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Education Dive
Survey: Children's loss of social ties, learning are parents' top closure concerns
A desire for more regular contact with children’s teachers is also a recurring theme across multiple surveys.
Linda Jacobson
May 20, 2020
Parents are more concerned about their children missing social
interactions at school and with peers than they are someone in their
family getting sick with the coronavirus, according to a new survey
released Wednesday.
Fifty-nine percent of the more than 3,600 parents and guardians
responding to the nonprofit Learning Heroes’ survey said their
children’s lack of in-person connections was currently their top
pandemic-related concern, with 57% saying they are worried about
COVID-19 affecting a family member. Making sure their children will be
prepared for the next grade level and whether closures or changes to
school models will negatively impact their children’s education tied
for third at 54%.
The results highlight the larger role parents have played in their
children’s learning since schools switched to remote instruction, with
67% saying they are more “connected with my child’s day-to-day
education now than ever before” and 70% wanting to know what their
children have missed and how they can make it up.
Thirty-six percent of respondents said their child will need additional
academic support to make up for missed learning before next school
year, and 45% said if their school offers summer academic courses to
help students catch up, they would be very or extremely likely to send
their children.
Ranking options similar to those presented to teachers and
administrators by the Collaborative for Student Success in April,
parents are more in favor of using summer school to address learning
loss than starting school early in the fall or extending the 2020-21
school year into the following summer.
If they open it, will they come?
While the survey is conducted annually, this year it is one of a
growing number of projects aiming to understand how families have
adapted during the crisis, how they would assess their school
district’s efforts to deliver remote instruction, and how they want
schools to handle the reopening process.
For example, the National Parent Union on Monday released the results
of a survey with a small sample — 500 parents — which asked many of the
same questions as Learning Heroes did, but also focused on the strict
health and safety measures parents think schools should take when they
re-open.
Eighty-one percent of the respondents said it’s extremely or very
important to require students and staff members to stay home for 14
days if they’ve tested positive for the coronavirus. Seventy-six
percent said schools should equip all students with devices and
internet access at the beginning of the school year in case they become
ill or schools close again. And 63% are in favor of staggered schedules
so schools can space desks apart in classrooms.
NPU, a network of parent organizations, released the results along with
a “Family Bill of Rights,” which includes statements related to
personalized learning plans for each student and education finance
systems that target the most disadvantaged students.
Keri Rodrigues, founding president of NPU, suggested parents who can
afford to stay home with their children might push for that option if
they are uncomfortable with health measures at schools, but those who
have to be at work may be more likely "to roll the dice."
"Overall, I think you will see an uptick in families keeping children
at home until a vaccine is in place," she said. "Families trust
scientists, not education leaders and elected officials, to keep their
kids safe."
Parents, she added, don't have a lot of confidence in the plans
educators and experts are proposing. "[Educators and experts] seem all
too anxious to shove our children back into the system as quickly as
possible — instead of engaging with families to rethink what this
should look like," she said.
Los Angeles families still face digital divide
In addition, the Los Angeles Unified School District on Monday released
results of a survey, which drew complete or partial responses from
almost 7,300 parents in Local District East, one of six sub-districts.
Three-fourths of the respondents say the district has done a good or
excellent job "managing the situation of school closures caused by the
coronavirus" and making learning materials and instruction available.
But 46% responded distance learning has been somewhat or extremely
unsuccessful for their family, and about half were “very confident”
they have the equipment and “technological know-how” to help their
child successfully participate in distance learning.
“Inadequate devices and Wi-Fi remain huge issues for families, as well
as their access to teachers,” Jenny Hontz, communications director for
Speak UP, a parent advocacy organization, wrote in an article on the
results. “A full 26% of survey respondents said they don’t have a
computer or tablet or enough digital devices at home, calling into
question LAUSD’s claim that nearly every family now has the devices
they need.”
In his comments on the survey, LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner
said, “Providing devices and internet access is just the beginning, and
we’ll continue to train educators, students and families how to get the
most out of online learning.” Speak UP is also addressing the issue
with its iFamily program, which provides training on how to use Zoom
and other tech tools.
Regular contact with their children’s teachers was also a top desire
for LAUSD parents — a recurring theme across multiple surveys.
"Parents want consistent contact from their schools, principals,
teachers and school counselors," said Elisha Smith Arrillaga, executive
director of The Education Trust-West, which published a parent poll in
April. "Providing consistent support during a challenging time is key
to improving academic outcomes and meeting the socioemotional needs of
students."
A gap in helpful resources
The Learning Heroes survey also gauged parents’ satisfaction and
experiences with remote learning. On average, parents report their
children are spending 4.2 hours per day on schoolwork, but 22%
responded their child was spending only about an hour on assignments.
The percentages answering an hour were also significantly higher among
families without reliable internet access (45%), those without a device
or internet (34%) and those working outside of the home (27%).
More than half of parents responded that remote schooling is working
better than they expected, with African American (64%) and Hispanic
parents’ (62%) responses higher than those of white parents (56%).
The majority of parents, however, said they haven’t received resources
from schools, ranging from clear expectations for their children’s
assignments and digital versions of class materials to personal
technology.
The data also shows in some case there are gaps between what parents
said would be “extremely helpful” and the resources actually available.
For example, 39% of parents said having a hotline or online chat
function to ask questions about helping with online learning would be
helpful, but 12% said their school actually has such a service.
Eighty percent of parents say a text is the most effective method of
communication, but 28% said this is how educators are contacting them.
Learning Heroes
Finally, the survey shows a small increase in the percentage of parents
saying it is “absolutely essential” their child goes to college, from
73% in 2019 to 76% this year. Seventy-three percent also say they are
“extremely confident” their child will be well prepared for college
after graduation, up from 65% last year.
Evidence is mounting, however, that the pandemic is affecting high
school students’ postsecondary plans. New data from Civis Analytics,
funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, shows almost half of
parents responding to a survey say their child’s plans have changed.
Forty-three percent plan to go to a four-year institution, a drop of
about 7% since late April. Black (59%) and Hispanic (61%) parents were
also more likely than white parents (43%) to say their children’s plans
have changed.
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