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Digest of Education Statistics
2021 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 209.42. Percentage of public and private school teachers who teach English learner students and students with disabilities and percentage with selected qualifications or coursework, by selected teacher and school characteristics: 2020–21
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Selected teacher or school characteristic Teachers whose main teaching assignment is English as a second language (ESL) Teachers with at least one English learner (EL) student in their class Teachers whose main teaching assignment is special education Teachers with at least one student with a disability in their class1 
As a percent of all teachers Among these teachers, percent who have a major, minor, or certification in ESL2 As a percent of all teachers Among these teachers,
percent who
As a percent of all teachers Among these teachers, percent who have a major, minor, or certification in special education2 As a percent of all teachers Among these teachers, percent who
Have a major, minor, or certification in ESL2 Took any courses3 on how to teach EL students Have a major, minor, or certification in special education2 Took any courses3 on how to serve students with special needs
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Public schools                                                            
Total 2.0   (0.10) 84.7   (1.85) 67.3   (0.46) 10.1   (0.27) 47.9   (0.38) 14.4   (0.19) 95.3   (0.32) 89.8   (0.23) 23.9   (0.27) 72.3   (0.34)
Sex                                                            
Male 1.2   (0.15) 75.5   (7.02) 69.4   (0.66) 5.1   (0.34) 47.5   (0.82) 9.4   (0.41) 95.4   (0.83) 93.5   (0.31) 15.4   (0.50) 69.0   (0.67)
Female 2.3   (0.12) 86.2   (1.75) 66.7   (0.50) 11.7   (0.33) 48.0   (0.41) 15.9   (0.24) 95.3   (0.35) 88.7   (0.27) 26.6   (0.34) 73.3   (0.37)

Race/ethnicity
                                                           
White 1.6   (0.09) 87.0   (1.83) 64.6   (0.50) 8.3   (0.26) 45.6   (0.42) 14.6   (0.23) 95.7   (0.33) 90.5   (0.25) 24.3   (0.30) 73.8   (0.34)
Black 1.3   (0.33)   (†) 71.4   (1.36) 8.7   (0.93) 41.3   (1.72) 15.8   (0.92) 91.9   (1.76) 87.0   (0.95) 25.4   (1.20) 61.9   (1.46)
Hispanic 5.8   (0.48) 82.4   (3.93) 83.3   (0.82) 22.7   (1.02) 62.6   (1.02) 11.8   (0.64) 95.4   (1.27) 86.8   (0.76) 20.2   (0.88) 66.1   (0.94)
Asian 4.1   (0.77) 69.9   (10.47) 82.1   (1.45) 10.0   (1.40) 62.7   (1.96) 12.1   (1.23) 95.4   (2.17) 85.2   (1.44) 24.5   (1.77) 71.6   (1.89)
Pacific Islander   (†)   (†) 71.4   (5.51)   (†) 52.5   (6.71) 14.5 ! (4.49)   (†) 89.6   (3.77) 21.6   (5.40) 61.6   (5.64)
American Indian/
Alaska Native
  (†)   (†) 65.4   (4.58) 12.8 ! (5.84) 50.9   (5.69) 11.7   (2.41)   (†) 92.5   (2.08) 12.0   (2.44) 72.5   (3.72)
Two or more races 2.1 ! (0.94)   (†) 73.7   (1.87) 8.8   (1.73) 49.6   (2.78) 14.7   (1.48) 93.8   (2.57) 89.8   (1.40) 23.5   (2.05) 70.8   (2.35)

