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epicenterwww.educationalpolicy.org A publication of the Educational Policy Institute April 2011
Improving Public Policy and Practice Through Research
The Landscape of Public EducationA 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.
Educational Policy Institute
“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 Institute801 N. Quincy St. Suite 700
Arlington, VA 22203(703) 875-0701
UPCOMING EPI EVENTS
RETENTION 2011Join us June 12-14, 2011 in San Diego, California for the International Conference on Student Success. Visit our website for more information.
EPI BOOK CLUBEPI 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
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Public Education Districts and Schools
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.
Despite the rapid decline of one-teacher 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
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1980
1990
2000
2009
Num
ber
of
Scho
ol D
istr
icts
School Year Ending
Districts with Enrollment ! 10,000
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
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2000
2009
Num
ber
of S
choo
l Dis
tric
ts
School Year Ending
11,500 12,000 12,500 13,000 13,500 14,000 14,500 15,000
1980
1990
2000
2009
Num
ber
of
Scho
ol D
istr
icts
School Year Ending
Districts with Enrollment < 10,000
Figure 3. Number of Public School Districts in the United States, 1940-2009
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
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1971
1981
1990
2000
2009
Num
ber
of S
choo
ls
School Year Ending
Schools with more than One Teacher One-Teacher Schools
Figure 1. Number of Public Schools in the United States, 1870-2009
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2009
Num
ber
of S
choo
ls
School Year Ending
Elementary Schools Secondary Schools
Figure 2. Number of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, 1930-2009
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
epicenter April 2011
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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.
Between 1970 and 2009, school districts declined another 23 percent, but except for a decrease in numbers of one-teacher schools to less than 1 percent, proportions of elementary and secondary schools have remained relatively unchanged. Rather than the addition of more school districts, district size has increased over the pastdecades. Since 1980, districts with enrollment over 10,000 students have risen by 25 percent, and although there are substantially more rural and smaller school districts in the United States, the number of jurisdictions with less than 10,000 students enrolled has decreased by over 15 percent.
Public Education Enrollment
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 school-attendance laws, and enrollment increased to 78 percent of school-aged 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.
0
5,000,000
10,000,000
15,000,000
20,000,000
25,000,000
30,000,000
35,000,000
40,000,000
45,000,000
50,000,000
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2008
(57%)
(66%)
(69%)
(72%)
(74%)
(78%)
(82%)
(84%)
(83%)
(82%)
(87%)
(87%)
(90%)
(89%)
(92%)
Num
er o
f St
uden
ts
(Per
cent
age
of 5
-17
Yea
r O
ld P
opul
atio
n)
School Year Ending
Elementary Secondary
Figure 4. Enrollment in Public Schools, 1870-2008
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
K 7% 1st
8%
2nd 8%
3rd 8%
4th 8%
5th 7% 6th
7%
7th 8%
8th 8%
9th 9%
10th 8%
11th 7%
12th 7%
2008
K 5% 1st
10%
2nd 10%
3rd 9%
4th 9% 5th
9%
6th 8%
7th 9%
8th 7%
9th 7%
10th 6%
11th 6%
12th 5%
1960
K 3% 1st
16%
2nd 11%
3rd 11%
4th 10%
5th 9%
6th 9%
7th 8%
8th 6%
9th 6%
10th 5%
11th 3%
12th 3%
1930 K
2% 1st
21%
2nd 14%
3rd 13%
4th 12%
5th 10%
6th 8%
7th 7%
8th 6%
9th 3%
10th 2% 11th
1%
12th 1%
1911
Figure 5. Enrollment Distribution by Grade, Select Years 1911-2008
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
epicenter April 2011
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Attendance
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.
Charter and Magnet 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.
