Among public schools that had teaching vacancies in a specific field for the current school year, percentage that were not able to fill the vacancies in each field, by field and selected school characteristics: 2015-16 and 2020–21

	All teaching fields¹		General elementary				Special education				English or Language arts				Social studies				Computer science				Mathematics				Biology or life sciences				Physical sciences				English as a Second Language (ESL)²				Foreign languages			Music or art				Career or technical education
Selected school characteristic	2015–16	2020–21	2015–16		2020–21		2015–16		2020–21		2015–16		2020–21		2015–16		2020–21		2015–16		2020–21		2015–16		2020–21		2015–16		2020–21		2015–16		2020–21		2015–16		2020–21		2015–16		2020–21	2015–16		2020–21		2015–16		2020–21
All public schools	7.5	10.9	1.8		3.3		5.0		8.6		1.7		3.2		1.5		1.9		4.0		7.4		5.0		5.7		3.8		6.6		5.8		7.3		3.3		8.1		7.0		12.7	3.3		5.6		4.5		6.5

School classification
Traditional public	7.4	10.5	1.7		3.4		5.0		8.4		1.7		3.2		1.5	!	1.7		4.2		6.5		5.0		5.1		3.7		6.2		5.7		6.8		3.0		7.7		7.2		13.2	3.3		5.5		4.7		6.6
Charter school	9.4	14.7	2.4	!	2.9	!	5.7		11.3		‡		3.4	!	‡		3.1	!	2.8	!	13.1		5.3		9.5		4.8	!	9.3		6.3	!	10.4		6.1	!	10.6		5.6	!	9.6	3.0	!	5.9		‡		6.2	!

Community type
City	9.8	11.7	2.7		3.3		7.3		10.0		2.0	!	1.8	!	2.0	!	2.2	!	3.0	!	8.3		6.2		6.5		3.9		8.1		6.3		8.5		3.4	!	6.0		5.1		10.5	6.0		4.1		6.5	!	6.8
Suburban	5.1	9.4	‡		2.8		2.9		8.8		‡		2.9		‡		1.3	!	3.9	!	7.0		3.9		3.3		4.2		4.7		4.4		5.4		2.4	!	7.4		4.1	!	6.9	2.1	!	4.2		‡		2.8
Town	7.3	11.3	4.1		4.5		5.2		7.9		4.6		5.0		‡		‡		‡		‡		5.1		7.1		‡		9.4		2.5	!	10.0		5.4	!	11.4	!	4.7	!	18.6	‡		7.4		4.6	!	7.8
Rural	8.2	11.6	1.2	!	3.5		4.9		7.0		1.1	!	4.5		‡		2.6	!	5.7	!	8.9		4.9		7.1		4.3	!	5.8		8.8		7.1		3.6	!	12.0		15.2		23.4	2.9	!	8.1		5.1	!	9.1

School level³
Primary	5.5	8.4	1.8		3.2		5.1		8.2		2.0	!	3.7		3.6	!	2.7	!	‡		7.8		5.0		3.5		4.2	!	7.3		4.9	!	7.9		3.0	!	9.3		6.4	!	11.1	3.5		6.4		‡		8.4	!
Middle	6.5	10.9	‡		4.8	!	3.5		7.7		1.9	!	2.4		‡		2.3	!	‡		6.3	!	2.7		3.3		2.5	!	4.2		‡		4.8		3.5	!	5.6	!	6.0	!	10.1	1.6	!	3.5	!	‡		4.7	!
High	11.9	15.1	‡		‡		5.4		9.8		1.1	!	3.6		‡		0.7	!	6.5	!	7.6		6.5		7.5		4.4		7.4		8.3		8.2		‡		7.1		5.8		12.6	3.3	!	3.0		5.2		7.4
Combined	11.9	16.4	1.9	!	4.1	!	6.5		10.3		2.8	!	2.6	!	‡		2.1	!	6.6	!	7.7		6.2		9.9		4.2	!	7.8		6.1	!	8.4		‡		8.2	!	14.5		20.4	5.6	!	10.4	!	6.7	!	4.5	!