Age
                                                           
Under 30 1.7   (0.25) 90.6   (3.18) 68.1   (0.91) 9.5   (0.70) 62.5   (0.94) 13.7   (0.56) 95.9   (0.82) 90.5   (0.55) 22.9   (0.76) 79.6   (0.65)
30 to 39 2.1   (0.18) 84.4   (3.70) 67.8   (0.67) 10.2   (0.46) 54.5   (0.73) 14.6   (0.39) 94.7   (0.73) 90.1   (0.36) 23.8   (0.53) 77.4   (0.56)
40 to 49 1.6   (0.16) 83.0   (3.91) 66.8   (0.62) 9.6   (0.45) 43.8   (0.66) 14.0   (0.35) 95.8   (0.56) 90.0   (0.38) 23.3   (0.47) 70.5   (0.55)
50 to 59 2.4   (0.21) 87.8   (2.88) 67.2   (0.67) 10.4   (0.55) 39.1   (0.76) 14.1   (0.40) 94.7   (0.79) 89.1   (0.46) 24.3   (0.59) 66.8   (0.71)
60 and over 3.3   (0.43) 77.0   (4.94) 66.5   (1.14) 11.7   (1.01) 38.1   (1.37) 16.4   (0.89) 96.7   (0.92) 88.7   (0.74) 27.0   (1.07) 63.3   (1.15)

Highest degree earned
                                                           
Less than bachelor's   (†)   (†) 51.0   (3.65)   (†) 24.2   (3.40) 5.6   (1.35)   (†) 92.2   (1.63) 3.6 ! (1.09) 36.6   (3.34)
Bachelor's 1.2   (0.10) 77.7   (4.07) 67.3   (0.65) 8.4   (0.41) 49.6   (0.63) 11.7   (0.30) 93.6   (0.78) 89.1   (0.34) 19.1   (0.43) 69.8   (0.61)
Postbaccalaureate 2.6   (0.14) 86.9   (1.87) 67.5   (0.49) 11.2   (0.32) 47.1   (0.47) 16.1   (0.26) 96.4   (0.37) 90.2   (0.27) 27.2   (0.34) 74.3   (0.35)
Master's 2.4   (0.15) 85.2   (2.32) 67.0   (0.53) 9.9   (0.32) 47.2   (0.51) 15.3   (0.26) 96.0   (0.44) 90.2   (0.30) 25.8   (0.36) 74.4   (0.38)
Education
specialist4 
3.8   (0.41) 92.7   (3.68) 69.3   (0.90) 18.7   (0.96) 47.1   (1.24) 22.3   (0.90) 97.8   (0.59) 90.1   (0.75) 36.5   (1.04) 75.0   (0.93)
Doctor's 4.3   (1.14)   (†) 74.8   (2.09) 13.8   (2.23) 42.5   (2.86) 10.1   (1.71) 98.9   (1.11) 91.6   (1.38) 20.4   (2.29) 65.6   (2.39)

Years of teaching
 experience
                                                           
Less than 3 1.5   (0.27) 86.7   (5.37) 65.4   (1.28) 6.4   (0.72) 59.9   (1.43) 14.9   (0.81) 91.7   (1.35) 89.3   (0.81) 21.9   (1.05) 72.6   (1.16)
3 to 9 2.1   (0.21) 88.8   (2.86) 68.6   (0.63) 9.9   (0.48) 57.4   (0.66) 15.8   (0.38) 95.2   (0.66) 90.3   (0.39) 25.0   (0.51) 75.3   (0.49)
10 to 20 2.2   (0.15) 81.1   (3.03) 67.5   (0.58) 10.9   (0.41) 47.0   (0.57) 14.5   (0.33) 95.9   (0.48) 90.0   (0.31) 24.0   (0.43) 72.7   (0.48)
Over 20 2.0   (0.17) 85.3   (3.14) 66.2   (0.67) 10.0   (0.51) 35.0   (0.72) 12.5   (0.41) 95.7   (0.72) 89.0   (0.45) 23.0   (0.57) 68.2   (0.65)

Instructional level5 
                                                           
Elementary 2.5   (0.16) 81.6   (2.69) 64.6   (0.65) 12.4   (0.44) 51.3   (0.58) 15.8   (0.29) 94.4   (0.53) 85.4   (0.35) 27.9   (0.43) 75.6   (0.44)
Secondary 1.6   (0.12) 89.4   (2.16) 70.1   (0.57) 7.9   (0.32) 44.8   (0.54) 13.0   (0.27) 96.4   (0.37) 94.1   (0.20) 20.2   (0.39) 69.2   (0.44)

