the 2020-21 school year, 79 percent of fourth-grade public school students continued to be offered it as an option.
Figure 4 Percentage of fourth-grade public school students whose schools offered various learning modes to all students and who enrolled in these learning modes: January 2021 and May 2021
NOTE: Results based on grade 4 students.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, NAEP Monthly School Survey, 2020−21 school year.

Explore detailed results on this topic from the Monthly School Survey (MSS)

Fourth-grade public school student enrollment in in-person learning was led by the Midwest and South regions and town and rural locations.

  • In May 2021, fourth-grade public school students in the Midwest and South were enrolled in full-time in-person instruction at higher rates than their peers attending schools in the Northeast.
  • In May 2021, fourth-grade public school students attending town and rural public schools were enrolled in full-time in-person instruction at higher rates than their peers in suburban and city schools.
Figure 5 Percentage of fourth-grade public school students enrolled in full-time, in-person learning, by region and school locale: May 2021
NOTE: Results based on grade 4 students. Data for schools in the West are included in the overall but estimates are not reported separately because schools in that region did not meet participation rate requirements.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, NAEP Monthly School Survey, 2020−21 school year.

Explore detailed results on this topic from the Monthly School Survey (MSS)

Almost all public schools (98 percent) planned to offer full-time in-person learning in fall 2021.

Consistent with the overall results observed in the NAEP Monthly School Survey, the results from the School Pulse Panel showed that:

  • Sixty-two percent of public schools were offering full-time in-person instruction at the end of the 2020–21 school year.
  • Ninety-eight percent of public schools planned to offer full-time in-person instruction in fall 2021.
Figure 6 Percentage of public schools offering full-time in-person and remote instruction at the end of the 2020–21 school year and plans for 2021–22
NOTE: Respondents could select “all that apply”, if schools planned to offer both remote and in person instruction. Approximately 190 schools completed the summer survey. While the results have been weighted and adjusted for nonresponse, these experimental data should be interpreted with caution. Experimental data may not meet all NCES quality standards.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, School Pulse Panel, July-September 2021.

Explore detailed results on this topic from the School Pulse Panel (SPP)