Early-Career Teachers’ Preparation and Support

In school year 2011-12, the majority of early-career teachers (i.e., teachers who had taught for five or fewer years) in public schools reported that they were well prepared for a range of instructional duties in their first year of teaching. The National Center for Education Statistics released a new Statistics in Brief report today (April 3, 2018) entitled "Preparation and Support for Teachers in Public Schools: Reflections on the First Year of Teaching."  This report examines early-career teachers' preparation for teaching and receipt of support by selected characteristics of the schools in which they taught during the 2011–12 school year.  Key findings include: In school year 2011–12: Larger percentages of early-career teachers in lower poverty schools than in higher poverty public schools reported that they were well prepared in their first year of teaching to handle a range of classroom management or disciplinary situations, use a variety of instructional methods, teach their subject matter, assess their students, differentiate instruction in the classroom, use student assessment data to inform instruction, and meet state content standards. About 75 percent of early-career teachers in public schools reported receiving regular supportive communication with their principals, other administrators, or department chair; 66 percent reported receiving seminars or classes for beginning teachers; and 56 percent reported receiving common planning time with teachers in their subject during their first year of teaching. Smaller percentages of early-career teachers in charter schools than in traditional public schools reported that they had access to beginning teacher seminars or classes and regular supportive communication with their principal, other administrators, or department chair during their first year of teaching. Larger percentages of early-career teachers in public primary and middle schools than in high schools and combined schools reported that they had common planning time with other teachers in their subject during their first year of teaching.