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Digest of Education Statistics: 2009
Digest of Education Statistics: 2009

NCES 2010-013
April 2010


Table 167. Minimum amount of instructional time per year and policy on textbook selection, by state: 2000, 2006, and 2008
State Minimum amount of instructional time per year State policy on textbook selection, 2008 State
In days In hours State recommends or selects textbooks Local decision State standards used in recom-mendation or selection
2000 2006 2008 2008 Recom-mends Selects Either recom-mends or selects
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Alabama 175   175 180       X   X Alabama
Alaska 180   180 180 1  740 (K-3); 900 (4-12)       X   Alaska
Arizona 175 2  180 180 3        X   Arizona
Arkansas 178   178 178 4  X       X Arkansas
California 175   180 180   X         California
                       
Colorado [5]   160 160   450/900 (K); 990 (1-5); 1,080 (6-12)       X   Colorado
Connecticut 180   180 180   450/900 (K); 900 (1-12)       X   Connecticut
Delaware [5]     440 (K); 1,060 (1-11); 1,032 (12)       X   Delaware
District of Columbia 180 6  180 180             District of Columbia
Florida 180   180 180   X       X Florida
                       
Georgia 180 6  180 180   X       X Georgia
Hawaii 184   179 180   X       X Hawaii
Idaho 180     4501  (K); 8101  (1-3); 9001  (4-8); 9901,7 (9-12) X       X Idaho
Illinois 180 8  176 176         X   Illinois
Indiana 180   180 180   X       X Indiana
                       
Iowa 180   180 180         X   Iowa
Kansas 186   186 (K-11); 181 (12) 186 (K-11); 181 (12)   465 (K); 1,116 (1-11); 1,086 (12)       X   Kansas
Kentucky 175   175 175 1  X       X Kentucky
Louisiana 175   177 177 4      X     Louisiana
Maine 175   175 175 4        X   Maine
                       
Maryland 180   180 180   1,080       X   Maryland
Massachusetts 180   180 180   425 (K); 900 (1-8)9 ; 990 (6-12)10        X   Massachusetts
Michigan 180     1,098       X   Michigan
Minnesota [5]   [5] [5]         X   Minnesota
Mississippi 180   180 180     X       Mississippi
                       
Missouri 174   174 174   1,044 Missouri
Montana 180   90 (K); 180 (K-12)   360/720 (K); 720 (1-3); 1,0807  (4-12)       X   Montana
Nebraska [5]     400 (K); 1,032 (1-8); 1,080 (9-12)       X   Nebraska
Nevada 180   180 180             Nevada
New Hampshire 180   180 180   945 (1-8)11 ; 990 (9-12)       X   New Hampshire
                       
New Jersey 180   180 180         X   New Jersey
New Mexico 180   180 180   450/99012  (K); 99012  (1-6); 1,080 (7-12)   X     X New Mexico
New York 180 6  180 180         X   New York
North Carolina 180   180 180   1,000   X       North Carolina
North Dakota 173   173 173 13        X   North Dakota
                       
Ohio 182   182 182 1        X   Ohio
Oklahoma 180   180 175 4    X     X Oklahoma
Oregon [5]     405 (K); 810 (1-3); 900 (4-8); 9907  (9-12)     X   X Oregon
Pennsylvania 180   180 180   450 (K); 900 (1-6); 990 (7-12) Pennsylvania
Rhode Island 180   180 180         X   Rhode Island
                       
South Carolina 180   180 180 4      X   X South Carolina
South Dakota     437.514  (K); Board decision (1-3)15 ; 962.57  (4-12)       X   South Dakota
Tennessee 180   180 180 13    X     X Tennessee
Texas 187   180 180       X     Texas
Utah 180   180 180   450 (K); 810 (1); 990 (2-12)     X     Utah
                       
Vermont 175   175 175   Vermont
Virginia 180   180 180   540 (K); 990 (1-12) X     X X Virginia
Washington 180 8  180 180   450 (K); 1,000 (1-12)       X X Washington
West Virginia 180   180 180       X     West Virginia
Wisconsin 180   180 180   437 (K); 1,050 (1-6); 1,137 (7-12)       X   Wisconsin
Wyoming 175   175 175         X   Wyoming
—Not available.
†Not applicable.
X Denotes that the state has a policy. A blank denotes that the state does not have a policy.
1 Includes time for staff development.
2 1994 data.
3 Or an equivalent number of minutes of instruction per year for districts on an alternate schedule.
4 Does not include time for staff development.
5 No statewide policy; varies by district.
6 1996 data.
7 Instructional time for graduating seniors may be reduced.
8 1998 data.
9 Instructional hours shown apply to schools with grades 1 through 5, 6, 7, or 8.
10 Instructional hours shown apply to schools with any combination of grades within the given range.
11 Middle schools (any combination of grades 4 through 8) are required to have the same hours as secondary schools (grades 9 through 12).
12 Teachers may use 33 hours of the full-day kindergarten program and 22 hours of the grades 1 through 5 programs for home visits or parent-teacher conferences.
13 Does not include time for staff development and parent-teacher conferences.
14 Kindergarten instructional time is effective July 1, 2010.
15 The Board of Education sets the minimum number of hours in the school term for grades 1 through 3.
NOTE: Minimum number of instructional days refers to the actual number of days that pupils have contact with a teacher. Some states allow for different types of school calendars by setting instructional time in both days and hours, while others use only days or only hours. For states in which the number of days or hours varies by grade, the relevant grade(s) appear in parentheses.
SOURCE: Council of Chief State School Officers, Key State Education Policies on PK-12 Education, 2000, 2006, and 2008 (prepublication copy); Education Commission of the States, StateNotes, Scheduling/Length of School Year, 2008, retrieved June 10, 2009, from http://ecs.org/clearinghouse/78/24/7824.pdf; and supplemental information retrieved June 10, 2009, from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary School Education, http://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/603cmr27.html?section=105; retrieved July 16, 2009, from the New Hampshire General Court, http://state.nh.us/rules/ed300.html; retrieved July 21, 2009, from the South Dakota Department of Education, http://doe.sd.gov/oatq/accreditation/exemptionSDCL.asp; and retrieved July 23, 2009, from the Pennsylvania Code, http://pacode.com/secure/data/022/Chapter11/s11.3.html. (This table was prepared July 2009.)