Diving Deeper Into the 2021 NAEP Monthly School Survey Results

• In Event: 2021 NAEP Monthly School Survey: Learning From U.S. Schools on Their Response to Pandemic

Abstract

In-person school enrollment was the traditional mode of school instruction in the United States and many other countries prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the outbreak of the pandemic disrupted school activities across the country. There were closures of schools in many states. Many other schools transitioned into remote and/or hybrid mode of instruction. As the country gradually recovers from the pandemic, many schools are returning, or considering returning, to the classroom for in-person learning. The NAEP Monthly School Survey (MSS) was conducted to collect school-level data on mode of school instruction, enrollment and attendance of grade 4 and grade 8 students from January to May 2021 using the NAEP school sample. Initial descriptive analysis of the MSS data uncovered racial/ethnic group-level variations in remote, hybrid and in-person school learning among students.

This paper explores patterns in school instructional mode, enrollment and attendance of grade 4 and grade 8 students across the country from January to May 2021 using the MSS data. It further examines racial/ethnic differences in in-person school enrollment after controlling for the impact of school location and region. Finally, the paper explores any possible relationship among mode of instruction and external data sources on COVID-19 infection rate.

Data analysis was conducted using sample weights to maximize generalizability of the findings. Hierarchical regression and univariate analysis were conducted to examine the amount of variance explained by each of the factors (i.e., race/ethnicity, school location, and region) and their interaction effects on mode of school enrollment and attendance.

As part of the paper, we will graphically demonstrate remote, hybrid and in-person school enrollment and attendance by race/ethnicity, school location, and region using percentage scores. The interaction effects among these factors will also be graphically demonstrated. Hierarchical regression results will be reported to account for the unique variance explained by each factor. Analyses of variance results will be reported to account for the interaction effects among the factors. Finally, the relationship between COVID-19 infection rate and mode of school instruction will be presented by race/ethnicity, school location, and region. Implications and limitations of the findings will be discussed.

Authors

• Christopher Amissah, Morgan State University

• Bingchen Liu, Educational Testing Service

• Robert Finnegan, Educational Testing Service