DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A national report has found that Iowa is lagging behind much of the U.S. in foreign language instruction for K-12 students. The Des Moines Register reports the study was conducted by the American Councils for International Education and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. It says slightly more than 15 percent of Iowa’s K-12 students were enrolled in a foreign language course for the 2014-15 academic year. Iowa ranked 35th out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia for foreign language instruction.

Jason Noble is president of the Iowa World Language Association. He says larger school districts can typically offer more foreign language options, which creates a rural-urban divide. In Iowa, teacher shortages and budget issues have forced some districts to cut programs in recent years.