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Digest of Education Statistics
2012 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 79. Highest degree earned, years of full-time teaching experience, and average class size for teachers in public elementary and secondary schools, by state: 2007-08
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
State Total number of teachers (in thousands) Percent of teachers, by highest degree earned1 Percent of teachers, by years of full-time teaching experience Average class size, by level of instruction2
Bachelor's Master's Education specialist3 Doctor's Less than 3 3 to 9 10 to 20 Over 20 Elementary Secondary
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
United States 3,404.5 (43.98) 47.4 (0.59) 44.5 (0.55) 6.4   (0.25) 0.9   (0.08) 13.4 (0.59) 33.6 (0.52) 29.3 (0.55) 23.7 (0.60) 20.0 (0.14) 23.4 (0.16)
Alabama 53.2 (3.03) 44.3 (3.32) 46.9 (2.84) 6.9   (1.15) 0.6 ! (0.24) 14.4 (1.40) 31.3 (1.85) 36.1 (2.36) 18.2 (1.43) 18.9 (0.64) 25.3 (1.00)
Alaska 8.1 (1.00) 56.3 (3.04) 36.3 (2.72) 5.4   (0.98) 0.7 ! (0.27) 12.0 (1.33) 27.5 (2.54) 39.7 (2.74) 20.7 (1.95) 19.0 (0.81) 21.6 (0.67)
Arizona 66.5 (4.13) 49.1 (2.67) 41.6 (2.56) 7.1   (1.30)   (†) 21.0 (2.63) 34.6 (2.62) 26.1 (2.22) 18.4 (2.26) 23.5 (0.66) 25.6 (0.76)
Arkansas 35.8 (1.30) 58.6 (2.67) 34.1 (2.26) 5.3   (1.06)   (†) 10.7 (1.31) 25.7 (1.91) 32.1 (2.20) 31.6 (2.16) 19.8 (0.49) 20.3 (0.61)
California 310.0 (17.05) 52.7 (1.94) 34.3 (1.77) 10.2   (1.16) 1.9   (0.43) 13.5 (1.41) 35.9 (1.70) 30.3 (1.51) 20.3 (1.48) 21.5 (0.44) 30.0 (0.57)
                                                 
Colorado 50.1 (2.19) 42.9 (2.61) 48.4 (2.54) 6.9   (1.41) 1.4 ! (0.56) 17.2 (1.73) 37.9 (2.55) 28.1 (2.54) 16.8 (1.88) 21.2 (0.70) 23.9 (0.69)
Connecticut 50.1 (2.85) 19.2 (1.88) 64.3 (1.94) 15.0   (1.72) 0.9 ! (0.42) 12.2 (1.26) 29.7 (2.19) 31.1 (2.18) 27.1 (2.16) 19.4 (0.84) 21.3 (0.79)
Delaware 8.3 (0.59) 38.2 (3.13) 53.0 (3.05) 6.2   (1.79)   (†) 10.6 (2.42) 43.3 (4.14) 27.9 (3.25) 18.2 (2.55) 21.4 (1.35) 22.0 (0.69)
District of Columbia 4.4 (0.39) 41.3 (3.83) 45.3 (3.96) 7.1   (1.93) 5.9   (1.64) 20.0 (3.26) 29.9 (3.61) 24.6 (2.84) 25.5 (3.46) 19.0 (0.76) 19.1 (1.58)
Florida 177.2 (9.43) 60.9 (2.40) 34.1 (2.42) 3.1   (0.76) 1.1 ! (0.52) 14.8 (1.66) 35.0 (2.24) 27.4 (2.11) 22.8 (2.09) 18.3 (0.48) 24.2 (0.63)
                                                 
