WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As the novel coronavirus pandemic continues to upend life in the U.S. and growing numbers of schools have announced closures through the end of the 2019-2020 school year, formal, school-sponsored distance learning programs for K-12 children are ramping up.
In the two weeks that Gallup has been tracking the ways in which U.S. schoolchildren are being educated during the COVID-19 pandemic, the percentage of parents who say their child is learning remotely through a school-sponsored online distance learning program has grown from 65% to 83%.
At the same time, the percentage of parents saying their child is being home-schooled using a parent-designed curriculum has fallen from 32% to 24%. Notably, only 4% of parents -- down from 11% -- now say their child is not receiving any instruction.
| Mar 23-26 | Mar 27-29 | Mar 30-Apr 2 | Apr 3-5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| An online distance learning program from their school | 65 | 72 | 78 | 83 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home-schooled with materials you selected | 32 | 24 | 23 | 24 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Informal free online learning program not from school | 13 | 17 | 12 | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Formal paid private learning program | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| None of these | 11 | 11 | 9 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gallup Panel, 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Parents with an annual household income of at least $90,000 are more likely than those with a household income of less than $90,000 to say their child is receiving online distance learning from their school.
These results are from a probability-based Gallup Panel survey, conducted by web April 3-5. Since it is an online survey, the data do not represent the experiences of parents who do not have internet access, either generally or specifically during the COVID-19 crisis.
Fifty-one percent of parents are generally comfortable with the situation, saying they are not too concerned (30%) or not concerned at all (21%) that it will negatively impact their child's education. Still, 18% are very concerned and 31% are moderately concerned.
| Mar 23-26 | Mar 27-29 | Mar 30-Apr 2 | Apr 3-5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Very concerned | 13 | 15 | 18 | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moderately concerned | 26 | 32 | 34 | 31 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Not too concerned | 38 | 37 | 29 | 30 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Not concerned at all | 22 | 16 | 19 | 21 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gallup Panel, 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Learn more about how the Gallup Panel works.
