Fifty-two million
kids are heading back to school! The numbers are staggering -- and they
offer an excellent practical opportunity to reinforce chart-reading
and math skills in grades 2 and up!
Student skills masters included!
It's back to school time for 52.4 million students! That's how many students-kindergarten through grade 12-will be enrolled this fall across the United States, according to statistics published by the National Center for Education Statistics.
That's a lot of new school lunchboxes and notebooks!
This year's K-12 enrollment is the largest enrollment ever, up about 700,000 from last year. Last year's enrollment was slightly higher that the previous peak of 51.3 million students reached in the fall of 1971.
Check out the chart below for a detailed look at the K-12 enrollment numbers over the years.
NEW! SKILLS PRACTICE PAGES
No, kids, you're not alone! Millions of other students are heading back to school this month. You'll be amazed at the numbers!
Teachers, check out the special skills pages that we've created for your students to accompany this back-to-school news. Just print out and reproduce the skills practice page that's appropriate for your grade level to provide for your students some practical practice in table reading and math based on U.S. school enrollment figures. Click on the page below created especially for your students! (The Answer Keys for these activity pages appear below.)
Skills
Practice for Students in Grades 2-3
Skills
Practice for Students in Grades 4-5
Skills
Practice for Students in Grades 6 and Up
A HISTORY OF K-12 SCHOOL ENROLLMENT IN THE UNITED STATES
THE YEAR | TOTAL K-12 ENROLLMENT
IN THE U.S. |
---|---|
1899 | 16,855,000 |
1909 | 19,372,000 |
1919 | 23,278,000 |
1929 | 28,329,000 |
1939 | 28,045,000 |
1949 | 28,492,000 |
1959 | 40,857,000 |
1969 | 51,050,000 |
1971* | 51,271,000 |
1974 | 50,073,000 |
1979 | 46,651,000 |
1984 | 44,908,000 |
1989 | 45,898,000 |
1994 | 49,705,000 |
1997 | 52,400,000 |
1999 | 53,342,000 |
SCHOOL ENROLLMENT FACTS FROM THE CENSUS BUREAU
Following are a few school enrollment facts from the folks at the Census Bureau that might be of interest.
ANSWER KEYS
Skills Practice 2-3.
1. 52 million, 2. 5 years ago, 3. 51 million, 4.
more, 5. 20 years ago. Thinking Question. 1 million;
subtract 52 - 51 to get the answer.
Skills Practice 4-5.
1. 52,000,000; 2. 45,000,000; 3. 7,000,000; 4. 1927,
1937, and 1947; 5. 1977; 6. 33,000,000; 7.
1967; 8. 1967; 9. 4,000,000; 10. 1957.
Skills Practice 6+.
1. 52,400,000; 2. 45,500,000; 3. 6,900,000; 4. 1927;
5. 1977; 6. 33,000,000; 7. 1967; 8. 1977;
9. 36,490,000; 10. Check students' work.
Article by Gary Hopkins
Education World® Editor-in-Chief
Copyright © 1997, 2005Education World