Georgia 121.9 (5.22) 38.8 (2.65) 43.4 (2.67) 15.0   (1.97) 2.3 ! (0.77) 10.3 (1.92) 32.4 (3.27) 35.9 (3.70) 21.4 (3.01) 17.6 (0.50) 22.6 (0.82)
Hawaii 12.8 (1.44) 46.9 (3.40) 32.6 (3.23) 17.7   (2.56)   (†) 18.6 (3.61) 34.3 (3.63) 28.6 (3.07) 18.6 (3.21) 20.6 (1.01) 23.6 (1.37)
Idaho 16.2 (1.32) 66.1 (2.57) 29.7 (2.38) 2.7 ! (0.91)   (†) 12.5 (1.20) 31.0 (2.46) 33.6 (2.42) 22.8 (2.05) 23.7 (0.54) 23.0 (0.55)
Illinois 145.0 (5.62) 45.5 (2.39) 49.8 (2.35) 4.0   (0.93)   (†) 13.4 (1.43) 35.6 (2.32) 29.3 (1.82) 21.6 (2.16) 21.4 (0.78) 23.2 (0.70)
Indiana 68.4 (2.99) 37.4 (2.78) 57.0 (2.92) 4.9   (1.34)   (†) 9.2 (1.37) 32.3 (2.26) 29.1 (2.14) 29.4 (2.38) 21.3 (0.42) 25.5 (0.75)
                                                 
Iowa 39.6 (2.67) 59.8 (2.51) 37.9 (2.54) 1.4 ! (0.62)   (†) 11.4 (1.44) 30.5 (2.38) 29.9 (2.34) 28.2 (2.04) 20.0 (0.62) 21.3 (0.73)
Kansas 37.7 (2.13) 53.0 (2.69) 41.8 (2.72) 4.7   (1.16)   (†) 13.0 (1.95) 30.2 (2.35) 27.2 (2.65) 29.6 (2.23) 19.5 (0.64) 21.0 (0.94)
Kentucky 44.4 (2.88) 20.9 (2.22) 57.5 (3.42) 18.9   (2.47) 0.7 ! (0.31) 10.2 (1.59) 35.5 (2.90) 30.1 (3.53) 24.2 (2.46) 22.1 (0.64) 24.3 (0.90)
Louisiana 48.1 (3.63) 71.9 (2.34) 23.5 (2.18) 3.7   (0.86) 0.4 ! (0.16) 12.7 (1.94) 33.3 (2.08) 27.6 (2.54) 26.3 (2.12) 18.1 (1.01) 20.9 (0.57)
Maine 17.8 (0.81) 54.4 (2.57) 37.9 (2.45) 5.1   (0.95) 0.6 ! (0.21) 12.3 (2.19) 27.0 (2.17) 31.5 (3.38) 29.1 (2.51) 16.9 (0.69) 19.9 (1.36)
                                                 
Maryland 59.9 (3.67) 42.6 (3.60) 47.0 (3.56) 8.2   (1.94) 1.5 ! (0.64) 12.0 (2.05) 37.1 (2.80) 26.2 (2.83) 24.8 (2.55) 20.2 (1.35) 23.1 (0.75)
Massachusetts 80.4 (2.91) 30.6 (2.73) 62.0 (2.99) 5.6   (1.19)   (†) 11.1 (1.58) 39.9 (2.66) 27.2 (2.63) 21.8 (2.77) 18.7 (1.02) 20.6 (0.50)
Michigan 98.3 (6.60) 37.2 (2.81) 57.6 (2.56) 4.4 ! (1.34)   (†) 9.4 (1.66) 32.5 (2.69) 36.3 (3.06) 21.8 (1.98) 24.5 (1.04) 26.7 (0.78)
Minnesota 64.0 (5.32) 41.6 (2.00) 51.4 (2.11) 6.1   (1.09) 0.8 ! (0.34) 12.7 (1.61) 28.5 (2.28) 35.3 (2.25) 23.6 (1.93) 23.3 (0.74) 25.8 (0.64)
Mississippi 35.5 (1.49) 56.6 (2.34) 37.2 (2.29) 4.2   (0.89) 0.7 ! (0.24) 17.1 (1.42) 31.8 (2.00) 26.1 (1.90) 25.1 (2.51) 19.3 (0.55) 19.9 (0.65)
                                                 
Missouri 73.3 (3.52) 47.2 (3.34) 47.5 (2.90) 3.9   (1.18)   (†) 13.3 (1.57) 34.2 (2.43) 31.6 (2.80) 20.8 (1.68) 19.4 (0.53) 20.6 (0.61)
Montana 12.7 (0.58) 62.8 (2.34) 33.4 (2.19) 3.5 ! (1.06)   (†) 11.0 (1.70) 26.9 (2.23) 28.8 (2.31) 33.3 (2.07) 18.2 (0.57) 18.5 (0.84)
Nebraska 23.2 (1.18) 53.1 (2.42) 44.2 (2.42) 2.0 ! (0.70)   (†) 11.4 (1.52) 24.2 (1.79) 30.2 (2.10) 34.2 (1.98) 18.8 (0.49) 18.7 (0.73)
Nevada 23.7 (0.88) 41.5 (2.67) 49.5 (2.58) 7.5   (1.68)   (†) 15.6 (2.01) 37.3 (3.01) 27.8 (3.10) 19.4 (2.81) 21.5 (0.67) 26.5 (1.01)
New Hampshire 17.4 (0.70) 49.4 (2.60) 45.4 (2.51) 4.5   (1.08)   (†) 13.3 (2.12) 31.7 (2.33) 29.1 (2.85) 26.0 (2.97) 19.0 (0.50) 21.7 (0.68)
                                                 
New Jersey 124.5 (8.59) 55.8 (3.56) 36.5 (3.11) 6.3   (1.78) 1.4 ! (0.52) 12.3 (1.91) 40.8 (3.16) 22.8 (2.58) 24.1 (2.39) 19.8 (1.29) 23.0 (1.11)
New Mexico 22.7 (1.44) 53.0 (2.73) 39.5 (2.74) 5.4   (1.48)   (†) 13.3 (1.86) 35.6 (2.81) 29.6 (2.76) 21.5 (1.95) 18.8 (0.50) 22.5 (0.67)
New York 228.1 (17.70) 11.8 (1.61) 77.6 (2.19) 8.9   (1.62) 1.1 ! (0.49) 12.8 (1.67) 38.0 (2.69) 28.5 (2.78) 20.6 (2.35) 18.0 (0.73) 22.0 (0.53)
North Carolina 96.0 (4.48) 64.6 (3.22) 28.0 (2.88) 5.4   (1.22)   (†) 15.6 (1.74) 37.3 (2.93) 25.0 (3.08) 22.0 (1.97) 19.4 (0.63) 21.0 (0.51)
North Dakota 8.9 (1.62) 68.2 (2.27) 28.1 (2.38) 2.8 ! (1.21)   (†) 12.0 (1.64) 23.3 (1.80) 30.0 (2.53) 34.7 (2.25) 16.4 (0.40) 18.0 (1.67)
                                                 
Ohio 134.3 (12.04) 31.9 (2.84) 62.3 (2.78) 3.7   (0.93)   (†) 12.1 (2.33) 29.9 (2.69) 31.6 (2.88) 26.3 (2.47) 21.2 (0.97) 23.4 (0.68)
Oklahoma 46.5 (2.03) 66.5 (1.82) 28.9 (2.15) 2.9   (0.65) 0.7 ! (0.35) 10.9 (1.12) 31.4 (1.79) 30.7 (1.65) 27.0 (1.63) 19.7 (0.37) 20.7 (0.54)
Oregon 31.7 (1.57) 37.0 (3.13) 52.3 (3.14) 9.0   (1.33)   (†) 18.0 (2.00) 31.5 (2.76) 29.5 (2.18) 21.0 (1.99) 23.3 (0.74) 25.2 (0.63)
Pennsylvania 136.9 (8.48) 45.3 (2.27) 45.2 (2.19) 8.0   (1.15)   (†) 12.5 (1.32) 33.6 (3.02) 26.7 (2.09) 27.2 (3.01) 20.8 (0.74) 22.4 (0.79)
Rhode Island 13.2 (0.69) 44.7 (4.09) 48.7 (4.66) 5.7   (1.54)   (†) 7.7 (2.09) 37.0 (3.30) 32.2 (3.31) 23.1 (3.48) 20.7 (0.59) 22.9 (1.04)
                                                 
South Carolina 49.0 (1.25) 40.9 (2.53) 52.1 (2.76) 5.1   (1.17)   (†) 12.8 (1.39) 31.5 (2.53) 27.3 (2.18) 28.5 (2.16) 18.5 (0.60) 21.4 (0.45)
South Dakota 10.6 (1.09) 66.8 (2.39) 30.9 (2.39) 1.1 ! (0.47)   (†) 11.4 (1.47) 23.7 (2.45) 32.5 (2.16) 32.4 (2.51) 17.9 (0.68) 20.2 (0.98)
Tennessee 67.1 (3.23) 44.9 (2.96) 43.0 (2.75) 9.3   (1.61)   (†) 13.6 (1.86) 28.8 (2.74) 30.8 (2.83) 26.8 (2.23) 17.7 (0.45) 23.0 (0.68)
Texas 340.4 (22.28) 70.1 (2.33) 26.3 (2.29) 2.5   (0.71) 0.6 ! (0.22) 17.1 (1.95) 31.2 (2.18) 27.7 (2.41) 24.0 (2.74) 17.7 (0.66) 21.7 (0.85)
Utah 27.2 (3.01) 61.1 (3.34) 30.3 (3.14) 6.1   (1.42)   (†) 19.9 (2.38) 32.9 (2.93) 26.0 (2.54) 21.2 (2.10) 24.0 (0.39) 29.2 (0.80)
                                                 
Vermont 10.2 (0.81) 42.6 (3.33) 50.0 (3.46) 5.9   (1.38)   (†) 11.7 (2.24) 30.5 (2.97) 30.5 (2.92) 27.3 (2.44) 16.8 (0.61) 17.9 (0.88)
Virginia 94.0 (4.10) 57.4 (2.38) 36.1 (2.12) 4.5   (1.04) 1.0 ! (0.50) 14.1 (2.08) 32.8 (2.39) 26.6 (2.33) 26.5 (1.88) 18.2 (0.55) 20.8 (0.99)
Washington 58.1 (3.98) 31.4 (2.45) 60.7 (2.58) 6.4   (1.27) 0.6 ! (0.25) 14.1 (2.48) 27.8 (2.40) 32.6 (2.88) 25.5 (2.40) 22.8 (0.63) 24.9 (0.62)
West Virginia 22.9 (0.88) 39.5 (2.23) 51.6 (1.99) 6.7   (1.14) 0.5 ! (0.19) 13.1 (1.56) 26.4 (2.15) 23.1 (2.11) 37.4 (1.90) 18.6 (0.53) 21.4 (0.50)
Wisconsin 70.1 (3.21) 44.8 (3.08) 49.3 (3.67) 5.5   (1.41)   (†) 9.8 (1.84) 32.4 (2.32) 31.4 (2.70) 26.4 (2.27) 19.6 (0.68) 23.0 (0.51)
Wyoming 7.9 (0.45) 56.0 (2.14) 37.6 (2.19) 5.3   (1.06)   (†) 10.3 (1.21) 27.3 (2.49) 32.5 (2.38) 29.9 (1.94) 18.7 (0.46) 18.8 (0.73)
†Not applicable.
!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.
‡Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.
1 Teachers with less than a bachelor's degree are not shown separately.
2 Elementary teachers are those who taught self-contained classes at the elementary level, and secondary teachers are those who taught departmentalized classes (e.g., science, art, social science, or other course subjects) at the secondary level. Teachers were classified as elementary or secondary on the basis of the grades they taught, rather than on the level of the school in which they taught. In general, elementary teachers include those teaching prekindergarten through grade 5 and those teaching multiple grades, with a preponderance of grades taught being kindergarten through grade 6. In general, secondary teachers include those teaching any of grades 7 through 12 and those teaching multiple grades, with a preponderance of grades taught being grades 7 through 12 and usually with no grade taught being lower than grade 5.
3 Education specialist degrees or certificates are generally awarded for 1 year’s work beyond the master’s level. Includes certificates of advanced graduate studies.
NOTE: Data are based on a head count of all teachers rather than on the number of full-time-equivalent teachers appearing in other tables. Excludes prekindergarten teachers. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding, cell suppression, and omitted categories (less than bachelor's).
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), "Public Teacher Questionnaire," 2007-08. (This table was prepared September 2009.)

2012 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest