To Teach or Not to 

Teach?

Teaching Experience and 

Preparation Among 1992–93 

Bachelor’s Degree Recipients 

10 Years After College

Statistical Analysis Report

U.S. Department of Education

NCES 2007–163 
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
 

 

U.S. Department of Education

NCES 2007-163 

To Teach or Not to 

Teach? 

Teaching Experience and 

Preparation Among 1992–93 

Bachelor’s Degree Recipients 

10 Years After College 

Statistical Analysis Report 

July 2007 

Martha Naomi Alt 

Robin R. Henke 

MPR Associates, Inc. 

Kristin Perry 

Project Officer 

National Center for 

Education Statistics 
U.S. Department of Education 

Margaret Spellings 

Secretary 

Institute of Education Sciences 

Grover J. Whitehurst 

Director 

National Center for Education Statistics 

Mark Schneider 

Commissioner 

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing, and 

reporting data related to education in the United States and other nations. It fulfills a congressional mandate 

to collect, collate, analyze, and report full and complete statistics on the condition of education in the United 

States; conduct and publish reports and specialized analyses of the meaning and significance of such 

statistics; assist state and local education agencies in improving their statistical systems; and review and 

report on education activities in foreign countries. 

NCES activities are designed to address high priority education data needs; provide consistent, reliable, 

complete, and accurate indicators of education status and trends; and report timely, useful, and high quality 

data to the U.S. Department of Education, the Congress, the states, other education policymakers, 

practitioners, data users, and the general public. 

We strive to make our products available in a variety of formats and in language that is appropriate to a 

variety of audiences. You, as our customer, are the best judge of our success in communicating information 

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like to hear from you. Please direct your comments to: 

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July 2007 

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The NCES World Wide Web Electronic Catalog is http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch. 

Suggested Citation 

Alt, M.N., and Henke, R.R. (2007). To Teach or Not to Teach? Teaching Experience and Preparation Among 

1992–93 Bachelor’s Degree Recipients 10 Years After College (NCES 2007-163). U.S. Department of Education. 

Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. 

For ordering information on this report, write to 

U.S. Department of Education 

ED Pubs 

P.O. Box 1398 

Jessup, MD 20794-1398 

or call toll free 1-877-4ED-PUBS or order online at http://www.edpubs.org. 

Content Contact: 

Aurora D’Amico 

(202) 502-7334 

Aurora.D’Amico@ed.gov 
iii 

Executive Summary 

Efforts to increase student achievement have 

focused in recent years on improving teaching in 

the United States. Programs implementing 

higher standards for curricula, student 

performance, and, especially, teachers’ 

preparation and inservice training have been 

cornerstones of recent reforms (Hirsch, Koppich, 

and Knapp 2001; Potts, Blank, and Williams 

2002). To ensure a highly qualified teacher for 

every child, the No Child Left Behind Act and 

related state policies now require that teachers 

hold a bachelor’s degree and full certification in 

their field. Two common goals are attracting 

more skilled people to the profession and 

retaining teachers at higher rates, particularly 

new teachers. 

Interest in the teaching workforce often 

focuses on the characteristics of college 

graduates who choose teaching and who later 

decide to stay in the profession, and how 

teachers compare to their counterparts in other 

professions (Hanushek, Kain, and Rivkin 2004; 

Henke and Zahn 2001). This report profiles 

1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ 

experience with K–12 teaching in the 

subsequent 10 years, and their preparation for 

teaching. The analysis compares current and 

former teachers among this cohort on many 

measures, and contrasts these groups with 

graduates who never taught (where appropriate). 

It uses data from the 2003 Baccalaureate and 

Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03), the 

final follow-up survey of students who received 

their bachelor’s degrees in 1992–93 (B&B:93). 

The B&B:93 sample was drawn primarily from 

eligible respondents in the 1993 National 

Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:93), 

a nationally representative sample of all students 

in postsecondary education institutions in the 50 

states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto 

Rico. 

The analysis uses standard t-tests to 

determine statistical significance of differences 

between estimates, and one-way Analysis of 

Variance (ANOVA) to detect linear 

relationships between one ordered and one other 

variable. All differences reported in the text are 

statistically significant at the p < .05 level. 

Teaching Status of 1992−93 

Graduates in 2003 

In this study, teachers are defined as 

bachelor’s degree recipients who had worked as 

teachers of any grade K–12. This definition 

excludes those who worked only as long- or 

short-term substitutes or teacher’s aides, and 

those who taught only preschool grades. 

Through spring 2003, one-fifth (20 percent) 

of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients had 

taught in an elementary or secondary school 

(figure A and text table 1). Approximately 11 

percent of these graduates were teaching when 

interviewed in 2003, and another 9 percent had 

taught at some point but were not teaching at the 

time of the interview. 
Executive Summary

iv 

Demographic Characteristics 

Consistent with historical precedent (Grant 

and Murray 1999), in 2003 women were more 

likely than men to report that they were 

currently teaching (15 percent vs. 6 percent) or 

had taught previously (12 percent vs. 6 percent) 

(figure A and text table 1). Overall, 26 percent 

of the female graduates had taught at some 

point, compared with 12 percent of the males 

(text table 1). Asian/Pacific Islander graduates in 

this cohort were less inclined than others toward 

a teaching career; 93 percent of Asian graduates 

had never taught by 2003, compared with 75 to 

80 percent of graduates of other racial/ethnic 

backgrounds. Graduates who were age 30 or 

older when they completed their 1992–93 

bachelor’s degrees were also in general more 

likely than younger graduates to be teaching 

when they were interviewed in 2003. 

Academic Characteristics 

Graduates of public nondoctoral institutions 

were more likely than others to be teaching in 

2003 (text table 2). While 17 percent of public 

nondoctoral institution graduates reported 

teaching in 2003, among graduates from other 

institution types, 11 percent or fewer were 

teaching in 2003 (figure 2 and text table 2). 

Approximately 71 percent of education 

majors among 1992–93 graduates had taught by 

2003: 43 percent were teaching at the time of the 

interview, and 29 percent had taught but were 

not currently teaching (figure 3 and text table 2). 

Education majors were more likely than those 

Figure A.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were current or former teachers, by 

Figure A.—gender: 2003

NOTE: Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal 

Study (B&B:93/03).

11

6

15

9

6

12

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

All Male Female

Percent

Former teachers

Current teachers
 Executive Summary 

v 

who majored in any other discipline to be 

teaching in 2003 and to have prior teaching 

experience. However, 57 percent of all 

education majors were not teaching in 2003— 

29 percent who had never taught plus 29 percent 

who were former teachers.1 The data also 

indicate lower attrition rates from teaching 

among education majors than among majors in 

other fields. 

 

1 Although the two estimates each round to 29 and thus 

their sum would appear to be 58, summing the unrounded 

estimates produces 57.4. 

 Graduates’ scores on college entrance 

examinations (i.e., the SAT or ACT) were 

inversely related to their subsequent likelihood 

of teaching in 2003. For example, 16 percent of 

graduates with college entrance examination 

(CEE) scores in the lowest 25 percent of the 

distribution were teaching in 2003, compared 

with 10 percent of those in the middle half of the 

score distribution and 6 percent of those with the 

highest scores (figure B and text table 2). 

Figure B.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were current or former teachers,

Figure B.—by college entrance examination score and normalized undergraduate GPA: 2003

NOTE: Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal 

Study (B&B:93/03).

16

10

6

11

8

12 11

10

10

9

8

6

10 10

6

5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Lowest

quarter

Middle

quarters

Highest

quarter

Did not

take test

Less than

2.25

2.25–2.74 2.75–3.24 3.25–3.74

Percent Former teachers

Current teachers

College entrance examination score Cumulative undergraduate GPA
Executive Summary

vi 

On the other hand, as college grade point 

average (GPA) increased, graduates were more 

likely to have past teaching experience and in 

general were more likely to be teaching in 2003 

(figure B). 

About 34 percent of 1992–93 graduates 

whose highest earned degree was a 

master’s⎯and 47 percent of those who attained 

a post-baccalaureate certificate⎯had taught at 

some point by 2003 (figure 5 and text table 2). 

In contrast, 16 percent of graduates whose 

highest degree was a bachelor’s and 10 percent 

of those who earned a credential higher than a 

master’s degree had taught by 2003. 

Teachers’ Job Characteristics and 

Opinions About Teaching 

Characteristics of Teaching Job 

Among graduates who were teaching in 

2003, 91 percent were teaching in a public 

school and 64 percent in an elementary school 

(figure 6 and text table 3). Graduates who were 

teaching in 2003 were more likely than 

graduates who had taught only previously to 

work at a public school. General elementary was 

the main assignment field reported by 35 percent 

of these graduates, and 18 percent taught science 

or mathematics (figure 7). 

Job Satisfaction and Plans for 

Continuing to Teach 

Nearly all graduates (93 percent) who were 

teaching in 2003 expressed overall satisfaction 

with that job (figure C). Teachers were more 

likely to be satisfied with the learning 

environment at their 2003 school (77 percent) 

than with such aspects as pay, parent support, 

and students’ motivation to learn (48 percent of 

teachers were satisfied with each of these 

aspects). 

On other measures reflecting job satisfaction, 

90 percent of 2003 teachers reported that they 

would choose teaching again, and 2 in 3 (67 

percent) said they would remain a teacher for the 

rest of their working life (text table 4). Male and 

female teachers did not differ measurably in how 

long they planned to remain in the profession. 

However, more male than female teachers (94 

vs. 88 percent) said they would choose teaching 

if they had a chance to make the decision again 

(figure 9). White teachers were more likely than 

Black teachers to plan to teach until retirement 

(70 vs. 37 percent; figure D). 

Reasons for Not Teaching in 2003 

About 11 percent of the 1992−93 cohort were 

teaching in 2003, and 9 percent had taught but 

were not currently teaching (text table 2). 

Roughly as many graduates had thus left 

teaching as had stayed in the field by 2003, 

whether leaving was on a temporary or 

permanent basis. 

One-fifth of teachers who left teaching by 

2003 cited raising children or other family 

demands as their main reason for leaving (text 

table 5). Other common reasons for leaving 

teaching were to take jobs outside of education 

(18 percent) or nonteaching jobs in education 

(15 percent), because of low pay (13 percent), 

and “other”—an unspecified reason (22 

percent). Male teachers were more likely than 

females to leave for a job outside of education, 

while females were more likely to leave for 

family-related reasons.
 Executive Summary 

vii 

Preparation for Teaching 

Progress Through the Teacher Pipeline 

Nearly one-half (46 percent) of all 1992–93 

bachelor’s degree recipients had either not 

considered teaching or not taken any steps to 

prepare for the profession (figure 12 and text 

table 6). Another 30 percent had either 

considered teaching or applied for a teaching job 

at some point in the previous decade. While 16 

percent had both prepared to teach and taught, 

roughly 4 percent each had taught with no 

training or prepared but had not taught. Males 

and Asians/Pacific Islanders in the cohort were 

less likely than females and those from other 

racial/ethnic groups to have considered teaching 

or taken steps toward a teaching career (text 

table 6). 

Being prepared to teach is defined in this 

report as having earned a teaching certificate or 

having completed a student teaching assignment 

(which usually occurs toward the end of a 

Figure C.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were teaching in 2003, percentages who 

Figure C.—were satisfied with teaching overall and with various aspects of teaching: 2003

NOTE: School and job characteristics apply to respondents’ current teaching job. Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, 

and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal 

Study (B&B:93/03).

77

61

57

48

48

48

93

0 20 40 60 80 100

School’s learning

environment

Class size

Student discipline,

behavior

Student motivation to

learn

Support from parents

Pay

Teaching overall

Percent

Satisfied with:
Executive Summary

viii 

teacher preparation program).2 Characteristics 

associated with preparing for and becoming a 

teacher included having earned a different 

bachelor’s degree before the 1992–93 degree, 

earning the latter degree from a public nondoctorate-granting institution, and having 

majored in education as an undergraduate. 

Graduates who had higher college grades were 

also more likely to have gained teaching 

experience and to have completed preparation to 

 

2 Most states’ certification requirements for public school 

teachers include a period of student teaching—either 

directly or indirectly (e.g., states may require teachers’ 

education programs to include student teaching and require 

all prospective teachers to complete such a program). 

teach by 2003. On the other hand, as CEE scores 

increased, graduates were less likely to have 

prepared and to have taught by 2003. Having 

either taught or trained to teach before 

completing the 1992–93 degree were other 

predictors of preparing and teaching by 2003. 

Student Teaching and Certification

Overall, 4 in 5 of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree 

recipients had not prepared to teach by 2003 

(text table 7), while 17 percent earned teaching 

certificates. Another 3 percent had completed 

student teaching but not all requirements for 

certification. Graduates who were relatively 

Figure D.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were teaching in 2003, percentage distribution 

Figure D.—by length of time they expected to stay in teaching, by gender and race/ethnicity: 2003

NOTE: Black includes African American and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. Detail may not sum to 

totals because of rounding. Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal 

Study (B&B:93/03).

Length of time expect to stay in teaching

65

37

70

68

65

4

19

7

6

11

11

20

9

9

13

20

24

14

16

11

0 20 40 60 80 100

 Hispanic

 Black

 White

 Female

 Male

Percent

Rest of working life Until nonteaching job in education comes along Until something better comes along Other
 Executive Summary 

ix 

likely to earn teaching certification included 

females (figure E and text table 7), Whites and 

Blacks (vs. Asians/Pacific Islanders), those who 

graduated from public non-doctorate-granting 

postsecondary institutions, and those who 

majored in education. 

Reasons for Deciding Not to Teach

Among the 1992−93 graduates who had 

considered teaching but had not entered the 

profession, 36 percent cited lack of interest in 

teaching, 30 percent reported having another job 

already, and 25 percent sought higher pay (text 

table 8). Males were more likely than females to 

have sought higher pay, gotten another job, and 

received a better offer than teaching (figure 14). 

Graduates whose attainment before the 1992–

93 bachelor’s degree was less than a bachelor’s 

were also more likely than those with higher 

prior attainment to report seeking higher pay as 

their reason for not teaching (25 percent vs. 14 

percent). As their CEE scores increased, 1992–

93 graduates were more likely to select the 

following reasons for not entering teaching: poor 

working conditions, low pay, and having another 

job already. Graduates with relatively high 

college grades were less likely than those with 

lower grades to say that lack of teacher 

certification played a role in the decision. 

Figure E.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients by preparation to teach, by 

Figure E.—gender: 2003

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal 

Study (B&B:93/03).

80

88

73

17

10

24

3

3

3

0

20

40

60

80

100

All Male Female

Percent

Certified

Student taught

No student

teaching or

certification
x 

Foreword 

This report profiles the K–12 teaching experience and preparation of 1992–93 bachelor’s 

degree recipients in the 10 years following their college graduation. The data upon which the 

report is based were collected as part of the final follow-up of the first long-term study of 

bachelor’s degree recipients conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in 

the U.S. Department of Education. The sample was obtained by identifying eligible respondents 

from the 1993 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:93), a nationally 

representative cross-section of all students in postsecondary education institutions in the 50 

states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. As part of NPSAS:93, information was 

obtained from postsecondary institutions and through telephone interviews with students. Those 

members of the NPSAS:93 sample who completed a bachelor’s degree between July 1, 1992, 

and June 30, 1993, were identified and contacted for a 1-year follow-up interview in 1994, the 

Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/94). These graduates were interviewed 

a second time in 1997, and in a third and final follow-up interview approximately 10 years after 

they had received their bachelor’s degrees (B&B:93/03). 

The estimates presented in the report were produced using the NCES Data Analysis System 

Online (DAS), a web-based table-generating application that provides the public with direct, free 

access to the B&B:93/03 data as well as other postsecondary data collected by NCES. The DAS 

produces the design-adjusted standard errors necessary for testing the statistical significance of 

differences between estimates. For more information about the DAS, readers should consult 

appendix B of this report. 
xi 

Acknowledgments 

The authors wish to acknowledge the contribution of many individuals to the production of 

this report. At MPR Associates, Stephanie Neville, Joanna Wu, and Xianglei Chen created 

variables and/or programmed the tables; Ellen Bradburn and Xiaojie Li reviewed and improved 

drafts; and Terence Lew, Rosio Pedroso, and Milie Sheth provided helpful research assistance. 

Alicia Broadway, Patti Gildersleeve, and Annabelle Yang formatted the report, Patti 

Gildersleeve designed the cover, and Barbara Kridl copyedited the report and oversaw 

formatting and production. 

Helpful questions and comments on drafts of this report were received from external 

reviewers Joan Burrelli of the National Science Foundation and Alisa Federico Cunningham of 

the Institute for Higher Education Policy, and two anonymous reviewers outside of the U.S. 

Department of Education. At NCES, Kristin Perry oversaw the report’s review, Shelley Burns 

served as technical advisor, and Paula Knepper and James Griffith reviewed drafts. Duc-Le To 

conducted the Institute of Education Sciences’ review. We appreciate the input of each of these 

people. 

Jennifer Wine at RTI International served as project director for the B&B:93/03 data 

collection, and this report would not exist without her skillful management and the hard work of 

the entire RTI team on the project. We particularly appreciate the work of Kimberly Ault and 

Sara Wheeless, who contributed sections to the technical appendix on bias analysis and 

imputation procedures. 
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
xiii 

Contents 

Page 

Executive Summary................................................................................................................... iii 

Foreword..................................................................................................................................... x 

Acknowledgments...................................................................................................................... xi 

List of Tables.............................................................................................................................. xiv 

List of Figures............................................................................................................................. xvi 

Introduction................................................................................................................................ 1 

Data and Methods...................................................................................................................... 3 

Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003 ...................................................................... 5 

Demographic Characteristics................................................................................................. 5 

Academic Characteristics....................................................................................................... 7 

Teachers’ Job Characteristics and Opinions About Teaching ............................................... 15 

Preparation for Teaching.......................................................................................................... 31 

Progress Through the Teacher Pipeline ................................................................................ 31 

Student Teaching and Certification ....................................................................................... 39 

Reasons for Deciding Not to Teach....................................................................................... 40 

Summary and Conclusion......................................................................................................... 45 

References................................................................................................................................... 47 

Appendix A—Glossary..............................................................................................................A-1 

Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology ................................................................... B-1 

The 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study........................................... B-1 

Weighting............................................................................................................................... B-3 

Quality of Estimates............................................................................................................... B-3 

Imputation.............................................................................................................................. B-6 

Data Analysis System .......................................................................................................... B-10 

Statistical Procedures........................................................................................................... B-10 

Appendix C—Standard Error Tables......................................................................................C-1 
xiv 

List of Tables 

Table Page 

1 Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ teaching status, by 

demographic characteristics: 2003................................................................................... 7 

2 Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ teaching status, by 

academic and teacher pipeline characteristics: 2003 ....................................................... 9 

3 Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were current or former teachers, 

percentage distributions by characteristics of current or most recent school and 

teaching job: 2003............................................................................................................ 17 

4 Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were teaching in 2003, percentage 

distribution of length of time they expected to stay in teaching, and percentage who 

would choose teaching again, by demographic, academic, and teaching job 

characteristics: 2003......................................................................................................... 21 

5 Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had taught but were not teaching 

in 2003, percentage distribution of their main reason for leaving, by demographic, 

academic, and teaching job characteristics: 2003 ............................................................ 27 

6 Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ status in the teacher 

pipeline, by demographic, academic, and teacher pipeline characteristics: 2003 ........... 33 

7 Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ preparation to teach, 

by demographic, academic, and teacher pipeline characteristics: 2003 .......................... 36 

8 Of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had entered the teacher pipeline but 

neither taught nor applied for a teaching position, percentage who cited various 

reasons for deciding against teaching, by demographic, academic, and teacher 

pipeline characteristics: 2003........................................................................................... 41 

Appendixes 

B-1 Variables with weighted response rates lower than 85 percent ....................................... B-8 

B-2 Imputation rates for variables that were imputed ............................................................ B-8 
List of Tables 

xv 

Table Page 

C-1 Standard errors for table 1 and figures A and 1: Percentage distribution of 1992–93 

bachelor’s degree recipients’ teaching status, by demographic characteristics: 2003.....C-2 

C-2 Standard errors for table 2 and figures B, 2, 3, 4, and 5: Percentage distribution of 

1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ teaching status, by academic and teacher 

pipeline characteristics: 2003...........................................................................................C-3 

C-3 Standard errors for table 3 and figures 6 and 7: Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree 

recipients who were current or former teachers, percentage distributions by 

characteristics of current or most recent school and teaching job: 2003 .........................C-5 

C-4 Standard errors for table 4 and figures D, 9, and 10: Among 1992–93 bachelor’s 

degree recipients who were teaching in 2003, percentage distribution of length of 

time they expected to stay in teaching, and percentage who would choose teaching 

again, by demographic, academic, and teaching job characteristics: 2003 .....................C-6 