0 500
1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000
2001 2006 2009
Num
ber
of S
choo
ls
School Year Ending
Charter Elementary Magnet Elementary
Charter Secondary/Combined Magnet Secondary/Combined
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
2001 2006 2009
Num
ber
of S
choo
ls
School Year Ending
Figure 7. Number of Charter and Magnet Schools, Select Years 2001-2009
0
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
2001 2006 2009
Num
ber
of S
tude
nts
School Year Ending
Figure 8. Student Enrollment in Charter and Magnet Schools, Select Years 2001-2009
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
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2008
(54%)
(62%)
(64%)
(69%)
(72%)
(75%)
(83%)
(87%)
(89%)
(90%)
(92%)
(92%)
(93%)
(94%)
Num
ber
of S
choo
l Day
s pe
r A
cade
mic
Yea
r (P
erce
ntag
e of
Stu
dent
s A
tten
ding
Dai
ly)
School Year Ending
Average Number of Absences per Student Average Number of Days Attended per Student
Figure 6. Length of School Term and Attendance, 1870-2008
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
epicenter April 2011
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Graduation
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.
Minority Enrollment
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,
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.
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.
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
1,400,000
1,600,000
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2008
Num
ber
of S
tude
nts
School Year Ending
Male Female
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
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
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1850
1860
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
Per
cent
age
of 5
-19
Yea
r O
ld P
opul
atio
n
School Year Ending
White Minority
Figure 11. Proportion of School-Aged Population Enrolled by Race/Ethnicity, 1850-1990
0
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
3,000,000
3,500,000
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2008
(1.7%)
(4.1%)
(6.2%)
(12.4%)
(25.8%)
(47.6%)
(52.3%)
(60.9%)
(68.9%)
(64.5%) (66.2%)
(63.0%)
(67.6%)
Num
ber
of S
tude
nts
(P
erce
ntag
e of
17
Yea
r O
ld P
opul
atio
n)
School Year Ending
Figure 9. Number of Public High School Graduates, 1890-2008
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
epicenter April 2011
www.educationalpolicy.org 6
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
White 55% Black
17%
Hispanic 22%
Asian/Pacific
Islander 5%
American Indian/Alaska Native
1%
2009
White 76%
Black 16%
Hispanic 6%
Asian/Pacific
Islander 1%
American Indian/Alaska Native
1%
1977
Figure 12. Enrollment Distribution by Race/Ethnicity, 1977 and 2009
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 April 2011
www.educationalpolicy.org 7
Total
One-
Teacher
1870116,312
——
——
——
——
1880178,122
——
——
——
——
1890224,526
——
——
——
——
1900248,279
——
——
——
——
1910265,474
—212,448
——
——
——
1920271,319
—187,948
——
——
——
1930248,117
238,306148,712
23,930—
——
——
1940226,762
—113,600
—117,108
——
——
1950152,767 Τ
128,22559,652
24,54283,718
——
——
1960117,637 Τ
91,85320,213
25,78440,520
——
——
197091,152* Τ
65,800*1,815*
25,352*17,995*
——
——
198085,982*
61,069*921*
24,362*15,912*
6591,106
5,5148,362
199083,425
60,699630
23,46115,367
658913
5,4847,994
200092,012
68,173423
26,40714,928
8171,036
5,5257,193
200998,706
72,771237
29,97113,809
8741,049
5,2676,373
10,000 or m
ore5,000 to
9,9991,000 to
