The Landscape of Public Education - Educational Policy Institute

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*Data for y ears ending 1971 and 1981 pro vided. ΤData calculated from total n umbers of elementary and secondary schoo
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A publication of the Educational Policy Institute

April 2011

Educational Policy Institute

The Landscape of Public Education A Statistical Portrait Through the Years Public education in the United States began in early Colonial America as local, informal systems of teaching reading and writing, often as part of religious instruction and predominately limited to the upper class. Around the 17th century, basic literacy slowly began to be expected in all classes to ensure religious obedience, and particularly in the New England Colonies, where religious education was paramount, many students attended Dame schools, where working-class families paid a female teacher to provide education out of her home. In 1642, Massachusetts established a law that required all parents guarantee their children capable of reading and understanding “the principles of religion and the capital laws of this country” (Snyder, 1993), and five years later, the Old Deluder Satan Act required all towns in Massachusetts with 50 or more families to provide elementary schools and all towns with 100 or more families to establish grammar schools focused on Latin and Greek scholarship. The first public secondary school, Latin Grammar School, was established in Boston in 1635, and by the second half of the 17th century, the public school system in Massachusetts had become a model of education for other colonies. As interest in commerce and industry grew, emphasis on religion in schools slowly waned, and by the American Revolution, education was seen as a way to promote democracy and freedom for the United States (Cohen & Gelbrich, 1999). In 1751, Benjamin Franklin established the Philadelphia Academy, a secondary school that

emphasized modern languages, agriculture, and other subjects relevant to daily life, and Noah Webster developed the first classroom spelling book to promote democratic ideals in 1783. Most schools however were not free, and although Thomas Jefferson “tried to persuade the Virginia legislature to fund elementary and secondary schools” in the late 1700s, he was unsuccessful (Cohen & Gelbrich). In addition, most women received little formal education outside of Dame schools during the 17th and 18th century, and most Native Americans and African Americans did not have access to public schools until later in the 19th century, largely due to laws passed in southern states during the early to mid-1800s prohibiting the teaching of slaves to read. Following the Northwest Ordinance in 1787, public education became of national precedence. Act 3 of the Ordinance stated that with “religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged” (Snyder, 1993). The legislation granted land for educational institutions, and many states pushed to establish uniform public school systems. Large cities formed pauper schools paid for by public funds, but most education was still offered in common schools, which while publicly operated, were not free. Large shifts towards publically-funded education did not occur until well after the 1800s, but by the latter half of the 19th century, most school systems had adopted a public, free, and mandatory education system.

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Figure 1. Number of Public Schools in the United States, 1870-2009

 

Figure 2. Number of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, 1930-2009

300,000

250,000

200,000

Number of Schools

150,000 100,000 50,000

200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000

Schools with more than One Teacher

2009

2000

1990

1980

1970

1960

1930

School Year Ending

1950

0

2009

2000

1990

1981

1971

1960

1950

1940

1930

1920

1910

1900

1890

1880

1870

0

1940

Number of Schools

250,000

School Year Ending

One-Teacher Schools

Elementary Schools

Secondary Schools

Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of American education: A statistical portrait. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics 2010. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

Public Education Districts and Schools

Districts with Enrollment ! 10,000 1,000

Number of School Districts

120,000

100,000

800 600 400 200 2009

2000

1980

1990

0

80,000

School Year Ending

60,000

Districts with Enrollment < 10,000

School Year Ending

2009

2000

2009

2000

1990

1980

1970

1960

1950

0

1990

20,000

15,000 14,500 14,000 13,500 13,000 12,500 12,000 11,500 1980

Number of School Districts

40,000

1940

Despite the rapid decline of oneteacher elementary schools, as well as the “high school movement” in the early 1900s, the large majority of schools during the first half of the 20th century were elementary. In 1930, less than 10 percent of public schools were secondary, and while that number climbed slowly each decade, secondary schools accounted for only 16 percent of schools by 1950. In the decade following Brown vs. The Board of Education in 1954, which declared segregated schools unconstitutional, numbers of elementary

Figure 3. Number of Public School Districts in the United States, 1940-2009

 

Number of School Districts

In 1867, the Department of Education was established and began collecting statistics on education systems and schools in the United States. While school jurisdictions and reporting methods varied greatly between states, it was recorded that approximately 116,000 schools were in operation nationwide by 1870. This number more than doubled by the early 1900s, but most of these schools were likely operated by only one teacher. In 1910, over 80 percent of all schools were one-teacher operated, but the proportion of one-teacher schools rapidly decreased during the first several decades of the 20th century. After 1920, the total number of schools began to decline as a result, and by 1950, the number of schools had dropped 44 percent.

School Year Ending

Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of American education: A statistical portrait. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics 2010. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

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epicenter Figure 4. Enrollment in Public Schools, 1870-2008

 

Numer of Students (Percentage of 5-17 Year Old Population)

schools rapidly dropped, and with the Baby Boom and increased need for high school diplomas following World War II, there was vast expansion of public secondary schools. By 1970, 28 percent of public schools were secondary and 72 percent elementary. Only 2 percent of schools had just one teacher. School districts also consolidated, and between 1940 and 1970, the number of school districts decreased from 117,108 in 1940 to 17,995 in 1971. Today there are 13,809 school districts.

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50,000,000

(89%)

(87%)

45,000,000

(92%)

(87%) (90%)

40,000,000

(82%)

35,000,000 30,000,000

(82%) (84%) (83%)

25,000,000

(78%)

20,000,000

(72%)

(74%)

Public Education Enrollment

2008

2000

1990

1980

1970

1960

1950

1940

1930

1920

Figure 5. Enrollment Distribution by Grade, Select Years 1911-2008

In 1870, it was recorded that 57 percent of 5 to 17 year olds attended public school, and prior to the 1900s, over 98 percent of enrollment was in elementary schools, mostly in grades 1st through 5th. In 1918 though, all states were required to have mandatory schoolattendance laws, and enrollment increased to 78 percent of schoolaged children by 1920. The high school movement in the early 20th century also encouraged greater secondary enrollment. By 1940, over 84 percent of children went to school, and over a quarter of those students were enrolled in secondary programs. As the population of school-aged children declined with the great depression and through World War II however, student enrollment decreased (Snyder, 1993). In addition, many older students left school to join the War or enter the workforce to replace those who had left for war, and the proportion of high schools students dropped to 22 percent. Following the Baby Boom after WWII, the number of school-aged children rebounded, and enrollment in public schools increased 44 percent between 1950 and 1960. A decline in the number of births after the 1960s resulted in a slight decrease in enrollment between 1970 and 1990, but with increased student enrollment in kindergarten, the percentage of school-aged children enrolled remained over 87 percent and the proportion of students in grades K-8, as well as high school grades 9-12, was evenly dispersed. In 2008, nearly 50,000 students were enrolled in public schools, comprising 92 percent of school-aged children, where over 31 percent were enrolled in secondary programs.

1910

1900

1890

1880

1870

Between 1970 and 2009, school districts (69%) 15,000,000 (66%) declined another 23 percent, but except 10,000,000 (57%) for a decrease in numbers of one-teacher 5,000,000 schools to less than 1 percent, proportions 0 of elementary and secondary schools have remained relatively unchanged. Rather than the addition of more school districts, School Year Ending district size has increased over the past decades. Since 1980, districts with Elementary Secondary enrollment over 10,000 students have risen by 25 percent, and although there are Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of American education: A statistical portrait. National Center for Educational substantially more rural and smaller school Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics 2010. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office districts in the United States, the number of jurisdictions with less than 10,000 students   enrolled has decreased by over 15 percent.

9th 8th 3% 6%

10th 2%

1911 11th 1%

7th 7%

1930

12th 1% K 2% 1st 21%

11th 12th K 10th 3% 3% 3% 5% 9th 6%

1st 16%

8th 6%

6th 8% 2nd 14%

5th 10%

2nd 11%

7th 8%

3rd 11%

6th 9%

3rd 13%

4th 12%

5th 9%

12th 11th 5% 6%

K 5%

1st 10%

9th 7%

11th 7%

2nd 10%

8th 7%

3rd 9% 7th 9% 6th 8%

5th 9%

4th 10%

2008

1960 10th 6%

 

4th 9%

12th 7%

K 7%

1st 8%

10th 8%

2nd 8%

9th 9%

3rd 8% 4th 8%

8th 8% 7th 8%

6th 7%

5th 7%

Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of American education: A statistical portrait. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics 2010. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

 

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April 2011

Attendance

Figure 6. Length of School Term and Attendance, 1870-2008 200 180 (72%) 160 140

Although Massachusetts had passed the first compulsory school-attendance law in 1852, requiring school-aged children to enroll in school, with several states following suit over the subsequent decades, students in 1870 attended an average of only 54 percent of school days, and little over half of students attended daily. Following 1918 however, when school became mandatory in all states, students attended over 75 percent of school days, and three-quarters of students attended daily. Ever since, the length of the school term and attendance rates have steadily increased. By 1950, public school consisted of an average of 178 days per year, and nearly 90 percent of students attended daily. By 2008, 94 percent of students attended daily, and students were present at school an average of 167 out of 179 days.

(93%) (94%)

(89%) (90%) (92%) (92%) (83%) (87%) (75%)

(69%) (54%) (62%) (64%)

120 100 80 60 40 20

2008

2000

1990

1980

1970

1960

1950

1940

1930

1920

1910

1900

1890

1880

0

1870

Number of School Days per Academic Year (Percentage of Students Attending Daily)

 

School Year Ending Average Number of Absences per Student

Average Number of Days Attended per Student

Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of American education: A statistical portrait. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics 2010. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

Charter and Magnet Schools

 

Figure 7. Number of Charter and Magnet Schools, Select Years 2001-2009

2001

Figure 8. Student Enrollment in Charter and Magnet Schools, Select Years 2001-2009

2,500,000

5,000 4,500 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0

2006

Number of Students

5,000 4,500 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0

Number of Schools

Number of Schools

Over the past decade, numbers and enrollment of charter and magnet schools have also grown considerably. In 2001, there were 1,993 charter schools and 1,469 magnet schools reported by the Department of Education, and charter and magnet schools enrolled 1 percent and 3 percent of the student population, respectively. By 2009, both numbers and enrollment of charter and magnet schools doubled, and attendance increased to 3 percent and 5 percent of all students.. Both charter and magnet schools have more elementary programs and enroll more students between grades K through 8th, but secondary and combined charter and magnet schools have been on the rise. Since 2001, charter secondary and combined schools have grown over three-fold, while secondary and combined magnet schools have doubled.

2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000,000 500,000 0

2009 2001

School Year Ending

2006

School Year Ending

2001

2009

2006

2009

School Year Ending

Charter Elementary

Magnet Elementary

Charter Secondary/Combined

Magnet Secondary/Combined

Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of American education: A statistical portrait. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics 2010. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

 

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April 2011

Graduation

Figure 9. Number of Public High School Graduates, 1890-2008 (67.6%) 3,000,000

(68.9%)

(64.5%)

2,000,000

(60.9%)

1,500,000

(47.6%)(52.3%)

1,000,000 500,000

(63.0%) (66.2%)

2,500,000

(25.8%) (6.2%) (1.7%) (4.1%)

(12.4%)

2008

2000

1990

1980

1970

1960

1950

1940

1930

1920

1910

1900

1890

0

School Year Ending

Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of American education: A statistical portrait. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics 2010. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

 

Figure 10. Number of Male and Female Public High School Graduates, 1940-2008 1,600,000 1,400,000 1,200,000 1,000,000 800,000 600,000 400,000 200,000

