Table 7.Average class size in public primary schools, middle schools, high schools, and schools with combined grades, by classroom type and state: 2011

Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS)

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Table 7. Average class size in public primary schools, middle schools, high schools, and schools with combined grades, by classroom type and state: 2011–12


	Primary schools			Middle schools			High schools			Combined grade schools
State	Average class size for teachers in self-contained classes	Average class size for teachers in departmentalized instruction		Average class size for teachers in self-contained classes		Average class size for teachers in departmentalized instruction	Average class size for teachers in self-contained classes		Average class size for teachers in departmentalized instruction	Average class size for teachers in self-contained classes		Average class size for teachers in departmentalized instruction
United States	21.6	26.2		16.7		25.5	17.7		24.2	16.6		19.0

Alabama	19.4	29.4		11.0		28.4	29.4	!	23.0	17.0		19.0
Alaska	21.1	17.4		4.0		21.8	14.7	!	20.3	13.4		10.2
Arizona	24.5	25.3		10.9		26.2	23.5		25.9	20.1		19.5
Arkansas	20.4	22.8		13.9		23.1	19.9		20.5	19.5		19.8
California	25.4	28.2		23.4		30.7	20.6		30.0	19.0		21.9

Colorado	23.3	26.1		16.6		26.1	16.7	!	27.9	17.3		22.1
Connecticut	20.1	22.2		17.8		22.2	17.4	!	19.9	‡		19.1
Delaware	21.1	31.3		‡		25.3	16.0		23.6	6.2		17.0
District of Columbia	‡	‡		‡		‡	‡		‡	‡		‡
Florida	‡	‡		‡		‡	‡		‡	‡		‡

Georgia	21.2	24.3		14.8		24.4	7.2	!	25.4	13.7		17.6
Hawaii	‡	‡		‡		‡	‡		‡	‡		‡
Idaho	25.1	27.8		19.3		25.9	15.8		22.2	18.3		19.1
Illinois	23.5	24.8		14.4		24.9	10.8		26.4	14.7		18.5
Indiana	21.7	35.1		18.3		25.8	14.4		23.6	17.0		18.9

Iowa	20.9	21.5		15.6		27.8	12.2		22.8	16.0		21.0
Kansas	20.7	20.6		13.6		24.0	20.7		19.7	17.5		16.0
Kentucky	23.7	23.5		7.3		26.9	18.7		23.6	15.1		18.0
Louisiana	19.4	21.3		8.6	!	23.4	‡		22.5	17.7		16.7
Maine	17.8	18.4	!	12.3		21.6	16.1		16.7	9.5		13.4

Maryland	‡	‡		‡		‡	‡		‡	‡		‡
Massachusetts	20.1	32.2		16.5		25.0	15.4		22.0	19.2	!	19.3
Michigan	25.7	36.0		25.2		28.0	27.8		27.3	13.8		20.4
Minnesota	23.7	31.0		23.5	!	29.5	21.9		27.0	16.8		23.1
Mississippi	22.1	25.5		‡		22.5	9.3		19.7	15.2		17.0

Missouri	20.7	23.5		18.4		25.9	14.1		21.8	17.1		19.5
Montana	20.5	17.7		16.4		24.0	19.1		20.6	12.8		12.5
Nebraska	19.0	18.3		14.6		25.6	17.4		21.4	15.2		16.5
Nevada	26.1	54.4	!	10.2	!	31.8	23.9	!	31.2	13.4	!	25.4
New Hampshire	21.2	16.6		20.0	!	23.5	15.1	!	19.7	10.9		13.0

New Jersey	19.0	20.4		10.8		24.6	12.7		21.9	7.9		20.4
New Mexico	20.5	19.8	!	13.5	!	23.2	27.9	!	22.0	14.4		13.3
New York	21.5	25.9		13.8		24.5	17.4		22.5	12.9	!	19.2
North Carolina	19.8	32.8		14.9		25.5	9.9		24.3	19.7		19.7
North Dakota	19.3	24.7		10.9		20.9	26.1	!	18.4	14.5		14.2

Ohio	21.8	24.0		17.1		25.6	19.3		23.6	19.1		20.2
Oklahoma	21.1	27.5		16.0		25.4	15.9		19.8	17.5		17.7
Oregon	26.7	24.1		29.2		28.8	16.2		28.1	18.2		15.3
Pennsylvania	22.6	28.1		13.0		24.9	16.0		21.4	27.2	!	20.7
Rhode Island	‡	‡		‡		‡	‡		‡	‡		‡

South Carolina	19.4	28.4		8.6		23.9	9.5		22.4	20.0		15.2
South Dakota	21.7	22.3		‡		24.8	18.6		20.9	16.7		15.8
Tennessee	17.8	31.4		15.9	!	25.4	18.1	!	24.6	18.5		20.5
Texas	18.6	26.4		13.4		24.4	18.0	!	23.6	15.1		16.8
Utah	27.6	8.3		19.6		29.4	25.4		29.0	21.9		28.6	!

Vermont	16.7	19.3		16.8		20.9	12.7		17.7	14.2		10.9
Virginia	20.4	28.9		15.6	!	22.3	14.3		22.8	13.7	!	10.3
Washington	23.9	37.0		29.1		27.0	28.5		27.0	17.7		15.4
West Virginia	19.2	27.8		9.1	!	23.5	8.9	!	19.8	19.8	!	20.3
Wisconsin	20.8	35.2	!	24.7		28.4	15.7		23.2	21.6	!	19.9
Wyoming	17.4	‡		11.9		21.3	8.5		17.8	13.4		12.9
! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 percent and 50 percent (i.e., the standard error is at least 30 percent and less than 50 percent of the estimate).
‡ Reporting standards not met. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is 50 percent or greater (i.e., the standard error is 50 percent or more of the estimate) or the response rate is below 50 percent.
NOTE: Self–contained classes are defined as instruction to the same group of students all or most of the day in multiple subjects, and departmentalized instruction is defined as instruction to several classes of different students most or all of the day in one or more subjects. Among all public school teachers, 27 percent teach self–contained classes in primary schools, 1 percent in middle schools, 1 percent in high schools, and 1 percent in combined schools; 7 percent teach departmentalized classes in primary schools, 14 percent in middle schools, 25 percent in high schools, and 4 percent in combined schools; 14 percent teach other types of classes, such as elementary subject specialist classes, team–taught classes, and "pull–out" or "push–in" classes in primary schools, 3 percent in middle schools, 2 percent in high schools, and 1 percent in combined schools.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), "Public School Teacher Data File," 2011–12.

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