4,9991 to 999
All School
Districts
Secondary Schools
Elem
entary SchoolsT
otal Schools
Year
Ending
*Data for years ending 1971 and 1981 provided
ΤData calculated from
total numbers of elem
entary and secondary schools
Public Schools and School D
istricts, 1870-2009
ϒData for year ending 2008 provided
Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of A
merican education: A
statistical portrait. National C
enter for Educational Statistics, W
ashington, DC
: U
.S. Governm
ent Printing O
ffice; Snyder, T.D., and D
illow, S.A
. (2011). Digest of E
ducation Statistics 2010. National C
enter for Education
Statistics, Washington, D
C: U
.S. Governm
ent Printing O
ffice
Enrollm
ent Size
Public Schools
Public School D
istricts
18707,562,000
7,481,000—
——
——
——
——
80,000—
——
—57%
18809,867,000
9,757,000—
——
——
——
——
110,000—
——
—66%
189012,723,000
12,520,000—
——
——
——
——
203,000—
——
—69%
190015,503,000
14,984,000—
——
——
——
——
519,000—
——
—72%
191017,814,000
16,899,000327,000*
3,890,000*2,450,000*
2,301,000*2,201,000*
1,870,000*1,523,000*
1,258,000*1,059,000*
915,000495,000*
309,000*208,000*
144,000*74%
192021,578,000
19,378,000481,000
4,321,0002,638,000
2,498,0002,556,000
2,153,0001,890,000
1,592,0001,248,000
2,200,000917,000
576,000396,000
312,00078%
193025,678,000
21,279,000723,000
4,151,0002,803,000
2,732,0002,599,000
2,382,0002,256,000
2,030,0001,601,000
4,399,0001,627,000
1,192,000880,000
701,00082%
194025,434,000
18,833,000595,000
3,018,0002,333,000
2,332,0002,322,000
2,248,0002,176,000
2,108,0001,701,000
6,601,0002,011,000
1,767,0001,486,000
1,282,00084%
195025,112,000
19,387,0001,034,000
3,170,0002,645,000
2,396,0002,254,000
2,151,0002,056,000
1,947,0001,734,000
5,725,0001,761,000
1,513,0001,275,000
1,134,00083%
196036,087,000
27,602,0001,923,000
3,732,0003,436,000
3,302,0003,146,000
3,118,0003,070,000
3,173,0002,701,000
8,485,0002,412,000
2,258,0002,063,000
1,747,00082%
197045,550,000
32,513,0002,545,000
3,869,0003,716,000
3,720,0003,660,000
3,621,0003,568,000
3,667,0003,520,000
13,037,0003,568,000
3,405,0003,407,000
2,732,00087%
198041,651,000
28,034,0002,675,000
2,936,0002,909,000
3,120,0003,148,000
3,055,0002,999,000
3,128,0003,171,000
13,616,0003,526,000
3,532,0003,241,000
2,969,00087%
199040,542,707
29,152,2243,486,000
3,485,0003,289,000
3,235,0003,182,000
3,067,0002,987,000
3,027,0002,853,000
11,390,4833,141,000
2,868,0002,629,000
2,473,00090%
200046,857,149
33,486,4443,397,198
3,684,1233,655,721
3,690,6533,686,366
3,603,6643,564,116
3,541,2733,496,977
13,370,7053,934,876
3,415,3923,033,941
2,781,62189%
200849,292,507
34,205,3623,639,750
3,708,4853,698,723
3,707,7723,646,896
3,629,0793,613,521
3,652,6233,691,795
15,087,1454,122,552
3,822,2003,548,100
3,399,68992%
*Data for year ending 1911 provided
10th11th
12th
Percentage of
5-17 Year O
ld P
opulation
Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of A
merican education: A
statistical portrait. National C
enter for Educational Statistics, W
ashington, DC
: U.S. G
overnment P
rinting Office; Snyder, T.D
., and Dillow
, S.A. (2011). D
igest of Education Statistics 2010. N
ational Center for E
ducation Statistics, W
ashington, DC
: U.S. G
overnment P
rinting Office
Total
Elem
entaryT
otal Secondary
Public School E
nrollment, 1870-2008
Grade L
evel and Grade
Year
Ending
Total
Enrollm
entK
inder-garten
1st2nd
3rd4th
5th6th
7th8th
9th
epicenter April 2011
www.educationalpolicy.org 8
School Type
20012006
20092001
20062009
Charter Schools
1,9933,780
4,694448,343
1,012,9061,433,116
Elem
entary1,011
1,9692,513