Student enrollment
Less than 100	5.8	10.1	‡		11.6	!	10.6	!	10.0	!	‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		21.4	!	9.6	!	18.0	!	‡		13.5	!	‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡	‡		19.2	!	‡		17.9	!
100–199	9.1	14.7	‡		5.8	!	5.8	!	13.6	!	‡		6.3	!	7.0	!	‡		‡		11.8	!	5.2	!	13.1		6.9	!	22.9		12.8	!	25.8		‡		12.3	!	23.1	!	34.4	‡		7.9	!	‡		‡
200–499	6.5	9.2	1.7		2.7		3.3		8.5		2.2	!	3.8		‡		2.0	!	4.8	!	8.0		4.8		5.1		4.1	!	5.3		7.6		8.9		3.2	!	8.6		8.7		16.3	3.4		6.6		5.1	!	10.0
500–749	7.0	10.5	2.0		2.9		6.0		8.0		1.6	!	2.3	!	‡		‡		2.3	!	6.5		3.8		4.4		3.6	!	5.2		3.1	!	5.7		4.8	!	8.6		4.7	!	14.4	3.5		5.3	!	3.7	!	4.3	!
750–999	8.9	11.6	‡		2.1	!	5.5		10.6		‡		1.8	!	‡		2.1	!	‡		5.6	!	5.3		3.2	!	‡		7.2		4.5	!	5.9	!	‡		6.1	!	5.9	!	6.6	2.6	!	‡		‡		5.4	!
1,000 or more	11.6	15.8	‡		7.9	!	5.4		6.6		0.9	!	3.1		‡		‡		4.6	!	5.8		5.8		5.8		3.5		4.5		4.7		4.1		‡		6.4		3.0	!	7.5	2.0	!	3.4	!	3.7	!	4.9

Percent of K–12 students who were approved for free or reduced-price lunches⁴
0–34	5.9	9.3	0.7	!	1.6	!	4.5		7.9		‡		1.8	!	‡		2.3	!	2.5	!	6.1		3.6		3.9		2.1	!	4.1		4.3		6.1		2.8	!	7.3		5.5		9.4	2.2	!	4.1	!	6.1		3.2
35–49	6.9	10.1	1.2	!	2.1	!	4.9		5.8		‡		2.7	!	‡		‡		8.7	!	7.9	!	3.9	!	4.5		2.7	!	6.3		5.1	!	3.8	!	‡		10.8		6.6	!	16.0	‡		2.9	!	4.8	!	6.4	!
50–74	7.1	10.9	2.3	!	4.6		4.1		7.1		1.4	!	3.1	!	‡		‡		‡		6.7	!	4.2		4.9		3.7		3.8	!	5.8	!	4.8		4.3	!	10.5		5.3		12.1	‡		6.9		‡		7.1
75 or more	9.6	12.1	2.6		4.1		6.2		10.7		3.9		4.3		2.2	!	2.0	!	4.1	!	8.3		7.6		7.6		6.1		9.7		7.9		10.7		3.7	!	6.8		10.9		14.8	6.3		6.8		5.3	!	9.5

! 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).

¹All teaching fields includes the "physical education or health" and "other" fields that are not included in the rest of the table.

²English as a Second Language (ESL) also includes English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and/or bilingual education.

³Primary schools are those with at least one grade lower than 5 and no grade higher than 8. Middle schools have no grade lower than 5 and no grade higher than 8. High schools have no grade lower than 7 and at least one grade higher than 8. Combined schools are those with at least one grade lower than 7 and at least one grade higher than 8, or with all students in ungraded classrooms.

⁴Schools that did not participate in the National School Lunch Program were categorized as having no approved students for this table.

NOTE: 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," are excluded from the base for each field.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), "Public School Data File," 2015–16 and 2020–21.