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Cited by 24Education during COVID-19 pandemicSchool Choice and PerformanceCOVID-19 Pandemic Impacts

The Revealed Preferences for School Reopening: Evidence From Public-School Disenrollment

Dee, Thomas S., Huffaker, Elizabeth, Phillips, Cheryl, Sagara, Eric·2023·American Educational Research Journal
DOI 10.3102/00028312221140029
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Abstract

Before the 2020–2021 school year, policymakers and parents confronted the uncertain trade-offs implied by the health, educational, and economic consequences of offering instruction remotely, in person, or through a hybrid of the two. Most public schools in the United States chose remote-only instruction, and enrollment fell dramatically (i.e., a loss 1.1 million K–12 students). We examine the impact of these choices on public-school enrollment using panel data that combine district-level information on enrollment and instructional mode. We find offering remote-only instead of in-person instruction reduced enrollment by 1.1 percentage points (i.e., 42% greater disenrollment). The disenrollment effects of remote instruction are concentrated in kindergarten and, more modestly, elementary schools. We do not find evidence that hybrid instruction had an impact.

Integrity signals

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Crossref · 10.3102/00028312221140029

Cites

29 of 29 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • The movement away from in-person instruction during the 2020-2021 school year reduced student achievement, worsened children's mental health, and decreased school enrollment.

    “There is a growing body of literature suggesting that the movement away from in-person instruction during the 2020-2021 school year reduced student achievement,8,10,11,12 worsened children’s mental health,13,14,15,16 and decreased school enrollment.17,18”

    From Virtual Learning in Kindergarten Through Grade 12 During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Chronic Absenteeism (2024) · cites this paper as [17]

  • Between the 2018-2019 and 2021-2022 school years, US public schools experienced historically unprecedented enrollment declines of 2.3 percent.

    “between the 2018 to 2019 and 2021 to 2022 school years, US public schools experienced historically unprecedented enrollment declines of 2.3 percent.”

    From Higher chronic absenteeism threatens academic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic (2024) · cites this paper as [12]

  • The enrollment declines between 2018-2019 and 2021-2022 reflected demographic change, responses to remote-only instruction, and shifts to private schools and homeschooling.

    “These declines reflected demographic change, responses to remote-only instruction, and shifts to private schools and homeschooling (11, 12).”

    From Higher chronic absenteeism threatens academic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic (2024) · cites this paper as [12]

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Related

Authors
Dee, T. S., Huffaker, E., Phillips, C., & Sagara, E.
Affiliations
Stanford University (US)
Corresponding author
Dee, Thomas S.
ORCID
Venue
American Educational Research Journal
Publisher
American Educational Research Association (AERA)
Published
2022-12-22
Volume
60
Issue
5
Pages
916-940
ISSN
  • 0002-8312 (ISSN-L)
  • 1935-1011
DOI
10.3102/00028312221140029
OpenAlex
W3196199898
Cited by
24
References
30
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 8 · 2021: 1
FWCI
9.16
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
American Educational Research Journal (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Brown Institute for Media Innovation
  • Institute of Education Sciences (R305B090016)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Education › Education during COVID-19 pandemic
  • Social Sciences › Education › School Choice and Performance
  • Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts
Keywords
school reopening, public school enrollment, remote instruction, face-to-face teaching, hybrid instruction, COVID-19 pandemic, K-12 education, kindergarten, elementary school, school district policy

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