2008

2000

1990

1980

1970

1960

1950

0

1940

Before the Civil War, 56 percent of White school-aged children attended public schools, but only 2 percent of minorities were formally educated. In the years following the Civil War, the proportion of minority students increased, and by 1900, over 30 percent of minorities age 5 to 19 were enrolled in school. In 1896, the “separate but equal” doctrine was established following the Supreme Court ruling in Plessy vs. Ferguson, and although in separate schools, minority attendance in public schools increased to over 75 percent of the school-aged minority population by 1950. After segregation was declared unconstitutional in 1954,

 

Number of Students

Minority Enrollment

3,500,000

 

Number of Students (Percentage of 17 Year Old Population)

In 1890, public high schools produced 22,000 graduates, representing approximately half of all high school graduates that year, but only 3.5 percent of the 17 year old population. Ten years later, graduation rates had risen to 6.4 percent, and more students graduated from public schools than private schools. Following the high school movement in the first decades of the 20th century, graduation rates multiplied, and by 1940, over half of the 17 year old population graduated. In addition, more females graduated than males. Graduation rates continued to rise until 1980, when rates declined slightly between 1980 and 2000, but there continued to be more women graduates than men. By 2008, there were 3 million public high school graduates—75 percent of the 17 year old population graduated—67 percent of whom came from public schools.

School Year Ending Male

 

100% 90% 80%

Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of American education: A statistical portrait. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics 2010. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

60% 50%

minority enrollment continued to increase at a steady rate. By 1980, over 90 percent of minorities attended school, and by 1990, 93 percent of both White children and minority children were enrolled in public education.

40% 30% 20% 10%

1990

1980

1970

1960

1950

1940

1930

1920

1910

1900

1890

1880

1870

1860

0%

School Year Ending White

Minority

Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of American education: A statistical portrait. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics 2010. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

 

Female

70%

1850

Percentage of 5-19 Year Old Population

Figure 11. Proportion of School-Aged Population Enrolled by Race/Ethnicity, 1850-1990

The proportion of minority attendance in public schools has increased for all minority groups over the decades as well. In 1977, there were 16 percent Black students, followed by 6 percent Hispanic and 1 percent Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaska Native. By 2009, the proportion of Black students had risen to 17 percent, Hispanic to 22 percent, Asian/Pacific Islander to 5 percent, and American Indian/Alaska Native to slightly over 1 percent.

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April 2011

Figure 12. Enrollment Distribution by Race/Ethnicity, 1977 and 2009

1977 Hispanic 6%

Asian/ Pacific Islander 1%

American Indian/ Alaska Native 1%

Black 16%

2009 Asian/ Pacific Islander 5%

American Indian/ Alaska Native 1%

!"#"$#%&$

Hispanic 22%

Black 17%

White 76%



  

White 55%

'())

Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of American education: A statistical portrait. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics 2010. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

 

Conclusion The evolution of the public school system in the United States has been arguably one of the most successful in the world. Although schools prior to the 20th century were not entirely free or readily accessible by women and minorities, education became egalitarian relatively early in U.S. history as compared with other, European countries. Furthermore, the system of education has remained relatively uniform throughout history. Since the late 1800s, schools, enrollment, and graduation rates have progressively increased, and while there are undeniably issues for reform in programs and curriculum, the system of education in the United States has been quite successful. One of the largest concerns that has persisted in the public school system since its onset in the 19th century relates to disparities between districts and resources to ensure unified and effective education for all students. Discrimination against women and minorities, poverty and shortages in rural districts, overcrowding in urban areas, and financial shortages overall have all impacted the quality of education for many students. While, attendance, graduation, and success rates are high in broad statistical reports, these numbers may not adequately depict gaps and inequalities within the system. It is important that school leaders, policy makers, and the public collect detailed and accurate data from individual districts and schools in order to identify specific privations, improve educational shortages, and ensure successful learning and preparation for all students. References Cohen, L.M., and Gelbrich, J. (1999). History and philosophy of education. Retrieved from http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/module1.html Goldin, C. (1999). A brief history of education in the United States. National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of American education: A statistical portrait. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics 2010. National Center for Education Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

