Section 3. Elementary and Secondary Teachers: Teachers in Elementary and Secondary Schools

Figure 10. Actual and projected numbers for elementary and secondary teachers, by control of school: Fall 1995 through fall 2020

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NOTE: Since the biennial Private School Universe Survey (PSS) is collected in the fall of odd numbered years, private school numbers for alternate years are estimated based on data from the PSS. The private school teacher number for 2009 is an actual number from the 2009–10 PSS. Teachers reported in full-time equivalents. Some data have been revised from previously published figures. Mean absolute percentage errors of selected education statistics can be found in table A-2, appendix A.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), "State Nonfiscal Survey of Public Elementary/Secondary Education,” 1995–96 through 2008–09; Private School Universe Survey (PSS), selected years, 1995–96 through 2009–10; Elementary and Secondary Teacher Model, 1973–2009. (This figure was prepared April 2011.)

Number of teachers

The total number of elementary and secondary teachers

• increased 23 percent between 1995 and 2008, a period of
13 years; and
• is projected to increase 7 percent between 2008 and 2020, a period of 12 years.

The number of teachers in public elementary and secondary schools

• increased 24 percent between 1995 and 2008; and
• is projected to increase 9 percent between 2008 and 2020.

The number of teachers in private elementary and secondary schools

• increased 19 percent between 1995 and 2008; and
• is projected to decrease 4 percent between 2008 and 2020.

For more information: Table 16

Figure 11. Actual and projected numbers for the pupil/teacher ratios in elementary and secondary schools, by control of school: Fall 1995 through fall 2020

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NOTE: Since the biennial Private School Universe Survey (PSS) is collected in the fall of odd numbered years, private school numbers for alternate years are estimated based on data from the PSS. The private school teacher number for 2009 is an actual number from the 2009–10 PSS. The pupil/teacher ratios were derived from tables 1 and 16. Teachers are reported in full-time equivalents. Some data have been revised from previously published figures. Mean absolute percentage errors of selected education statistics can be found in table A-2, appendix A.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), "State Nonfiscal Survey of Public Elementary/Secondary Education,” 1995–96 through 2008–09; Private School Universe Survey (PSS), selected years, 1995–96 through 2009–10; National Elementary and Secondary Enrollment Model, 1972–2008; and Elementary and Secondary Teacher Model, 1973–2009. (This figure was prepared April 2011.)

Pupil/teacher ratios

The pupil/teacher ratio in elementary and secondary schools

• decreased from 17.1 to 15.0 between 1995 and 2008; and
• is projected to decrease to 14.7 in 2020.

The pupil/teacher ratio in public elementary and secondary schools

• decreased from 17.3 to 15.3 between 1995 and 2008; and
• is projected to decrease to 15.0 in 2020.

The pupil/teacher ratio in private elementary and secondary schools

• decreased from 15.7 to 12.8 between 1995 and 2008; and
• is projected to decrease to 12.3 in 2020.

For more information: Table 17

Figure 12. Actual and projected numbers for elementary and secondary new teacher hires, by control of school: Fall 1999, fall 2008, and fall 2020

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NOTE: Public and private new teacher hire numbers for 2008 are estimated using the New Teacher Hires Model.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), "State Nonfiscal Survey of Public Elementary/Secondary Education,” 1999–2000; Private School Universe Survey (PSS), 1999–2000; Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), "Public School Teacher Questionnaire,” 1999-2000 and "Private School Teacher Questionnaire,” 1999-2000; Elementary and Secondary Teacher Model, 1973–2009; and New Teacher Hires Model, 1988–2007. (This figure was prepared April 2011.)

New teacher hires

Between 2008 and 2020, increases are expected in the annual numbers of new public school teacher hires and new private school teacher hires.

The number of new teacher hires in public schools

• was approximately 313,000 in 2008, reflecting an increase of 41 percent compared to 1999; and
• is projected to increase 12 percent to 350,000 in 2020.

The number of new teacher hires in private schools

• was approximately 76,000 in 2008, reflecting a decrease of 9 percent compared to 1999; and
• is projected to increase 5 percent to 79,000 in 2020.

For more information: Table 16