C-5 Standard errors for table 5 and figure 11: Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree 

recipients who had taught but were not teaching in 2003, percentage distribution of 

their main reason for leaving teaching, by demographic, academic, and teaching job 

characteristics: 2003.........................................................................................................C-9 

C-6 Standard errors for table 6 and figure 12: Percentage distribution of 1992–93 

bachelor’s degree recipients’ status in the teacher pipeline, by demographic, 

academic, and teacher pipeline characteristics: 2003 .................................................... C-12 

C-7 Standard errors for table 7 and figures E and 13: Percentage distribution of 1992–93 

bachelor’s degree recipients’ preparation to teach, by demographic, academic, and 

teacher pipeline characteristics: 2003 ............................................................................ C-14 

C-8 Standard errors for table 8 and figure 14: Of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients 

who had entered the teacher pipeline but neither taught nor applied for a teaching 

position, percentage who cited various reasons for deciding against teaching, by 

demographic, academic, and teacher pipeline characteristics: 2003 ............................. C-16 

C-9 Standard errors for figure C and figure 8: Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree 

recipients who were teaching in 2003, percentages who were satisfied with teaching 

overall and with various aspects of teaching: 2003 ....................................................... C-18 
xvi 

List of Figures 

Figure Page 

Executive Summary 

A Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were current or former 

teachers, by gender: 2003 ................................................................................................ iv 

B Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were current or former 

teachers, by college entrance examination score and normalized undergraduate GPA: 

2003.................................................................................................................................. v 

C Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were teaching in 2003, 

percentages who were satisfied with teaching overall and with various aspects of 

teaching: 2003.................................................................................................................. vii 

D Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were teaching in 2003, percentage 

distribution by length of time they expected to stay in teaching, by gender and 

race/ethnicity: 2003.......................................................................................................... viii 

E Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients by preparation to 

teach, by gender: 2003 ..................................................................................................... ix 

Text 

1 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were current or former 

teachers, by gender: 2003 ................................................................................................ 6 

2 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were current or former 

teachers, by type of bachelor’s degree-granting institution: 2003................................... 8 

3 Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ teaching status and 

experience, by baccalaureate degree major category: 2003............................................. 12 

4 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were current or former 

teachers, by college entrance examination score and normalized undergraduate GPA: 

2003.................................................................................................................................. 14 

5 Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were current or former 

teachers in 2003, by highest degree attained by 2003 ..................................................... 15 
List of Figures 

xvii 

Figure Page 

6 Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were current or former teachers, 

percentage distributions by school sector and level: 2003............................................... 18 

7 Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were current or former teachers, 

percentage distributions by main teaching field: 2003 .................................................... 19 

8 Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were teaching in 2003, 

percentages who were satisfied with teaching overall and with various aspects of 

teaching: 2003.................................................................................................................. 20 

9 Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were teaching in 2003, percentage 

who would choose teaching again, by gender and race/ethnicity: 2003 ......................... 24 

10 Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were teaching in 2003, percentage 

distributions by length of time they expected to stay in teaching, by gender and 

race/ethnicity: 2003 ......................................................................................................... 25 

11 Of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had taught but were not teaching in 

2003, percentage who cited certain main reasons for not teaching, by gender: 2003 ..... 26 

12 Percentage distributions of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients by status in the 

teacher pipeline, by gender: 2003 .................................................................................... 32 

13 Percentage distributions of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients by preparation to 

teach, by gender: 2003 ..................................................................................................... 38 

14 Of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had entered the teacher pipeline but 

neither taught nor applied for a teaching position, percentage who cited various 

reasons for deciding against teaching, by gender: 2003 .................................................. 43 
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
1 

Introduction 

Education affects the lives of most people in the United States, even beyond the large 

number of students, teachers, other education workers, and parents who are directly involved in 

schooling. Public opinion varies on the quality of elementary/secondary education, with only 9 

percent of adults saying they were “completely satisfied” with it, and 37 percent choosing 

“somewhat satisfied” in a recent national survey (Public Agenda 2005). Furthermore, the 

public’s interest in reform and reaching improved outcomes for students is strong. For example, 

in 2006, improving education ranked second among 22 issues in the percentage of adults who 

rated it as a top priority (67 percent) or important but a lower priority (26 percent) for action at 

the federal level (Public Agenda 2006). Partly in response to U.S. students’ low performance on 

achievement tests, particularly in an international context, experts, government agencies, and the 

public support improving students’ skills and knowledge in all subjects.

Teacher quality has been a focus of recent state laws and the 2002 reauthorization of the 

federal Elementary/Secondary Education Act, or No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The NCLB Act 

addresses teacher quality in at least two ways: Title I’s accountability provisions require schools 

that receive federal funds to ensure that only highly qualified teachers teach academic subjects, 

and Title II provides funding for recruiting and training high-quality teachers and principals. In 

addition, many states have adopted policies intended to improve the quality of teaching, among 

them reducing class sizes and revising teacher training and certification standards (Hirsch, 

Koppich, and Knapp 2001; Potts, Blank, and Williams 2002). 

NCLB and related state policies specify minimum qualifications that all teachers must 

have, while aiming to avoid creating barriers that could unnecessarily reduce the teacher supply. 

(Demand for teachers depends primarily on exogenous forces like economic and population 

growth and tax revenue, although policies on class size and other matters can influence 

demand—in recent years mostly increasing it.) Nationally, the annual supply of new teachers is 

in general adequate to fill most openings in most years, although some positions are difficult to 

fill in certain disciplines and geographical areas (including in certain states), and in lowperforming schools (American Association for Employment in Education 2002; Curran, 

Abrahams, and Manuel 2000). 

In order to provide adequate teacher supply, in both quality and quantity, schools and 

districts work on recruiting qualified people to teaching and on retaining them. The first section 
Introduction

2 

of this report describes the academic and demographic characteristics of 1992−93 bachelor’s 

degree recipients who went into teaching and those who did not. Data on graduates who entered 

the teacher supply pipeline, and whether they completed teacher certification and went on to 

teach, are discussed in the report’s second section. That section also covers data on the main 

reasons graduates who did not teach had for deciding against teaching, and whether those 

reasons differed by a range of characteristics. 

This report provides data related to retention by examining the teaching experience and 

attrition rates over the first 10 years by 1992–93 bachelor’s degree completers.1 In addition, for 

those graduates who taught at some point since receiving the bachelor’s degree but who were not 

teaching in 2003, the report discusses the main reason they were not teaching in 2003. In 

addition to recruitment, retaining new teachers in the profession and reducing staff turnover, 

especially in hard-to-staff schools, have become focal points for improving teacher quality 

(Ingersoll and Smith 2003). Some teachers leave the profession within the first few years, 

making it difficult for certain schools and districts to find replacements. In addition, teacher 

turnover favoring schools in more affluent districts can lead to less affluent districts having 

higher rates of inexperienced or less qualified teachers. Research evidence suggests that teachers 

with very little experience, particularly those in their first year of teaching, are less effective than 

others and that teacher quality improves notably in the first few years (Hanushek et al. 2005). 

Therefore, retention efforts seek to help novice teachers improve their craft during the first year 

or two, to increase the likelihood that they stay in teaching and are able to educate children well. 

The report begins with a discussion of the data and methodology upon which the estimates 

and analysis are based. Next, the report discusses the teaching status of 1992–93 college 

graduates in 2003, attending to variation in teaching by demographic characteristics and 

undergraduate academic characteristics and experiences. In addition, teachers’ satisfaction with 

teaching and plans for staying in the profession are analyzed, along with reasons that teachers 

gave for not teaching in 2003. The report’s second section concludes by studying graduates’ 

entry into the teacher supply pipeline and preparation to teach, again examining variation by 

demographic and academic characteristics. The variables used in this report are defined in 

appendix A (the glossary), and additional information about the B&B:93/03 data is presented in 

appendix B. 

 

1 “Attrition” here is not restricted to permanent departures from the teaching profession. The category includes all teachers who 

were not teaching in 2003, some of whom may later return to teaching. (It does not include teachers who change schools.) 
3 

Data and Methods 

Using data from the 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study 

(B&B:93/03), this report provides a description of the teaching experience and teacher 

preparation activities of 1992–93 college graduates 10 years after bachelor’s degree receipt. The 

B&B:93/03 sample was based on respondents to the 1993 National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS:93) who completed a bachelor’s degree in the 1992–93 school year.2 NPSAS:93 

includes a nationally representative cross-section of all students in postsecondary education 

institutions in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. For NPSAS:93, 

information was obtained from more than 1,000 postsecondary institutions on approximately 

50,000 undergraduate students and more than 13,000 graduate students. Those members of the 

NPSAS:93 sample who completed a bachelor’s degree between July 1, 1992, and June 30, 1993, 

were identified and contacted for a 1-year follow-up interview in 1994 and for a second followup in 1997. Data from the final follow-up, conducted 10 years after the initial data collection 

(B&B:93/03), form the basis of this report. 

The estimates in this report are based on the reports of approximately 8,100 bachelor’s 

degree recipients, representing about 1.2 million people who completed a bachelor’s degree in 

1992–93. The 2003 Internet-based survey was either self-administered by respondents or 

administered over the telephone by trained interviewers. The weighted overall response rate for 

the B&B:93/03 interview was 73.6 percent, reflecting an institution response rate (in 1992) of 

88.2 percent and a student response rate (in 2003) of 83.4 percent. For more information about 

B&B:93/03, see appendix B. 

All comparisons made in the text were tested using the Student’s t statistic for comparing 

two estimates or one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), incorporating F-tests, to detect linear 

relationships between one ordered and one other variable, as well as overall significance. All 

differences cited were statistically significant at the .05 level. The formulas used for t-tests and 

more detail on significance levels are provided in appendix B. 

 

2 In addition to this main source for B&B:93 sample members, some graduates were identified using institutional records. 
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
5 

Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003 

In this study, teachers are defined as bachelor’s degree recipients who had worked as 

teachers of any grade K–12; excluded are those who worked only as long- or short-term 

substitute teachers or teacher’s aides, and those who taught only preschool grades. Cohort 

members considered as teachers in this report include all graduates who had earned a bachelor’s 

degree in 1992–93 and had taught at some point, regardless of teaching experience and teacher 

training before earning that bachelor’s degree.3 

By 2003, one-fifth (20 percent) of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients had taught in an 

elementary or secondary school since completing the 1992–93 bachelor’s degree (figure 1 and 

table 1). Approximately 11 percent were teaching when they were interviewed in 2003, and 

another 9 percent had taught at some point but were not teaching at the time of the interview.4 

Demographic Characteristics 

Teaching has been a female-dominated profession in the United States for well over a 

century (Grant and Murray 1999). The cohort of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients continued 

this long tradition of gender difference in the first few years after graduating from college 

(Henke, Chen, and Geis 2000; Henke, Geis, and Giambattista 1996). Ten years after completing 

their bachelor’s degrees, as well, women in the 1992–93 cohort were more likely than men to 

report in 2003 that they were currently teaching (15 percent vs. 6 percent) or had taught 

previously (12 percent vs. 6 percent) (figure 1 and table 1). Overall, about one-quarter of women 

had taught at some point, compared with 12 percent of men. In addition, women were more 

inclined to have taken steps toward a teaching career (e.g., to have considered teaching, applied 

for teaching positions, or undertaken professional preparation for teaching), discussed in the 

latter section of this report. 

 

3 In order to examine the complete group of current and former teachers, this report includes those who had either taught or 

trained to teach for at least 1 year before earning the 1992−93 degree, about 3 percent of the cohort. This small group was 

excluded from some previous reports that discussed bachelor’s degree recipients and teaching experience (Henke, Geis, and 

Giambattista 1996; Henke, Chen, and Geis 2000). Note also that the small proportion of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients 

who had earned a previous bachelor’s degree are also included. 

4 When 2003 is used in the text, and table and figure titles, in this report, it generally means at the time of the follow-up interview 

conducted in that year. The short form is used for readability. 
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003

6 

Relative to graduates of other racial/ethnic backgrounds, Asian/Pacific Islander graduates 

in this cohort were less inclined toward a teaching career. In 2003, for example, approximately 

93 percent of Asian graduates had never taught, compared with 75 to 80 percent of graduates of 

other racial/ethnic backgrounds (table 1). This finding is consistent with the teaching experience 

patterns observed earlier with this cohort and in the 1-year follow-up of 1999–2000 bachelor’s 

degree recipients, in which Asian bachelor’s degree recipients were less likely than other 

graduates to pursue a teaching career in their first year out of college (Henke, Chen, and Geis 

2000; Henke et al. 2005). 

The age of graduates when they completed their 1992–93 bachelor’s degree was related to 

the likelihood that they were teaching in 2003. Graduates who were at least 30 years old when 

they completed their 1992–93 bachelor’s degree were in general more likely to be teaching in 

2003 than those who were younger. The proportions who were teaching ranged from 9 percent of 

those ages 25−29 to 14 percent of those who were at least 30 when they completed the degree. 

Among those with teaching experience, the youngest degree earners (age 22 or younger when 

completing their bachelor’s degree) were about evenly split between current and former teachers. 

Figure 1.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were current or former teachers, by 

Figure 1.—gender: 2003

NOTE: Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal 

Study (B&B:93/03).

11

6

15

9

6

12

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

All Male Female

Percent

Former teachers

Current teachers
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003 

7 

However, those earning their degrees at age 30 or older were more likely to be teaching in 2003 

than to have left teaching (14 vs. 8 percent). 

Academic Characteristics 

This section examines how graduates’ teaching experience related to their postsecondary 

education experiences, primarily to aspects of their undergraduate education. First, variation in 

teaching experience is analyzed according to the type of institution from which graduates earned 

their bachelor’s degree and to their major field of study. This section also shows how teaching 

varied with the highest degrees graduates had attained by 2003, as well as their performance in 

Table 1.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ teaching status, by demographic

Table 1.—characteristics: 2003

Currently Not currently Never

Demographic characteristics Total teaching teaching taught

 Total 19.6 10.5 9.1 80.4

Gender

 Male 11.8 5.6 6.2 88.2

 Female 26.0 14.5 11.5 74.0

Race/ethnicity1

 White 19.9 10.6 9.3 80.1

 Black 20.5 11.9 8.6 79.5

 Hispanic 24.8 14.5 10.4 75.2

 Asian/Pacific Islander 7.1 2.5 4.6 92.9

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 20.0 10.0 10.1 80.0

 23–24 18.0 10.3 7.8 82.0

 25–29 18.0 8.7 9.4 82.0

 30 or older 22.1 13.9 8.2 77.9

1 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race categories 

exclude Hispanic origin. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for respondents who identified themselves 

as American Indian/Alaska Native or another race.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

Taught at some point
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003

8 

college (measured by average grades) and their pre-college academic skills, measured by college 

entrance examination (CEE) scores.5

Undergraduate Institution Type 

Public non-doctorate-granting institutions stand out as the institution type whose graduates 

were most likely to be teaching 10 years after receiving their bachelor’s degree. Seventeen 

percent of 1992−93 bachelor’s degree recipients from public nondoctoral institutions reported 

teaching in 2003; a maximum of 11 percent of graduates from the other four institution types 

shown in table 2 were teaching in 2003 (figure 2). Students who graduated from private forprofit schools were particularly unlikely to become teachers in the next decade; 98 percent of 

them had never taught by 2003. 

 

5 CEE scores used in this report are a composite of available SAT and/or ACT scores (combining mathematics and verbal test 

scores). See appendix A for further information. 

Figure 2.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were current or former teachers, by 

Figure 2.—type of bachelor’s degree-granting institution: 2003

# Rounds to zero.

NOTE: Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal 

Study (B&B:93/03).

17

9 11

6

9

9

9

11

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Public nondoctorategrantingPublic 

doctorategranting

Private not-forprofit nondoctorategrantingPrivate not-forprofit doctorategrantingPrivate 

for-profit 

2-year-or-more

Percent

Former teachers

Current teachers

1

#
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003 

9 

Table 2.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ teaching status, by academic

Table 2.—and teacher pipeline characteristics: 2003

Currently Not currently Never

Academic and pipeline characteristics Total teaching teaching taught

 Total 19.6 10.5 9.1 80.4

Attainment before 1992–93 bachelor’s

 Associate’s degree or less 19.1 10.4 8.8 80.9

 Bachelor’s degree or more 26.4 12.7 13.7 73.6

First postsecondary institution attended1

 Public 2-year 22.6 13.4 9.2 77.4

 Public 4-year 19.2 10.9 8.3 80.9

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 18.6 8.3 10.4 81.4

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public non-doctorate-granting 26.6 17.4 9.2 73.4

 Public doctorate-granting 17.4 8.7 8.7 82.6

 Private not-for-profit non-doctorate-granting 19.7 10.7 9.1 80.3

 Private not-for-profit doctorate-granting 16.9 6.0 10.9 83.1

 Private for-profit 2-year-or-more 1.6 0.4 1.2 98.5

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 4.7 2.3 2.4 95.3

 Education 71.2 42.6 28.6 28.9

 Health 8.2 2.4 5.8 91.8

 Arts and humanities 28.1 12.7 15.3 71.9

 Social/behavioral sciences 11.4 5.4 5.9 88.6

 Science, mathematics, or engineering 10.4 4.8 5.6 89.6

 Other 15.3 8.8 6.5 84.8

College entrance examination score2

 Lowest quarter 25.3 15.8 9.5 74.7

 Middle two quarters 19.5 9.9 9.5 80.5

 Highest quarter 14.3 5.7 8.6 85.7

 Test scores not available 19.5 11.3 8.3 80.5

Normalized undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.25 10.8 5.6 5.2 89.2

 2.25–2.74 14.1 7.7 6.4 85.9

 2.75–3.24 21.9 12.4 9.5 78.1

 3.25–3.74 21.8 11.3 10.4 78.3

 3.75 or higher 23.9 11.8 12.1 76.1

See notes at end of table.

Taught at some point
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003

10 

Undergraduate Major Field of Study 

Some states have certification requirements that allow prospective teachers to complete the 

professional preparation and earn a teaching certificate as undergraduates, while in others, 

teachers’ professional preparation may be partly reserved for post-baccalaureate study and 

practice. One policy goal of the latter type of certification requirement is to free up sufficient 

course time to allow future teachers to gain a thorough foundation in one or more academic 

disciplines (often an undergraduate major or minor), particularly in a subject matched or related 

to the one they intend as their primary teaching field. 

Education majors were more likely than those who majored in any other set of disciplines 

to have gained some teaching experience by the time of the 2003 interview (table 2). 

Approximately 71 percent of education majors among 1992–93 graduates had taught by 2003: 43 

percent were currently teaching, and 29 percent had taught but were not teaching at the time of 

Table 2.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ teaching status, by academic

Table 2.—and teacher pipeline characteristics: 2003—Continued

Currently Not currently Never

Academic and pipeline characteristics Total teaching teaching taught

Highest degree attained

 Bachelor’s degree 16.1 8.1 8.0 83.9

 Post-baccalaureate certificate 47.1 35.3 11.8 53.0

 Master’s degree 33.6 20.2 13.3 66.4

 Post-master’s certificate, doctorate,

 or first professional degree 10.2 2.0 8.2 89.8

Teaching experience before 1992–93 bachelor’s

 Taught or trained 93.0 38.0 55.0 7.0

 Neither taught nor trained 16.1 9.1 7.0 83.9

Teacher pipeline status at 1994 interview

 Was not considering teaching 3.5 1.9 1.6 96.5

 Was considering 20.6 12.5 8.1 79.4

 Had taught but not prepared 100.0 26.7 73.3 †

 Had prepared but not taught 58.4 38.1 20.3 41.6

 Had prepared and taught 100.0 58.5 41.5 †

† Not applicable.

1 Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for respondents whose first institution was among the following 

categories: for-profit, less-than-2-year, or private not-for-profit 2-year.

2 Derived from College Board-, institution-, or student-reported SAT or ACT scores, where available.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

Taught at some point
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003 

11 

the interview. As shown in figure 3, arts and humanities majors were the next most likely group: 

28 percent of them had teaching experience by 2003, as did 15 percent of graduates who had 

majored in “other” fields (those not specified in another category). From 8−11 percent of 

graduates who had majored in the health professions; science, mathematics, or engineering; or 

social sciences had taught at some point by 2003. Five percent of business and management 

majors had taught by 2003. 

Although it is no surprise that most education majors became teachers, 29 percent of 

education majors had not taught any of grades K−12 within 10 years of completing their 

bachelor’s degree. This group did not hold any teaching job, regardless of whether they 

completed student teaching and all other steps required for certification. (In fact, as discussed in 

the section below on teacher pipeline entry and progress, nearly all who completed preparation 

did teach at some point.) Larger proportions of graduates with other majors had no teaching 

experience, of course: 72 percent of arts or humanities majors, along with at least 85 percent of 

graduates who majored in each of the other five field categories. 

