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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.