Filling teaching vacancies: Of K–12 schools that had teaching vacancies in a specific field for the current school year, percentage that found it very difficult or were not able to fill the vacancies, by field, school type, and selected school characteristics: 2020–21

School type and selected school characteristic	General elementary		Special education		English or language arts		Social studies		Computer science		Mathematics		Biology or life sciences		Physical sciences¹		English as a Second Language (ESL), or bilingual education		Foreign languages		Music or art		Career or technical education		Physical education or health
All schools	14.2		40.4		18.1		11.0		32.2		31.8		30.8		36.0		31.0		39.6		23.1		30.4		13.4

All public schools	13.1		40.2		18.0		10.8		31.3		31.7		30.8		37.3		31.8		42.5		23.3		31.2		11.6

School classification
Traditional public	13.0		39.7		18.0		10.4		30.7		30.9		30.4		36.1		31.3		44.3		23.2		31.7		11.4
Charter school	13.8		44.7		18.4		13.6		35.1		37.1		33.0		44.7		35.3		31.2		24.1		26.6		13.6

Community type
City	12.3		41.5		13.4		9.8		35.8		30.1		29.5		36.9		32.4		36.2		21.5		29.8		11.7
Suburban	12.4		36.7		14.8		7.1		27.6		26.8		26.2		31.1		28.0		36.6		17.7		26.1		8.5
Town	14.5		44.4		27.0		16.2		34.6		41.3		38.0		53.4		39.7		52.7		32.7		42.3		12.7
Rural	14.2		41.3		23.3		14.7		29.3		35.5		35.0		38.1		34.2		57.1		27.9		31.7		15.4

School level²
Elementary	13.3		40.3		17.4		12.2		21.3		23.4		27.4		34.6		30.5		43.5		25.1		21.9		13.4
Middle	10.5		40.6		17.1		11.1		32.9		32.0		29.4		34.8		37.8		48.6		21.5		30.3		11.9
Secondary/high	15.8	!	37.4		16.3		10.0		36.8		34.7		31.9		39.8		30.2		38.1		18.2		33.2		8.5
Combined/other	12.9		46.4		29.0		9.7		35.3		41.6		34.8		37.2		32.1		46.2		30.1		31.5		10.8	!

Student enrollment
Less than 100	32.3		37.9		33.3		20.7	!	30.5	!	47.0		31.6		33.9		36.8	!	74.7		51.9		32.0		47.2
100–199	21.2		40.9		26.0		30.4		38.4		42.9		47.9		53.1		32.0		54.4		31.9		26.2		16.2
200–499	13.4		42.2		20.5		13.4		25.9		32.1		36.6		46.2		27.2		51.2		28.8		32.2		15.2
500–749	10.2		39.3		17.6		8.9		33.8		29.8		25.8		31.9		37.7		46.8		23.0		28.4		7.8
750–999	7.2		41.0		13.7		6.0		26.0		28.2		28.7		30.8		31.7		36.2		9.0		29.0		4.3	!
1,000 or more	14.3		36.1		13.2		7.5		36.0		30.6		27.0		34.3		31.8		32.4		13.5		33.9		6.9

Percent of K–12 students who were approved for free or reduced-price lunches
0–34	8.7		35.9		10.3		8.3		30.4		25.0		24.3		34.1		23.7		40.8		17.7		31.6		9.9
35–49	7.1		39.9		17.3		9.3		35.5		34.1		30.0		35.0		29.9		44.4		21.5		29.3		9.3
50–74	16.4		41.9		23.1		12.7		28.8		34.7		34.2		35.2		36.2		42.7		25.4		32.6		15.2
75 or more	15.9		42.1		20.6		12.2		31.3		33.8		33.9		41.4		34.5		43.0		26.4		31.0		12.0

Reported effect of COVID–19 on instruction³
Offered only distance-learning instruction	12.2		37.4		18.1		9.0		34.8		33.1		33.4		41.5		30.7		33.7		19.0		26.7		14.2
Offered a hybrid of in-person and distance-learning instruction	13.5		41.5		17.8		11.3		30.8		31.6		30.0		36.2		32.5		44.7		23.6		32.1		11.7
Offered only in-person instruction or no effect on the instruction offered	11.1		33.8		20.2		10.6		28.3		29.6		31.2		38.0		26.9		42.3		28.9		32.1		5.8	!

