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Digest of Education Statistics
2022 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 210.60. [CORRECTED] Among public and private elementary and secondary schools that were hiring for at least one open teaching position in a specific field, percentage that found it very difficult or were not able to fill the opening, by subject-matter field of opening and selected school characteristics: School years 2011-12, 2015-16, and 2020-21
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Selected school characteristic General elementary Special education English or language arts Social studies Computer science Mathematics Biology or life sciences Physical sciences English as a
second language or bilingual education
Foreign languages Music or art Career or technical education Physical education or health Other
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Public schools                                                                                    
2011-12 1.5   (0.35) 17.1   (0.90) 5.8   (0.59) 3.5   (0.65) 15.0   (1.93) 19.1   (0.99) 18.8   (1.45) 25.5   (1.72) 23.3   (1.97) 26.4   (1.90) 9.1   (0.94) 20.4   (1.64) ---   (†) 12.3   (1.48)
2015-16 9.1   (0.67) 31.4   (0.89) 12.8   (0.90) 7.7   (0.83) 25.4   (2.09) 30.4   (1.11) 28.7   (1.36) 38.4   (1.57) 28.6   (1.73) 36.5   (1.73) 15.3   (1.02) 30.0   (1.72) ---   (†) 24.5   (1.61)

2020-21
                                                                                   
Total 13.1   (0.73) 40.2   (1.03) 18.0   (0.97) 10.8   (0.86) 31.3   (1.87) 31.7   (1.09) 30.8   (1.32) 37.3   (1.52) 31.8   (1.45) 42.5   (1.70) 23.3   (1.31) 31.2   (1.57) 11.6   (1.01) ---   (†)

School level
                                                                                   
Elementary 13.3   (0.85) 40.3   (1.50) 17.2   (1.92) 12.1   (2.11) 21.0   (3.55) 23.5   (2.40) 27.7   (3.55) 34.2   (4.18) 30.1   (2.12) 44.1   (4.02) 25.2   (2.09) 22.9   (5.32) 13.3   (1.69) ---   (†)
Middle 10.5   (2.45) 40.6   (1.89) 17.1   (1.54) 11.1   (1.70) 32.9   (3.76) 32.0   (2.25) 29.4   (2.56) 34.8   (2.98) 37.8   (3.27) 48.6   (3.70) 21.5   (2.44) 30.3   (3.37) 11.9   (2.24) ---   (†)
Secondary/high 12.1 ! (5.18) 37.3   (1.95) 16.0   (1.44) 9.8   (1.20) 36.6   (3.01) 34.5   (1.65) 31.7   (1.81) 39.4   (2.15) 29.5   (2.58) 37.9   (2.38) 18.1   (2.01) 32.9   (2.08) 8.3   (1.47) ---   (†)
Combined/other 12.7   (2.20) 47.7   (3.35) 32.5   (4.65) 11.1   (2.53) 37.1   (5.76) 43.2   (4.48) 35.8   (4.72) 39.3   (4.69) 39.7   (6.97) 46.9   (6.00) 30.7   (5.72) 32.1   (5.52) 12.1 ! (4.17) ---   (†)

School size
                                                                                   
Less than 150 23.9   (4.10) 40.8   (4.66) 31.3   (6.08) 23.6   (5.67)   (†) 50.1   (7.19) 38.1   (6.89) 40.5   (7.68) 34.5   (9.00)   (†) 44.9   (6.71) 27.4   (6.67) 28.4   (6.30) ---   (†)
150 to 349 14.9   (1.66) 42.2   (2.38) 24.4   (2.97) 21.1   (3.51) 26.2   (5.33) 36.8   (3.20) 38.9   (4.18) 44.8   (4.36) 21.8   (3.44) 55.0   (4.63) 29.3   (3.23) 30.8   (5.11) 16.3   (2.94) ---   (†)
350 to 499 13.6   (1.57) 41.4   (1.98) 17.6   (2.38) 10.1   (2.15) 27.9   (4.82) 28.2   (3.05) 36.9   (3.95) 49.1   (4.50) 31.8   (3.62) 47.3   (5.07) 28.6   (2.87) 33.3   (4.81) 15.2   (2.76) ---   (†)
500 to 749 10.2   (1.35) 39.3   (1.69) 17.6   (1.92) 8.9   (1.52) 33.8   (4.24) 29.8   (2.42) 25.8   (3.04) 31.9   (3.21) 37.7   (3.43) 46.8   (4.29) 23.0   (2.67) 28.4   (3.37) 7.8   (1.63) ---   (†)
750 or more 9.4   (1.71) 38.2   (1.56) 13.4   (1.13) 7.0   (0.94) 32.7   (2.66) 29.7   (1.49) 27.6   (1.64) 33.2   (1.85) 31.8   (2.12) 33.5   (2.05) 11.7   (1.31) 32.5   (2.17) 6.0   (0.98) ---   (†)