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5,000 to 9,999 —



1,000 to 4,999





1 to 999

Enrollment Size

Public School Districts

Public Schools and School Districts, 1870-2009 Public Schools





Secondary All School 10,000 or Schools Districts more —



Elementary Schools OneTeacher

Total Schools —



Total

Year Ending —











— —









— —









178,122 —



116,312





1880 248,279

224,526

1870

1900

1890





— —













— —





























117,108





83,718







23,930

40,520



24,542 17,995*



113,600

148,712

25,784



59,652 25,352*

187,948



238,306

20,213

212,448

128,225 1,815*



248,117

91,853

7,994

8,362



226,762 152,767Τ 65,800*

5,484

5,514

271,319

1940

1930

117,637Τ

913

1,106

265,474

1950 91,152* Τ

658

659

1920

1960

15,367

15,912*

1910

1970 23,461

6,373

7,193

24,362*

5,267

5,525

630

1,049

1,036

921*

874

817

60,699

13,809

14,928

61,069*

29,971

26,407

83,425 237

423

85,982*

72,771

68,173

1990 98,706

92,012

1980

2009

2000

Data calculated from total numbers of elementary and secondary schools

*Data for years ending 1971 and 1981 provided Τ

ϒ Data for year ending 2008 provided Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of American education: A statistical portrait . National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics 2010. National Center for Education Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

Public School Enrollment, 1870-2008

1990

1980

1970

1960

1950

1940

1930

1920

1910

1900

1890

1880

1870

49,292,507 34,205,362

46,857,149 33,486,444

40,542,707 29,152,224

41,651,000 28,034,000

45,550,000 32,513,000

36,087,000 27,602,000

25,112,000 19,387,000

25,434,000 18,833,000

25,678,000 21,279,000

21,578,000 19,378,000

17,814,000 16,899,000

15,503,000 14,984,000

12,723,000 12,520,000

9,867,000

7,562,000 9,757,000

7,481,000

3,639,750

3,397,198

3,486,000

2,675,000

2,545,000

1,923,000

1,034,000

595,000

723,000

481,000

327,000*









Kindergarten

3,708,485

3,684,123

3,485,000

2,936,000

3,869,000

3,732,000

3,170,000

3,018,000

4,151,000

4,321,000







1st

3,655,721

3,289,000

2,909,000

3,716,000

3,436,000

2,645,000

2,333,000

2,803,000

2,638,000









2nd

3,707,772

3,690,653

3,235,000

3,120,000

3,720,000

3,302,000

2,396,000

2,332,000

2,732,000

2,498,000









3rd

3,646,896

3,686,366

3,182,000

3,148,000

3,660,000

3,146,000

2,254,000

2,322,000

2,599,000

2,556,000









4th

3,629,079

3,603,664

3,067,000

3,055,000

3,621,000

3,118,000

2,151,000

2,248,000

2,382,000

2,153,000









5th

3,613,521

3,564,116

2,987,000

2,999,000

3,568,000

3,070,000

2,056,000

2,176,000

2,256,000

1,890,000









6th

3,652,623

3,541,273

3,027,000

3,128,000

3,667,000

3,173,000

1,947,000

2,108,000

2,030,000

1,592,000









7th

3,691,795

3,496,977

2,853,000

3,171,000

3,520,000

2,701,000

1,734,000

1,701,000

1,601,000

1,248,000

3,890,000* 2,450,000* 2,301,000* 2,201,000* 1,870,000* 1,523,000* 1,258,000* 1,059,000*



