The School Pulse Panel is a new study collecting information on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education. Experimental data from September 2021 are available now. Selected results are shown below to provide a brief overview. For more information, download the full set of results. Read more about the School Pulse Panel and see the complete questionnaire from the September experimental data collection.
Learning Mode
Percentage of public schools by learning mode offered to any students: September 2021
Schedule
Percentage of public schools by programs or activities offered because of the COVID-19 pandemic: September 2021
| During the summer |
|
|
| Created or expand an existing summer school |
55% |
| Created or expand an existing summer camp program |
21% |
| Offered virtual educational resources during the summer |
21% |
| Other summer enrichment activities |
24% |
| During the 2021-22 school year |
|
|
| Extended school day |
‡ |
| Additional school days |
‡ |
| Additional before-school or after-school programs |
35% |
| Additional virtual educational resources |
41% |
Grading and Assessments
Percentage of public schools by expected changes to assessments, grading, and promotion: September 2021
| Expected change during the 2021-22 school year |
|
|
| Changes to federally mandated assessments |
13% |
| Changes to school grading policy |
11% |
| Changes to the process for promoting students to the next grade |
22% |
Percentage of schools by whether they have requested or required any students to stay home from school after possible COVID-19 exposure: September 2021
Reporting
Percentage of public schools by systems available for reporting and tracking COVID-19: September 2021
| School had a system for |
|
|
| Staff to report a COVID diagnosis |
92% |
| Staff to report COVID symptoms |
93% |
| Staff to report exposure to COVID |
91% |
| Parents to report a child's COVID diagnosis |
95% |
| Parents to report a child's COVID symptoms |
94% |
| Parents to report a child's exposure to COVID |
92% |
| School had a system to notify |
|
|
| Parents of a child's exposure to COVID |
92% |
| Staff of their own exposure to COVID |
92% |
| The public about COVID cases |
73% |
Testing for COVID-19
Percentage of public schools by reports of performing screening and testing for COVID-19: September 2021
| Screening and testing |
|
|
| Required daily symptom screening for staff |
37% |
| Required daily symptom screening for students |
32% |
| Conducted testing for staff with symptoms or exposure |
35% |
| Conducted testing for students with symptoms or exposure |
28% |
Vaccination Status
Percentage of public schools by reports of requiring or providing vaccinations against COVID-19: September 2021
|
|
| Required staff to be vaccinated (unless they have a medical
waiver) |
24% |
| Offered or plan to offer on-site vaccination |
36% |
Percentage of public schools by proportion of school staff who have been vaccinated against COVID-19: September 2021
| 0-25% |
26-50% |
51-75% |
76-100% |
Don't know |
| ‡ |
10% |
24% |
39% |
24% |
Masking Requirements
Percentage of public schools by reports of masking requirements when inside the school: September 2021
| Required to wear a mask inside the school |
|
| Any staff |
77% |
| Any students |
73% |
| Any parents or guardians |
74% |
| All students who are not yet eligible for a vaccine |
63% |
Addressing students' social, emotional, and mental well-being
Percentage of public schools by support offered to help students handle the COVID-19 pandemic: September 2021
Mitigation in Classrooms
Percentage of public schools by classroom modifications to mitigate the spread of COVID-19: September 2021
| Classroom modifications |
|
| Spaced desks and seating three feet apart |
77% |
| Faced student desks and seating in the same direction |
59% |
| Decreased class size |
20% |
| Placed physical guides and signs for distancing to account for |
59% |
| Encouraged social distancing during recess or physical education |
84% |
| Installed physical barriers between students and staff |
32% |
| Installed physical barriers between students |
21% |
| Increased ventilation by opening windows, doors, using fans, etc |
66% |
| Increased how often surfaces were cleaned |
93% |
| Added additional handwashing stations or hand sanitizer stations |
89% |
| None of the above |
# |
Mitigation for Food Service
Percentage of public schools by food service modifications to mitigate the spread of COVID-19: September 2021
| Food service modifications |
|
| Closed the cafeteria |
12% ! |
| Changed lunch schedule to decrease the number of students in the cafeteria |
40% |
| Offered only grab-and-go food items |
30% |
| Blocked off seats in the cafeteria to increase distance between students |
40% |
| Installed plastic or other dividers in the cafeteria |
6% ! |
| Moved eating to classrooms for some or all students |
25% |
| Moved eating outside for some or all students |
35% |
| None of the above |
16% |
| Don't know |
# |
Extracurricular Offerings
Percentage of public schools by extracurricular activities offered: September 2021
| Extracurricular activity offered |
|
| Athletic teams |
63% |
| Performing arts |
68% |
| Spirit groups |
44% |
| Academic clubs |
62% |
| Class council or student government |
56% |
| Volunteer or community service clubs |
42% |
| Other school clubs or school activities |
60% |
| None of the above |
9% |
Internet and device access
Percentage of public schools by digital devices and internet provided to students who need them: September 2021
| Internet or digital device offered to students who need them |
|
| School provided internet access at home |
70% |
| School provided internet or hotspot access at a location other than home |
49% |
| School provided digital devices such as laptops, tablets, or Chromebooks |
96% |
Staffing Status
Percentage of public schools by amount of staff vacancies in 2021-22 compared to a typical year: September 2021
| Vacancies compared to a typical year |
|
| More vacancies than a typical year |
38% |
| Fewer vacancies than a typical year |
‡ |
| About the same vacancies as a typical year |
53% |
| Don't know |
4% |
# Rounds to zero.
! Interpret data with caution. The standard error for this estimate is 30 to 50 percent of the estimate's value.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, School Pulse Panel.
‡ Reporting standards not met. The coefficient of variation is greater than 50.
About the September School Pulse Panel Data Collection
A sample of approximately 2,400 public elementary, middle, high, and combined-grade schools were contacted during the summer of 2021 to participate in the 12-month School Pulse Panel during the 2021-22 school year. Approximately 170 schools completed the September survey. While the results presented in the dashboard have been weighted and adjusted for non-response, these experimental data should be interpreted with caution. Experimental data may not meet all NCES quality standards. The dashboard does not provide results on all survey questions. Download the complete data to see results for which enough responses were collected.