School locale
                                                                                   
City 12.3   (1.60) 41.5   (1.85) 13.4   (1.45) 9.8   (1.39) 35.8   (3.31) 30.1   (1.99) 29.5   (2.28) 36.9   (2.60) 32.4   (2.24) 36.2   (3.13) 21.5   (2.10) 29.8   (2.88) 11.7   (1.82) ---   (†)
Suburban 12.4   (1.27) 36.7   (1.76) 14.8   (1.61) 7.1   (1.28) 27.6   (3.01) 26.8   (1.97) 26.2   (2.08) 31.1   (2.20) 28.0   (2.49) 36.6   (2.59) 17.7   (2.19) 26.1   (2.68) 8.5   (1.59) ---   (†)
Town 14.5   (2.22) 44.4   (2.32) 27.0   (2.78) 16.2   (2.72) 34.6   (5.61) 41.3   (3.07) 38.0   (3.65) 53.4   (4.42) 39.7   (4.38) 52.7   (4.89) 32.7   (3.49) 42.3   (4.60) 12.7   (2.67) ---   (†)
Rural 14.2   (1.43) 41.3   (2.21) 23.3   (2.30) 14.7   (2.01) 29.3   (3.63) 35.5   (2.75) 35.0   (2.97) 38.1   (3.28) 34.2   (3.90) 57.1   (3.34) 27.9   (2.86) 31.7   (3.12) 15.4   (2.54) ---   (†)

Percent of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch
                                                                                   
0 to 25 9.8   (1.74) 38.2   (2.50) 12.1   (2.13) 9.1   (2.28) 32.9   (5.01) 24.3   (2.37) 24.9   (3.42) 31.7   (3.82) 21.8   (3.53) 36.8   (3.45) 17.6   (2.85) 31.4   (3.78) 10.1   (2.69) ---   (†)
26 to 50 8.1   (1.31) 38.4   (1.85) 17.2   (1.98) 9.3   (1.46) 32.6   (3.49) 31.0   (2.18) 29.3   (2.61) 36.5   (2.78) 30.1   (3.28) 46.5   (3.15) 19.9   (2.32) 29.7   (2.84) 10.5   (2.25) ---   (†)
51 to 75 16.3   (1.91) 39.7   (2.30) 20.9   (2.60) 11.5   (2.09) 27.1   (4.13) 33.6   (2.67) 33.2   (3.03) 34.2   (3.44) 36.6   (4.15) 38.2   (4.12) 25.3   (2.97) 32.3   (3.79) 14.2   (2.92) ---   (†)
76 to 100 15.6   (1.31) 42.7   (1.63) 20.7   (1.65) 12.5   (1.56) 32.2   (2.91) 34.4   (1.87) 34.3   (2.22) 42.0   (2.66) 34.1   (2.32) 44.0   (3.17) 26.7   (2.11) 31.3   (2.97) 12.3   (1.61) ---   (†)
School does not
     participate
9.1 ! (3.07) 34.6   (4.38) 6.7 ! (2.34) 8.2 ! (2.95) 24.1 ! (7.41) 28.3   (5.26) 20.2   (5.19) 32.5   (6.67) 22.5   (6.16) 45.8   (9.01) 19.3 ! (7.95) 32.8   (6.06)   (†) ---   (†)

Private schools
                                                                                   
2011-12 3.5   (0.85) 14.6   (3.26) 4.8   (1.21) 3.8 ! (1.49) 10.5   (2.56) 15.7   (2.36) 16.8   (2.94) 19.0   (3.21) 17.3 ! (8.09) 14.4   (2.52) 9.6   (2.07) 31.6   (9.25) ---   (†) 13.5   (3.62)
2015-16 ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†)