School locale
                                                           
City 3.1   (0.23) 87.2   (2.33) 79.8   (0.59) 12.4   (0.45) 50.3   (0.75) 14.8   (0.34) 94.9   (0.81) 90.0   (0.39) 24.0   (0.51) 70.3   (0.65)
Suburban 2.2   (0.19) 83.0   (3.36) 71.5   (0.64) 9.9   (0.42) 48.1   (0.68) 14.6   (0.30) 96.1   (0.45) 88.8   (0.40) 25.2   (0.46) 72.4   (0.50)
Town 1.3   (0.17) 77.4   (5.47) 57.4   (1.60) 7.9   (0.67) 46.2   (1.26) 14.2   (0.58) 95.8   (0.79) 90.8   (0.55) 23.0   (0.77) 74.2   (0.91)
Rural 0.8   (0.11) 87.5   (4.16) 49.3   (1.07) 7.2   (0.67) 43.4   (0.89) 13.5   (0.43) 94.2   (0.80) 90.6   (0.41) 22.0   (0.58) 73.5   (0.64)

Percent of students
 eligible for free or
 reduced-price lunch
                                                           
0 to 25.0 percent 1.3   (0.14) 79.5   (5.13) 61.1   (0.95) 7.0   (0.44) 45.5   (1.01) 13.4   (0.42) 95.5   (0.80) 89.9   (0.49) 23.1   (0.66) 73.9   (0.61)
25.1 to 50.0 percent 1.4   (0.14) 86.0   (3.67) 63.0   (0.90) 8.0   (0.41) 45.7   (0.79) 14.6   (0.36) 95.6   (0.63) 91.2   (0.38) 23.6   (0.51) 74.9   (0.56)
50.1 to 75.0 percent 2.2   (0.25) 88.6   (2.96) 71.5   (1.03) 10.8   (0.64) 49.5   (0.89) 14.5   (0.43) 95.9   (0.60) 90.0   (0.47) 24.1   (0.64) 71.5   (0.75)
More than 75.0 percent 3.1   (0.21) 83.5   (2.79) 73.3   (0.68) 12.7   (0.50) 49.6   (0.74) 14.8   (0.38) 94.6   (0.69) 88.3   (0.43) 24.8   (0.51) 69.9   (0.58)
School does not
participate
0.6 ! (0.22)   (†) 51.3   (2.31) 7.2   (1.13) 46.8   (2.44) 13.5   (1.35) 96.5   (1.35) 91.8   (0.98) 21.9   (1.67) 70.7   (1.71)

Private schools
                                                           
Total 0.1 ! (0.04)   (†) 20.8   (0.83) 2.6   (0.59) 35.8   (1.84) 4.9   (0.49) 72.4   (3.71) 59.1   (0.90) 12.9   (0.91) 56.4   (1.17)
Sex                                                            
Male   (†)   (†) 21.0   (1.36)   (†) 32.4   (3.28) 2.8   (0.59) 74.7   (7.82) 55.6   (1.79) 7.2   (1.28) 47.5   (2.28)
Female 0.1 ! (0.05)   (†) 20.7   (0.96) 3.3   (0.79) 36.9   (2.17) 5.6   (0.59) 72.1   (4.09) 60.2   (1.05) 14.6   (1.05) 59.1   (1.32)

Race/ethnicity
                                                           
White 0.1 ! (0.04)   (†) 19.7   (0.86) 1.9 ! (0.58) 33.6   (2.08) 5.0   (0.49) 73.2   (3.86) 60.0   (0.96) 13.0   (0.95) 57.7   (1.27)
Black   (†)   (†) 27.7   (4.80)   (†) 23.9 ! (7.36) 6.1 ! (2.20)   (†) 49.7   (5.40) 17.8   (5.15) 41.7   (6.07)
Hispanic   (†)   (†) 27.0   (2.72) 6.3 ! (2.79) 56.0   (5.54) 4.0 ! (1.33)   (†) 55.5   (2.87) 11.9   (2.77) 53.8   (3.97)
Asian   (†)   (†) 24.0   (4.52)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) 48.1   (5.29) 6.4 ! (3.05) 44.5   (7.16)
Pacific Islander   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)
American Indian/
Alaska Native
  (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)
Two or more races   (†)   (†) 21.6   (5.09)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) 64.7   (6.32)   (†) 44.4   (7.92)

Age
                                                           
Under 30   (†)   (†) 25.8   (2.34)   (†) 52.9   (5.43) 5.5   (1.18) 68.9   (10.63) 63.5   (2.60) 15.9   (2.27) 68.0   (3.26)
30 to 39   (†)   (†) 21.1   (1.45) 2.5 ! (1.12) 43.6   (3.71) 5.8   (0.94) 71.0   (7.13) 60.7   (1.78) 13.3   (1.55) 59.9   (2.32)
40 to 49   (†)   (†) 18.4   (1.28) 3.2 ! (1.41) 33.9   (3.97) 5.0   (0.77) 67.6   (7.89) 59.3   (1.73) 10.7   (1.40) 57.1   (2.17)
50 to 59   (†)   (†) 21.7   (1.74) 2.9 ! (1.43) 29.9   (4.04) 4.4   (0.86) 72.0   (8.61) 59.2   (1.93) 13.1   (1.85) 52.9   (2.39)
60 and over   (†)   (†) 18.8   (1.85)   (†) 16.7   (3.44) 3.8   (0.84)   (†) 52.6   (2.30) 12.7   (2.06) 43.8   (3.20)

Highest degree earned
                                                           
Less than bachelor's   (†)   (†) 16.2   (3.84)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) 38.8   (4.63)   (†) 32.8   (6.75)
Bachelor's   (†)   (†) 20.6   (1.16) 1.7 ! (0.69) 34.8   (2.65) 4.1   (0.61) 59.6   (6.52) 58.0   (1.44) 9.4   (1.04) 59.1   (1.84)
Postbaccalaureate   (†)   (†) 21.4   (1.10) 3.5   (0.95) 37.4   (2.54) 6.1   (0.69) 81.7   (3.67) 62.1   (1.16) 16.5   (1.25) 55.7   (1.51)
Master's   (†)   (†) 21.7   (1.22) 3.6   (1.05) 37.4   (2.81) 5.4   (0.71) 80.2   (4.48) 62.0   (1.30) 15.1   (1.32) 56.7   (1.71)
Education
specialist4 
  (†)   (†) 18.9   (2.53)   (†) 43.3   (7.69) 12.8   (2.63) 92.1   (5.02) 64.5   (3.36) 32.4   (3.87) 58.1   (4.46)
Doctor's   (†)   (†) 21.8   (4.00)   (†) 27.8   (7.79)   (†)   (†) 58.4   (4.24)   (†) 36.4   (5.23)

Years of teaching
 experience
                                                           
Less than 3   (†)   (†) 23.8   (2.29)   (†) 51.6   (5.11) 6.2   (1.32) 63.7   (10.08) 59.7   (2.70) 16.0   (2.52) 60.9   (3.44)
3 to 9   (†)   (†) 22.0   (1.41) 3.0 ! (1.16) 42.2   (3.36) 5.4   (0.91) 70.4   (7.08) 59.6   (1.80) 12.8   (1.41) 58.8   (2.22)
10 to 20   (†)   (†) 18.9   (1.21) 3.8 ! (1.39) 34.0   (3.12) 5.0   (0.69) 77.1   (5.95) 58.6   (1.48) 12.4   (1.44) 56.4   (1.87)
Over 20   (†)   (†) 20.4   (1.41)   (†) 21.9   (3.49) 3.8   (0.67) 75.1   (7.02) 58.8   (1.57) 12.1   (1.46) 51.8   (2.26)