Notably, a total of 57 percent of all education majors were not teaching in 2003—29 

percent who had never taught plus 29 percent who were former teachers.6 A considerable 

proportion of education majors in the B&B:93/03 sample did not complete the steps generally 

required (beyond a bachelor’s degree) for teaching, at least for teaching in public schools. As 

described in the section on preparation for teaching, once they completed all the preparation 

steps, graduates were extremely likely to then become teachers. 

Only among education majors was the proportion of graduates who were teaching in 2003 

greater than the proportion of graduates who had taught only in the past (table 2). For example, 5 

percent of science, mathematics, or engineering majors were teaching in 2003, and 6 percent had 

taught but were no longer teaching in 2003. Among graduates who majored in other fields, 

including arts and humanities, health, and social or behavioral science, the proportion of teachers 

who had left teaching by 2003 was not measurably different from the proportion who were 

currently teaching in 2003. These findings suggest lower attrition rates from teaching among 

education majors than among majors in other fields. 

 

6 Although the two estimates each round to 29 and thus their sum would appear to be 58, summing the unrounded estimates 

produces 57.4. 
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003

12 

College Entrance Examination Scores 

In their efforts to improve student achievement, experts and policymakers have called for 

improvements in teachers’ training and investigated ways to attract more high-achieving college 

graduates to teaching (Holmes Group 1986; NCTAF 2003; National Commission on Excellence 

in Education 1983). Some research has found that teachers with stronger academic skills, and in 

particular verbal ability, are more effective at teaching (Ehrenberg and Brewer 1995; Wayne and 

Youngs 2003). 

In the absence of a standardized achievement test commonly taken by all college graduates, 

college applicants’ scores on college entrance examinations, also called CEE scores (i.e., the 

Scholastic Aptitude Test or American College Testing test [SAT or ACT]), are sometimes used 

to measure the academic skills of teachers and compare them with other graduates’ skills. 

Figure 3.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ teaching status and experience,

Figure 3.—by baccalaureate degree major category: 2003

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal 

Study (B&B:93/03).

43

13 9 5 5

29

15

6 6 6

29

72

85 89 90 92 95

2 1 6 2

0

20

40

60

80

100

Education Arts and

humanities

Other Social/

behavioral

sciences

Science,

mathematics,

engineering

Health Business

and management

Percent

Never taught

Former teachers

Current teachers

1
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003 

13 

Because CEEs are taken mostly before applying to college, the scores have the drawback of 

failing to capture skills gained while earning the bachelor’s degree and from any subsequent 

postsecondary education or labor force experience. An advantage of these scores, however, is 

that they provide an objective measure of performance on a scale common to all test takers, 

albeit prior to college. 

Research in the last couple of decades has found that teachers tend to have lower CEE or 

cognitive test scores than college graduates who entered other professions (Henke et al. 2005; 

Murnane et al. 1991; Schlechty and Vance 1983; Weaver 1983). Another analysis included 

selectivity of college as well as test scores and concluded that college graduates who became 

teachers had somewhat weaker academic backgrounds than their peers who entered other 

professions (National Science Board 2006). However, teachers in elementary schools have lower 

scores than those in high (or combined) schools, on average (Henke, Geis, and Giambattista 

1996). In addition, high school teachers are more likely to hold master’s degrees than elementary 

school teachers (Lewis et al. 1999). Thus, the general finding about lower skills and achievement 

among teachers versus other professionals may be an oversimplification that does not apply, or 

applies to a lesser degree, to high school teachers (see also Guarino, Santibanez, and Daley 

2006). Consistent with prior findings for graduates in different professions, 16 percent of 1992–

93 graduates with CEE scores in the lowest 25 percent of the distribution were teaching in 2003, 

compared with 10 percent of those in the middle half of the score distribution and 6 percent of 

those with the highest scores (figure 4 and table 2). The likelihood that a bachelor’s degree 

recipient had never taught also increased from 75 percent in the low-score group to 86 percent in 

the high-score group. 

Grade Point Average in College 

A second measure of teachers’ academic qualifications is their grade point average (GPA) 

in college courses. This measure has the advantages of being closer in time to their teaching jobs 

(than CEE scores) and reflecting skills gained in college. The weakness of course grades, 

however, is that they are assigned without reference to an objective standard, either within or 

among institutions. Similar student performance could receive different grades from different 

professors and even courses classified as similar can have widely varying content. Grades also 

vary by major field of study, which is itself related to the likelihood of pursuing teaching, as 

described above (Henke, Geis, and Giambattista 1996). In contrast to their CEE scores, teachers 

generally have similar or higher average grades than other college graduates (Book, Freeman, 

and Brousseau 1985; Frankel and Stowe 1990; Gray et al. 1993; Henke, Geis, and Giambattista 

1996). 
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003

14 

Consistent with these earlier findings, the grades that graduates in this cohort earned while 

in college also bore a positive relationship to their likelihood of teaching in 2003 (in contrast to 

CEE scores, which had an inverse relationship). As college GPA increased, graduates were more 

likely to be teachers (figure 4 and table 2). For example, while 6 percent of graduates whose 

GPA was lower than 2.25 were currently teaching, 11−12 percent of those with GPAs of 2.75 or 

higher were teaching. The proportion who had taught only in the past also increased as GPA 

reached higher levels, while the proportion who had never taught decreased. 

Highest Degree Attained 

In nearly every school district, salary schedules are based on teachers’ years of service and 

accumulated education, measured either as degrees attained or postsecondary credits earned, or a 

combination of the two. Approximately one-half of teachers had master’s degrees in 2002 (U.S. 

Figure 4.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were current or former teachers, by 

Figure 4.—college entrance examination score and normalized undergraduate GPA: 2003

NOTE: Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal 

Study (B&B:93/03).

16

10

6

11

8

12 11

10

10

9

8

6

10 10

6

5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Lowest

quarter

Middle

quarters

Highest

quarter

Did not

take test

Less than

2.25

2.25–2.74 2.75–3.24 3.25–3.74

Percent Former teachers

Current teachers

College entrance examination score Cumulative undergraduate GPA
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003 

15 

Department of Education 2004). (The same source indicates that master’s degrees in education 

account for 28 percent of all master’s degrees conferred.) 

Among 1992–93 graduates whose highest earned degree by 2003 was a master’s, 34 

percent had taught at some point by 2003, along with 47 percent of those who had attained a 

post-baccalaureate certificate (figure 5 and table 2). In contrast, 16 percent of graduates who did 

not go beyond a bachelor’s and 10 percent of those who earned a credential more advanced than 

a master’s degree had taught by 2003. Approximately 1 in 3 graduates (35 percent) with postbaccalaureate certificates held teaching jobs when interviewed in 2003. 

Teachers’ Job Characteristics and Opinions About Teaching 

Overall, 20 percent of 1992–93 college graduates had taught at some point before the 2003 

interview, 10 years after college completion (table 2). This section describes this group by 

examining several characteristics of the schools in which they taught and of their teaching 

Figure 5.—Percentage of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were current or former teachers in 

Figure 5.—2003, by highest degree attained by 2003

1 Credentials include post-master’s certificates, doctorates, and first-professional degrees. 

NOTE: School characteristics apply to respondents’ current or most recent teaching job. Estimates include graduates from the 50

states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal 

Study (B&B:93/03).

8

35

20

2

12

13

8

8

0

10

20

30

40

50

Bachelor’s degree Post-baccalaureate

certificate

Master’s degree Higher than 

master’s

Former teachers

Current teachers

Percent

1
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003

16 

positions, followed by a look at the teachers’ attitudes, including satisfaction with teaching and 

plans for the future. 

Characteristics of Current or Most Recent Teaching Job 

Teachers with certain characteristics are more likely to leave the profession, a recent 

literature review found (Guarino, Santibanez, and Daley 2006). Teachers who are White, female, 

new to teaching, or near retirement age tend to be more likely to leave teaching than other 

teachers. The same is true for those who have higher test scores or teach mathematics or science. 

The first part of this section looks at whether current teachers differed from those who had 

left teaching by 2003 on a range of job and school characteristics. For former teachers, the 

characteristics apply to their most recent teaching job. Table 3 shows the percentage distributions 

of current and former teachers by various characteristics of the schools in which they taught and 

their teaching jobs. (Categories sum to 100 vertically for each characteristic.) Graduates who 

were teaching in 2003 were more likely than graduates who were former teachers to work at a 

public school. Among graduates who were teaching in 2003, 91 percent were teaching in a 

public school, compared with 79 percent of former teachers whose most recent teaching job had 

been in a public school (figure 6). 

Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of current teachers worked in elementary schools, versus 30 

percent at secondary schools. However, the ratio of elementary to secondary school teachers was 

greater among current teachers than former teachers, suggesting that secondary school teachers 

left teaching at higher rates. This finding appears consistent with elementary school teachers’ 

greater tendency (compared to secondary teachers) to plan to stay in the profession until 

retirement, discussed in the section on future career plans. 

On other characteristics, differences were generally not found between current and former 

teachers. For both groups, between 30 and 35 percent taught in a central city, and 35−39 percent 

taught in urban fringe (suburban) areas or large towns, with the remainder teaching in small 

towns or rural areas. In addition, 17–18 percent of each group were or had been teaching at 

schools with less than 5 percent minority enrollment, and 29−31 percent were at schools with 50 

percent or more minority students. 

About 35 percent of current teachers reported their main assignment field as general 

elementary, and 18 percent taught science or mathematics (figure 7). Each of the other main 

assignment fields accounted for 11 percent or less of the distribution by main field. Significant 

differences were not found between the proportions of current and former teachers in the various 
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003 

17 

Table 3.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were current or former teachers, percentage 

Table 3.—distributions by characteristics of current or most recent school and teaching job: 2003

School and job characteristics Currently teaching Not currently teaching

 Total 100 100

Sector

 Public 90.6 78.7

 Private 9.4 21.3

Level1

 Elementary 63.8 51.7

 Secondary 30.1 36.3

 Combined 6.2 12.0

Percent minority enrollment

 0–4 17.4 18.3

 5–19 24.8 24.6

 20–49 28.4 25.7

 50 or more 29.4 31.4

Percent free or reduced-price lunch recipients

 0–4 12.6 7.9

 5–19 27.8 31.3

 20–49 36.0 34.1

 50 or more 23.6 26.7

Community type

 Central city 30.3 35.3

 Urban fringe/large town 39.0 35.3

 Small town/rural 30.7 29.4

Main teaching field

 General elementary 35.4 29.9

 Business and vocational 1.7 6.1

 Science or mathematics 18.1 16.4

 Foreign languages 2.6 4.9

 Special/ESL/bilingual education 11.0 10.8

 English 10.8 10.1

 Social studies 6.3 6.0

 Fine arts 3.7 4.2

 Other 10.6 11.7

1 Elementary schools provide instruction in some grade lower than 7th and no grade higher than 8th. Secondary schools provide

instruction in no grade lower than 7th. Combined schools provide instruction in some grade lower than 7th and some grade

higher than 8th. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for respondents who taught at combined schools.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

Teaching status in 2003
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003

18 

main assignment fields, with one exception: 6 percent of former teachers taught mainly 

business/vocational courses, compared with 2 percent of current teachers. 

Job Satisfaction and Plans for Continuing to Teach 

Reducing the number of teachers who leave the profession before retirement is one way to 

raise average teacher experience and decrease the chances that any particular student will have 

an inexperienced teacher. As a group, new teachers, particularly those in their first year, tend to 

be less effective than teachers with more time on the job (Hanushek et al. 2005; Rowan, 

Correnti, and Miller 2002; Greenwald, Hedges, and Laine 1996). Although teacher retention has 

attracted much concern, it should be noted that bachelor’s degree–holding teachers are less likely 

than many other graduates to leave their initial occupation, even in the first few years. For 

example, a wide range, between 17 and 75 percent, of 1992–93 college graduates changed 

occupations within 4 years of receiving their bachelor’s degrees, when grouped by occupation 

held at the 1-year point (Henke and Zahn 2001). Teachers were among the least likely to 

Figure 6.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were current or former teachers, percentage 

Figure 6.—distributions by school sector and level: 2003

NOTE: School characteristics apply to respondents’ current or most recent teaching job. Detail may not sum to totals because of

rounding. Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal 

Study (B&B:93/03).

91

9

64

30

6

79

21

52

36

12

0

20

40

60

80

100

Public Private Elementary Secondary Combined

Percent

Current teachers Former teachers

Sector Level
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003 

19 

change occupations in this time period, at 18 percent. Nevertheless, as policymakers and 

administrators seek to improve planning for future staffing and to increase teacher retention, they 

may seek data about teachers’ job satisfaction and career plans. This section briefly discusses the 

data on these topics from the 1993−2003 cohort. 

Graduates who were teaching in 2003 were asked whether they were satisfied with 

teaching overall and with specific aspects of the job; the results are shown in figure 8. Nearly all 

teachers expressed satisfaction with teaching overall in 2003 (93 percent). Teachers were more 

likely to be satisfied with the job overall than with any of the six specific school or job 

characteristics shown. They were also more satisfied with some aspects of teaching than others. 

For example, 77 percent said they were satisfied with the learning environment at their current 

school, while 48 percent expressed satisfaction with parent support, with students’ motivation to 

learn, and with pay. Roughly 3 out of 5 teachers were satisfied with class sizes (61 percent) and 

with student discipline and behavior at their school (57 percent). 

Figure 7.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were current or former teachers, percentage 

Figure 7.—distributions by main teaching field: 2003

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal

Study (B&B:93/03).

35

18

11 11 11

6

4 3 2

30

16

11 10 12

6 4 5 6

0

10

20

30

40

50

General 

elementary

Science 

or mathematics

Special 

education 

or ESL/

bilingual

English/

language 

arts

 Other Social 

studies

Art,

drama, 

music

Foreign 

language

Business/ 

vocational

Percent

Current teachers Former teachers
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003

20 

Among current teachers in 2003, nearly all reported that they would choose teaching again 

(90 percent), and two-thirds (67 percent) said they would remain in teaching for the rest of their 

working life (table 4). Relatively few teachers said they would leave before retirement for a nonteaching job in education or for a better job (8 and 10 percent, respectively). On the measure of 

how long they expected to stay in teaching, elementary school teachers were more inclined to say 

until retirement than secondary school teachers (71 vs. 59 percent, respectively). 

Figure 8.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were teaching in 2003, percentages who were 

Figure 8.—satisfied with teaching overall and with various aspects of teaching: 2003

NOTE: School and job characteristics apply to respondents’ current teaching job. Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, 

and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal 

Study (B&B:93/03).

77

61

57

48

48

48

93

0 20 40 60 80 100

School’s learning

environment

Class size

Student discipline,

behavior

Student motivation to

learn

Support from parents

Pay

Teaching overall

Percent

Satisfied with:
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003 

21 

Table 4.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were teaching in 2003, percentage distribution

Table 4.—of length of time they expected to stay in teaching, and percentage who would choose teaching

Table 4.—again, by demographic, academic, and teaching job characteristics: 2003

Until non- Until Would

Rest of teaching job something choose

Demographic, academic, and working in education better teaching

job characteristics1 life comes along comes along Other again

 Total 67.0 7.6 10.4 15.1 89.7

Gender

 Male 64.8 11.0 13.4 10.8 94.1

 Female 67.7 6.5 9.4 16.5 88.3

Race/ethnicity2

 White 70.0 6.7 9.4 14.0 89.6

 Black 37.0 18.9 20.0 24.2 82.1

 Hispanic 64.7 4.0 11.2 20.1 99.3

College entrance exam scores3

 Lowest quarter 69.8 6.2 9.7 14.3 89.9

 Middle two quarters 68.3 9.0 9.1 13.6 90.8

 Highest quarter 57.9 5.4 20.3 16.5 89.6

 Test scores not available 64.2 7.4 9.9 18.5 87.6

Baccalaureate degree major4

 Education 71.1 6.0 9.3 13.6 87.6

 Arts and humanities 66.8 10.5 6.8 15.9 90.8

 Social/behavioral sciences 55.9 5.6 14.9 23.7 88.7

 Science, mathematics, or engineering 66.9 4.4 12.5 16.3 93.9

 Other 61.2 12.0 12.6 14.2 95.4

Normalized undergraduate GPA5

 2.25–2.74 61.3 7.1 11.7 19.9 89.7

 2.75–3.24 67.2 8.3 9.7 14.8 91.1

 3.25–3.74 65.6 8.4 11.7 14.3 89.0

 3.75 or higher 73.7 5.4 9.1 11.7 86.9

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution6

 Public non-doctorate-granting 69.1 6.3 11.6 13.0 89.3

 Public doctorate-granting 64.8 9.6 10.3 15.3 89.2

 Private not-for-profit non-doctorate-granting 63.8 7.3 11.7 17.3 91.4

 Private not-for-profit doctorate-granting 71.7 5.5 2.2 20.6 91.1

See notes at end of table.

Length of time expect to stay in teaching
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003

22 

Table 4.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were teaching in 2003, percentage distribution

Table 4.—of length of time they expected to stay in teaching, and percentage who would choose teaching

Table 4.—again, by demographic, academic, and teaching job characteristics: 2003—Continued

Until non- Until Would

Rest of teaching job something choose

Demographic, academic, and working in education better comes teaching

job characteristics1 life comes along along Other again

Highest degree attained7

 Bachelor’s degree 68.0 6.6 10.3 15.1 88.2

 Master’s degree 65.5 9.2 10.3 15.0 91.9

Sector

 Public 66.6 8.0 10.1 15.4 89.9

 Private 71.2 3.5 13.3 12.1 88.2

Level8

 Elementary 70.9 7.0 8.2 13.9 89.4

 Secondary 59.2 8.6 14.5 17.7 91.1

 Combined 65.0 8.4 12.2 14.4 87.1

Percent minority enrollment

 0–4 71.2 4.6 9.2 15.0 89.9

 5–19 70.2 5.6 10.3 13.9 91.5

 20–49 65.3 8.9 9.8 16.0 89.7

 50 or more 63.5 9.6 11.7 15.2 88.2

Percent free or reduced-price lunch recipients

 0–4 53.1 14.3 14.5 18.1 94.8

 5–19 67.6 5.5 9.5 17.4 91.1

 20–49 72.5 6.5 8.7 12.3 88.7

 50 or more 63.1 9.9 10.7 16.4 87.6

Employment status

 Full-time 67.7 7.5 9.9 14.9 89.9

 Part-time 59.2 8.5 17.5 14.8 89.7

Main teaching field9

 General elementary 76.2 4.0 7.7 12.1 87.7

 Science or mathematics 67.6 9.1 8.9 14.4 93.1

 Special/ESL/bilingual education 58.8 10.6 14.4 16.3 88.4

 English 60.3 9.0 14.0 16.7 89.9

 Social studies 72.0 10.8 7.7 9.5 90.6

 Art, drama, or music 59.9 2.4 12.5 25.2 95.2

 Other 59.9 8.5 11.8 19.7 87.5

See notes at end of table.

Length of time expect to stay in teaching
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003 

23 

Male and female teachers did not differ measurably in how long they planned to remain in 

the profession. However, more male than female teachers (94 vs. 88 percent) said they would 

choose teaching if they had a chance to make the decision again (figure 9). In addition, White 

teachers were more likely than Black teachers to plan to teach until retirement (70 vs. 37 percent; 

figure 10). White, Black, and Hispanic teachers were not measurably different on these 

indicators of plans to remain and satisfaction with teaching, except that Hispanic teachers were 

more likely than White teachers to say they would choose teaching again (99 vs. 90 percent). 

Table 4.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were teaching in 2003, percentage distribution

Table 4.—of length of time they expected to stay in teaching, and percentage who would choose teaching

Table 4.—again, by demographic, academic, and teaching job characteristics: 2003—Continued

Until non- Until Would

Rest of teaching job something choose

Demographic, academic, and working in education better comes teaching

job characteristics1 life comes along along Other again

Satisfied with teaching overall

 Yes 68.9 7.6 9.0 14.4 91.6

 No 39.9 6.4 29.4 24.2 62.5

1 School and job characteristics apply to current school and teaching job. 2

 Black includes African American and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. Included in the totals 

but not shown separately are data for respondents who identified themselves as American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific 

Islander, or another race.

3 Derived from College Board-, institution-, or student-reported SAT or ACT scores, where available. 4 Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for respondents who majored in business or management and health

fields. 

5

 Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for respondents whose undergraduate GPA was less than 2.25.

6

 Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for respondents who attended private for-profit 2-year-or-more

institutions.

7

 Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for respondents who attained postbaccalaureate certificates or degrees 

higher than master’s.