2020-21
                                                                                   
Total 18.0   (1.74) 43.5   (4.08) 18.3   (2.31) 11.8   (2.49) 35.4   (4.12) 32.0   (2.92) 30.8   (2.96) 31.4   (2.95) 20.1   (5.73) 31.7   (2.52) 22.3   (2.71) 21.6   (6.15) 21.0   (3.61) ---   (†)

School level
                                                                                   
Elementary/middle 21.8   (2.49) 39.1   (7.05) 20.4   (4.43) 15.7 ! (5.32) 35.4   (6.83) 25.0   (4.90) 33.1   (5.90) 28.2   (6.18)   (†) 33.8   (4.41) 31.0   (4.55)   (†) 26.6   (5.86) ---   (†)
Secondary/high   (†) 34.8   (7.05) 14.4   (3.05) 6.4 ! (2.78) 43.3   (7.12) 33.7   (3.68) 28.1   (4.14) 33.5   (4.21) 29.0 ! (12.49) 31.1   (4.24) 15.4   (3.72) 31.1 ! (11.52) 12.5 ! (4.61) ---   (†)
Combined/other 10.9   (2.11) 50.3   (5.53) 18.1   (3.41) 11.3 ! (3.57) 32.3   (5.93) 37.8   (4.30) 30.2   (4.32) 32.4   (4.55) 20.5 ! (8.90) 30.0   (4.69) 14.5   (3.91) 20.8 ! (7.98) 16.8   (4.89) ---   (†)

School size
                                                                                   
Less than 150 19.8   (2.77) 47.0   (5.35) 21.6   (4.51) 17.7   (4.73) 43.8   (7.34) 32.7   (4.94) 31.6   (4.97) 31.2   (4.97) 21.8 ! (9.43) 34.7   (5.18) 27.2   (4.53) 20.2 ! (8.94) 31.1   (5.80) ---   (†)
150 to 349 20.5   (2.94) 46.2   (7.29) 22.3   (3.78) 9.3 ! (3.78) 29.7   (5.83) 32.3   (4.39) 35.0   (4.75) 36.5   (5.11) 22.3 ! (9.08) 36.2   (4.70) 20.2   (4.35)   (†) 9.1 ! (3.16) ---   (†)
350 to 499 8.3 ! (3.25)   (†) 11.4 ! (3.86)   (†)   (†) 34.0   (6.79) 28.0   (6.68) 25.4   (6.73)   (†) 22.8   (5.61) 20.5 ! (6.25)   (†)   (†) ---   (†)
500 to 749 6.5 ! (2.31)   (†) 6.1 ! (2.63)   (†)   (†) 38.4   (6.35) 28.8   (7.69) 31.5   (7.38)   (†) 29.3   (6.90) 10.7 ! (4.95)   (†)   (†) ---   (†)
750 or more   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) 28.1 ! (11.60) 17.0 ! (5.36) 9.8 ! (3.84) 21.4 ! (6.59)   (†) 13.3 ! (5.58)   (†)   (†)   (†) ---   (†)

School locale
                                                                                   
City 19.4   (2.95) 43.7   (5.88) 19.0   (3.31) 10.8   (3.22) 31.8   (5.74) 31.8   (4.06) 30.9   (4.57) 29.5   (4.57) 20.8 ! (8.98) 27.1   (3.99) 22.0   (4.55) 22.5 ! (8.20) 17.0   (3.97) ---   (†)
Suburban 20.5   (2.97) 47.9   (5.63) 15.6   (3.39) 10.6 ! (3.75) 37.0   (6.88) 35.0   (4.24) 34.1   (4.67) 34.2   (4.69)   (†) 37.2   (4.32) 18.2   (3.73) 23.9 ! (10.93) 12.4 ! (4.16) ---   (†)
Town 22.3   (5.76)   (†) 23.0 ! (8.77)   (†)   (†) 35.4   (9.17)   (†) 33.2 ! (10.52)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) ---   (†)
Rural 9.4 ! (3.53) 31.7 ! (9.84) 20.7 ! (7.10)   (†) 43.0   (11.95) 26.3   (7.26) 27.2   (7.49) 28.1   (8.29)   (†) 28.1   (7.72) 26.2   (6.88)   (†) 44.0   (11.57) ---   (†)
---Not available.
†Not applicable.
!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) 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.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), "Public School Data File" and "Private School Data File," 2011-12; and National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), "Public School Data File," 2015-16 and 2020-21, and "Private School Data File," 2020-21. (This table was prepared December 2022. Corrections were made August 2023.)

2022 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest