How does live instruction relate to student engagement in distance learning? Does the relationship differ across grade levels? This study addresses these questions by examining data from a random sample of families from a large urban school district in southern California. We find a strong correlation between live instruction and student engagement in online learning among elementary school students, with every additional hour of live instruction per week increasing the probability of reporting that students have completed all their schoolwork by 26%. The correlation is also significant though smaller in magnitude for middle and high school students.