8 Elementary schools provide instruction in some grade lower than 7th and no grade higher than 8th. Secondary schools provide

instruction in no grade lower than 7th. Combined schools provide instruction in some grade lower than 7th and some grade

higher than 8th. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for respondents who taught at combined schools. 9

 Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for respondents whose main teaching field was business and

vocational, and foreign languages.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

Length of time expect to stay in teaching
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003

24 

Reasons for Not Teaching in 2003 

About 11 percent of the 1992−93 cohort were teaching in 2003, and 9 percent had taught 

but were not currently teaching (table 2). Evidence did not indicate that these two estimates 

differed; therefore, roughly as many graduates of the 1992−93 cohort had left teaching as stayed 

in the field by 2003, whether they had left on a temporary or permanent basis. (Some of the 

teachers not teaching in 2003 may return to teaching at some point in the future, while others had 

left the profession for good.) Figure 11 and table 5 present estimates for the percentage of former 

teachers who gave various main reasons for not teaching in 2003. Between 13 and 22 percent of 

the total group cited one or more of the top five reasons: “other” (an unspecified reason); familyrelated, such as raising children; to work outside of education; to take a nonteaching job within 

the education field; and low pay. Evidence was not found for differences in the percentages 

citing one versus another of these reasons. Seven percent reported difficulty with students, 

parents, or administrators; additional reasons were each selected by 3 percent or fewer of 

respondents. 

Figure 9.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were teaching in 2003, percentage who would

Figure 9.—choose teaching again, by gender and race/ethnicity: 2003

NOTE: Black includes African American and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. Estimates include 

graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal 

Study (B&B:93/03).

Would choose teaching again

99

82

90

88

94

0 20 40 60 80 100

 Hispanic

 Black

 White

 Female

 Male

Percent
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003 

25 

The frequency of certain main reasons for leaving teaching differed by gender. Male 

teachers were three times as likely as their female counterparts to leave for a job outside of 

education (32 vs. 10 percent), while women were about 30 times as likely as men to leave for 

family-related reasons such as raising children (29 vs. 1 percent). However, gender differences 

were not detected for the percentages who left teaching to seek higher pay elsewhere or to take a 

non-teaching job in the education field. Former elementary school teachers gave family-related 

reasons at a higher rate (26 percent) than former secondary school teachers (11 percent) or 

teachers at combined schools (14 percent). 

Figure 10.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who were teaching in 2003, percentage 

Figure 10.—distributions by length of time they expected to stay in teaching, by gender and race/ethnicity: 

Figure 10.—2003

NOTE: Black includes African American and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. Detail may not sum to 

totals because of rounding. Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal 

Study (B&B:93/03).

Length of time expect to stay in teaching

65

37

70

68

65

4

19

7

6

11

11

20

9

9

13

20

24

14

16

11

0 20 40 60 80 100

 Hispanic

 Black

 White

 Female

 Male

Percent

Rest of working life Until nonteaching job in education comes along

Until something better comes along Other
Teaching Status of 1992−93 Graduates in 2003

26 

Figure 11.—Of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had taught but were not teaching in 2003,

Figure 11.—percentage who cited certain main reasons for not teaching, by gender: 2003

NOTE: Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal 

Study (B&B:93/03).

8

6

7

12

16

13

14

15

15

10

32

18

29

1

19

0 10 20 30 40 50

Female

Male

All

Percent

To raise children, or other

family-related reason

To work outside of

education

To work in non-teaching

education job 

To earn higher salary

Difficulty with students,

parents, or administration
Table 5.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had taught but were not teaching in 2003, percentage distribution 

Table 5.—leaving, by demographic, academic, and teaching job characteristics: 2003

 To raise Difficulty  a family To change with  or other To work to non- students, Laid off  family- outside teaching parents, or work- 

Demographic, academic, and related of edu- job in Low or admin- force re- Relo- Health teaching job characteristics reasons cation education pay istration duction cated reason Total 18.9 18.0 14.7 13.1 7.1 2.6 2.5 0.9 Gender Male 0.9 31.7 15.1 15.8 6.3 0.6 3.8 1.6  Female 28.7 10.5 14.5 11.5 7.6 3.8 1.8 0.6 College entrance exam scores Lowest quarter 23.0 10.0 19.5 18.5 7.4 5.3 3.4 #  Middle two quarters 23.5 17.7 16.0 11.6 7.3 1.2 1.2 0.6  Highest quarter 13.6 25.8 11.0 17.3 7.2 2.1 1.3 1.4  Test scores not available 7.2 19.2 9.9 6.6 6.1 4.4 6.6 2.5 Baccalaureate degree major1 Education 32.1 6.7 19.1 14.1 9.4 1.7 1.8 0. Arts and humanities 10.1 21.9 6.5 11.6 11.7 # 7.5 1. Social/behavioral sciences 12.8 18.3 3.9 9.3 # 10.7 # 3.3  Science, mathematics, or engineering 2.9 44.5 7.5 14.6 5.1 3.6 # #  Other 20.8 18.9 20.3 13.8 2.1 7.1 2.3 2.5 Normalized undergraduate GPA 2.25–2.74 11.0 22.0 13.1 23.2 8.8 1.2 1.6 1.6  2.75–3.24 25.1 18.6 15.0 9.5 7.4 0.4 1.5 #  3.25–3.74 22.6 18.0 14.5 11.9 7.4 1.8 1.2 2. 3.75 or higher 15.1 8.1 15.7 15.3 5.0 10.8 8.7 # 

See notes at end of table.

Main reason not teaching in 2003
Table 5.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had taught but were not teaching in 2003, percentage distribution 

Table 5.—leaving, by demographic, academic, and teaching job characteristics: 2003—Continued

 To raise Difficulty  a family To change with  or other To work to non- students, Laid off  family- outside teaching parents, or work- 

Demographic, academic, and related of edu- job in Low or admin- force re- Relo- Health teaching job characteristics reasons cation education pay istration duction cated reasonBachelor’s degree-granting institution Public non-doctorate-granting 19.5 4.5 19.9 7.5 11.5 1.0 3.1 2.9  Public doctorate-granting 22.2 17.3 14.6 15.9 6.1 4.8 0.7 #  Private not-for-profit non-doctorate- granting 9.9 21.3 14.5 14.1 4.4 # 1.6 0. Private not-for-profit doctorate-granting 16.3 28.5 10.7 11.3 6.3 1.0 9.6 1.9 Highest degree attained Bachelor’s degree 22.6 16.9 8.8 10.8 8.7 2.0 3.4 #  Master’s degree 14.7 17.9 21.6 19.4 4.8 3.7 1.4 2.0 Preparation for teaching Had taught but not prepared 5.6 24.5 11.2 7.6 3.2 3.3 4.2 0.7  Had prepared and taught 26.8 14.1 16.8 16.3 9.5 2.3 1.5 1.Sector of school Public 20.1 17.0 13.4 14.3 7.8 3.3 0.9 1.2  Private 14.5 21.5 19.6 8.5 4.8 # 8.7 # Level of school 2 Elementary 25.9 15.1 13.1 13.8 6.9 2.1 1.0 0.7  Secondary 10.7 22.3 17.9 13.0 8.2 4.1 3.8 1.5  Combined 13.7 16.9 11.4 10.0 4.9 # 5.2 # Satisfied with teaching overall 5.0 18.3 18.8 18.4 9.0 3.6 1.7 1.0 

See notes at end of table.

Main reason not teaching in 2003
Table 5.—Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had taught but were not teaching in 2003, percentage distribution 

Table 5.—leaving, by demographic, academic, and teaching job characteristics: 2003—Continued

 To raise Difficulty a family To change with  or other to non- students, Laid off  family- To work teaching parents, or work- 

Demographic, academic, and related outside of job in Low or admin- force Relo- Health teaching job characteristics reasons education education pay istration reduction cated reasonPercent minority enrollment 0–4 16.9 39.2 8.2 5.7 6.9 # # #  5–19 21.0 15.5 16.9 16.5 8.9 2.8 1.0 0.5  20–49 23.8 10.0 16.1 13.1 6.1 2.2 2.0 #  50 or more 15.1 12.4 16.3 15.2 6.9 4.4 5.4 2.5 Percent free or reduced-price lunch recipients3 5–19 15.3 32.3 11.8 12.1 7.2 3.0 # #  20–49 22.9 11.0 15.9 10.7 6.4 6.3 0.8 2.6  50 or more 20.6 10.6 11.9 22.1 10.0 1.2 1.1 1.2 Main teaching field4 General elementary 38.9 9.0 15.4 8.4 6.8 2.7 0.5 1. Science or mathematics 10.4 25.7 25.9 15.9 8.5 # # 2. Special/ESL/Bilingual education 24.4 10.1 24.2 7.9 7.4 4.7 # #  English 20.2 14.8 15.4 23.2 7.3 # # #  Other 3.0 11.3 21.2 18.9 3.2 # 3.5 2.4 

# Rounds to zero.

1 Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for respondents who majored in business or health fields.2 Elementary schools provide instruction in some grade lower than 7th and no grade higher than 8th. Secondary schools provide instruction in no grad

Combined schools provide instruction in some grade lower than 7th and some grade higher than 8th. Included in the totals but not shown separately awho taught at combined schools.

3 Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for respondents whose school had 0–4 percent free or reduced-price lunch recipients.4 Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for respondents with main field of business/vocational, foreign language, social studies, or fi

NOTE: School and job characteristics apply to most recent school and teaching job. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Estimates inclu50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:93

Main reason not teaching in 2003
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
31 

Preparation for Teaching 

Researchers and policymakers are interested in teacher preparation for several reasons, 

perhaps foremost to ensure that teachers are adequately trained to face the challenges of 

teaching. Educational leaders seek to attract highly skilled college graduates to teaching and to 

provide useful training and practice likely to transform them into effective teachers. Preparation 

and certification requirements have been changed by state agencies in recent years, with the aim 

of ensuring that all teachers have specific kinds of preparation; at the same time, policymakers 

want to avoid inadvertently creating barriers that prevent skilled people from becoming teachers. 

In addition, strong preservice preparation and individualized support for novice teachers are 

critical not only to teachers’ effectiveness but also to retaining them in the profession beyond the 

first few years (Smith and Ingersoll 2004; NCTAF 1997). Districts sometimes have difficulty 

finding and hiring well-trained teachers, especially in fields like mathematics, science, and 

special education (Murphy, DeArmond, and Guin 2003; National Governors Association 2000; 

NCTAF 2003). One highly effective way to address the scarcity of teachers is to reduce the 

attrition that occurs among new teachers (Cochran-Smith 2004; Ingersoll 2001, 2004; Wayne 

2000; Guarino, Santibanez, and Daley 2006). This section sheds some light on these issues by 

presenting information on the characteristics of 1992–93 college graduates who entered and 

progressed through—or avoided—the teacher pipeline in the subsequent decade. 

Progress Through the Teacher Pipeline 

The various stages of preparation and teaching experience can be viewed as a pipeline, in 

which the entire sample is eligible for the first stage but each successive stage requires having 

taken certain steps toward teaching (categories are shown in figure 12 and table 6). In this 

categorization, the subset of college graduates who never considered teaching appear in the first 

category: no pipeline entry. Those who considered teaching or applied for a teaching job at some 

point in the 10-year follow-up period, but took no further steps to prepare, make up the second 

category. The third category consists of those who did not prepare but nevertheless did some 

teaching. The fourth category encompasses graduates who prepared to teach but did no teaching. 

The fifth and final category consists of prepared teachers—those who completed all steps for 

preparation and had some teaching experience (though were not necessarily current teachers in 

2003). 
Preparation for Teaching

32 

Nearly one-half (46 percent) of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients reported they had 

neither considered teaching nor taken any steps to prepare for the profession—that is, they had 

not entered the teacher pipeline (figure 12 and table 6). Another 30 percent had either considered 

teaching or applied for a teaching job at some point⎯but went no farther than this first stage in 

the pipeline. Roughly 4 percent each had taught with no training or prepared but not taught, and 

16 percent overall had both prepared to teach and taught. 

Becoming a Prepared Teacher 

Graduates count as “prepared to teach” in this report if they completed a student teaching 

assignment or earned a teaching certificate, or both (student teaching is usually one of the last 

steps completed in meeting several requirements for certification). Academic characteristics 

positively associated with preparing to be and becoming a teacher, shown in the last segment of 

the pipeline, included having earned a bachelor’s degree before the 1992–93 degree, earning the 

latter degree from a public non-doctorate-granting institution, and having majored in education 

as an undergraduate. Graduates with these characteristics were more likely than their 

Figure 12.—Percentage distributions of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients by status in the teacher 

Figure 11.—pipeline, by gender: 2003

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal 

Study (B&B:93/03).

46

55

39

30

29

30

4

4

5

16 9

22

4

4

3

0

20

40

60

80

100

All Male Female

Percent

Prepared and taught

Prepared, didn’t teach

Taught, no training

Considered or applied at some point

No entry into pipeline
Preparation for Teaching 

33 

Table 6.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ status in the teacher pipeline,

Table 6.—by demographic, academic, and teacher pipeline characteristics: 2003

 No entry Considered Prepared,

Demographic, academic, and into or applied at Has taught, did not Prepared

teacher pipeline characteristics pipeline some point no training teach and taught

 Total 46.4 29.7 3.5 4.3 16.1

Gender

 Male 55.0 29.5 3.2 3.7 8.6

 Female 39.4 29.9 3.8 4.7 22.2

Race/ethnicity1

 White 46.2 29.5 3.4 4.4 16.5

 Black 38.8 38.4 4.8 2.3 15.7

 Hispanic 42.9 28.9 4.2 3.4 20.7

 Asian/Pacific Islander 65.0 21.4 2.7 6.5 4.4

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 47.6 28.1 3.8 4.3 16.2

 23–24 47.3 31.0 2.8 3.7 15.3

 25–29 44.2 33.6 3.9 4.2 14.2

 30 or older 43.4 29.3 3.5 5.2 18.6

Attainment before 1992–93 bachelor’s

 Associate’s degree or less 47.0 29.7 3.4 4.2 15.7

 Bachelor’s degree or more 38.3 29.8 4.3 5.6 22.1

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public non-doctorate-granting 41.0 26.7 2.8 5.8 23.8

 Public doctorate-granting 49.7 29.1 3.1 3.9 14.3

 Private not-for-profit non-doctorate-granting 43.3 33.4 4.3 3.6 15.4

 Private not-for-profit doctorate-granting 47.1 32.4 5.4 3.7 11.5

 Private for-profit 2-year-or-more 54.7 43.8 0.5 # 1.1

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 62.3 30.8 1.6 2.2 3.1

 Education 8.0 10.1 1.6 10.8 69.5

 Health 58.4 30.3 2.7 3.1 5.5

 Arts and humanities 34.2 33.2 10.4 4.6 17.6

 Social/behavioral sciences 49.0 36.4 3.9 3.2 7.5

 Science, mathematics, engineering 55.0 31.6 2.9 3.0 7.5

 Other 46.9 33.3 3.7 4.5 11.5

See notes at end of table.
Preparation for Teaching

34 

counterparts in other categories to have taken preparation steps and to have taught by 2003 

(table 6). 

Other experiences in college (and before, for college entrance exams) were also predictors 

of whether graduates became prepared teachers. Graduates with lower CEE scores were more 

likely to prepare and teach by 2003, for example. On the other hand, those who earned relatively 

high grades in college were also more likely than others to have completed preparation and 

taught by 2003. 

Table 6.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ status in the teacher pipeline,

Table 6.—by demographic, academic, and teacher pipeline characteristics: 2003—Continued

 No entry Considered Prepared,

Demographic, academic, and into or applied at Has taught, did not Prepared

teacher pipeline characteristics pipeline some point no training teach and taught

College entrance examination score2

 Lowest level 41.2 28.9 3.4 4.6 21.9

 Middle level 47.9 28.4 3.1 4.3 16.4

 Highest level 48.9 33.2 4.3 3.6 10.0

 Test scores not available 45.8 30.0 3.7 4.7 15.8

Normalized undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.25 47.9 37.4 5.1 3.9 5.8

 2.25–2.74 51.0 31.1 2.8 3.8 11.4

 2.75–3.24 46.1 27.6 3.1 4.5 18.8

 3.25–3.74 44.6 29.4 3.5 4.2 18.2

 3.75 or higher 42.1 28.3 4.5 5.7 19.5

Teaching experience before 1992–93 bachelor’s

 Taught or prepared † 1.5 26.4 5.8 66.3

 Neither taught nor prepared 48.7 31.0 2.6 4.1 13.5

Teacher pipeline status through 1994 interview

 Was not considering teaching 66.3 27.5 1.3 2.7 2.2

 Was considering 0.1 76.8 4.3 2.6 16.4

 Had taught but not prepared † † 55.9 † 44.1

 Had prepared but not taught † † † 41.6 58.4

 Had prepared and taught †††† 100.0

† Not applicable.

# Rounds to zero.

1 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race categories 

exclude Hispanic origin. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for respondents who identified themselves 

as American Indian/Alaska Native or another race.

2 Derived from College Board-, institution-, or student-reported SAT or ACT scores, where available.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
Preparation for Teaching 

35 

Pre-degree participation in teaching-related activities was related to preparation and 

teaching status by 2003. As one example, 66 percent of graduates who had either taught or 

trained to teach before completing the 1992–93 degree had completed preparation and taught by 

2003, and another 26 percent had taught but without completing training (table 6). Many fewer, 

about 14 percent, of those who had neither taught nor trained to teach before their 1992–93 

degree had completed preparation and taught 10 years later. 

Student Teaching and Certification 

The two steps graduates could complete to count as “prepared to teach,” as noted above, 

are completing a student teaching assignment or earning a teaching certificate. Student teaching 

is usually one of several requirements needed for certification. Overall, 17 percent of 1992–93 

bachelor’s degree recipients did earn teaching certificates, while 4 out of 5 neither student taught 

nor earned a teaching certificate by 2003 (table 7).7 Another 3 percent had student teaching 

experience but had not completed all additional requirements to earn a teaching certificate. 

As with teaching experience, examined in the first half of this report, several demographic 

and academic characteristics of college graduates were related to obtaining teacher certification. 

Graduates who were relatively likely to earn certification included females (figure 13), Whites, 

Blacks, and Hispanics compared with Asians/Pacific Islanders (table 7), those who graduated 

from public non-doctorate-granting postsecondary institutions, and those who majored in 

education. For example, while 74 percent of education majors later earned certification, 18 

percent of arts/humanities and 13 percent of “other” majors did so. Arts/humanities majors were 

more likely, at 18 percent, to have completed teaching certificates, compared with the other four 

majors categories below that rate. Nine percent or fewer of majors in other fields earned 

certification. 

Similar to the outcome of having prepared and taught, discussed above, graduates who had 

relatively low CEE scores or high grades in college were more likely to have earned teaching 

certificates by 2003 (table 7). In addition, among those who had taught or trained to teach before 

completing their 1992–93 degree, two-thirds were certified teachers by 2003, compared with 15 

percent among their peers who neither taught nor trained for teaching before completing their 

bachelor’s degree in 1992−93. 

 

7 The 80 percent lacking preparation, shown in column 1, are the graduates distributed among the first three columns of table 6. 
Preparation for Teaching

36 

Table 7.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ preparation to teach, by

Table 7.—demographic, academic, and teacher pipeline characteristics: 2003

Demographic, academic, and No student teachteacher pipeline characteristics ing or certification Student taught Certified

 Total 79.6 3.0 17.4

Gender

 Male 87.6 2.8 9.5

 Female 73.0 3.2 23.8

Race/ethnicity1

 White 79.1 2.9 18.1

 Black 82.1 3.4 14.5

 Hispanic 76.0 3.0 21.1

 Asian/Pacific Islander 89.1 5.5 5.4

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 79.5 3.3 17.2

 23–24 81.0 2.1 16.9

 25–29 81.7 2.7 15.7

 30 or older 76.2 4.0 19.8

Attainment before 1992–93 bachelor’s

 Associate’s degree or less 80.1 2.8 17.1

 Bachelor’s degree or more 72.3 6.1 21.6

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public non-doctorate-granting 70.4 3.7 25.9

 Public doctorate-granting 81.8 2.3 15.9

 Private not-for-profit non-doctorate-granting 81.0 3.5 15.5

 Private not-for-profit doctorate-granting 84.9 3.7 11.4

 Private for-profit 2-year-or-more 98.9 0.4 0.7

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 94.7 1.4 3.9

 Education 19.7 5.9 74.5

 Health 91.4 3.3 5.3

 Arts and humanities 77.8 4.3 18.0

 Social/behavioral sciences 89.3 2.9 7.9

 Science, mathematics, engineering 89.5 1.9 8.6

 Other 84.0 3.3 12.7

College entrance examination score2

 Lowest level 73.5 4.2 22.3

 Middle level 79.4 2.6 18.0

 Highest level 86.4 2.7 11.0

 Test scores not available 79.5 3.1 17.3

See notes at end of table.
Preparation for Teaching 

37 

Graduates Who Left the Teacher Pipeline 

As discussed elsewhere regarding graduates who had no teaching experience, males and 

Asians/Pacific Islanders in this cohort were less likely than females and those from other 

racial/ethnic groups to have entered the teacher pipeline (table 6). In addition, 47 percent of 

Table 7.—Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients’ preparation to teach, by

Table 7.—demographic, academic, and teacher pipeline characteristics: 2003—Continued

Demographic, academic, and No student teachteacher pipeline characteristics ing or certification Student taught Certified

Normalized undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.25 90.3 3.3 6.4

 2.25–2.74 84.8 2.9 12.4

 2.75–3.24 76.8 3.1 20.2

 3.25–3.74 77.5 2.6 19.9

 3.75 or higher 74.8 4.4 20.8

Teaching experience before 1992–93 bachelor’s

 Taught or prepared 27.9 5.1 67.0

 Neither taught nor prepared 82.4 2.8 14.8

Teaching status in 2003 and before 1992–93 bachelor’s

 Currently teaching, taught before bachelor’s # 4.8 95.2

 Currently teaching, not before bachelor’s 3.3 2.9 93.8

 Had taught, taught before bachelor’s ‡ ‡ ‡

 Had taught, not before bachelor’s 25.3 5.1 69.7

 Never taught 94.7 2.5 2.8

Teacher pipeline status through 1994 interview

 Was not considering teaching 95.1 2.2 2.7

 Was considering 81.1 2.4 16.5

 Had taught but not prepared 55.9 7.0 37.2

 Had prepared but not taught † 13.8 86.2

 Had prepared and taught † 2.3 97.7

† Not applicable.

# Rounds to zero.

‡ Reporting standards not met. (Too few cases for a reliable estimate.)

1 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race categories 

exclude Hispanic origin. Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for respondents who identified themselves as 

American Indian/Alaska Native or another race.

2 Derived from College Board-, institution-, or student-reported SAT or ACT scores, where available.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
Preparation for Teaching

38 

graduates who had attained an associate’s degree (or no degree) before the 1992–93 degree had 

not considered teaching (i.e., had no pipeline entry), compared with 38 percent of those who 

already had a bachelor’s or higher degree before 1992–93 (table 6). 

Graduates who had majored in business or management; health; or science, mathematics, 

or engineering were, in general, more likely than those with other majors to have not entered the 

teacher pipeline. At least 55 percent of majors in those three categories took no steps to enter the 

teacher pipeline, compared with 8 percent of education majors. As with the teaching experience 

data discussed in the first section of this report, graduates with low CEE scores were more likely 

than those with mid-range or high scores to enter the teacher pipeline.8 Similarly, higher grades 

in college were associated with generally lower rates of considering or applying to teach. 

However, graduates were more likely to prepare and teach if they had earned higher grades in 

college. For both test scores and grades, patterns can be seen more clearly with the rates at which 

graduates prepared and became teachers, discussed in the next section. 

 

8 This point can be deduced from the data in table 6 showing that with middle or high scores, graduates were less likely to have

never entered the teacher pipeline. 

Figure 13.—Percentage distributions of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients by preparation to teach, by 

Figure 12.—gender: 2003

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal 

Study (B&B:93/03).

80

88

73

17

10

24

3

3

3

0

20

40

60

80

100

All Male Female

Percent

Certified

Student taught

No student teaching or

certification
Preparation for Teaching 

39 

Becoming a Prepared Teacher 

Graduates count as “prepared to teach” in this report if they completed a student teaching 

assignment or earned a teaching certificate, or both (student teaching is usually one of the last 

steps completed in meeting several requirements for certification). Academic characteristics 

positively associated with preparing to be and becoming a teacher, shown in the last segment of 

the pipeline, included having earned a bachelor’s degree before the 1992–93 degree, earning the 

latter degree from a public non-doctorate-granting institution, and having majored in education 

as an undergraduate. Graduates with these characteristics were more likely than their 

counterparts in other categories to have taken preparation steps and to have taught by 2003 (table 

6). Other experiences in college (and before, for college entrance exams) were also predictors of 

whether graduates became prepared teachers. Graduates with lower CEE scores were more likely 

to prepare and teach by 2003, for example. On the other hand, those who earned relatively high 

grades in college were also more likely than others to have completed preparation and taught by 

2003. 

Pre-degree participation in teaching-related activities was related to preparation and 

teaching status by 2003. As one example, 66 percent of graduates who had either taught or 

trained to teach before completing the 1992–93 degree had completed preparation and taught by 

2003, and another 26 percent had taught but without completing training (table 6). Many fewer, 

about 14 percent, of those who had neither taught nor trained to teach before their 1992–93 

degree had completed preparation and taught 10 years later. 

Student Teaching and Certification 

The two steps graduates could complete to count as “prepared to teach,” as noted above, 

are completing a student teaching assignment or earning a teaching certificate; student teaching 

is usually one of several requirements needed for certification. Overall, 17 percent of 1992–93 

bachelor’s degree recipients did earn teaching certificates, while 4 out of 5 neither student taught 

nor earned a teaching certificate by 2003 (table 7).9 Another 3 percent had student teaching 

experience but had not completed all additional requirements to earn a teaching certificate. 

As with teaching experience, examined in the first half of this report, several demographic 

and academic characteristics of college graduates were related to obtaining teacher certification. 

Graduates who were relatively likely to earn certification included females (figure 13), Whites, 

Blacks, and Hispanics compared with Asians/Pacific Islanders (table 7), those who graduated 

from public non-doctorate-granting postsecondary institutions, and those who majored in 

 

9 The 80 percent lacking preparation, shown in column 1, are the graduates distributed among the first three columns of table 6. 
Preparation for Teaching

40 

education. For example, while 74 percent of education majors later earned certification, 18 

percent of arts/humanities and 13 percent of “other” majors did so. Arts/humanities majors were 

more likely, at 18 percent, to have completed teaching certificates, compared with graduates in 

the other four majors categories below that rate. Nine percent or fewer of majors in other fields 

earned certification. 

Similar to the outcome of having prepared and taught, discussed above, graduates who had 

relatively low CEE scores or high grades in college were more likely to have earned teaching 

certificates by 2003 (table 7). In addition, among those who had taught or trained to teach before 

completing their 1992–93 degree, two-thirds were certified teachers by 2003, compared to 15 

percent among their peers who neither taught nor trained for teaching before completing their 

bachelor’s degree in 1992−93. 

Reasons for Deciding Not to Teach 

 Graduates who had entered the teacher pipeline, defined as considering teaching at some 

point, but who neither applied for a teaching job nor taught since 1997 were asked about reasons 

for that decision. The most commonly mentioned reasons for not entering teaching were lack of 

interest (36 percent), having another job already (30 percent), and wanting higher pay (25 

percent) (table 8).10 

Several gender differences in reasons for deciding against teaching were observed. Men 

were more likely than women to say that wanting higher pay than teaching provides figured into 

their decision, 32 versus 19 percent (figure 14 and table 8). Men were also more likely than 

women to say they already had another job or they had received a better offer than teaching, 

while females were more inclined to report some “other reason” not specified in the survey 

interview. 

Among the relevant academic characteristics, graduates whose attainment before the 1992–

93 bachelor’s degree was less than a bachelor’s were more likely than those with higher prior 

attainment to report that they sought higher pay in rejecting teaching (25 vs. 14 percent). 

Additionally, as CEE scores increased, 1992–93 graduates were more likely to select the 

following reasons for not entering teaching: poor working conditions, low pay, and having 

another job already. 

 

10 A possible difference between wanting higher pay and “other” reasons was not statistically significant. 
Table 8.—Of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had entered the teacher pipeline but neither taught nor applied for a te

Table 8.—percentage who cited various reasons for deciding against teaching, by demographic, academic, and teacher pipeline  Not Already Wanted Have not TeachersDemographic, academic, and interested in other higher Other Not yet taken working teacher pipeline characteristics in teaching job salary reason certified tests conditions  Total 35.9 29.9 24.7 20.2 18.0 11.8 6.2 Gender Male 34.7 32.7 31.8 16.9 15.7 10.3 6.3  Female 36.9 27.6 18.8 22.9 19.9 13.0 6.1 Race/ethnicity1 White 35.5 30.2 24.9 19.8 18.6 11.9 6.1  Black 38.4 31.1 23.4 18.9 15.6 13.5 2.6  Hispanic 41.6 26.0 24.3 25.5 11.1 12.5 8.4  Asian/Pacific Islander 40.2 27.7 24.5 22.6 13.1 8.7 8.4 Attainment before 1992–93 bachelor’s Associate’s degree or less 35.5 29.6 25.4 20.2 17.9 11.9 6.4  Bachelor’s degree or more 41.5 33.6 14.3 19.8 19.6 10.7 2.9 Bachelor’s degree-granting institution2 Public non-doctorate-granting 37.3 29.5 20.7 21.6 19.8 11.7 6.0  Public doctorate-granting 35.1 32.3 29.1 19.7 18.5 13.3 8.3  Private not-for-profit non-doctorate-granting 33.3 27.9 24.0 19.4 18.3 12.5 4.7  Private not-for-profit doctorate-granting 38.2 27.0 22.1 20.2 14.0 7.6 3.8 Baccalaureate degree major Business and management 28.0 28.0 31.8 19.9 18.8 14.4 7.5  Education 41.5 31.3 18.8 23.8 13.8 7.9 8.1  Health 37.6 31.5 20.7 27.3 9.3 4.8 3.2  Arts and humanities 41.2 27.1 19.2 22.3 16.9 13.1 6.3  Social/behavioral sciences 39.1 32.7 20.6 17.6 19.1 10.9 4.2  Science, mathematics, engineering 34.2 32.0 30.4 19.1 17.8 12.9 7.3  Other 37.7 27.6 21.9 18.4 22.8 12.2 5.9 

See notes at end of table.
Table 8.—Of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had entered the teacher pipeline but neither taught nor applied for a te

Table 8.—percentage who cited various reasons for deciding against teaching, by demographic, academic, and teacher pipeline Table 8.——Continued Not Already Wanted Have not TeachersDemographic, academic, and interested in other higher Other Not yet taken working teacher pipeline characteristics in teaching job salary reason certified tests conditions College entrance examination score3 Lowest level 32.2 26.0 22.1 21.2 21.1 11.9 3.1  Middle level 35.5 31.5 26.4 19.1 18.0 11.3 7.4  Highest level 38.6 34.2 30.6 17.5 15.7 13.1 8.8  Test scores not available 37.5 25.9 17.2 24.2 17.7 11.4 3.6 Normalized undergraduate GPA Less than 2.25 43.3 13.8 40.3 6.9 25.0 17.6 7.6  2.25–2.74 30.0 30.3 31.4 22.4 19.8 11.8 6.7  2.75–3.24 34.0 29.4 21.9 22.1 20.0 12.9 6.2  3.25–3.74 36.6 33.0 25.3 17.2 18.5 11.8 5.8  3.75 or higher 44.3 31.1 23.8 18.6 8.3 9.0 7.0 Teaching experience before 1992–93 bachelor’s4 Neither taught nor prepared 36.0 30.1 24.4 20.3 18.2 11.8 6.2 Teacher pipeline status through 1994 interview5 Was not considering teaching 31.0 30.6 26.4 21.3 21.4 12.8 6.6  Was considering 48.2 27.9 21.0 16.6 13.6 10.9 4.7  Had prepared but not taught 30.8 34.4 16.5 31.2 6.7 5.2 9.6 

1 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin

not shown separately are data for American Indian/Alaska Native respondents and those who identified themselves with another race.

2 Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for respondents who attended private for-profit 2-year-or-more institutions.3 Derived from College Board-, institution-, or student-reported SAT or ACT scores, where available.4 Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for respondents who taught or trained before their 1992–93 bachelor’s degree.5 Included in the totals but not shown separately are data for respondents who had taught but not prepared or had prepared and taught.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:93
Preparation for Teaching 

43 

Figure 14.—Of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had entered the teacher pipeline but neither 

Figure 13.—taught nor applied for a teaching position, percentage who cited various reasons for deciding

Figure 13.—against teaching, by gender: 2003

NOTE: Estimates include graduates from the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal 

Study (B&B:93/03).

35

33 32

17 16

10

6 7

2

37

28

19

23

20

13

6

3 2

0

10

20

30

40

50

Not

interested in

teaching

Already in

other job

Wanted

higher

salary

“Other”

reason

Not yet

certified

Not taken

tests

Teachers’

working

conditions

Received

better offer

Not passed

tests

Percent

Male Female
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
45 

Summary and Conclusion 

In 2003, 20 percent of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients had taught in an elementary or 

secondary school, with 11 percent teaching when they were interviewed in 2003 and another 9 

percent having taught at some point in the past. Women in the cohort were more than twice as 

likely as men to report in 2003 that they were currently teaching and about twice as likely as men 

to have taught previously. Graduates who were older than age 30 when they completed their 

1993 bachelor’s degree were also in general more likely than others to be teaching in 2003, as 

were White, Black, and Hispanic graduates compared with Asian/Pacific Islander graduates. 

Among the academic characteristics associated with a propensity to teach were the types of 

undergraduate institutions attended and undergraduate major field of study. For example, 

graduates of public 4-year nondoctoral institutions were more likely than graduates from other 

institutions to be teaching in 2003. Education majors were also more likely than those from other 

disciplines to be teachers in 2003—and to have taught only in the past. Nevertheless, 29 percent 

of education majors had no teaching experience by 2003. 

Several other academic measures were related to the likelihood that college graduates later 

joined the teaching profession. First, graduates’ CEE scores were inversely related to their 

likelihood of being teachers in 2003. On the other hand, those with higher college GPAs were 

more likely than those with lower grades to be currently teaching. Graduates whose highest 

earned degree in 2003 was a master’s or a post-baccalaureate certificate became teachers in 

larger proportions than those who attained bachelor’s degrees or graduate degrees beyond a 

master’s. 

In general, teachers expressed satisfaction with the profession. Nearly all graduates who 

were teaching in 2003 said they were satisfied with teaching overall (93 percent). Teachers were 

more satisfied with the learning environment at their school than with aspects such as parent 

support, pay, and students’ motivation to learn. Ninety percent of teachers reported that they 

would choose teaching again, and two-thirds planned to remain a teacher for the rest of their 

working life. Among teachers who were not teaching in 2003, females often left for familyrelated reasons (29 percent), while males often left for a job outside of the education field (32 

percent). 
Summary and Conclusion

46 

Nearly one-half of all 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients reported that they had never 

considered teaching nor taken any steps to prepare for the profession. Another nearly one-third 

had either considered teaching or applied for a teaching job at some point in the previous decade 

but not advanced further in the teacher supply pipeline. The most commonly cited reasons for not 

pursuing teaching were lack of interest, having another job already, and wanting higher pay. 

Males were more likely than females to have sought higher pay, to have had another job already, 

and to have received an offer for a job they considered better than teaching. 

Sixteen percent of the cohort had both prepared to teach and taught. Graduates with the 

following academic characteristics were more likely to prepare for and become a teacher: having 

earned another bachelor’s degree before the 1992–93 degree, earning the latter degree from a 

public non-doctorate-granting institution, having an undergraduate major in education, and 

having a relatively high grade point average from college and relatively low CEE scores. 

About 4 in 5 of this cohort of college graduates neither student taught nor earned teaching 

certificates by 2003. About 17 percent (among the remaining 20 percent) earned teaching 

certificates. Graduates who were relatively likely to hold certification included females, Whites 

and Blacks (versus Asians/Pacific Islanders), those who graduated from public non-doctorategranting postsecondary institutions, and those who majored in education. 
47 

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Statistics. 
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
A-1 

Appendix A—Glossary 

This glossary describes the variables used in this report. The items were taken directly from the NCES B&B:93/03 

Data Analysis System (DAS), a Web-based NCES analysis tool that generates tables from the B&B:93/03 data. (See 

appendix B for a description of the DAS.) In the index below, the variables are organized by general topic and, 

within topic, listed alphabetically by variable name. The glossary is in alphabetical order by variable name 

(displayed in capital letters to the right of the label below). 

GLOSSARY INDEX 

STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS

Race/ethnicity .............................................. B2ETHNIC 

Gender ..............................................................B2RSEX 

Age at bachelor’s degree completion........... CCAGEBA 

EDUCATION CHARACTERISTICS

Highest degree attained by 2003.................... B3HDG03 

Baccalaureate degree major......................... BAMAJOR 

First postsecondary institution attended ........ FSCTYPE 

Attainment before 1992–93 bachelor’s.......HIOTHDEG 

Normalized undergraduate GPA..................NORMGPA 

College entrance examination scores.......... SATACTQ2 

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution.........SECTOR_B 

TEACHING EXPERIENCES

Main field taught in most recent job................B3FIELD 

Full-time or part-time teaching job................. B3FTPT1 

2003 job: generally satisfied ...................... B3GENSAT 

Reason left teaching by 2003.......................B3LFTTCH 

Sector of school, most recent teaching job .B3MRSECT 

School’s percent free/reduced-price lunch recipients, 

most recent teaching job........................... B3MRSFLE 

Level of school, most recent teaching job .B3MRSLEV 

School’s community type, most recent teaching job 

 ................................................................. B3MRSLOC 

School’s percent minority enrollment, most recent 

teaching job............................................. B3MRSMPC 

Reason did not apply for teaching position: 

 Not interested in teaching ...........................B3NOAPA 

 Poor teaching conditions.............................B3NOAPB 

 Wanted higher salary ..................................B3NOAPC 

 Already in other job ....................................B3NOAPE 

 Received better offer................................... B3NOAPF 

 Haven’t passed tests....................................B3NOAPG 

 Haven’t taken tests......................................B3NOAPH 

 Not yet certified ........................................... B3NOAPI 

 Other reason................................................B3NOAPX 

Teacher pipeline status at 2003 interview ......B3PIPLIN 

Would go into teaching again ....................B3TCHAGN 

How long expect to stay in teaching ............B3TCHDR 

Teaching status in 2003..................................B3TCHST 

Satisfaction: student motivation .................... B3TSATA 

Satisfaction: school learning environment .....B3TSATB 

Satisfaction: student discipline.......................B3TSATC 

Satisfaction: class size................................... B3TSATD 

Satisfaction: support from parents..................B3TSATE 

Teaching status in 2003 and before 1992−93.................. 

 ................................................................... FINTSTAT 

Teacher pipeline status at 1994 interview ......PIPELINE 

Teaching experience before 1992–93 

bachelor’s................................................ TEACHUNV 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable 

A-2 

Race/ethnicity B2ETHNIC 

Indicates the race and ethnicity of the respondent. Created by combining respondents’ reported race (American 

Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, White, or Other) and whether they were of Hispanic origin. 

Included in the totals but not shown separately (because of too few cases) are data for American Indian/Alaska 

Native respondents and those who identified themselves with a race other than the four shown. The resulting 

categories are as follows. 

White, non-Hispanic 

Black, non-Hispanic 

Hispanic 

Asian/Pacific Islander 

Gender 

B2RSEX 

Indicates student-reported gender. 

Male 

Female 

Main field taught in most recent job B3FIELD 

For respondents who have taught or are currently teaching, this variable brings together data from the 1994, 1997, 

and 2003 surveys on the main assignment field of their most recent teaching job. 

General elementary (combined elementary with early childhood education) 

Business and vocational 

Science and mathematics (combined the separate fields) 

Foreign languages 

Special education or ESL/bilingual (combined the separate fields) 

English (combined English, journalism, reading, and writing) 

Social studies (combined economics, political systems, history, civics, and social studies) 

Fine arts (combined art, drama, music) 

Other (combined numerous fields, including health, physical education, and secondary education) 

Full-time or part-time teaching job B3FTPT1 

For respondents who had taught since 1997 or were currently teaching in 2003, this variable shows the employment 

status of their most recent teaching job (excludes those who taught only as substitutes or teacher’s aides). 

Full-time 

Part-time 

2003 job: generally satisfied B3GENSAT

This variable indicates whether respondents were generally satisfied with their current job in 2003 (applies to those 

who were employed at the time of the interview). This item and the others related to teacher satisfaction are simple 

yes/no questions, they did not allow for different degrees of satisfaction. 
 Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable 

A-3 

Highest degree attained by 2003 B3HDG03

The highest degree the respondent had attained by 2003. 

Bachelor’s degree 

Post-baccalaureate certificate 

Master’s degree 

Post-master’s certificate, doctorate, or first-professional degree 

Reason left teaching by 2003 B3LFTTCH

Provides the primary reason that respondents who were teaching in the past but had left the profession by 2003 

decided to leave (excluding those who indicated they plan to return to/continue classroom teaching.) 

Low pay 

Took a sabbatical or other break from teaching 

Laid off or work force reduction 

Changed to a job outside of education 

Changed to a nonteaching job within education 

Relocated 

Raising a family or fulfill other family demands 

Health reasons 

Difficulty with students, parents, and/or administration 

Other 

Sector of school, most recent teaching job B3MRSECT

For respondents who have taught or are currently teaching, this variable brings together data from the 1994, 1997, 

and 2003 surveys on the sector of the school at which the respondent most recently taught. 

