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Of public 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 in each field, by field and selected school characteristics: 2015–16

Selected school characteristic   General elementary   Special education   English/
Language arts		   Social studies   Computer science   Math-ematics   Biology
or life sciences		   Physical sciences   English as a Second Language (ESL)1   Foreign languages   Music or art   Career or technical education  
All public schools   9.1   31.4   12.8   7.7   25.4   30.4   28.7   38.4   28.6   36.5   15.3   30.0  
                                                   
School classification                                                  
Traditional public   8.5   31.1   12.5   7.2   25.4   29.2   27.7   37.7   29.1   37.2   15.4   31.3  
Charter school   15.9   34.9   15.2   10.8   25.0   39.8   36.1   43.3   23.5   31.1   14.6   13.7 !
                                                   
Community type                                                  
City   11.5   32.8   12.1   9.4   30.4   32.3   30.3   36.1   26.1   34.4   18.3   24.1  
Suburban   4.8   26.0   7.1   2.9   24.8   24.3   21.8   34.3   27.4   26.8   11.6   30.1  
Town   14.3   37.4   18.6   9.8   24.9   31.4   33.3   41.4   38.4   49.7   13.8   32.1  
Rural   9.4   34.0   17.6   10.5   20.1   34.5   33.2   45.2   31.0   48.3   17.8   33.3  
                                                   
School level                                                  
Primary   8.9   30.5   12.8   10.3   21.9   22.5   24.9   24.5   29.5   31.0   16.9   12.1 !
Middle   5.7 ! 30.8   9.5   6.3   20.7   25.9   19.9   21.4   29.2   40.7   11.4   23.7  
High   ‡   31.7   13.2   6.3   29.6   38.0   34.3   48.1   23.4   34.9   11.4   31.8  
Combined   12.7   38.3   19.6   10.1   29.5   36.7   32.9   45.4   36.2   44.8   24.1   37.1  
                                                   
Student enrollment                                                  
Less than 100   21.0 ! 36.7   22.0 ! ‡   ‡   30.4   30.9   35.6   ‡   50.9 ! ‡   ‡  
100–199   11.9   35.8   28.0   22.3   37.4 ! 38.9   37.9   53.8   23.9 ! 53.4   21.2   33.9  
200–499   8.6   28.3   15.5   8.3   22.3   30.4   28.6   36.4   27.1   37.6   15.8   30.9  
500–749   9.1   33.3   10.2   7.2   25.8   25.9   31.3   41.7   30.8   38.9   16.9   28.0  
750–999   7.1   34.2   9.6   4.8   23.0   30.5   24.0   28.4   32.9   31.4   14.3   32.0  
1,000 or more   5.3 ! 30.4   8.3   4.0   28.0   32.9   26.5   38.6   24.8   32.0   10.9   29.4  
                                                   
Percent of K–12 students who were approved for free or reduced–price lunches                                                  
0–34   5.3   30.5   7.5   3.9   23.8   24.1   24.7   35.8   23.3   34.2   13.6   34.6  
35–49   5.2   32.1   12.6   3.2 ! 25.4   28.9   36.2   42.8   26.3   34.6   14.0   29.3  
50–74   10.2   31.1   13.6   9.6   24.8   31.1   29.4   38.9   35.6   45.8   13.0   29.6  
75 or more   13.0   33.1   18.0   11.2   24.5   37.7   30.6   38.7   30.7   35.8   19.7   24.0  
School did not participate in free or reduced–price lunch program   ‡   22.3   5.2 ! 8.6 ! 50.3   19.9   15.7   38.6   ‡   25.5   9.9 ! 34.2  
! 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. 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).
1English as a Second Language (ESL) also includes English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and/or bilingual education.
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.
 

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