Table 8. Average class size for public school teachers in elementary schools, secondary schools, and schools with combined grades, by classroom type and state: 2007-08

Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS)

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Table 8. Average class size for public school teachers in elementary schools, secondary schools, and schools with combined grades, by classroom type and state: 2007-08

	Elementary schools		Secondary schools			Combined grade schools
State	Average class size for teachers in self- contained classes	Average class size for teachers in depart- mentalized instruction	Average class size for teachers in self- contained classes		Average class size for teachers in depart- mentalized instruction	Average class size for teachers in self- contained classes		Average class size for teachers in depart- mentalized instruction
United States	20.3	23.7	18.6		23.3	15.1		16.8

Alabama	19.2	27.1	18.1	!	24.0	19.0		19.7
Alaska	20.8	22.4	10.8		24.0	13.3		12.1
Arizona	23.6	25.4	22.1		25.4	17.8		17.4
Arkansas	20.1	25.0	13.2		20.2	18.9		16.5
California	21.6	29.7	22.9		29.9	17.3		21.4

Colorado	21.2	25.3	17.7	!	23.7	21.4		15.9
Connecticut	19.7	20.9	16.7		21.4	‡		17.5	!
Delaware	22.4	26.0	23.7	!	19.9	9.3	!	24.2
District of Columbia	19.5	19.1	23.9	!	17.6	9.4		19.0	!
Florida	18.5	26.5	25.6		25.4	14.1		15.7

Georgia	17.6	22.7	12.5		23.0	15.5		17.2
Hawaii	20.6	28.0	#		23.7	20.3		18.5
Idaho	23.8	22.7	14.0		22.8	20.4		17.2
Illinois	21.8	23.0	13.8		23.1	14.7		16.6
Indiana	21.5	24.2	20.4		25.8	17.5	!	14.9

Iowa	20.2	18.7	18.9	!	20.7	18.0		18.5
Kansas	19.4	23.2	14.0		20.6	13.5		14.0
Kentucky	22.0	23.8	20.2	!	23.3	16.9		23.3
Louisiana	18.4	22.5	10.5		20.8	17.3		15.1
Maine	17.5	23.1	13.9		17.7	‡		12.5

Maryland	20.5	22.9	10.4	!	22.7	7.0		7.2
Massachusetts	19.2	22.6	16.1		19.7	‡		16.4
Michigan	25.1	27.4	15.8		26.1	16.2		22.8
Minnesota	23.7	27.3	15.8		25.5	17.2		20.6
Mississippi	19.7	21.5	12.6		20.2	14.6		17.2

Missouri	20.1	20.4	14.4		21.3	15.1		18.4
Montana	19.2	16.7	15.1		19.8	13.8		13.8
Nebraska	19.6	22.6	13.6		18.8	15.6		14.1
Nevada	21.6	24.5	15.6		28.4	16.9		15.8
New Hampshire	19.0	23.0	‡		21.1	17.1		15.7

New Jersey	19.9	21.9	11.0	!	21.8	15.2		20.3
New Mexico	19.2	21.1	19.5		22.6	11.8		13.2
New York	18.6	24.8	16.1	!	21.7	11.1		18.7
North Carolina	19.5	20.6	11.3		19.4	12.2		15.5
North Dakota	17.7	18.8	13.2		18.6	13.4		14.2

Ohio	21.3	24.7	20.7		22.1	18.7		20.5
Oklahoma	19.9	22.2	24.5	!	20.9	17.8		16.4
Oregon	23.4	24.1	22.9		26.3	19.0		11.9
Pennsylvania	21.2	21.8	20.7		21.4	11.9		17.1
Rhode Island	20.7	22.0	7.0		21.5	15.0		14.7

South Carolina	18.5	19.8	17.6		21.6	15.9	!	17.4
South Dakota	18.7	19.9	26.6	!	21.9	16.7		16.0
Tennessee	17.8	22.4	18.8		23.3	12.8		17.0
Texas	17.8	22.4	23.8		21.9	14.0		13.0
Utah	24.2	33.3	16.2	!	29.0	13.1		11.6	!

Vermont	17.0	20.0	8.6		19.4	14.4		12.6
Virginia	18.2	20.0	15.5		20.5	6.6		8.6
Washington	23.3	26.0	30.8		25.5	13.5	!	17.2
West Virginia	19.1	21.6	15.6		21.0	8.3		15.7
Wisconsin	19.9	24.5	19.7		23.0	19.7		15.7
Wyoming	18.9	19.1	‡		18.7	13.8		14.9
# Rounds to zero.
! Interpret data with caution. The standard error for this estimate is equal to 30 percent or more of the estimate's value.
‡ Reporting standards not met.
NOTE: Among all school teachers, 28% teach self-contained classes in elementary schools, 1% in secondary schools, and 3% in combined schools; 17% teach departmentalized classes in elementary schools, 27% in secondary schools, and 6% in combined schools; 16% teach other types of classes, such as elementary subject specialist classes, team taught classes, and “pull-out” classes or “push-in” classes, in elementary schools, 2% in secondary schools, and 1% in combined schools. In Hawaii, no secondary-level teachers in the sample reported teaching self-contained classes.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), "Public School Teacher Data File," 2007-08.

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