3,698,723









8th

15,087,145

13,370,705

11,390,483

13,616,000

13,037,000

8,485,000

5,725,000

6,601,000

4,399,000

2,200,000

915,000

519,000

203,000

110,000

80,000

Total Secondary

4,122,552

3,934,876

3,141,000

3,526,000

3,568,000

2,412,000

1,761,000

2,011,000

1,627,000

917,000

495,000*









9th

3,822,200

3,415,392

2,868,000

3,532,000

3,405,000

2,258,000

1,513,000

1,767,000

1,192,000

576,000

309,000*









10th

3,548,100

3,033,941

2,629,000

3,241,000

3,407,000

2,063,000

1,275,000

1,486,000

880,000

396,000

208,000*









11th

3,399,689

2,781,621

2,473,000

2,969,000

2,732,000

1,747,000

1,134,000

1,282,000

701,000

312,000

144,000*









12th

92%

89%

90%

87%

87%

82%

83%

84%

82%

78%

74%

72%

69%

66%

57%

Percentage of 5-17 Year Old Population

Grade Level and Grade

2000

Year Total Total Ending Enrollment Elementary

2008

*Data for year ending 1911 provided

Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of American education: A statistical portrait . National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics 2010. National Center for Education Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

 

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April 2011

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Public Schools —

Male



Female

Gender

Length of School Term, Attendance, and High School Graduates, 1870-2008 High School Graduates



All Graduates

Graduates as Ratio of 17 Year Old Population



Total

6.2

4.1









558,000

605,000









78

6.4

12.4

538,000

835,000

4,077,000

8.8

25.8

505,000

1,303,000

132

School Term and Attendance Average Average Average Length of Number of Number of School Students Days Term Attending Attended (in days) Daily per Student

62,000 16.8

47.6

791,000

1870

Year Ending

111,000 29.0

52.3

1,286,000







99 231,000 50.8

60.9



1,312,000



113 592,000

59.0

68.9



1,533,000



10,633,000 121 1,143,000

69.5

64.5

1,242,000



12,827,000 143 1,063,000

76.9

66.2

1,466,000

1.7

144 16,150,000 152 1,627,000

71.4

63.0



158 21,265,000 158 2,589,000

73.4

67.6

3.5

1900 162 22,042,000 160

2,748,000

69.8



1910 173 22,284,000 162

2,320,000

74.7



1920 175 32,477,000 161

2,554,000

22,000

1930 178 41,934,000 —

3,000,000

86

1940 178 38,288,911 169

81

1950 179 37,799,296 167

8,154,000

1960 179 43,806,726

6,144,000

1970 — 46,155,830

135

1980 179

130

1990 179

1890

2000

1880

2008

2001 1,969

3,780

2006

865

1,255

2,513

4,694

2009

1,213,976 2,103,013 2,307,712

117,377

79,588

249,101

448,343

2001

259,837

219,627

532,217

395,122

291,016

746,950

1,012,906 1,433,116

1970

1960

1950

1940

1930

1920

1910

1900

1890

1880

1870

1860

1850

Year Ending

93%

89%

91%

89%

79%

76%

71%

66%

61%

54%

58%

62%

54%

60%

56%

White

93%

90%

89%

86%

75%

68%

60%

54%

45%

31%

33%

34%

10%

2%

2%

Minority

2009

2007

1997

1987

1977

Year Ending

55%

57%

64%

70%

76%

White

17%

17%

17%

16%

16%

Black

22%

21%

14%

10%

6%

Hispanic

5%

5%

4%

3%

1%

Asian/ Pacific Islander

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

American Indian/ Alaska Native

Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of American education: A statistical portrait . National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics 2010. National Center for Education Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

Enrollment Proportion

Proportion of Public School Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity, 1977-2009

1980

Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of American education: A statistical portrait. National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics 2010. National Center for Education Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

1990

Race/Ethnicity

Percentage of 5 to 19 Year Old Population Enrolled in School, 1850-1990

Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of American education: A statistical portrait . National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics 2010. National Center for Education Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

Charter and Magnet Schools, Select Years 2001-2009 Enrollment

1,993 1,057

3,021

Number of Schools

1,011 704

School Type Charter Schools 467 2,736

2009

Elementary 448

2006

Secondary 1,469

869,010

1,186,160 1,267,944

Combined Magnet Schools

484,684

704,763

976,483

728

2,193

63,285

643

47,509

1,994

24,529

328

92

1,111 80

Secondary 29

Elementary Combined

Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of American education: A statistical portrait . National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2011). Digest of Education Statistics 2010. National Center for Education Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

 

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