Type of school program: Percentage distribution of schools, by type of school program, school type and selected school characteristics: 2020–21

School type and selected school characteristic	Regular school	Special program emphasis¹		Special education²		Career/ technical/ vocational³		Alternative/other⁴		Montessori school		Early childhood program or day care center⁵
All schools	86.2	4.3		2.8		1.1		4.4		1.1		0.2	!

All public schools	87.7	4.7		1.6		1.4		4.7		†		†

School classification
Traditional public	89.1	3.7		1.6		1.4		4.1		†		†
Charter school	73.5	13.7		1.2	!	0.7	!	10.9		†		†

Community type
City	82.6	9.6		1.5		1.3		5.1		†		†
Suburban	89.0	3.8		2.1		0.6		4.5		†		†
Town	85.5	2.6		1.9	!	2.3		7.7		†		†
Rural	92.4	1.5		1.0	!	1.9		3.2		†		†

School level⁶
Elementary	95.0	4.3		0.3	!	‡		‡		†		†
Middle	94.6	4.7		‡		‡		‡		†		†
Secondary/high	69.5	6.0		1.7	!	6.0		16.8		†		†
Combined/other	73.6	2.7		13.9		‡		9.3		†		†

Student enrollment
Less than 100	41.4	2.2	!	15.6		‡		40.2		†		†
100–199	78.4	4.4		3.1	!	0.8	!	13.3		†		†
200–499	91.9	4.9		0.4		1.5		1.3		†		†
500–749	92.8	5.2		0.1	!	1.3		0.6	!	†		†
750–999	93.2	5.3		‡		1.0	!	0.4	!	†		†
1,000 or more	93.3	3.9		‡		2.2		0.6		†		†

Percent of K–12 students who were approved for free or reduced-price lunches
0–34	84.3	5.1		1.8		3.5		5.4		†		†
35–49	92.5	5.6		‡		0.8		0.9	!	†		†
50–74	89.2	3.8		1.6	!	0.4	!	5.0		†		†
75 or more	87.6	4.5		1.9		0.6		5.5		†		†

Reported effect of COVID–19 on instruction⁷
Offered only distance-learning instruction	82.6	7.3		1.1		0.8	!	8.2		†		†
Offered a hybrid of in-person and distance-learning instruction	89.4	4.1		1.6		1.2		3.7		†		†
Offered only in-person instruction or no effect on the instruction offered	84.2	3.2		3.1		3.9		5.6		†		†

All private schools	80.5	2.8		7.4		‡		3.2		5.1		0.8	!

School classification
Catholic	95.7	‡		1.1	!	‡		‡		2.4	!	‡
Other religious	91.7	1.8		1.9	!	‡		2.8		‡		‡
Nonsectarian	42.2	7.3		24.9		‡		7.5		16.3		‡

Community type
City	78.8	3.4		8.2		‡		2.9		5.5		‡
Suburban	76.2	2.8		10.2		‡		3.2		6.3		‡
Town	86.8	‡		3.2	!	‡		‡		5.6	!	‡
Rural	87.2	2.3	!	3.5	!	‡		4.3		2.8	!	‡

School level⁶
Elementary/middle	74.1	2.7	!	2.8	!	‡		‡		15.8		3.7	!
Secondary/high	69.3	3.9		12.2		‡		13.4		‡		‡
Combined/other	84.8	2.7		8.0		‡		2.0		2.5		‡

Student enrollment
Less than 100	68.8	2.6		12.4		‡		6.1		8.5		1.6	!
100–199	88.1	3.7		4.5		‡		‡		3.1	!	‡
200–499	94.4	3.0		1.0	!	‡		‡		1.2	!	‡
500–749	97.5	‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡
750 or more	97.3	‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡

Reported effect of COVID–19 on instruction⁷
Offered only distance-learning instruction	67.2	6.8	!	15.8		‡		5.4	!	‡		‡
Offered a hybrid of in-person and distance-learning instruction	80.7	3.4		9.2		‡		1.8		4.6		‡
Offered only in-person instruction or no effect on the instruction offered	82.3	1.6		3.9		‡		4.6		6.1		1.5	!

† Not applicable.

! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 percent and 50 percent (i.e., the standard error is at least 30 percent and less than 50 percent of the estimate).

‡ Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable analysis, or the coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is 50 percent or greater (i.e., the standard error is
50 percent or more of the estimate).

¹Special program emphasis includes schools such as science or math schools, performing arts schools, talented or gifted schools, foreign language immersion schools, etc.

²Special education schools primarily serve students with disabilities.

³Career/technical/vocational schools primarily serve students being trained for occupations.

⁴Alternative/other schools offer a curriculum designed to provide alternative or nontraditional education; these schools do not specifically fall into the categories of regular, special program emphasis, special education, or vocational schools.

⁵Early childhood program or day care center includes schools and programs such as kindergarten only, nursery school and prekindergarten only, kindergarten and transitional first grade only, day care centers, etc.

⁶Elementary schools offer at least one grade of K to 4, and the number of elementary grades is higher than the number of middle grades. Middle schools offer at least one of grades 5 to 8, and the number of middle grades is greater than the number of elementary or secondary grades. Secondary/high schools are defined as schools that enroll students in more of grades 9 through 12 than in lower grades. Combined/other schools include all other combinations of grades, including K–12 schools. School level categories in the 2020–21 NTPS differ from those in previous survey administrations; caution should be exercised when comparing estimates by level over time.

⁷Schools were asked to report the current effect of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) on instruction at the school at the time they completed the survey. Thus, this was the reported effect on instruction at the time the survey was completed, not a summary of the school year.

NOTE: Data are weighted estimates of the population. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), “Public School and Private School Data Files,” 2020–21.