Public 

Private 

School’s percent free/reduced-price lunch recipients, most recent teaching job B3MRSFLE

For respondents who have taught or are currently teaching, this continuous variable brings together data from the 

1994, 1997, and 2003 surveys on the percentage of students who were free/reduced-price lunch recipients at the 

school at which the respondent most recently taught. 

Level of school, most recent teaching job B3MRSLEV

For respondents who have taught or are currently teaching, this variable brings together data from the 1994, 1997, 

and 2003 surveys on the level of the school at which the respondent most recently taught. 

Elementary 

Secondary 

Combined 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable 

A-4 

School’s community type, most recent teaching job B3MRSLOC

For respondents who have taught or are currently teaching, this variable brings together data from the 1994, 1997, 

and 2003 surveys on the community type of the most recent school in which the respondent taught. 

Central city (combines schools in large and mid-size central city locations) 

Urban fringe (combines schools in urban fringes of large cities and mid-size cities) 

Small town/rural (combines small town with rural schools) 

School’s percent minority enrollment, most recent teaching job B3MRSMPC

For respondents who have taught or are currently teaching, this continuous variable brings together data from the 

1994, 1997, and 2003 surveys on the percentage of students who were of minority racial/ethnic backgrounds at the 

most recent school in which the respondent taught. 

Reason did not apply for teaching position

Respondents who did not apply for a teaching position were asked, “What are the reasons you did not apply for a 

teaching position? (Please check all that apply.)” 

Not interested in teaching B3NOAPA

Poor teaching conditions B3NOAPB

Wanted higher salary B3NOAPC

Already in other job B3NOAPE

Received better offer B3NOAPF

Haven’t passed tests B3NOAPG

Haven’t taken tests B3NOAPH

Not yet certified B3NOAPI

Other reason B3NOAPX

Teacher pipeline status at 2003 interview B3PIPLIN 

This variable measures extent of involvement with teaching, using variables from the 1994, 1997, and 2003 

interviews. Respondents who had taught were categorized by whether they had teacher certification, had done 

student teaching, or lacked training. Those who had not taught were categorized by whether they had certification, 

had student taught, applied for teaching jobs, considered teaching, or had no interest in teaching/took no action to 

prepare. Table 6 in this report used the five categories listed on the left in the first grouping below, while table 7 

used the three categories in the latter grouping below. (Numbers in parentheses are the value codes for B3PIPLIN.) 

First grouping of categories: 

No entry into pipeline No interest in teaching or took no action to prepare (0) 

Considered or applied at some point Combined these categories: Considered teaching at other time 

(1); Was considering at time of the interview (2); Had applied 

to teach (3) 

Taught, no training Had taught without training (4) 

Prepared, didn’t teach Student taught, did not teach, no certificate; or Certificate, did 

not teach (5 or 7) 

Prepared and taught Student taught, taught, no certificate; or Certificate, taught (6 

or 8) 
 Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable 

A-5 

Teacher pipeline status at 2003 interview—continued B3PIPLIN 

Second grouping of categories: 

Not prepared (neither student Combined these categories: No interest in teaching or took no 

taught nor certified) action to prepare (0); Considered teaching at some other time 

(1); Was considering at time of the interview (2); Had applied 

to teach (3); and Had taught without training (4) 

Student taught Student taught, did not teach, no certificate; or Student taught, 

taught, no certificate (5 or 6) 

Certified Combined these categories: Certificate, did not teach; and 

Certificate, taught (7 or 8) 

Would go into teaching again B3TCHAGN 

For respondents who were currently teaching, this variable indicates whether they would choose teaching as a career 

if they had the decision to make over again. 

How long expect to stay in teaching B3TCHDR

For respondents who were currently teaching, this variable indicates how long they think they will stay in teaching. 

For the rest of the time working 

Until a nonteaching job in education becomes available 

Until something better comes along 

Other 

Teaching status by 2003 B3TCHST

This derived variable indicates whether respondents were currently teaching, had taught previously, or had never 

taught by the 2003 interview. 

Teaching 

Had taught but not teaching 

Never taught 

Satisfaction: student motivation B3TSATA

For respondents who had taught since 1997 or were currently teaching, this variable indicates whether respondents 

were satisfied with student motivation to learn in their current or most recent teaching job (yes or no). 

Satisfaction: school learning environment B3TSATB

For respondents who had taught since 1997 or were currently teaching, this variable indicates whether respondents 

were satisfied with the school’s learning environment in their current or most recent teaching job (yes or no). 

Satisfaction: student discipline B3TSATC

For respondents who had taught since 1997 or were currently teaching, this variable indicates whether respondents 

were satisfied with student discipline in their current or most recent teaching job (yes or no). 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable 

A-6 

Satisfaction: class size B3TSATD

For respondents who had taught since 1997 or were currently teaching, this variable indicates whether respondents 

were satisfied with class size(s) in their current or most recent teaching job (yes or no). 

Satisfaction: support from parents B3TSATE

For respondents who had taught since 1997 or were currently teaching, this variable indicates whether respondents 

were satisfied with support from parents in their current or most recent teaching job (yes or no). 

Baccalaureate degree major BAMAJOR

Major field of study for the bachelor’s degree. “Other” includes such fields as agriculture, communications, 

consumer and personal services, home economics, interdisciplinary studies, industrial arts, and general or basic 

studies. 

 Business and management 

 Education 

 Health 

 Arts and humanities 

 Social and behavioral sciences 

 Science, mathematics, or engineering 

 Other 

Age at bachelor’s degree completion CCAGEBA

Indicates the respondent’s age when they received their 1992–93 bachelor’s degree. The following categories are 

used: 

22 or younger 

23–24 

25–29 

30 or older 

Teaching status in 2003 and before 1992−93 FINTSTAT

This derived variable combines the respondent’s teaching status in 2003 with teaching experience, both after 

1992−93 through 2003 and before earning his or her 1992−93 bachelor’s degree. In some tables the category for 

“never taught” was eliminated with a filter, so that only respondents in the other four categories are included. 

Currently teaching and taught before bachelor’s degree 

Currently teaching, did not teach before bachelor’s degree 

Had taught before and since bachelor’s degree 

Had taught but not before bachelor’s degree 

Never taught 
 Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable 

A-7 

First postsecondary institution attended FSCTYPE 

This variable gives the type of postsecondary institution the respondent first attended. It was created by determining 

the earliest enrollment date from the sample school and any other school attended before receiving the bachelor’s 

degree at the sample school. Included in the totals but not shown separately are respondents who began at several 

other types of institutions (for-profit institutions, public less-than-2-year institutions, or private not-for-profit lessthan-4-year institutions). 

Public 2-year 

Public 4-year 

Private not-for-profit 4-year 

Attainment before 1992–93 bachelor’s HIOTHDEG

The highest degree the respondent had completed prior to completing the 1992–93 bachelor’s degree. 

Associate’s degree or less No prior attainment; or attained certificate, license, or 

associate’s degree 

Bachelor’s degree or more Bachelor’s degree, post-baccalaureate certificate, master’s 

degree, post-master’s certificate, first-professional degree, or 

doctorate 

Normalized undergraduate GPA NORMGPA

Normalizes the respondent’s cumulative grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale over the 4 years of college, as 

recorded at the sample school. The following categories are used: 

Less than 2.25 

2.25–2.74 

2.75–3.24 

3.25–3.74 

3.75 or higher 

Teacher pipeline status at 1994 interview PIPELINE 

This variable measures the respondent’s extent of preparation for and experience with teaching by the first followup, conducted in 1994. First, the variable identifies the group who had never considered teaching. Then it 

categorizes respondents by whether they had teacher preparation (had completed student teaching or had received 

provisional, regular, or advanced teacher certification) and whether they had any teaching experience. 

Was not considering teaching 

Did not prepare or teach 

Taught but had not prepared 

Prepared but did not teach 

Had prepared and taught 
Appendix A—Glossary 

DAS variable 

A-8 

College entrance examination scores SATACTQ2

Indicates the category in the distribution for respondent’s combined SAT or ACT (verbal and mathematics) scores, 

or a combination if both were available for a given case. About 20 percent of cases lacked score data, generally 

because the student did not take either test; some colleges do not require applicants to provide scores on these tests. 

Lowest level Lowest 25 percent of cases 

Middle level Middle 50 percent of cases 

Highest level Highest 25 percent of cases 

 Did not take test No SAT/ACT tests scores available 

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution SECTOR_B

Describes the type of institution from which respondents received the 1992–93 bachelor’s degree. This variable 

takes into account both institutional level (the institution’s highest type of degree or certificate awarded and length 

of programs), and control (the institution’s source of revenue and control of operations). 

Public non-doctorate-granting 

Public doctorate-granting 

Private not-for-profit non-doctorate-granting 

Private not-for-profit doctorate-granting 

Private for-profit 2-year or more 

Teaching experience before 1992–93 bachelor’s TEACHUNV 

This derived variable categorizes respondents based on whether they had taught school before or been certified to 

teach 1 year or more before obtaining the 1992–93 bachelor's degree. 

Had taught or trained to teach before degree 

Had not taught or trained before; eligible to enter teacher pipeline 
B-1 

Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

The 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study 

The estimates and statistics reported in the tables and figures of this report are based on 

data from the first, second, and third follow-ups of the 1993–2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond 

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03). This study tracks the experiences of a cohort of college 

graduates who received a baccalaureate degree during the 1992–93 academic year and were first 

interviewed as part of the 1992–93 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:93), 

conducted by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. 

NPSAS:93 was based on a nationally representative sample of all students in postsecondary 

education institutions, including undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional students. For 

NPSAS:93, information was obtained from more than 1,000 postsecondary institutions on 

approximately 50,000 undergraduates and over 13,000 graduate students. For B&B:93/03, those 

members of the NPSAS:93 sample who completed a bachelor’s degree between July 1, 1992, 

and June 30, 1993, were identified and contacted for a 1-year follow-up interview in 1994. The 

second follow-up of the B&B cohort occurred 4 years after graduation in 1997. The final followup 10 years after graduation, in 2003, is the focus of this report. The estimates in this report are 

based on the results of these interviews with roughly 9,000 bachelor’s degree recipients, 

representing about 1.2 million bachelor’s degree completers from 1992–93. For more 

information on the final 2003 data collected in the B&B series, consult the 1993/03 

Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03) Methodology Report (Wine et al. 

2005). 

The NPSAS:93 sample, while representative and statistically accurate, was not a simple 

random sample. Instead, the survey sample was selected using a more complex three-step 

procedure with stratified samples and differential probabilities of selection at each level. 

Postsecondary institutions were initially selected within geographic strata. Once institutions were 

organized by zip code and state, they were further stratified by control (i.e., public, private notfor-profit, or private for-profit) and degree offering (less-than-2-year, 2- to 3-year, 4-year nondoctorate-granting, and 4-year doctorate-granting). For more information about the NPSAS:93 

survey, refer to the Methodology Report for the 1993 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study

(Loft et al. 1995). 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

B-2 

The 1994 B&B survey was the first follow-up interview of NPSAS:93 participants who 

received their bachelor’s degrees between July 1992 and June 1993. Of 12,500 NPSAS:93 

respondents who were identified as potentially eligible for the first follow-up survey, about 1,500 

were determined to be ineligible. A total of about 10,000 eligible individuals completed the 1994 

interview. Data collection for the second follow-up interview of the B&B cohort took place 

between April and December 1997. A total of over 11,000 individuals in the B&B cohort were 

determined eligible for follow-up in 1997. For the second follow-up, over 10,000 individuals 

completed the interview, yielding a response rate of 90 percent. For more information on 

procedures for the first and second follow-ups, consult the respective methodology reports 

(Green et al. 1996 for the first follow-up and Green et al. 1999 for the second follow-up). 

In spring 2003, the third and final follow-up of the 1992–93 cohort of bachelor’s degree 

recipients was conducted (some interviews were completed as late as September). For the first 

time, students were offered the opportunity to answer the B&B interview questions via the 

Internet. A single web-based interview was designed and programmed for use as a selfadministered interview, along with telephone and in-person interview protocols. All respondents 

to the 1997 interview were included for participation in B&B:93/03. A subsample of about onethird of nonrespondents from 1997 was also included, for a final sample of about 10,400. Almost 

9,000 individuals responded, yielding a weighted overall response rate of 73.6 percent, reflecting 

an institution response rate (in 1992) of 88.2 percent and a student response rate (in 2003) of 

83.4 percent. For more details about these and other methodological procedures, consult the 

B&B:93/03 methodology report (Wine et al. 2005). 

The B&B:93/03 data provide a current profile of the 1992–93 cohort of college graduates, 

including degree recipients who have been enrolled sporadically over time as well as those who 

went to college right after completing high school. The dataset contains comprehensive data on 

graduate enrollment, attendance, attainment, and student demographic characteristics. It provides 

a unique opportunity to understand variations in labor force participation, career stability, and 

financial worth over the past 10 years. There are data limitations, however. This follow-up was 

the conclusion of a 10-year study, and some attrition from the study is to be anticipated, although 

bachelor’s degree recipients are likely to be relatively easier to locate than other populations and 

considerable efforts were undertaken both to minimize the extent of this problem and to adjust 

for its effects in the data (see Wine et al. 2005). Second, the previous waves of data collection for 

B&B:93/03 collected detailed information about complete education and employment histories 

for periods of 1 and 3 years, respectively; the final follow-up collected information for a period 

of 6 years, from the second follow-up in 1997 to the third in 2003. To ease respondent burden, 

summary information about employment histories was collected rather than complete, detailed 

information about each job held in the interim. For information on steps taken to ensure data 
 Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-3 

quality by evaluating instrument usability, effectiveness of the instrument in different modes, and 

data collection design, consult the B&B:93/03 methodology report (Wine et al. 2005). 

Weighting 

All estimates in this report are weighted to compensate for unequal probability of selection 

into the B&B sample and to adjust for nonresponse. Two weights were developed. Crosssectional weights were constructed for analyzing respondents to B&B:93/03. In addition, a panel 

(longitudinal) weight was constructed for analyzing those students who responded to all four 

surveys: NPSAS:93 (computer-assisted telephone interview component) and the 1994, 1997, and 

2003 B&B interviews. The weights for the B&B:93/03 respondents were constructed by 

applying a series of adjustments to the 1994 B&B base weight. Specifically, adjustments were 

made to account for subsampling of nonrespondents from 1997, for sample members not located, 

for refusals among those who were located, and for types of nonresponse other than refusals 

among those who were located and did not refuse. Construction of the panel weight (WTC00), to 

be used for analyzing those who responded to all four surveys, included an additional adjustment 

for nonresponse: for the B&B:93/03 respondents who did not respond to all three of the previous 

surveys. The weight variable used for this report is WTC00. For more information on weighting, 

consult chapter 6, “Weighting and Variance Estimation,” of the B&B:93/03 methodology report 

(Wine et al. 2005). 

Quality of Estimates 

Survey weights are computed with the goal of removing any bias that might result due to 

differential nonresponse and undercoverage. In order to measure the efficacy of bias-reducing 

adjustments, a series of analyses were conducted at the item and record levels. In the subsequent 

sections highlights of these analyses are summarized. 

Unit Response Rates and Bias Analysis 

For the approximately 10,400 sample students who were still eligible for B&B, the 

unweighted response rate was 86.3 percent, and the weighted response rate was 83.4 percent. For 

some items, the weighted response rate at the national level was also less than 85 percent. The 

effects of any potential bias due to nonresponse can influence overall data quality with greater 

proportions of missing information. Consequently, nonresponse bias analyses were conducted at 

the student and item levels when the corresponding weighted response rates were below 85 

percent. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

B-4 

The bias in an estimated mean based on respondents, R y , is the difference between this 

estimate and the target parameter, μ, which is the mean that would result if a complete census of 

the target population was conducted and all units responded. This bias can be expressed as 

follows: 

B(yR ) = yR − μ

However, for variables that are available from the frame and base year (NPSAS:93) respondents, 

μ can be estimated by μˆ without sampling error, in which case the bias in R y can then be 

estimated by: 

( ) μˆ Bˆ yR = yR −

Moreover, an estimate of the population mean based on respondents and nonrespondents can be 

obtained by: 

( ) R NR μˆ = 1−ηˆ y +ηˆ y

whereηˆis the weighted unit nonresponse rate, based on weights prior to nonresponse adjustment. 

Consequently, the bias in R y can then be estimated by: 

( ) R R NR B(y ) = ˆ y − y ˆ η 

That is, the estimate of the nonresponse bias is the difference between the mean for respondents 

and nonrespondents multiplied by the weighted nonresponse rate, using the student base weight 

prior to nonresponse adjustment. 

Student-Level Nonresponse Bias Analysis 

A student respondent is defined as any sample member who is determined to be eligible for 

the study and has valid data for the selected set of analytical variables. As noted earlier, the 

unweighted student response rate was 86.3 percent, and the weighted response rate was 83.4 

percent. A nonresponse bias analysis was conducted as a part of the nonresponse adjustment for 

the analysis weight. The nonresponse bias was estimated for the variables known for both 

respondents and nonrespondents within each institution type. These variables included the 

following: 

• Age in the base year (NPSAS:93), 

• Race/ethnicity, 

• Gender, 

• U.S. citizenship status, 

• Attendance status in the base year, 
 Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-5 

• Institution control, 

• Bureau of Economic Analysis Code (OBE) Region, 

• Type of institution/enrollment category, 

• B&B institution stratum, 

• B&B student stratum, 

• Whether applied for aid in the base year, 

• Receipt of federal aid in the base year, 

• Receipt of Pell Grant in the base year, 

• Receipt of Stafford Loan in the base year, 

• Receipt of state aid in the base year, 

• Receipt of institution aid in the base year, 

• Receipt of any aid in the base year, 

• Prior respondent to either 1994 or 1997 interview, 

• Income in the base year (parent income for dependent students and student 

income for independent students), 

• Number of telephone numbers available during B&B:93/03 data collection, 

• Number of times an answering machine was encountered during B&B:93/03, and 

• Whether the student was located in a field cluster for B&B:93/03. 

The steps for nonresponse bias analysis included estimating the nonresponse bias and 

testing (adjusting for multiple comparisons) to determine if the bias is significant at the 5 percent 

level. Second, nonresponse adjustment factors were computed using a subset of variables listed 

above. The nonresponse adjustments were designed to significantly reduce or eliminate 

nonresponse bias for variables included in the corresponding models. Third, after the weights 

were computed, any remaining bias was estimated for the variables listed above and statistical 

tests were performed to determine the significance of any remaining nonresponse bias. 

The weighting adjustments reduced, and in some cases eliminated, bias for students. Prior 

to the nonresponse weighting adjustment, the response bias was statistically significantly 

different from zero for 21 percent of the variables; the mean of the absolute values of the biases 

was 0.40 and the median was 0.20. After the nonresponse weighting adjustment, none of the 

biases were significantly different from zero; the mean of the absolute values of the biases was 

0.01 and median was 0.002. 

Item-Level Bias Analysis 

Item response rates (RRI) are calculated as the ratio of the number of respondents for whom 

an in-scope response was obtained (I

x

 for item x) to the number of respondents who are asked to 

answer that item. The number asked to answer an item is the number of unit level respondents (I) 

minus the number of respondents with a valid skip item for item x (Vx

). 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

B-6 

x

x

x

I V

I RRI − =

As indicated above, nonresponse bias analysis was conducted for the variables with item 

response rates below 85 percent. This analysis was further restricted to items with at least 50 

students who were either eligible to answer the item based on their response to the gate question, 

or who did not respond to the gate question for an item. This bias analysis compared the 

distributions of respondents and nonrespondents to the item for several variables related to 

propensity to prepare for a teaching career and become a teacher: gender, race/ethnicity, type of 

institution from which the respondent earned their bachelor’s degree, undergraduate major and 

GPA, and college entrance examination score. Overall, item nonresponse analysis was conducted 

for 117 items, but 106 of these had response rates below 85 percent because the respondent did 

not respond to the gate question. The nonresponse bias analysis indicated that some items do 

have statistically significant bias due to item nonresponse, but the magnitude of the bias is 

generally small. For detailed information about the items analyzed for nonresponse bias, see the 

B&B:93/03 methodology report (Wine et al. 2005). 

Two variables used to produce the tables in this report had weighted response rates lower 

than 85 percent: B3TCHDR, which provides the duration the respondent plans to stay in teaching 

(among current teachers), and B3LFTTCH, which indicates the main reason for leaving teaching 

(among former teachers). Those missing data on how long they planned to stay in teaching were 

less likely than those with data to be White and non-Hispanic. They were also less likely to have 

earned their 1992−93 bachelor’s degree at an institution in a category other than those shown in 

the tables and to have majored in education, compared to those with valid data. In addition, they 

were less likely than those with data to have an undergraduate grade point average (GPA) in the 

relatively high range of 3.25−3.74 and more likely to have a GPA in the low range of 2.25−2.74. 

Respondents missing data on the main reason for leaving were more likely to be female or 

Hispanic, compared to those with valid responses on this measure, and less likely to be White, 

non-Hispanic. Those missing data on reason for leaving teaching were also less likely to have 

completed the bachelor’s degree at a public doctorate-granting institution but more likely to have 

graduated from a non-doctorate-granting institution. They were also less likely than those with 

data to have majored in humanities or to have an undergraduate GPA in the range 3.25−3.74. 

Imputation 

Selected variables from the 2003 interview had missing values imputed for nonresponse. 

The imputations were performed in three steps. In the first step, selected interview variables were 

imputed using the procedures described in the next section. Then, using the interview variables, 
 Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-7 

including the newly imputed values, derived variables (created by combining information from 

two or more interview variables) were constructed. In the final step, selected derived variables 

with remaining missing cases were imputed again, using the procedures described below. Table 

B-1 lists the two variables used in this report (both derived) that had weighted response weights 

lower than 85 percent; and table B-2 lists the variables used in this report that were imputed and 

shows the percentage of cases imputed for each variable. 

Sequential hot deck imputation, a common procedure for managing item nonresponse, uses 

respondent data as donors to provide surrogate values for records with missing data. In 

sequential hot deck imputation, imputation classes are defined, generally consisting of a crossclassification of covariates, and then missing values are replaced sequentially from a single pass 

through the data within the imputation classes. A related procedure, weighted sequential hot deck 

imputation, takes into account the unequal probabilities of selection into the original sample by 

using the sampling weights to specify the expected number of times a particular respondent’s 

answer will be used to replace a missing item. The expected selection frequencies are specified 

such that, over repeated applications of the algorithm, the expected value of the weighted 

distribution of the imputed values will equal in expectation, within imputation class, the 

weighted distribution of the reported answers. 

Weighted sequential hot deck imputation was selected for B&B:93/03 in part because it has 

the advantage of controlling the number of times a respondent record can be used for imputation 

and gives each respondent record the chance to be selected for use as a hot deck donor. To 

implement the procedure, imputation classes and sorting variables relevant to each item being 

imputed were defined. If more than one sorting variable was used, a serpentine sort was 

performed in which the direction of the sort (ascending or descending) changed each time the 

value of the previous sorting variable changed. The serpentine sort minimized the change in 

student characteristics every time one of the sorting variables changed its value. 

Imputation classes for the B&B:93/03 interview variables, and some of the derived 

variables, were developed using a Chi-Square Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) analysis 

where only respondent data were modeled (Kass 1980). The CHAID segmentation process first 

divided the data into groups based on categories of the most significant predictor of the item 

being imputed, and then split each of the groups into smaller subgroups based on the other 

predictor variables. The CHAID process also merged categories for variables found not to be 

significantly different. This splitting and merging process continued until no additional 

statistically significant predictors were found. Imputation classes for B&B:93/03 were then 

defined from the final CHAID segments. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

B-8 

Imputation of Interview Variables 

The B&B:93/03 computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) variables were separated 

into two groups depending on the respondent base (or variable conditions). The first 

(unconditional) group consisted of variables that applied to all respondents. The second 

(conditional) group consisted of variables that applied to only a subset of respondents. Within the 

unconditional group, variables were sorted by percentage missing and then imputed in order, 

from lowest percentage missing to highest. Within the conditional group, the variables were first 

sorted by conditionality and percentage missing, then imputed in the appropriate sequence. Since 

all CATI variables had less than 10 percent missing, a constant set of predictor variables was 

Table B-1.—Variables with weighted response rates lower than 85 percent

Item

Variable name Variable label response rate

B3LFTTCH Reason for leaving teaching 62.73

B3TCHDR How long expect to stay in teaching 82.41

NOTE: Weighted item response rates were calculated by dividing the total weighted number of valid responses by the total

population for whom the question was applicable. Bias analyses were conducted for variables with a weighted item response

rate below 85 percent.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

Table B-2. Imputation rates for variables that were imputed

Weighted Unweighted

Variable name Variable label imputation rate imputation rate

B3HDG03 Highest degree attained by 2003 0.7 2.0

B3MRSECT Sector of school most recently taught 2.6 0.6

B3MRSFLE Percent free/reduced-price lunch, 

 school most recently taught 4.0 26.7

B3MRSLEV Level of school most recently taught 3.1 15.3

B3MRSLOC Locale of school most recently taught 2.6 14.1

B3MRSMPC Percent minority enrollment, most recent job 3.5 19.2

B3PIPLIN Teacher pipeline status in 2003 0.8 1.0

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
 Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-9 

used in a CHAID analysis to determine imputation classes for each imputation variable. The 

analysis used the following set of predictor variables: age, gender, race/ethnicity, U.S. 

citizenship, dependency status, prior respondent, receipt of federal aid, and institutional region, 

institutional type, and institutional level. Some of these predictor variables were missing for a 

small percentage of cases and were imputed first with a weighted sequential hot deck imputation. 

Imputation of Derived Variables 

Selected derived variables for B&B:93/03 were imputed sequentially in four batches, using 

a specific order determined by the variable conditions resulting from the longitudinal nature of 

this study. Imputing sequentially allowed these derived variables (or further derived variables 

resulting from them) to be used as class variables for imputing variables in subsequent batches. 

The process helped to ensure consistency across derived variables. 

Most of the derived variables had several constraints defined by different combinations of 

data collected in prior rounds of the study. Therefore, a procedure for finding appropriate donor 

cases was developed before the imputation was performed. The procedure involved defining 

mutually exclusive groups or classes of respondents that met the constraints. The groups were 

used as the imputation classes for the weighted sequential hot deck imputation procedure. For the 

derived variables that did not have any constraints, a CHAID analysis was performed. The 

predictor variables included any prior imputed variables, including interview variables. 

Evaluation of Imputations 

Comparing imputation distributions within imputation classes is a key measure for 

determining whether or not the weighted sequential hot deck imputation procedure produced 

acceptable results. The more similar the distributions, the more successful the imputation 

process. For evaluation of the B&B:93/03 imputation results, distributions were considered to be 

similar when absolute differences were less than 5 percent. Absolute difference was calculated 

by subtracting the before-imputation weighted percentage from the after-imputation weighted 

percentage. No absolute differences greater than 5 percent were found for any comparison. 

However, if absolute differences greater than 5 percent had been found, then the unweighted 

distributions would have been examined to see if the large differences were due to small sample 

sizes. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

B-10 

Data Analysis System 

The estimates presented in this report were produced using the B&B:93/03 Data Analysis 

System Online (DAS), which includes data from the NPSAS:93 base year and the 1994, 1997, 

and 2003 B&B interviews. The Web-based DAS application makes it possible for users to 

specify and generate their own tables. With the DAS, users can replicate or expand upon the 

tables presented in this report. In addition to the table estimates, the DAS calculates accurate 

standard errors1 and weighted sample sizes for these estimates. All standard errors for estimates 

presented in this report are shown in appendix C. If the number of valid cases is too small (fewer 

than 30) to produce a reliable estimate, the DAS prints the message “low-n” instead of the 

estimate. In addition to tables, the DAS will also produce a correlation matrix of selected 

variables to be used for linear regression models. Included in the output with the correlation 

matrix are the design effects (DEFTs) for each variable in the matrix. Since statistical procedures 

generally compute regression coefficients based on simple random sample assumptions, the 

standard errors must be adjusted with the design effects to take into account the stratified 

sampling method used in the survey. 

The DAS can be accessed electronically at http://nces.ed.gov/das. For more information 

about the B&B:93/03 Data Analysis System, contact: 

Aurora D’Amico 

Postsecondary Studies Division 

National Center for Education Statistics 

1990 K Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20006–5652 

(202) 502–7334 

Aurora.D’Amico@ed.gov

Statistical Procedures 

Two types of statistical procedures were used in this report: testing differences between 

means (or proportions) and testing linear trends. Each procedure is described below. 

 

1 The B&B sample is not a simple random sample, so simple random sample techniques for estimating sampling error cannot be 

applied to these data. The DAS takes into account the complexity of the sampling procedures and calculates standard errors 

appropriate for such samples. 
 Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-11 

Differences Between Means 

The descriptive comparisons were tested in this report using Student’s t statistic. 

Differences between estimates are tested against the probability of a Type I error,2 or 

significance level. The significance levels were determined by calculating the Student’s t values 

for the differences between each pair of means or proportions and comparing these with 

published tables of significance levels for two-tailed hypothesis testing. 

Student’s t values may be computed to test the difference between estimates with the 

following formula: 

2

2

2

1

1 2

se se

E E

t

+

− = (1) 

where E1 and E2 are the estimates to be compared and se1 and se2 are their corresponding 

standard errors. This formula is valid only for independent estimates. When estimates are not 

independent, a covariance term must be added to the formula: 

t =

1 2

2

2

2

1

1 2

se + se - 2(r)se se

E - E (2) 

where r is the correlation between the two estimates.3 This formula is used when comparing two 

percentages from a distribution that adds to 100. If the comparison is between the mean of a 

subgroup and the mean of the total group, the following formula is used: 

t =

2 2 2

sub tot 2 sub

sub tot

se se p se

E E

+ −

− (3) 

where p is the proportion of the total group contained in the subgroup.4 The estimates, standard 

errors, and correlations can all be obtained from the DAS. 

There are hazards in reporting statistical tests for each comparison. First, comparisons 

based on large t statistics may appear to merit special attention. This can be misleading since the 

magnitude of the t statistic is related not only to the observed differences in means or percentages 

but also to the number of respondents in the specific categories used for comparison. Hence, a 

 

2 A Type I error occurs when one concludes that a difference observed in a sample reflects a true difference in the population 

from which the sample was drawn, when no such difference is present. 

3 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (1993). A Note from the Chief Statistician, no. 2.

4 Ibid. 
Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology

B-12 

small difference compared across a large number of respondents would produce a large t

statistic. 

A second hazard in reporting statistical tests is the possibility that one can report a “false 

positive” or Type I error. In the case of a t statistic, this false positive would result when a 

difference measured with a particular sample showed a statistically significant difference when 

there is no difference in the underlying population. Statistical tests are designed to control this 

type of error, denoted by alpha. The alpha level of .05 selected for findings in this report 

indicates that a difference of a certain magnitude or larger would be produced no more than one 

time out of twenty when there was no actual difference between the quantities in the underlying 

population. When we test hypotheses that show t values at the .05 level or smaller, we treat this 

finding as rejecting the null hypothesis that there is no difference between the two quantities. 

Failing to detect a difference, however, does not necessarily imply the values are the same or 

equivalent. 

In addition, some comparisons warrant exercising additional caution. When there are 

significant results not indicated by any hypothesis being tested or when we test a large number of 

comparisons in a table, Type I errors cannot be ignored. For example, when making paired 

comparisons among different levels of income, the probability of a Type I error for these 

comparisons taken as a group is larger than the probability for a single comparison. 

When the either of the two situations described in the previous paragraph was encountered 

in this report, comparisons were made when p < .05/k for a particular pairwise comparison, 

where that comparison was one of k tests within a family. This guarantees both that the 

individual comparison would have p < .05 and that for k comparisons within a family of possible 

comparisons, the significance level for all the comparisons will sum to p < .05.5

For example, in a comparison of males and females, only one comparison is possible 

(males versus females). In this family, k=1, and the comparison can be evaluated without 

adjusting the significance level. When students are divided into four racial/ethnic groups (as in 

the tables in this report) and all possible comparisons are made, then k=6 and the significance 

level of each test must be p < .05/10, or p < .005. The formula for calculating family size (k) is as 

follows: 

2

( −1) = j j k (4)

 

5 The standard that p ≤ .05/k for each comparison is more stringent than the criterion that the significance level of the 

comparisons should sum to p ≤ .05. For tables showing the t statistic required to ensure that p ≤ .05/k for a particular family size 

and degrees of freedom, see Dunn 1961. 
 Appendix B—Technical Notes and Methodology 

B-13 

where j is the number of categories for the variable being tested. In the case of race/ethnicity, 

there are four racial/ethnic groups (Asian/Pacific Islander; Black, non-Hispanic; Hispanic; and 

White, non-Hispanic), so substituting 4 for j in equation 4, 

6

2

4(4 1) = − k = . 

Linear Trends 

While many descriptive comparisons in this report were tested using Student’s t statistic, 

some comparisons across categories of an ordered independent variable used a test for a linear 

trend across all categories, rather than a series of tests between pairs of categories. In this report, 

when differences among percentages of a dependent variable were examined relative to an 

independent variable, an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test for a linear 

relationship between the two variables. To do this, ANOVA models included orthogonal linear 

contrasts corresponding to successive levels of the independent variable. The squares of the 

standard errors, the variance between the means, and the unweighted sample sizes were used to 

partition total sum of squares into within- and between-group sums of squares. These were used 

to create mean squares for the within- and between-group variance components and their 

corresponding F statistics, which were then compared with published values of F for a 

significance level of .05.6 Significant values of both the overall F and the F associated with the 

linear contrast term were required as evidence of a linear relationship between the two variables. 

Means and standard errors were calculated by the DAS. Unweighted sample sizes were provided 

by NCES through a restricted-use data license agreement. 

 

6 More information about ANOVA and significance testing using the F statistic can be found in any standard textbook on 

statistical methods in the social and behavioral sciences. 
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 
C-1 

Appendix C—Standard Error Tables 
Appendix C—Standard Error Tables

C-2 

Table C-1.—Standard errors for table 1 and figures A and 1: Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s

Table C-1.—degree recipients’ teaching status, by demographic characteristics: 2003

Currently Not currently Never

Demographic characteristics Total teaching teaching taught

 Total 0.61 0.46 0.41 0.61

Gender

 Male 0.64 0.51 0.45 0.64

 Female 0.88 0.64 0.63 0.88

Race/ethnicity

 White 0.73 0.54 0.42 0.73

 Black 2.64 2.2 1.41 2.64

 Hispanic 2.59 2.7 1.47 2.59

 Asian/Pacific Islander 2.19 1.05 1.73 2.19

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 0.8 0.51 0.58 0.8

 23–24 1.11 0.96 0.67 1.11

 25–29 1.82 1.08 1.4 1.82

 30 or older 1.35 1.18 0.84 1.35

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

Taught at some point
 Appendix C—Standard Error Tables 

C-3 

Table C-2.—Standard errors for table 2 and figures B, 2, 3, 4, and 5: Percentage distribution of 1992–93

Table C-2.—bachelor’s degree recipients’ teaching status, by academic and teacher pipeline characteristics:

Table C-2.—2003

Currently Not currently Never

Academic and pipeline characteristics Total teaching teaching taught

 Total 0.61 0.46 0.41 0.61

Attainment before 1992–93 bachelor’s

 Associate’s degree or less 0.64 0.48 0.41 0.64

 Bachelor’s degree or more 2.48 2.01 1.87 2.48

First postsecondary institution attended

 Public 2-year 1.49 1.12 1.23 1.49

 Public 4-year 0.73 0.57 0.57 0.73

 Private not-for-profit 4-year 1.10 0.70 0.67 1.10

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public non-doctorate-granting 1.24 1.25 0.77 1.24

 Public doctorate-granting 0.92 0.68 0.62 0.92

 Private not-for-profit non-doctorate-granting 1.33 0.90 0.83 1.33

 Private not-for-profit doctorate-granting 1.49 0.90 1.01 1.49

 Private for-profit 2-year-or-more 1.18 0.37 1.02 1.18

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 0.71 0.54 0.48 0.71

 Education 2.04 1.78 1.79 2.04

 Health 1.65 0.83 1.38 1.65

 Arts and humanities 2.11 1.85 1.31 2.11

 Social/behavioral sciences 0.88 0.74 0.62 0.88

 Science, mathematics, or engineering 0.73 0.67 0.66 0.73

 Other 1.21 1.28 0.86 1.21

College entrance examination score

 Lowest quarter 1.02 0.93 0.91 1.02

 Middle two quarters 0.80 0.71 0.48 0.80

 Highest quarter 1.17 0.84 0.74 1.17

 Test scores not available 1.58 0.97 1.11 1.58

Normalized undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.25 1.83 1.33 1.11 1.83

 2.25–2.74 1.07 0.82 0.74 1.07

 2.75–3.24 1.20 0.94 0.83 1.20

 3.25–3.74 1.18 0.99 0.69 1.18

 3.75 or higher 1.80 1.17 1.41 1.80

See notes at end of table.

Taught at some point
Appendix C—Standard Error Tables

C-4 

Table C-2.—Standard errors for table 2 and figures B, 2, 3, 4, and 5: Percentage distribution of 1992–93

Table C-2.—bachelor’s degree recipients’ teaching status, by academic and teacher pipeline characteristics:

Table C-2.—2003—Continued

Currently Not currently Never

Academic and pipeline characteristics Total teaching teaching taught

Highest degree attained

 Bachelor’s degree 0.56 0.38 0.45 0.56

 Post-baccalaureate certificate 6.96 7.38 3.37 6.96

 Master’s degree 1.50 1.34 1.04 1.50

 Post-master’s certificate, doctorate, 1.29 0.40 1.15 1.29

 or first professional degree

Teaching experience before 1992–93 bachelor’s

 Taught or trained 3.06 4.25 4.24 3.06

 Neither taught nor trained 0.57 0.39 0.42 0.57

Teacher pipeline status at 1994 interview

 Was not considering teaching 0.33 0.29 0.16 0.33

 Was considering 1.31 1.23 0.96 1.31

 Had taught but not prepared 0.00 3.21 3.21 †

 Had prepared but not taught 4.06 3.28 2.26 4.06

 Had prepared and taught 0.00 2.43 2.43 †

† Not applicable.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

Taught at some point
 Appendix C—Standard Error Tables 

C-5 

Table C-3.—Standard errors for table 3 and figures 6 and 7: Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients 

Table C-3.—who were current or former teachers, percentage distributions by characteristics of current 

Table C-3.—or most recent school and teaching job: 2003

School and job characteristics Currently teaching Not currently teaching

 Total † † 

Sector

 Public 1.03 1.61

 Private 1.03 1.61

Level

 Elementary 1.88 2.39

 Secondary 1.79 2.48

 Combined 0.90 1.35

Percent minority enrollment

 0–4 1.51 2.30

 5–19 1.64 2.34

 20–49 2.52 1.56

 50 or more 2.04 1.95

Percent free or reduced-price lunch recipients

 0–4 1.54 1.40

 5–19 1.61 2.70

 20–49 1.86 2.81

 50 or more 1.78 2.33

Community type

 Central city 2.26 2.02

 Urban fringe/large town 1.60 2.26

 Small town/rural 1.76 2.18

Main teaching field

 General elementary 2.03 2.34

 Business and vocational 0.53 1.77

 Science or mathematics 1.72 2.03

 Foreign languages 0.64 1.81

 Special/ESL/bilingual education 1.13 1.57

 English 1.34 1.54

 Social studies 0.82 1.21

 Fine arts 0.64 1.10

 Other 1.45 1.42

† Not applicable.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

Teaching status in 2003
Appendix C—Standard Error Tables

C-6 

Table C-4.—Standard errors for table 4 and figures D, 9, and 10: Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree 

Table C-4.—recipients who were teaching in 2003, percentage distribution of length of time they expected to

Table C-4.—stay in teaching, and percentage who would choose teaching again, by demographic, academic,

Table C-4.—and teaching job characteristics: 2003

Until non- Until Would

Rest of teaching job something choose

Demographic, academic, working in education better teaching

and job characteristics life comes along comes along Other again

 Total 2.19 1.08 1.55 1.72 1.53

Gender

 Male 4.16 3.06 2.94 3.39 1.70

 Female 2.50 1.23 1.62 1.96 1.96

Race/ethnicity

 White 2.10 1.05 1.37 1.73 1.55

 Black 9.79 6.14 9.34 9.36 7.56

 Hispanic 13.24 3.15 7.65 10.69 0.96

College entrance exam scores

 Lowest quarter 4.32 1.65 2.09 3.68 2.80

 Middle two quarters 3.38 1.84 2.12 2.42 2.13

 Highest quarter 5.48 2.74 4.34 4.20 4.05

 Test scores not available 5.62 2.78 3.39 4.56 3.03

Baccalaureate degree major

 Education 2.62 1.20 1.53 2.20 1.84

 Arts and humanities 8.45 4.07 3.29 4.95 4.06

 Social/behavioral sciences 10.13 3.71 6.70 9.23 5.92

 Science, mathematics, or engineering 6.96 2.32 4.06 6.96 2.57

 Other 6.59 5.68 4.34 3.97 2.34

Normalized undergraduate GPA

 2.25–2.74 6.41 2.62 4.20 4.80 3.52

 2.75–3.24 3.94 2.30 2.53 2.64 2.21

 3.25–3.74 3.19 1.97 2.20 3.04 2.00

 3.75 or higher 5.42 3.08 3.04 3.94 3.50

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public non-doctorate-granting 3.41 1.47 2.71 2.24 2.30

 Public doctorate-granting 3.64 2.65 2.33 3.01 2.07

 Private not-for-profit non-doctorate-granting 5.82 2.26 3.02 4.51 2.80

 Private not-for-profit doctorate-granting 6.43 3.58 1.86 5.12 4.28

See notes at end of table.

Length of time expect to stay in teaching
 Appendix C—Standard Error Tables 

C-7 

Table C-4.—Standard errors for table 4 and figures D, 9, and 10: Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree 

Table C-4.—recipients who were teaching in 2003, percentage distribution of length of time they expected to

Table C-4.—stay in teaching, and percentage who would choose teaching again, by demographic, academic,

Table C-4.—and teaching job characteristics: 2003—Continued

Until non- Until Would

Rest of teaching job something choose

Demographic, academic, working in education better teaching

and job characteristics life comes along comes along Other again

Highest degree attained

 Bachelor’s degree 2.56 1.35 1.86 2.26 2.28

 Master’s degree 3.92 2.36 2.37 2.77 1.78

Sector

 Public 2.42 1.12 1.70 1.87 1.62

 Private 6.22 2.24 2.97 4.37 3.83

Level

 Elementary 2.81 1.49 1.56 2.04 1.78

 Secondary 3.42 2.44 3.08 3.03 1.93

 Combined 8.20 3.51 5.36 6.62 5.02

Percent minority enrollment 4.40 1.53 2.28 4.13 2.87

 0–4 4.12 1.90 2.80 2.72 2.38

 5–19 3.83 2.15 1.87 3.42 2.18

 20–49 4.74 2.45 3.47 3.39 2.93

 50 or more

Percent free or reduced-price lunch recipients

 0–4 6.81 5.91 4.74 5.72 2.50

 5–19 3.68 1.51 2.84 3.76 2.18

 20–49 3.41 1.53 2.14 2.01 2.21

 50 or more 5.61 2.67 3.23 4.79 3.47

Employment status

 Full-time 2.35 1.08 1.53 1.79 1.58

 Part-time 8.63 4.43 5.75 8.55 3.82

Main teaching field

 General elementary 3.63 1.09 2.24 3.02 2.82

 Science or mathematics 4.92 2.98 2.91 3.76 2.18

 Special/ESL/Bilingual education 7.09 5.83 5.77 4.68 3.59

 English 6.42 2.97 4.23 5.45 3.35

 Social studies 6.99 3.84 3.46 4.95 5.00

 Art, drama, or music 9.62 2.67 8.13 11.97 3.51

 Other 6.11 3.67 5.08 5.43 4.27

See notes at end of table.

Length of time expect to stay in teaching
Appendix C—Standard Error Tables

C-8 

Table C-4.—Standard errors for table 4 and figures D, 9, and 10: Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree 

Table C-4.—recipients who were teaching in 2003, percentage distribution of length of time they expected to

Table C-4.—stay in teaching, and percentage who would choose teaching again, by demographic, academic,

Table C-4.—and teaching job characteristics: 2003—Continued

Until non- Until Would

Rest of teaching job something choose

Demographic, academic, working in education better teaching

and job characteristics life comes along comes along Other again

Satisfied with teaching overall

 Yes 2.13 1.07 1.43 1.83 1.36

 No 9.23 4.25 6.63 6.15 7.17

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).

Length of time expect to stay in teaching
Table C-5.—Standard errors for table 5 and figure 11: Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had taught but were 

Table C-5.—percentage distribution of their main reason for leaving teaching, by demographic, academic, and teaching job ch

 To raise Difficulty  a family To change with  or other To work to non- students, Laid off  family- outside teaching parents, or work- 

Demographic, academic, and related of edu- job in Low or admin- force re- Relo- Heteaching job characteristics reasons cation education pay istration duction cated reas Total 2.11 3.64 2.35 2.65 1.49 1.02 1.30 0Gender Male 0.65 8.24 4.81 4.92 2.56 0.62 3.37 1 Female 2.83 2.06 2.52 2.41 1.83 1.53 0.84 0College entrance exam scores Lowest quarter 6.52 5.76 4.33 7.42 2.78 5.36 1.99  Middle two quarters 3.87 5.80 4.41 3.05 2.62 0.80 0.83 0 Highest quarter 5.80 8.62 5.06 7.56 3.49 1.60 0.99 1 Test scores not available 3.78 9.67 4.52 4.38 2.86 2.51 7.29 1Baccalaureate degree major Education 4.63 2.31 4.69 4.68 3.80 0.95 1.07 0 Arts and humanities 4.65 11.79 2.70 5.19 3.55 † 6.08 1 Social/behavioral sciences 6.18 8.25 3.19 5.08 † 10.17 † 3 Science, mathematics, or engineering 3.20 12.43 5.04 6.97 3.97 3.91 †  Other 9.70 6.80 7.12 5.30 2.12 4.07 1.84 2Normalized undergraduate GPA 2.25–2.74 5.28 10.50 5.33 8.23 4.47 1.40 1.72 1 2.75–3.24 4.43 8.37 4.75 2.85 2.12 0.53 0.97  3.25–3.74 5.42 4.74 3.72 3.88 3.03 1.31 0.81 1 3.75 or higher 6.52 4.28 4.54 6.64 3.07 6.18 6.88 

See notes at end of table.

Main reason not teaching in 2003
Table C-5.—Standard errors for table 5 and figure 11: Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had taught but were 

Table C-5.—percentage distribution of their main reason for leaving teaching, by demographic, academic, and teaching job ch

Table C-5.——Continued

 To raise Difficulty  a family To change with  or other To work to non- students, Laid off  family- outside teaching parents, or work- 

Demographic, academic, and related of edu- job in Low or admin- force re- Relo- Heteaching job characteristics reasons cation education pay istration duction cated reasBachelor’s degree-granting institution Public non-doctorate-granting 6.29 2.02 5.93 3.47 4.41 1.10 2.20 2 Public doctorate-granting 3.45 6.36 4.45 4.01 2.40 2.38 0.51  Private not-for-profit non-doctorate-granting 3.75 6.04 4.44 5.35 2.45 † 1.15 0 Private not-for-profit doctorate-granting 5.91 8.04 4.96 4.89 3.40 1.15 7.44 2Highest degree attained Bachelor’s degree 3.84 4.57 2.56 3.78 2.36 0.86 2.10  Master’s degree 2.82 5.88 4.74 4.70 1.60 3.15 0.90 1Preparation for teaching Had taught but not prepared 2.20 6.41 3.33 2.89 1.91 2.62 3.23 0 Had prepared and taught 3.53 3.73 2.96 3.44 2.31 0.87 0.72 0Sector of school Public 2.43 4.18 2.46 3.01 1.83 1.29 0.46 0 Private 3.67 5.38 5.70 3.19 2.59 † 5.65 Level of school  Elementary 3.17 5.97 3.25 3.37 2.02 1.01 0.61 0 Secondary 3.70 5.52 3.49 3.31 2.27 2.37 2.87 1 Combined 5.19 5.42 5.07 4.90 3.55 † 3.83 Satisfied with teaching overall 1.85 3.49 2.54 3.85 2.12 1.67 0.77 0

See notes at end of table.

Main reason not teaching in 2003
Table C-5.—Standard errors for table 5 and figure 11: Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had taught but were 

Table C-5.—percentage distribution of their main reason for leaving teaching, by demographic, academic, and teaching job ch

Table C-5.——Continued

 To raise Difficulty  a family To change with  or other To work to non- students, Laid off  family- outside teaching parents, or work- 

Demographic, academic, and related of edu- job in Low or admin- force re- Relo- Heteaching job characteristics reasons cation education pay istration duction cated reasPercent minority enrollment 0–4 5.46 12.15 4.27 4.11 3.40 † †  5–19 5.64 4.53 6.30 6.51 2.83 1.79 1.08 0 20–49 5.67 4.92 5.20 4.91 2.85 1.54 1.57  50 or more 3.84 3.60 4.21 3.88 2.51 3.00 3.52 1Percent free or reduced-price lunch recipients 5–19 4.88 9.91 4.26 5.07 2.54 1.91 †  20–49 5.34 3.78 3.65 4.10 3.50 3.45 0.82 1 50 or more 5.46 4.23 4.89 7.06 3.46 1.18 0.75 1Main teaching field General elementary 5.79 3.38 5.04 2.63 3.09 1.79 0.50 1 Science or mathematics 4.44 9.77 10.87 6.05 5.06 † † 2 Special/ESL/Bilingual education 13.88 4.95 9.22 3.97 4.44 3.36 †  English 9.65 5.53 4.80 10.39 5.37 † †  Other 2.38 6.58 7.24 9.42 2.47 † 2.58 2

† Not applicable.SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:93

Main reason not teaching in 2003
Appendix C—Standard Error Tables

C-12 

Table C-6.—Standard errors for table 6 and figure 12: Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree

Table C-6.—recipients’ status in the teacher pipeline, by demographic, academic, and teacher pipeline

Table C-6.—characteristics: 2003

 No entry Considered Prepared,

Demographic, academic, and into or applied at Has taught, did not Prepared

teacher pipeline characteristics pipeline some point no training teach and taught

 Total 0.59 0.65 0.25 0.31 0.62

Gender

 Male 0.95 1.01 0.37 0.42 0.64

 Female 0.95 0.81 0.29 0.45 0.86

Race/ethnicity

 White 0.70 0.74 0.24 0.33 0.74

 Black 3.47 2.57 1.12 0.66 2.06

 Hispanic 4.09 2.86 1.16 1.06 2.69

 Asian/Pacific Islander 3.86 3.00 1.17 2.12 1.75

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 0.89 0.82 0.39 0.39 0.72

 23–24 1.58 1.51 0.44 0.42 1.10

 25–29 2.55 2.57 0.85 0.90 1.53

 30 or older 1.71 1.72 0.55 1.07 1.48

Attainment before 1992–93 bachelor’s

 Associate’s degree or less 0.60 0.64 0.26 0.31 0.67

 Bachelor’s degree or more 2.46 2.58 1.14 1.57 2.17

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public non-doctorate-granting 1.60 1.41 0.46 0.77 1.29

 Public doctorate-granting 1.05 0.92 0.38 0.46 0.93

 Private not-for-profit non-doctorate-granting 1.65 1.67 0.62 0.56 1.15

 Private not-for-profit doctorate-granting 2.15 2.11 0.92 0.83 1.24

 Private for-profit 2-year-or-more 15.30 15.99 0.93 † 0.80

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 1.54 1.41 0.46 0.51 0.59

 Education 1.02 1.10 0.44 1.43 2.08

 Health 2.64 2.96 0.67 0.85 1.57

 Arts and humanities 2.26 2.98 1.38 1.06 2.00

 Social/behavioral sciences 1.73 1.56 0.44 0.59 0.80

 Science, mathematics, or engineering 1.42 1.45 0.48 0.58 0.68

 Other 1.70 1.65 0.57 1.02 1.22

See notes at end of table.
 Appendix C—Standard Error Tables 

C-13 

Table C-6.—Standard errors for table 6 and figure 12: Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree

Table C-6.—recipients’ status in the teacher pipeline, by demographic, academic, and teacher pipeline

Table C-6.—characteristics: 2003—Continued

 No entry Considered Prepared,

Demographic, academic, and into or applied at Has taught, did not Prepared

teacher pipeline characteristics pipeline some point no training teach and taught

College entrance examination score

 Lowest level 1.85 1.51 0.55 0.67 0.89

 Middle level 1.03 1.12 0.39 0.43 0.88

 Highest level 1.79 1.54 0.59 0.57 0.96

 Test scores not available 1.84 1.75 0.62 0.94 1.44

Normalized undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.25 3.62 3.26 1.38 1.38 1.16

 2.25–2.74 1.77 1.80 0.44 0.50 0.99

 2.75–3.24 1.29 1.08 0.46 0.44 1.23

 3.25–3.74 1.08 1.16 0.42 0.45 1.22

 3.75 or higher 2.15 2.02 0.98 1.55 1.53

Teaching experience before 1992–93 bachelor’s

 Taught or prepared † 1.00 4.02 3.00 4.70

 Neither taught nor prepared 0.66 0.72 0.23 0.29 0.51

Teacher pipeline status through 1994 interview

 Was not considering teaching 0.83 0.82 0.15 0.27 0.26

 Was considering 0.05 1.52 0.68 0.59 1.37

 Had taught but not prepared † † 3.61 † 3.61

 Had prepared but not taught † † † 4.06 4.06

 Had prepared and taught †††††

† Not applicable.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
Appendix C—Standard Error Tables

C-14 

Table C-7.—Standard errors for table 7 and figures E and 13: Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s

Table C-7.—degree recipients’ preparation to teach, by demographic, academic, and teacher pipeline 

Table C-7.—characteristics: 2003

Demographic, academic, and No student teachteacher pipeline characteristics ing or certification Student taught Certified

 Total 0.64 0.29 0.67

Gender

 Male 0.74 0.39 0.60

 Female 0.95 0.38 1.01

Race/ethnicity

 White 0.77 0.29 0.76

 Black 2.35 0.74 2.08

 Hispanic 3.28 1.04 3.34

 Asian/Pacific Islander 2.41 2.03 2.06

Age at bachelor’s degree completion

 22 or younger 0.74 0.38 0.75

 23–24 1.16 0.32 1.06

 25–29 1.57 0.71 1.46

 30 or older 1.71 0.77 1.65

Attainment before 1992–93 bachelor’s

 Associate’s degree or less 0.68 0.26 0.70

 Bachelor’s degree or more 2.60 1.72 2.06

Bachelor’s degree-granting institution

 Public non-doctorate-granting 1.33 0.75 1.25

 Public doctorate-granting 0.98 0.39 0.94

 Private not-for-profit non-doctorate-granting 1.24 0.71 1.26

 Private not-for-profit doctorate-granting 1.49 0.67 1.39

 Private for-profit 2-year-or-more 0.80 0.60 0.68

Baccalaureate degree major

 Business and management 0.80 0.39 0.73

 Education 1.60 0.98 1.85

 Health 1.70 1.10 1.46

 Arts and humanities 2.43 0.93 2.16

 Social/behavioral sciences 1.05 0.61 0.95

 Science, mathematics, or engineering 0.89 0.41 0.79

 Other 1.37 0.73 1.26

College entrance examination score

 Lowest level 1.14 0.71 1.03

 Middle level 0.80 0.40 0.83

 Highest level 1.04 0.50 0.94

 Test scores not available 1.55 0.56 1.48

See notes at end of table.
 Appendix C—Standard Error Tables 

C-15 

Table C-7.—Standard errors for table 7 and figures E and 13: Percentage distribution of 1992–93 bachelor’s

Table C-7.—degree recipients’ preparation to teach, by demographic, academic, and teacher pipeline 

Table C-7.—characteristics: 2003—Continued

Demographic, academic, and No student teachteacher pipeline characteristics ing or certification Student taught Certified

Normalized undergraduate GPA

 Less than 2.25 1.66 1.20 1.19

 2.25–2.74 1.04 0.42 0.92

 2.75–3.24 1.30 0.40 1.26

 3.25–3.74 1.26 0.36 1.31

 3.75 or higher 1.88 1.32 1.88

Teaching experience before 1992–93 bachelor’s

 Taught or prepared 3.93 1.88 4.63

 Neither taught nor prepared 0.58 0.28 0.56

Teaching status in 2003 and before 1992–93 bachelor’s

 Currently teaching, taught before bachelor’s † 2.84 2.84

 Currently teaching, not before bachelor’s 0.95 0.89 1.35

 Had taught, taught before bachelor’s † † †

 Had taught, not before bachelor’s 2.45 1.02 2.64

 Never taught 0.37 0.28 0.27

Teacher pipeline status through 1994 interview

 Was not considering teaching 0.37 0.30 0.30

 Was considering 1.57 0.48 1.47

 Had taught but not prepared 3.61 2.19 3.23

 Had prepared but not taught † 2.20 2.20

 Had prepared and taught † 0.67 0.67

† Not applicable.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).
Table C-8.—Standard errors for table 8 and figure 14: Of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had entered the teacher p

Table C-8.—taught nor applied for a teaching position, percentage who cited various reasons for deciding against teaching, by Table C-8.—and teacher pipeline characteristics: 2003 Not Already Wanted Have not TeachersDemographic, academic, and interested in other higher Other Not yet taken working teacher pipeline characteristics in teaching job salary reason certified tests conditions  Total 0.95 1.17 1.38 0.99 0.68 0.79 0.69 Gender Male 1.65 1.98 2.19 1.52 1.01 0.99 1.01  Female 1.28 1.44 1.62 1.38 1.04 1.07 0.93 Race/ethnicity White 0.96 1.23 1.51 1.06 0.78 0.96 0.78  Black 5.78 5.44 3.60 4.00 2.54 3.67 1.15  Hispanic 4.97 5.01 4.95 4.86 3.06 3.83 3.31  Asian/Pacific Islander 7.31 5.68 5.14 6.11 4.12 3.69 3.25 Attainment before 1992–93 bachelor’s Associate’s degree or less 1.08 1.27 1.39 0.99 0.75 0.85 0.73  Bachelor’s degree or more 6.17 4.99 3.22 4.34 3.68 2.43 1.05 Bachelor’s degree-granting institution Public non-doctorate-granting 2.68 2.66 2.85 1.59 2.09 1.55 1.52  Public doctorate-granting 1.93 2.35 2.08 1.74 1.51 1.21 1.05  Private not-for-profit non-doctorate-granting 2.54 2.35 2.29 1.60 2.29 2.28 1.33 

 Private not-for-profit doctorate-granting 2.87 2.87 3.12 3.14 2.40 1.78 1.33 Baccalaureate degree major Business and management 2.60 3.18 3.43 2.30 2.33 2.86 1.97  Education 4.78 3.74 3.15 3.92 2.74 2.57 2.63  Health 4.01 4.02 3.89 4.49 1.69 1.31 1.11  Arts and humanities 3.92 3.40 3.27 3.24 2.42 2.35 1.57  Social/behavioral sciences 2.14 2.41 2.69 1.97 2.07 1.15 0.95  Science, mathematics, or engineering 2.62 2.86 2.65 1.83 1.78 2.13 1.34  Other 2.99 3.57 2.65 2.03 2.78 2.13 1.69 

See notes at end of table.
Table C-8.—Standard errors for table 8 and figure 14: Of 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients who had entered the teacher p

Table C-8.—taught nor applied for a teaching position, percentage who cited various reasons for deciding against teaching, by Table C-8.—and teacher pipeline characteristics: 2003—Continued Not Already Wanted Have not TeachersDemographic, academic, and interested in other higher Other Not yet taken working teacher pipeline characteristics in teaching job salary reason certified tests conditions College entrance examination score Lowest level 2.79 3.01 2.82 2.70 2.20 1.95 0.90  Middle level 1.80 2.01 2.20 1.44 1.36 1.27 1.08  Highest level 1.68 2.38 2.30 1.85 1.64 1.65 1.22  Test scores not available 3.04 1.92 2.72 2.17 2.46 2.43 1.27 Normalized undergraduate GPA Less than 2.25 4.22 5.45 6.91 4.23 4.43 3.09 2.63  2.25–2.74 2.64 2.47 1.99 1.85 2.22 1.75 1.26  2.75–3.24 1.94 1.84 1.78 1.98 1.62 1.80 1.09  3.25–3.74 2.22 2.09 2.37 1.56 1.88 1.87 0.90  3.75 or higher 4.75 2.95 3.66 3.33 2.30 1.92 2.60 Teaching experience before 1992–93 bachelor’s Neither taught nor prepared 0.94 1.23 1.40 0.99 0.66 0.77 0.70 Teacher pipeline status through 1994 interview Was not considering teaching 0.97 1.44 1.81 1.27 1.03 0.94 0.83  Was considering 2.55 2.30 2.44 1.30 1.69 1.81 1.11  Had prepared but not taught 6.69 5.41 3.53 5.81 2.85 3.39 2.35 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:93
Appendix C—Standard Error Tables

C-18 

Table C-9.—Standard errors for figure C and figure 8: Among 1992–93 bachelor’s degree recipients

Table C-9.—who were teaching in 2003, percentages who were satisfied with teaching overall and 

Table C-9.—with various aspects of teaching: 2003

Satisfied with teaching overall 0.86

Very satisfied with:

Pay 1.91

Support from parents 2.2

Student motivation to learn 2.24

Student discipline, behavior 1.92

Class size 2.06

School learning environment 1.81

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond

Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03).