DES MOINES — The Iowa Department of Education today released the latest edition of its annual report containing state-level data and information on Iowa’s schools.
The 2022 Annual Condition of Education report includes data on preschool-through-12th grade student populations and demographics, academic achievement, postsecondary enrollment and completion, special education, teacher and school administrator characteristics and salaries and school financial information. For the first time, data on teacher retention is also available.
Additionally, an online companion to the Condition of Education report allows education stakeholders to dig deeper into interactive enrollment, course-taking and staffing data at the state and school-district levels. A new feature being launched this year allows users to explore trends in student participation rates, proficiency rates and average scale scores on state assessments. Reporting on teacher retention and retirement eligibility will be added to the site in the coming months.
“This flagship report summarizes the latest data and information on PK-12 education in Iowa, which are vital for driving school improvement and preparing all students for success,” said Ann Lebo, director of the Iowa Department of Education. “Providing and interpreting data is an important step as we determine what is working well, where there is room for improvement and next steps for moving forward. Additionally, it is also important for Iowans to connect with their schools to learn more about programs and initiatives underway that are improving outcomes and helping students succeed in the classroom and beyond.”
The Condition of Education report includes the most recent data through the 2021-22 school year, unless otherwise noted. Highlights from this year’s report include:
485,630: After experiencing a drop in 2020-21, public school K-12 enrollment increased slightly from 484,159 in 2020-21 to 485,630 in 2021-22.
26.8%: Minority students made up 26.8 percent of the student population in Iowa school districts, an all-time high, up from 26.1 percent the previous year.
40.7%: The percent of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches decreased for the second year in a row, down slightly from 41.8 percent the year before.
6.6%: The percent of students whose native language is not English (English learners), increased from 6.3 in 2020-21.
38,020: The number of full-time teachers in public schools remained steady in 2021-22, compared to 38,022 the year before. There was a 13.1 percent increase in the number of full-time public school teachers from the 2000-01 school year (33,610) to 2021-22 (38,020).
$59,492: The average regular teacher salary, up from $58,771 in 2020-21.
47.1%: The percent of students from Iowa’s class of 2022 who took higher-level mathematics, including calculus, statistics and trigonometry. This is down from 48.8 percent the year before.
111,769: Students in grades 9-12 took an all-time high number of concurrent enrollment courses during the 2021-22 school year — 111,769.
1,065: The number of students who earned the Seal of Biliteracy, which recognizes students who have attained proficiency in two or more languages, one of which is English. This is an increase of 85.2 percent from its inaugural year in 2018-19.
$11,431: The state’s average per-pupil expense in the 2020-21 school year, up from $10,794 in 2019-20.
The 2022 Annual Condition of Education and past editions dating back to 1998 are available on the Education Statistics page of the Iowa Department of Education website.