School enrollment during COVID-19

Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

In this episode, Micah Baum describes how public school enrollments in the US changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this episode, we cover: • [00:00] Introduction • [00:54] Micah Baum, an economist at the University of Michigan, introduces school districts’ three modes of learning in fall 2020: virtual, in-person, and hybrid. • [01:31] Baum explains the reasons for studying public school enrollment changes between the 2019-2020 school year and the 2020-2021 school year.  • [02:51] Description of the data sources used in the study.  • [03:50] Explanation of the changes in enrollment numbers between the two school years. • [06:00] Explanation of racial differences in enrollment changes. • [06:46] Exploration of what these results suggest about parent choices.  • [08:24] Implications for school funding in future years. • [09:18] Caveats and limitations of the study. • [09:51] Conclusion.

About Our Guest:

Micah Baum PhD Student University of Michigan

View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2307308120

Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!

Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast 

Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter