Online Schooling, Race, and the Supervision of Children at the Height of the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a shift from in-person to online schooling as the primary mode of instruction for children. This study examines racial/ethnic inequalities in children’s participation in online schooling at the height of the pandemic, and how their families adjusted to the process. The analysis was conducted using data from the 2022 Covid-19 in American Communities-2 study. The results indicate that the children of Black respondents were the most likely to report online schooling and non-enrollment as their primary modes of learning at the height of the pandemic. However, the outcomes were part of a broader pattern of disadvantage. The children of Black respondents also faced unique constraints by experiencing decreases in school supervision if a household member was infected with COVID-19. Additionally, the results showed that mothers supervised online schooling more frequently than other adults, except among Hispanics.