Listen to AIR senior researcher Dia Jackson discuss the results and AIR's research into other district and charter network responses in the wake of the pandemic >>

Across the nation, educators are responding valiantly to an unprecedented health crisis and its ramifications for students, educators, and communities. Leaders and staff are charting new courses for this unique time.

All of us—students, parents, educators, policy makers, and researchers—share an interest in learning from this event. To improve services to students and families as we move forward, we need information on what districts and charter management organizations are doing and plan to do to address COVID-19. To that end, from late spring through summer 2020, we asked school district and charter management organization leaders to respond to a nationally representative survey of school districts and charter management organizations—more than 2,500 in total—about the actions they have taken and the challenges they have encountered during the COVID-19-related school closures. This knowledge will inform the best approach to serving students as we face new challenges.

The survey addressed how school districts and charter management organizations coped with issues related to school closures, including the timing of school closures due to COVID-19; distance learning approaches and challenges; supporting students with disabilities and English language learners; district policies and requirements, such as grading and graduation; staffing and human resources; and health, well-being, and safety.

The project provided actionable information to educators, policymakers, and researchers to inform future education practices beyond the initial public health crisis.

Study Results - Released October 21, 2020

• Research Briefs:
  • Spotlight on English Learners (PDF)
  • Spotlight on Students with Disabilities (PDF)
  • How District Approaches to Remote Instruction Differed Across Contexts (PDF)

• Methodology Brief:
  • Preliminary Technical Supplement (PDF)

Preliminary Study Results - Released July 2020

• A quantitative brief, National Survey on Public Education’s Coronavirus Pandemic Response (PDF), which examined data on how schools reacted after the pandemic hit; and
• A snapshot, Voices of School District Leaders: National Survey of Public Education’s Response to COVID-19 (PDF), which includes school leader responses to questions about school innovation, promising practices, and challenges during the pandemic.

Next Steps

The project team will continue to share updates and collect data throughout the 2020–2021 school year. Project updates, research briefs, email communication, and events will be shared via this website. We encourage district and charter management organization leaders to request additional analyses.

We will provide results for the nation as a whole, as well as for key subgroups, including small and large districts; urban, suburban, and rural districts; and high- and low-poverty districts.

Endorsement Letters

Council of Chief State School Officers
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools