Generally, among public and private schools with open teaching positions in particular subject-matter fields, higher percentages of schools reported having difficulties filling these openings in 2020–21 than in 2011–12. For instance, 40 percent of public schools hiring for open teaching positions in special education in 2020-21 reported having difficulties filling the opening, compared with 17 percent in 2011–12.
This indicator presents data related to the supply of teachers in U.S. elementary and secondary schools. First, using data from the School Pulse Panel (SPP) and the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), this indicator examines the extent to which elementary and secondary schools experience challenges in filling open teaching positions. Then, this indicator uses data reported through Title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to lend context to current staffing-related challenges—providing information on changes over time in the number of individuals enrolling in and completing teacher preparation programs.
This indicator shows that in 2020–21, in general, higher percentages of public and private schools reported difficulties filling open teaching positions than in 2011–12. Between 2012–13 and 2019–20, the number of persons enrolled in and completing traditional teacher preparation programs decreased.
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NOTE: Schools were surveyed after the start of the school year and were asked to report all teaching positions for which they hired or were hiring for the current school year, regardless of whether they were able to fill the position or not. An open teaching position in a school may or may not have been filled before the start of the school year.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), “Public School Data File” and “Private School Data File,” 2011–12; and National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), “Public School Data File” and “Private School Data File,” 2020–21. See Digest of Education Statistics 2022, table 210.50.
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NOTE: Data refer to the percentage of schools that were hiring for at least one open teaching position in a particular subject-matter field, among schools with at least one opening schoolwide and offering that particular subject. Schools were surveyed after the start of the school year and were asked to report all teaching positions for which they hired or were hiring for the current school year, regardless of whether they were able to fill the position or not. An open teaching position in a school may or may not have been filled before the start of the school year. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), “Public School Data File” and “Private School Data File,” 2011–12; and National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), “Public School Data File” and “Private School Data File,” 2020–21. See Digest of Education Statistics 2022, table 210.50.
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! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.
NOTE: Schools were surveyed after the start of the school year and were asked to report all teaching positions for which they hired or were hiring for the current school year, regardless of whether they were able to fill the position or not. An open teaching position in a school may or may not have been filled before the start of the school year. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), “Public School Data File” and “Private School Data File,” 2011–12; and National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), “Public School Data File” and “Private School Data File,” 2020–21. See Digest of Education Statistics 2022, table 210.60.
! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.
‡ Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.
1 For private schools only, elementary is combined with middle schools for reporting purposes.
NOTE: Schools were surveyed after the start of the school year and were asked to report all teaching positions for which they hired or were hiring for the current school year, regardless of whether they were able to fill the position or not. An open teaching position in a school may or may not have been filled before the start of the school year. Data on the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch are not available for private schools. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), “Public School Data File” and “Private School Data File,” 2020–21. See Digest of Education Statistics 2022, table 210.60.
1 Traditional teacher preparation programs typically offer undergraduate programs and often attract individuals who enter college with the goal of becoming a teacher.
2 Alternative teacher preparation programs often serve candidates who are the teacher of record in a classroom while participating in the program, frequently attracting candidates who already hold a bachelor’s degree in a specific content area and may have prior work experience but are seeking to switch careers. Alternative routes to a teaching credential are defined as such by the state and vary by state.
NOTE: Data represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. For all years of data in this figure, individuals who were enrolled and completed the program during the academic year are counted in the total count of enrolled students as well as in the subset of program completers. The definition of enrolled student changed beginning with the 2018–19 data. Starting in 2018–19, an enrolled student is defined as an individual who has been admitted, enrolled, and registered in a teacher preparation program and participated in the program during the academic year. Participation may include taking a course, participating in clinical experience, or participating in other program activities. For 2017–18 and all years prior, an enrolled student was defined as an individual admitted into a teacher preparation program.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Title II, Higher Education Act, National Teacher Preparation Data, retrieved December 5, 2022, from https://title2.ed.gov/Public/DataTools/Tables.aspx. See Digest of Education Statistics 2022, table 209.02.
1 See https://ies.ed.gov/schoolsurvey/spp/ for additional data on staffing in public elementary and secondary schools. Data from the School Pulse Panel (SPP) are experimental, and results should be interpreted with caution. Experimental data may not meet all NCES quality standards.
2 The August SPP survey asked respondents to report whether they felt that their schools were understaffed entering the school year, while the October SPP survey asked respondents to report the number of vacancies at their school.
3 Occupations include elementary and secondary teachers and postsecondary teachers, as well as tutors, teaching assistants, librarians, and other related occupations. See https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps/technical-documentation/methodology/industry-and-occupation-classification.html for more detail on the Education Instruction and Library Occupation Classification Code from the Current Population Survey (CPS).
4 Unemployment rates are for the population age 16 years and over. For context, the overall unemployment rates were 3.6 percent in 2022 and 3.7 percent in 2019. See https://www.bls.gov/cps/tables.htm for CPS tabulations of Unemployed persons by occupation and sex (table 25).
5 For example, the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) 2020–21 school data were collected between October 2020 and July 2021.
6 The field of physical education or health was excluded from comparisons over time, as the 2011–12 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) did not include this field on its questionnaire.
7 High-poverty schools are defined here as schools where 76 to 100 percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL); mid-high poverty schools are schools where 51 to 75 percent of the students are eligible for FRPL; mid-low poverty schools are schools where 26 to 50 percent of the students are eligible for FRPL; and low-poverty schools are schools where 25 percent or less of the students are eligible for FRPL. For more information on eligibility for FRPL and its relationship to poverty, see the NCES blog post “Free or reduced price lunch: A proxy for poverty?”
8 Data on the number of persons enrolled in and completing teacher preparation programs represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
9 Enrollment counts include students who completed their program in the same academic year. The definition of enrolled student changed beginning with the 2018–19 data. Starting in 2018–19, an enrolled student is defined as an individual who has been admitted, enrolled, and registered in a teacher preparation program and participated in the program during the academic year. Participation may include taking a course, participating in clinical experience, or participating in other program activities. For 2017–18 and earlier years, an enrolled student was defined as an individual admitted into a teacher preparation program.
10 Completers of teacher preparation programs are a subset of the individuals who were enrolled in a particular academic year.