Instructional level5 
                                                           
Elementary   (†)   (†) 19.6   (1.17) 2.8 ! (0.98) 41.1   (3.16) 4.8   (0.61) 73.9   (5.56) 54.1   (1.33) 15.7   (1.28) 62.7   (1.68)
Secondary 0.1 ! (0.06)   (†) 22.1   (1.06) 2.3   (0.67) 30.8   (2.06) 5.1   (0.65) 71.0   (5.04) 64.2   (1.17) 10.3   (1.14) 50.8   (1.48)

School locale
                                                           
City   (†)   (†) 21.2   (1.30) 3.2 ! (1.00) 37.1   (2.75) 4.2   (0.70) 76.1   (5.80) 59.1   (1.36) 12.9   (1.53) 55.9   (1.96)
Suburban   (†)   (†) 21.2   (1.20) 3.0 ! (1.03) 35.3   (2.66) 6.1   (0.82) 71.1   (5.52) 60.3   (1.47) 14.1   (1.28) 57.5   (1.73)
Town   (†)   (†) 21.4   (3.73)   (†) 42.8   (7.59) 2.8 ! (1.11)   (†) 63.8   (3.92) 6.4 ! (1.94) 59.7   (4.25)
Rural   (†)   (†) 17.9   (2.33)   (†) 28.5   (5.78) 4.9   (1.09) 77.3   (8.47) 52.6   (2.93) 13.0   (2.23) 52.3   (3.61)

Percent of students
 eligible for free or
 reduced-price lunch
                                                           
0 to 25.0 percent   (†)   (†) 14.8   (2.54)   (†) 34.7   (5.47) 3.7 ! (1.40)   (†) 61.6   (3.61) 13.8   (3.10) 69.2   (3.58)
25.1 to 50.0 percent   (†)   (†) 23.3   (5.59)   (†) 30.6 ! (10.62) 6.6 ! (2.82)   (†) 67.2   (6.24) 9.4 ! (3.47) 60.5   (6.86)
50.1 to 75.0 percent   (†)   (†) 48.4   (11.76)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) 54.4   (11.55) 28.9 ! (12.41) 59.2   (8.50)
More than 75.0 percent   (†)   (†) 32.2   (4.36)   (†) 35.9   (6.26) 11.2   (3.33)   (†) 56.6   (4.47) 24.3   (4.75) 59.3   (6.11)
School does not
participate
0.2 ! (0.07)   (†) 20.5   (1.04) 3.4   (0.88) 35.6   (2.51) 4.5   (0.56) 73.7   (5.20) 58.0   (1.08) 12.7   (1.13) 54.9   (1.61)
Missing   (†)   (†) 19.6   (1.76)   (†) 38.7   (3.98) 4.7   (0.81) 67.6   (7.79) 60.3   (1.97) 10.1   (1.37) 52.8   (2.32)
†Not applicable.
!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 public school teachers, includes those who reported at least one student with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) because they have a disability or special needs. For private school teachers, includes those who reported at least one student with a formally identified disability.
2 Includes teachers who reported a relevant major for any of various degree types (vocational certificate, associate's degree, bachelor's degree, second bachelor's degree, master's degree, second master's degree, education specialist/professional diploma, certificate of advanced graduate studies, or doctorate or first professional degree); a relevant minor for a bachelor's degree; or a relevant content area for a teaching certificate.
3 Includes both undergraduate and graduate courses. Includes only courses taken before the teacher's first year of teaching.
4 Education specialist degrees or certificates are generally awarded for 1 year's work beyond the master's level. Includes certificate of advanced graduate studies.
5 Teachers were classified as elementary or secondary on the basis of the grades they taught, rather than the level of the school in which they taught. In general, elementary teachers include those teaching prekindergarten through grade 6 and those teaching multiple grades, with a preponderance of grades taught being kindergarten through grade 6. In general, secondary teachers include those teaching any of grades 7 through 12 and those teaching multiple grades, with a preponderance of grades taught being grades 7 through 12 and usually with no grade taught being lower than grade 5.
NOTE: Data are based on a head count of full-time and part-time teachers rather than on the number of full-time-equivalent teachers reported in some other tables. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), "Public School Teacher Data File" and "Private School Teacher Data File," 2020-21. (This table was prepared July 2022.)

2021 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest