Wyoming classroom sizes vary by community with it not unusual to see class sizes of just ten students per teacher or so, even in the upper grades. The results of these small classroom sizes are seen in high rankings on skills tests that are mandated through the ‘No Child Left Behind’ act.
High schools in Wyoming graduate about 76% of their seniors, with this figure about average for schools located in the United States. Some who are teaching in Wyoming speculate that traditional graduation rates are not higher due to the fact that many young adults are anxious to leave areas that have no real amusements beyond the wildlife.
Wyoming also has a high number of people taking GED high school graduation equivalency tests that are not counted within the traditional graduation figures. Reasons for taking these tests instead of completing the normal four years of high school include choices to leave high school quickly so that the college experience can begin sooner.
Wyoming Teacher Requirements
Wyoming is the state with the least amount of people in it. For those interested in what the future might bring for those teaching in Wyoming, this is an important little fact to consider. Today, Wyoming is not plagued with the same amount of teacher shortages as some other areas of the country are dealing with, but this can all change in a heartbeat if industry decides to relocated into this low cost of living and zero state taxes location.
With our current economic situation in the United States at a low point, there are some very real concerns showing in the educational sectors on how to handle a massive growth period in the future, that can be similar to what the state is experiencing now on a non-permanent basis with energy explorations causing rapid growth surges in all areas of Wyoming’s local schools near these very active energy related job-sites.
Teaching in Wyoming in the future may include an increased school population that will require many new teaching positions to be filled in all classroom areas. Right now, our country as a whole is experiencing teacher shortages for mathematics, sciences, technology, and in gifted and special education areas. People holding advanced degrees in these subject areas will probably need to be recruited into Wyoming in the future.