Post-Pandemic Homeschool Participation Persistence

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Abstract

Estimated of peak pandemic homeschool participation were 11%. Education scholars suggested
participation would normalize post-pandemic. This paper leverages state-level data to examine
homeschool participation, tracking persistence one to three years post-pandemic. I find that
homeschool participation increased for all states in the dataset. In states with stable longitudinal
data, I find a 48% increase in homeschool participation. I also find that about half of those who
moved to homeschool remained two years post-pandemic. Finally, I set these results in a national
context by comparing homeschool participation to other modes of education where current
homeschool participation is equal to charter school attendance, nearly as large as private school
attendance, and outpaces students using private funding mechanisms like vouchers.

Author

• Angela R. Watson, Johns Hopkins University