Majority of parents support extending the school year and integrating A.I. into schools

New Study.com survey reveals California and Texas parents’ perceptions on K-12 education post-pandemic

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Sept. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Study.com today released new survey data shedding light on parents’ evolving attitudes towards the role of schools as students head into the third school year post-pandemic. The education platform surveyed parents in California and Texas to understand their perspectives on their children’s education. Notably, 55 percent and 47 percent of parents in California and Texas, respectively, support extending the school year to provide students with increased learning time, and 46 percent of California parents and 43 percent of Texas parents favor the use of A.I. tools like ChatGPT for academic help in schools.

Across both states, a significant number of respondents believe in a shared responsibility between parents and schools to foster academic growth. Over a third assign a major or complete responsibility to schools in this regard. However, a large percentage of parents in California (28 percent) and Texas (27 percent) feel that schools are taking minimal or no responsibility post-pandemic to help their child catch-up academically. A significant number of parents demonstrated dedication to improving their child’s education through the utilization of district and schoolwide resources as well as support in the home:

• 37 percent of California parents and 41 percent of Texas parents have sought external educational support, such as tutoring or counseling, for their children.
• In California, most parents have sought tutoring or study sessions (26 percent), homework help or after-school programs (23 percent), or educational online platforms (20 percent).
• In Texas, most parents have sought tutoring or study sessions (31 percent), homework help or after-school programs (19 percent) educational online platforms (16 percent).

The enduring consequences of academic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic underpin the motivations driving parents to seek additional support tools for their children’s education. In both states, more than a third of parents reported a substantial negative impact on their child’s academic performance due to the pandemic and related social-emotional challenges.

• 46 percent of California parents and 40 percent of Texas parents say their child faced social-emotional challenges impacting their academics.
• 65 percent of California parents and 69 percent of Texas parents are very or somewhat concerned about the long-term impact of learning loss on their child’s academic, career, and socioeconomic success.

The third school year post-pandemic emerges as a pivotal moment for parents to incorporate effective learning resources into their children’s academic journeys, such as A.I. or tutoring, to help mitigate the wide-ranging negative effects of the pandemic.

“Despite most parents feeling like they have the resources available to assist their child, the majority of them struggle with specific subjects, especially math,” said Rachel Mead, Director of Tutoring at Study.com. “The start of the school year is an ideal time for parents to implement additional learning supports such as supplemental online resources or the formulation of a structured home learning plan.”

The survey data was collected via two Pollfish online surveys during August 2023, with 526 parent respondents in California and 449 parent respondents in Texas. See the full survey data at this link: https://study.com/resources/parents-playing-catchup-in-california-texas.html

About Study.com:

Study.com opens the door to the life-changing impact of education for over 30m learners and educators a month through K12 curriculum, college courses, tutoring, and test preparation. Used in over 10,000 school districts nationwide, Study.com is recognized by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for meeting Level IV evidence standards. Headquartered in Mountain View, CA, Study.com is named on the 2022 and 2023 GSV150, a list of the world’s most transformative private companies in education. The company has donated $27 million across social impact programs committed to increasing educational equity. These programs include Working Scholars®, an accelerated pathway for working adults to earn a debt-free bachelor’s degree, and Keys to the Classroom, which seeks to help aspiring educators prepare for and pass their teacher certification exams.

SOURCE Study.com