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Digest of Education Statistics
2017 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 209.24. Number and percentage distribution of teachers in public elementary and secondary schools, by whether they entered teaching through an alternative route to certification program and selected teacher and school characteristics: 2015-16
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Selected teacher or school characteristic Number of teachers (in thousands) Percentage distribution of teachers, by teacher or school characteristic Percentage distribution of teachers, by alternative route status
Total Entered through alternative route program? Total Entered through alternative route program? Total Entered through alternative route program?
Yes No Yes No Yes No
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Total 3,349   (28.7) 585   (10.8) 2,764   (25.8) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0 (†) 17.5   (0.29) 82.5   (0.29)
Sex                                                    
Male 776   (12.5) 185   (5.6) 591   (9.7) 23.2   (0.33) 31.7   (0.74) 21.4   (0.32) 100.0 (†) 23.9   (0.55) 76.1   (0.55)
Female 2,573   (25.2) 400   (8.4) 2,173   (23.4) 76.8   (0.33) 68.3   (0.74) 78.6   (0.32) 100.0 (†) 15.5   (0.30) 84.5   (0.30)

Race/ethnicity
                                                   
White 2,694   (25.9) 391   (8.0) 2,303   (24.3) 80.4   (0.33) 66.9   (0.77) 83.3   (0.32) 100.0 (†) 14.5   (0.28) 85.5   (0.28)
Black 224   (7.2) 77   (3.5) 147   (5.5) 6.7   (0.21) 13.2   (0.55) 5.3   (0.20) 100.0 (†) 34.5   (1.16) 65.5   (1.16)
Hispanic 289   (7.6) 83   (3.7) 206   (5.9) 8.6   (0.21) 14.3   (0.55) 7.5   (0.21) 100.0 (†) 28.8   (0.99) 71.2   (0.99)
Asian 72   (3.1) 15   (1.4) 58   (2.6) 2.2   (0.09) 2.5   (0.23) 2.1   (0.09) 100.0 (†) 20.1   (1.58) 79.9   (1.58)
Pacific Islander 7   (0.9)   (†) 6   (0.8) 0.2   (0.03) 0.3   (0.08) 0.2   (0.03) 100.0 (†) 22.3   (5.50) 77.7   (5.50)
American Indian/Alaska
    Native
15   (1.4) 5   (0.7) 11   (1.2) 0.5   (0.04) 0.8   (0.12) 0.4   (0.04) 100.0 (†) 29.7   (3.75) 70.3   (3.75)
Two or more races 46   (2.4) 12   (1.3) 34   (2.1) 1.4   (0.07) 2.1   (0.22) 1.2   (0.07) 100.0 (†) 26.3   (2.42) 73.7   (2.42)

Main activity the year prior
    to first year of teaching1
                                                   
Student at a college or
    university
325   (6.9) 37   (2.2) 287   (6.5) 49.0   (0.67) 23.9   (1.13) 56.8   (0.79) 100.0 (†) 11.5   (0.63) 88.5   (0.63)
Working as a substitute
    teacher
97   (3.3) 20   (1.6) 77   (3.0) 14.7   (0.46) 12.8   (0.90) 15.2   (0.55) 100.0 (†) 20.7   (1.45) 79.3   (1.45)
Teaching in a preschool 17   (1.6) 4   (0.8) 13   (1.2) 2.6   (0.24) 2.6   (0.47) 2.6   (0.24) 100.0 (†) 23.1   (3.45) 76.9   (3.45)
Teaching at a college or
    university
8   (1.0) 4   (0.7) 4   (0.7) 1.3   (0.14) 2.8   (0.42) 0.8   (0.14) 100.0 (†) 52.6   (5.80) 47.4   (5.80)
Working in a position in the
    field of education, but
    not as a teacher
99   (3.5) 35   (2.0) 63   (2.8) 14.9   (0.47) 22.5   (1.13) 12.6   (0.51) 100.0 (†) 35.7   (1.62) 64.3   (1.62)
Working in an occupation
    outside the field of
    education
96   (3.7) 48   (2.5) 48   (2.6) 14.4   (0.52) 30.4   (1.22) 9.5   (0.51) 100.0 (†) 49.7   (1.86) 50.3   (1.86)
Caring for family members 9   (1.1)   (†) 6   (0.9) 1.4   (0.16) 1.7   (0.34) 1.3   (0.17) 100.0 (†) 30.0   (4.84) 70.0   (4.84)
Military service 3   (0.6)   (†)   (†) 0.5   (0.09) 1.2   (0.30) 0.3   (0.07) 100.0 (†) 57.3   (8.83) 42.7   (8.83)
Unemployed and seeking work 6   (0.8)   (†) 4   (0.7) 0.9   (0.12) 1.4   (0.31) 0.8   (0.13) 100.0 (†) 36.1   (6.46) 63.9   (6.46)
Retired from another job   (†)   (†)   (†) 0.3   (0.08) 0.8 ! (0.28) 0.1 ! (0.06) (†)   (†)   (†)

