D.C. parents’ opinions on how virtual learning has gone during the coronavirus pandemic and whether to continue it next school year vary wildly, a recent D.C. Public Schools survey found.
The survey, which gauged the response of more than 10,500 parents of students in pre-K through 5th grades, and 4,000 parents of students in 6th through 12th grades, credited Ward 7 with the highest percentage of parents preferring virtual learning at 70%, WTOP reported.
Ward 3, at 30%, had the lowest percentage of parents preferring virtual learning, and at 57% overall, the ward shows the most support for in-person learning.
Also, 58% of parents of sixth through 12th graders preferred virtual-only learning, with 42% preferring in-person learning.
Other survey results:
• For pre-K through fifth grades, over half of families in Wards 5, 7, and 8 preferred virtual-only, while over half of families in Wards 3, 4, and 6 preferred in-person or the supervised CARE program.
• For sixth through 12th grades, more than half of families in Wards 5, 7 and 8 preferred all-virtual learning, while over half of families in Ward 3 preferred in-person learning. Wards 5 and 7 tied for the highest percentage of parents preferring virtual learning at 71%.
• Ward 3 had the highest percentage of parents preferring in-person learning at 62%.
• Parents with students in ninth grade preferred in-person learning the most at 53%. The highest percent of parents wanting virtual learning was in 7th grade at 67%.
DCPS, which partnered with Trandency Research for the survey, said it will continue to gather data and share reports through January.