249,101532,217
746,950
Secondary467
1,0571,255
79,588219,627
291,016
Com
bined448
704865
117,377259,837
395,122
Magnet Schools
1,4692,736
3,0211,213,976
2,103,0132,307,712
Elem
entary1,111
1,9942,193
704,7631,186,160
1,267,944
Secondary328
643728
484,684869,010
976,483
Com
bined29
8092
24,52947,509
63,285
Charter and M
agnet Schools, Select Years 2001-2009
Num
ber of SchoolsE
nrollment
Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of A
merican education: A
statistical portrait. National C
enter for E
ducational Statistics, Washington, D
C: U
.S. Governm
ent Printing O
ffice; Snyder, T.D., and D
illow,
S.A. (2011). D
igest of Education Statistics 2010. N
ational Center for E
ducation Statistics, Washington,
DC
: U.S. G
overnment P
rinting Office
White
Minority
185056%
2%
186060%
2%
187054%
10%
188062%
34%
189058%
33%
190054%
31%
191061%
45%
192066%
54%
193071%
60%
194076%
68%
195079%
75%
196089%
86%
197091%
89%
198089%
90%
199093%
93%Sources: Snyder, T. D
. (1993). 120 years of A
merican education: A
statistical portrait. N
ational Center for E
ducational Statistics, W
ashington, DC
: U.S. G
overnment
Printing O
ffice; Snyder, T.D., and D
illow,
S.A. (2011). D
igest of Education Statistics
2010. National C
enter for Education
Statistics, Washington, D
C: U
.S. G
overnment P
rinting Office
Percentage of 5 to 19 Y
ear O
ld Population E
nrolled in School, 1850-1990
Race/E
thnicity
Year
Ending
197776%
16%6%
1%1%
198770%
16%10%
3%1%
199764%
17%14%
4%1%
200757%
17%21%
5%1%
200955%
17%22%
5%1%
Year
Ending
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian/
Pacific
Islander
Am
erican Indian/ A
laska N
ative
Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of A
merican education: A
statistical portrait. National
Center for E
ducational Statistics, Washington, D
C: U
.S. Governm
ent Printing O
ffice; Snyder, T.D
., and Dillow
, S.A. (2011). D
igest of Education Statistics 2010. N
ational Center for E
ducation Statistics, W
ashington, DC
: U.S. G
overnment P
rinting Office
Enrollm
ent Proportion
Proportion of P
ublic School Enrollm
ent by Race/E
thnicity, 1977-2009
1870132
4,077,00078
—
—
—
—
—
1880130
6,144,00081
—
—
—
—
—
1890135
8,154,00086
22,0003.5
1.7—
—
1900144
10,633,00099
62,0006.4
4.1—
—
1910158
12,827,000113
111,0008.8
6.2—
—
1920162
16,150,000121
231,00016.8
12.4—
—
1930173
21,265,000143
592,00029.0
25.8—
—
1940175
22,042,000152
1,143,00050.8
47.6538,000
605,000
1950178
22,284,000158
1,063,00059.0
52.3505,000
558,000
1960178
32,477,000160
1,627,00069.5
60.9791,000
835,000
1970179
41,934,000162
2,589,00076.9
68.91,286,000
1,303,000
1980179
38,288,911161
2,748,00071.4
64.5—
—
1990—
37,799,296
—
2,320,00073.4
66.2—
—
2000179
43,806,726169
2,554,00069.8
63.01,242,000
1,312,000
2008179
46,155,830167
3,000,00074.7
67.61,466,000
1,533,000
Fem
ale
Length of School T
erm, A
ttendance, and High School G
raduates, 1870-2008
Sources: Snyder, T. D. (1993). 120 years of A
merican education: A
statistical portrait. National C
enter for Educational Statistics, W
ashington, DC
: U
.S. Governm
ent Printing O
ffice; Snyder, T.D., and D
illow, S.A
. (2011). Digest of E
ducation Statistics 2010. National C
enter for Education
Statistics, Washington, D
C: U
.S. Governm
ent Printing O
ffice
Average
Length of School T
erm
(in days)Y
ear E
nding
Average
Num
ber of Students
Attending D
aily
Average
Num
ber of D
ays A
ttended per Student
Total
Graduates as R
atio of 17 Y
ear Old P
opulation
All
Graduates
Public
Schools
Gender
Male
High School G
raduatesSchool T
erm and A
ttendance