Elementary and Secondary Education

Social and Academic Supports

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

As the pandemic unfolded, schools sought various ways to support student learning and well-being.

Schools made various efforts to mitigate disruptions to learning and support students, for example by providing them with food assistance, creating and expanding summer learning programs, and attending to their social and emotional well-being. This section briefly explores the variety of supports provided by utilizing data from the Household Pulse Survey (HPS) and the School Pulse Panel (SPP). 

One in four adults (25 percent) with children in school reported that their children received food assistance from the school in spring 2021.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted waivers so that schools could continue providing meals and meal supplements to students during COVID-19–related school closures. Results from the April 2021 Household Pulse Survey (HPS) showed that:

  • Overall, 25 percent of adults with children enrolled in school reported that their children received food assistance from school in the past 7 days.
  • Some 15 percent of adults reported that their children ate meals onsite, and 9 percent reported that they picked up meals.
  • About 30 percent of Hispanic adults reported that their children received food assistance from school, and a quarter of White and Black adults each reported the same. 
Figure 1 Among adults 18 years old and over who had children under 18 in the home enrolled in school, percentage reporting that their children received food assistance from school, by assistance type: April 14 – April 26, 2021
NOTE: Adults could report more than one type of assistance their children received in the past 7 days. Data in this figure are considered experimental and do not meet NCES standards for response rates.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Household Pulse Survey, collection period of April 14 to April 26, 2021.

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

Some 26 percent of adults with children in school reported that their children attended summer programs offered by schools or worked with private tutors in summer 2021.

To make up for lost class time during the school year, parents sought academic support for their children in the summer of 2021. The September 2021 Household Pulse Survey (HPS) showed that: 

  • About 10 percent of adults with children in school reported that their children attended a summer school program to catch up with lost learning time during the pandemic.
  • About 7 percent of adults with children in school reported that their children attended a traditional summer school program because of poor grades.
  • The percentage of adults reporting that their children participated in summer education activities was highest for Black adults (44 percent).
Figure 2 Among adults 18 years old and over who had children under 18 in the home enrolled in school or homeschooled, percentage reporting summer education activities for their children, by type of activity: September 15 to 27, 2021
NOTE: Respondents could report multiple types of summer education activities. Data in this figure are considered experimental and do not meet NCES standards for response rates.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Household Pulse Survey, collection period of September 15 to 27, 2021. See Digest of Education Statistics 2021, table 227.60.

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

Over half (55 percent) of public schools created or expanded a summer school to address the needs of their students.

Consistent with parent reporting in the Household Pulse Survey (HPS), the School Pulse Panel (SPP) also showed that schools addressed the disruptions caused by the pandemic by creating or expanding summer programs.

  • Fifty-five percent of public schools created or expanded an existing summer school during the summer of 2021.
  • Twenty-one percent of public schools created or expanded a summer camp program. 
  • Twenty-one percent of public schools offered virtual learning opportunities during the summer.

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Figure 3 Percentage of public schools offering various summer programs or activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, by activity: September 2021
NOTE: Approximately 170 schools completed the September 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 (September 2021).

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

Eighty-six percent of public schools encouraged their staff members to address their students’ social, emotional, and mental well-being.

The September 2021 School Pulse Panel (SPP) asked schools whether they were addressing their students’ social, emotional, and mental well-being “to help students handle the COVID-19 pandemic." It showed that: 

  • Fifty-nine percent of schools offered professional development for their teachers to help their students with their social and emotional well-being.
  • Forty-two percent of schools hired new staff to focus on students’ social, emotional, and mental well-being.
Figure 4 Percentage of public schools offering various supports to help students handle the COVID-19 pandemic, by type of support: September 2021
NOTE: Approximately 170 schools completed the September 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 (September 2021).

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