Background/Context: Recent research has demonstrated the potential for teacher professional development to enhance teacher learning, improve instruction, and increase student achievement. Nevertheless, research examining the relationship between state and local policies and teachers' participation in professional development is sparse. This…

This study examines impacts of mentoring and induction activities on beginning teacher turnover using the School and Staffing Survey (SASS) of 1999-2000 and the Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS) of 2000-2001. In order to improve understanding of the influence of induction programs on beginning teacher turnover, three models are developed to achieve…

This report presents selected findings from the Public School District Data File of the 2011-12 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). SASS is a nationally representative sample survey of public and private K-12 schools, principals, and teachers in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. School districts associated with public schools and library…

Schools and Staffing Survey data on public school teachers from 1993-94 and 1999-2000 show that more teachers participate in content-focused professional development, more policy supports provide incentives for participation, and more resources for professional development are allocated to high-poverty schools. The largest increase in sustained…

This report recommends items from international comparative education studies that are related to inservice professional development (IPD) for possible inclusion in the Schools and Staffing Survey of 1999-2000. To justify these recommendations, the value of international comparisons and of state and nation comparisons generally is discussed, along…

As the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) considers the redesign of the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), it is appropriate to consider the information about inservice professional development (IPD) that would be suitable for inclusion in the SASS. Part I of this paper considers the various definitions of IPD and its evaluation,…

This booklet provides snapshots of teachers' work lives, using information obtained from previous Schools and Staffing Surveys (SASS). The SASS is a set of integrated questionnaires that collect information nationwide about schools and the staff who work in them. A wide variety of schools complete the surveys. The SASS Teacher Questionnaire asks…