Main teaching assignment
                                                   
Elementary education 1,071   (22.6) 114   (4.5) 957   (21.3) 32.0   (0.60) 19.5   (0.70) 34.6   (0.64) 100.0 (†) 10.6   (0.40) 89.4   (0.40)
Special education 397   (6.8) 78   (3.1) 319   (6.1) 11.9   (0.17) 13.4   (0.51) 11.5   (0.19) 100.0 (†) 19.7   (0.70) 80.3   (0.70)
Arts and music 225   (5.2) 30   (1.9) 195   (4.9) 6.7   (0.15) 5.1   (0.31) 7.1   (0.17) 100.0 (†) 13.2   (0.80) 86.8   (0.80)
English and language arts 416   (6.6) 75   (3.2) 342   (6.3) 12.4   (0.17) 12.8   (0.49) 12.4   (0.21) 100.0 (†) 17.9   (0.72) 82.1   (0.72)
English as a second language 68   (3.1) 17   (1.5) 52   (2.8) 2.0   (0.09) 2.8   (0.25) 1.9   (0.10) 100.0 (†) 24.3   (1.99) 75.7   (1.99)
Foreign languages 91   (3.4) 23   (1.8) 67   (2.8) 2.7   (0.10) 3.9   (0.29) 2.4   (0.10) 100.0 (†) 25.5   (1.61) 74.5   (1.61)
Health education 156   (3.8) 17   (1.2) 140   (3.6) 4.7   (0.11) 2.9   (0.21) 5.0   (0.13) 100.0 (†) 10.8   (0.75) 89.2   (0.75)
Mathematics and computer
    science
279   (6.3) 62   (2.7) 217   (5.3) 8.3   (0.17) 10.6   (0.41) 7.9   (0.18) 100.0 (†) 22.1   (0.79) 77.9   (0.79)
Natural sciences 223   (5.2) 63   (2.8) 160   (4.3) 6.7   (0.15) 10.7   (0.43) 5.8   (0.15) 100.0 (†) 28.1   (1.04) 71.9   (1.04)
Social sciences 209   (5.3) 38   (2.1) 171   (4.4) 6.2   (0.15) 6.4   (0.33) 6.2   (0.16) 100.0 (†) 18.0   (0.86) 82.0   (0.86)
Career or technical education 156   (5.2) 58   (3.0) 97   (3.5) 4.6   (0.15) 10.0   (0.46) 3.5   (0.13) 100.0 (†) 37.4   (1.27) 62.6   (1.27)
All others 58   (2.7) 12   (1.2) 47   (2.3) 1.7   (0.08) 2.0   (0.20) 1.7   (0.08) 100.0 (†) 19.9   (1.82) 80.1   (1.82)

School classification
                                                   
Traditional public 3,162   (29.3) 539   (10.6) 2,623   (25.8) 94.4   (0.24) 92.2   (0.42) 94.9   (0.23) 100.0 (†) 17.0   (0.29) 83.0   (0.29)
Charter school 187   (7.8) 46   (2.4) 141   (6.5) 5.6   (0.24) 7.8   (0.42) 5.1   (0.23) 100.0 (†) 24.5   (0.99) 75.5   (0.99)

School level
                                                   
Elementary 1,613   (35.1) 200   (6.9) 1,413   (31.8) 48.2   (0.94) 34.2   (1.09) 51.1   (0.96) 100.0 (†) 12.4   (0.35) 87.6   (0.35)
Middle 600   (23.7) 115   (6.2) 485   (19.7) 17.9   (0.70) 19.7   (0.99) 17.5   (0.71) 100.0 (†) 19.2   (0.71) 80.8   (0.71)
High 934   (29.3) 229   (9.1) 705   (22.7) 27.9   (0.85) 39.2   (1.26) 25.5   (0.81) 100.0 (†) 24.5   (0.58) 75.5   (0.58)
Combined 202   (9.2) 40   (2.7) 162   (7.6) 6.0   (0.27) 6.9   (0.45) 5.9   (0.27) 100.0 (†) 20.0   (0.94) 80.0   (0.94)