All private schools	18.0		43.5		18.3		11.8		35.4		32.0		30.8		31.4		20.1		31.7		22.3		21.6		21.0

School classification
Catholic	19.9		44.4		16.7		8.0	!	24.4		37.0		37.3		35.2		40.0	!	37.5		34.9		40.1	!	16.4	!
Other religious	15.8		31.6		18.7		11.4	!	34.2		29.6		27.8		28.3		9.6	!	30.6		15.0		‡		21.3
Nonsectarian	21.0		53.9		19.0		16.2	!	53.1		32.0		30.8		34.0		35.9	!	27.2		19.0		31.0	!	25.9

Community type
City	19.4		43.7		19.0		10.8		31.8		31.8		30.9		29.5		20.8	!	27.1		22.0		22.5	!	17.0
Suburban	20.5		47.9		15.6		10.6	!	37.0		35.0		34.1		34.2		‡		37.2		18.2		23.9	!	12.4	!
Town	22.3		‡		23.0	!	‡		28.8	!	35.4		‡		33.2	!	41.3	!	35.7	!	33.4	!	‡		‡
Rural	9.4	!	31.7	!	20.7	!	‡		43.0		26.3		27.2		28.1		‡		28.1		26.2		‡		44.0

School level²
Elementary/middle	27.6		34.6	!	21.3	!	‡		30.1	!	15.4	!	13.1	!	‡		‡		13.9	!	36.0		‡		31.7	!
Secondary/high	‡		34.8		14.4		6.4	!	43.3		33.7		28.1		33.5		29.0	!	31.1		15.4		31.1	!	12.5	!
Combined/other	15.6		46.2		19.0		13.9		34.3		33.7		33.9		32.4		17.7	!	34.9		21.2		23.4	!	19.9

Student enrollment
Less than 100	22.1		46.2		22.1		16.6	!	44.3		35.2		31.2		32.7		26.3	!	35.8		31.3		18.3	!	36.4
100–199	20.2		48.9		27.4		16.7	!	33.6		29.1		36.4		32.0		21.1	!	40.2		22.3		46.2	!	13.9	!
200–499	13.6		41.1		13.6		‡		28.9		32.0		29.6		31.4		‡		27.6		16.2		29.9	!	6.3	!
500–749	‡		31.7	!	6.1	!	‡		25.7	!	38.4		28.8		31.5		‡		29.3		10.7	!	‡		‡
750 or more	‡		‡		‡		‡		28.1	!	17.0	!	9.8	!	21.4	!	‡		13.3	!	‡		‡		‡

Reported effect of COVID–19 on instruction³
Offered only distance-learning instruction	24.8	!	45.9	!	24.5	!	‡		24.8	!	‡		‡		16.3	!	‡		22.1	!	19.2	!	‡		‡
Offered a hybrid of in-person and distance-learning instruction	20.6		48.4		16.2		10.9		37.0		35.4		33.6		30.8		27.5	!	34.3		20.2		25.5	!	16.3
Offered only in-person instruction or no effect on the instruction offered	14.0		34.4		20.6		14.0	!	34.9		30.2		28.8		35.4		‡		28.2		26.3		‡		26.3

! 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).

¹Physical sciences includes chemistry, physics, and earth science.

²Elementary 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.

³Schools 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. Each column has a different denominator since two response options, “This position is not offered in this school” and “No vacancy in this field this school year,” were used to exclude schools from the calculations for each field.

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.