*Data for y ears ending 1971 and 1981 pro vided. ΤData calculated from total n umbers of elementary and secondary schoo
epicenter
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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.
Improving Public Policy and Practice Through Research
“Improving educational policy & practice through research”
The Educational Policy Institute (EPI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to policy-based research on educational opportunity for all students. EPI is a collective association of researchers and policy analysts from around the world dedicated to the mission of enhancing our knowledge of critical barriers facing students and families throughout the educational pipeline. For more information about the Educational Policy Institute, please visit our website at www.educationalpolicy.org, or contact us at: Educational Policy Institute 801 N. Quincy St. Suite 700 Arlington, VA 22203 (703) 875-0701
UPCOMING EPI EVENTS RETENTION 2011
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EPI BOOK CLUB
EPI Book club is a series of interactive online presentations of recently published books with the authors that focus on a variety of educational topics. Visit our website to register. May 3, 2011 - 2:00pm EST, Higher Education? How colleges are wasting our money and failing our kids - and what we can do about it? with Andrew Hacker & Claudia Dreifus. June 7, 2011 - 1:00pm EST, Stretching the School Dollar with Frederick M. Hess.
epicenter
April 2011
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
www.educationalpolicy.org 2
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.
April 2011
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
www.educationalpolicy.org 3
epicenter
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
www.educationalpolicy.org 4
epicenter
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.
www.educationalpolicy.org 5
epicenter
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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*+$,-%".& /012,)'3)4
www.educationalpolicy.org 6
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
April 2011
epicenter
www.educationalpolicy.org 7
April 2011
epicenter
—
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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