Percent of minority students in
    school2
                                                   
Less than 10 percent 417   (17.3) 39   (2.9) 378   (15.6) 13.4   (0.54) 7.3   (0.54) 14.7   (0.59) 100.0 (†) 9.4   (0.55) 90.6   (0.55)
10 to 24 percent 597   (18.3) 71   (3.6) 526   (16.6) 19.2   (0.57) 13.2   (0.64) 20.4   (0.61) 100.0 (†) 11.8   (0.50) 88.2   (0.50)
25 to 49 percent 724   (20.2) 114   (4.9) 610   (17.8) 23.3   (0.61) 21.3   (0.83) 23.7   (0.64) 100.0 (†) 15.8   (0.56) 84.2   (0.56)
50 to 74 percent 538   (18.5) 101   (5.1) 437   (15.6) 17.3   (0.56) 18.7   (0.88) 17.0   (0.57) 100.0 (†) 18.7   (0.71) 81.3   (0.71)
75 to 89 percent 291   (14.0) 65   (4.1) 226   (11.6) 9.4   (0.44) 12.2   (0.74) 8.8   (0.44) 100.0 (†) 22.5   (1.04) 77.5   (1.04)
90 percent or more 544   (17.5) 147   (6.7) 397   (13.3) 17.5   (0.55) 27.3   (1.06) 15.4   (0.52) 100.0 (†) 27.0   (0.83) 73.0   (0.83)

School locale
                                                   
City3 983   (24.5) 216   (7.5) 767   (19.8) 29.3   (0.68) 36.9   (0.99) 27.7   (0.68) 100.0 (†) 22.0   (0.53) 78.0   (0.53)
Suburban 1,286   (29.3) 206   (7.1) 1,079   (25.8) 38.4   (0.78) 35.3   (1.07) 39.0   (0.79) 100.0 (†) 16.0   (0.46) 84.0   (0.46)
Town 399   (14.7) 58   (3.5) 341   (12.6) 11.9   (0.43) 9.9   (0.59) 12.3   (0.45) 100.0 (†) 14.5   (0.66) 85.5   (0.66)
Rural 682   (17.9) 105   (4.7) 577   (15.0) 20.4   (0.53) 17.9   (0.75) 20.9   (0.54) 100.0 (†) 15.4   (0.50) 84.6   (0.50)

Percent of students eligible for
    free or reduced-price lunch
                                                   
0 to 25 752   (22.7) 102   (5.1) 650   (20.4) 22.5   (0.63) 17.4   (0.79) 23.5   (0.68) 100.0 (†) 13.5   (0.57) 86.5   (0.57)
26 to 50 809   (24.3) 136   (6.5) 672   (20.5) 24.1   (0.69) 23.3   (1.01) 24.3   (0.71) 100.0 (†) 16.8   (0.60) 83.2   (0.60)
51 to 75 737   (21.1) 128   (5.4) 610   (17.9) 22.0   (0.62) 21.8   (0.91) 22.1   (0.63) 100.0 (†) 17.3   (0.55) 82.7   (0.55)
76 to 100 945   (23.7) 194   (7.0) 751   (19.7) 28.2   (0.66) 33.1   (0.97) 27.2   (0.68) 100.0 (†) 20.5   (0.56) 79.5   (0.56)
School does not participate 107   (7.5) 26   (2.2) 81   (6.2) 3.2   (0.22) 4.4   (0.38) 2.9   (0.22) 100.0 (†) 24.0   (1.46) 76.0   (1.46)
†Not applicable.
!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.
‡Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.
1Includes only those teachers whose first year of teaching was between 2011-12 and 2015-16.
2Excludes teachers for whom the percentage of minority enrollment in the school was not available. Minority enrollment is the combined enrollment of students who are Black, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native, and of Two or more races.
3Interpret data on city teachers with caution. After nonresponse adjustments to the 2015-16 data, the nonresponse bias for this category is greater than for other characteristics.
NOTE: Teachers were asked whether they entered teaching through an alternative route to certification program, which is a program that was designed to expedite the transition of nonteachers to a teaching career (for example, a state, district, or university alternative route to certification program). Data are based on a head count of full-time and part-time teachers rather than on the number of full-time-equivalent teachers reported in other tables. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education, National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), "Public School Teacher Data File," 2015-16. (This table was prepared January 2021.)

2017 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest