To support schools and districts as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has launched the School Pulse Panel (SPP). The SPP will increase our ability to report timely information on the operating status of public schools. This effort is part of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) response to the Executive Order on Supporting the Reopening and Continuing Operation of Schools and Early Childhood Education Providers.
The SPP is a monthly survey completed by a small group of schools to help education leaders understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education across the country. NCES, within the U.S. Department of Education, is conducting this study in coordination with the U.S. Census Bureau and other federal agencies.
Accessing Survey Findings
NCES releases reports about 4 weeks after each monthly collection via an online dashboard. Results from the summer 2021, September 2021, and January 2022 data collections are available now. Check back to see the latest findings.
Survey Topics
The survey asks questions on the following topics, which focus on how COVID-19 has affected schools (note that survey content will change slightly on a monthly basis):
- Instructional mode offered by schools
- Strategies to address pandemic-related learning needs
- Safe and healthy school mitigation strategies
- Principal and staff experiences
- Mental health and well-being of students and staff
- Special education services
- Use of technology
- Information on staffing and food and nutrition programs
- Parental/staff/student concerns
The graphic below shows the content areas for January 2022 through May 2022. The red boxes represent content areas that will repeat monthly; the yellow boxes represent content areas that will not repeat monthly.
More Information
To learn more, visit the School Pulse Panel website and explore the FAQs. For general questions, contact the U.S. Census Bureau at 1-844-868-3661 or via e-mail at addp.school.pulse.panel@census.gov.
By Josue DeLaRosa and Rachel Hansen, NCES