Good news about American education.

FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN

Today, more than 60% of kindergartens attend school for a full day.

       Half-day   Full-day

1983     68%        32%
1986     60%        40%
1989     60%        40%
1992     56%        44%
1995     49%        51%
1998     41%        59%
2001     40%        60%

Note: Table made from line graph.

Pupil-teacher ratios have
been declining during the
past several years:

1987   18:1
2001   16:1

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Between school years 1985-86
and 2003-04, the percentage
of students with disabilities
educated in regular classrooms
grew substantially:

1985-86

Regular education classroom              26%
Resource room or separate classroom      68%
Separate facilities/hospitals/homebound   7%

2003-04

Regular education classroom              50%
Resource room or separate classroom      46%
Separate facilities/hospitals/homebound   4%

Note: Table made from pie chart.

TEACHERS

Public school teachers are more likely to have
an advanced degree than private school teachers.

Percentage of public school teachers holding
various degrees:

Less than bachelor's         1%
Bachelor's degree           52%
Master's degree or higher   47%

Percentage of private school teachers holding
various degrees:

Less than bachelor's         7%
Bachelor's degree           58%
Master's degree or higher   35%

Note: Table made from pie chart.

The total number of Advanced Placement exams taken in the 2003-04 school year:

1,887,770

SAFER AT SCHOOL

Rates of crime and violence at school, or on the way to and from school, fell by half during the past decade (rates of incidents per 1,000 students):

1992     144
1997     102
2002      64

CHALLENGING CURRICULUM

Percentage of high school graduates completing a
core academic curriculum (four years of English and
three years each of math, science and social studies):

1982      14%
1987      25%
1990      38%
1994      49%
1998      55%
2000      57%

Note: Table made from pie chart.

Source: Do You Know The Latest Good News About American Education?,
Center on Education Policy, 2005, www.ctredpol.org