October 17, 2024
The top two challenges reported were an overall lack of qualified candidates and having too few applicants, federal data show.
WASHINGTON (October 17, 2024) — New School Pulse Panel data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the statistical center within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, show that the majority of the country’s public K–12 schools experienced difficulty hiring fully certified teachers heading into the current academic year.
On average, public schools reported having six teaching vacancies and filling 79 percent of those before classes resumed this school year. When asked what, if any, challenges they experienced filling vacant teaching positions for the 2024–25 school year, a majority of public schools reported that there was a lack of qualified candidates (64 percent) and too few candidates (62 percent) applying—the top two challenges selected.
Both elementary and middle schools reported having difficulty filling a special education teaching vacancy with a fully certified teacher , with 74 percent each reporting this. English as a second language (ESL) or bilingual education was a commonly reported subject area for which high schools (69 percent) had difficulty filling a teaching vacancy with a fully certified teacher.
“Entering the 2024-25 school year, the data show a decrease in the percentage of public schools reporting difficulty filling one or more vacant teaching positions compared to the previous year, dropping from 79 percent to 74 – but there is still room for improvement,” said NCES Commissioner Peggy Carr. “A closer look shows special education positions remain the most difficult to fill. Additionally, the staffing difficulty schools reported was not limited to teachers. They also reported difficulty filling all non-teaching vacancies—particularly transportation staff and tutors—before the current school year began. Those staff are just as important to students’ overall education experience.”
A majority of public schools—69 percent—reported having difficulty filling one or more vacant non-teaching positions before the start of the school year, which is a decrease from the 80 percent that reported having difficulty before the start of the 2023–24 school year.
The findings released today are part of an experimental data product from the School Pulse Panel, NCES’s innovative approach to delivering timely information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on public K–12 schools in the U.S. The data, collected between August 13 and August 27, came from 1,392 participating public K–12 schools from every state and the District of Columbia.
Experimental data products are innovative statistical tools created using new data sources or methodologies. Experimental data may not meet all of NCES’s quality standards but are of sufficient benefit to data users in the absence of other relevant products to justify release. NCES clearly identifies experimental data products upon their release.
All data released today can be found on the School Pulse Panel dashboard.
Key Findings:
Staffing for the 2024–25 School Year
Subject area | Percentage of vacancies filled |
---|---|
Social studies | 89 |
General elementary | 88 |
English or language arts | 85 |
Physical education or health | 84 |
Mathematics | 83 |
Biology or life sciences | 81 |
Music or arts | 81 |
Computer science | 78 |
Career or technical education | 77 |
Physical sciences | 77 |
Special education | 77 |
ESL or bilingual education | 75 |
Foreign languages | 71 |
Other teaching positions not listed | 66 |
Non-teaching staff position | Percentage of vacancies filled |
---|---|
Administrative staff | 92 |
Instructional coach | 88 |
Academic counselor | 84 |
Academic interventionist | 83 |
Technology specialist | 83 |
Medical professional | 82 |
Nutrition staff | 78 |
Mental health professional | 77 |
Classroom aide | 74 |
Custodial staff | 74 |
Tutor | 65 |
Other non-teaching staff | 64 |
Transportation staff | 60 |
Community Collaboration
The latest School Pulse Panel also included information about public schools that reported using a “community school” or “wraparound services” model.
Technical Note
Statistics from sample surveys are subject to sampling and non-sampling error. All comparisons in this statistical press release have been tested and found to be statistically significant unless otherwise noted. NCES statistical tests are generally conducted at a 95 percent level of confidence.
Community school or wraparound services model: A community school or wraparound services model is when a school partners with other government agencies and/or local nonprofits to support and engage with the local community (e.g., providing mental and physical health care, nutrition, housing assistance).
Additional details regarding the methodology, including the survey questionnaire, can be found on the School Pulse Panel methodology web page.
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The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, is the statistical center of the U.S. Department of Education and the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the U.S. and other nations. NCES fulfills a congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report complete statistics on the condition and progress of American education; conduct and publish reports; and review and report on education activities internationally.
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The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is the independent and nonpartisan statistics, research, and evaluation arm of the U.S. Department of Education. Its mission is to provide scientific evidence on which to ground education practice and policy and to share this information in formats that are useful and accessible to educators, parents, policymakers, researchers, and the public.
CONTACT:
Safiya Simmons, ssimmons@manhattanstrategy.com, and Josh De La Rosa, National Center for Education Statistics, ARIS.NCES@ed.gov