School Disrupted Part 2: Multi-site Schooling as a Bridge Between Traditional and Student-Centric Learning

This year, Tyton is publishing School Disrupted 2022 in collaboration with Stand Together Trust and the Walton Family Foundation. In this report, we have extended our work from School Disrupted 2021 to explore how families continue to navigate traditional and alternative school models. Drawing on two surveys of more than 6,000 K-12 parents, School Disrupted 2022 covers key insights and implications in three parts.

Part 1 of School Disrupted 2022 detailed the substantial decline in K-12 public school enrollment since Fall 2020. Our analysis indicates that nearly 10% of public-school students – or approximately four million students – have shifted to charter or private schools, homeschooling, or did not enroll in the K-12 system entirely. We also highlighted parents’ shifting preferences for student-centric learning environments that are, in part, driving this enrollment shift. These preferences have implications for all school models, but present perhaps both the greatest risk and opportunity for K-12 public schools where parents’ desired experiences for their children may be lagging.

In Part 2, you will explore:

1. How multi-site schooling is bridging traditional and student-centric learning.
2. Why this up-and-coming model is becoming increasingly popular, and
3. The various ways in which parents and students are engaging with it. 

The intent of our research is to use the parent perspective as a point of triangulation for measuring impact of the pandemic on the distribution of school enrollment. If you have any questions or additional thoughts, we would value the opportunity to continue the conversation.

¹Multi-site schooling has also been referred to as the “collegiate model”, “community-based learning” and “hybrid learning”. To avoid confusion, we use the term “multi-site schooling” throughout the School Disrupted 2022 series.