An Executive Summary of the
2009 New Teacher Satisfaction Survey
The purpose of this Executive Summary is to present the findings from the 2009 New Teacher Satisfaction Surveys. As
advised by the Florida Department of Education, this annual survey was conducted during the Fall 2009 semester.
Participants: Teachers in Broward, Hendry, Indian River, Martin, Monroe, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie
counties were surveyed. (n=177).
Methods: The Florida Department of Education provided a list of first year employment data for FAU graduates
employed in the state of Florida during the 2008-2009 school year. The graduates are from initial certification programs
in the Teaching and Learning, Exceptional Student Education, and Counselor Education departments. A survey was
emailed to each new teacher (n=177), requesting their participation in an online survey. The survey asked new teachers
to evaluate how well they feel our programs prepared them for their teaching career. The survey questions are parallel
to the Employer Satisfaction Survey. The survey was conducted in November 2009. The total number of responses at
the conclusion of the response window was 34, a 29% response rate. This response rate is low, yet reflects an increase
from the 13% response rate in 2008.
Data Analysis: The survey yielded both quantitative and qualitative data. For quantitative data, descriptive statistics
were employed for rates on individual questions as well as overall satisfaction. For qualitative data, patterns in answers
to open-ended questions were coded.
Findings: Overall, the findings portray satisfaction among new teachers with the training they received in FAU teacher
education programs. The specifics for these findings are presented in the following tables and summaries.
Who responded? Participants were asked to identify their current teaching assignment. The responses (n=34)
revealed:
19 elementary education
6 secondary education
4 exceptional student education
5 other/ no response
Of the six secondary teachers responding:
1 teaches English
1 teaches Science
1 teaches Music
2 teach Social Science
1 teaches Reading
Palm Beach County reported 44.1% (n=15) of the responses, Broward County reported 26.5% (n=9) of the
responses, other counties made up the remaining 29.4% of the data respondents (n=10).
Overall satisfaction- Most participants were satisfied overall with their training at FAU, with 88.3% reporting
average or above average satisfaction. Table 1 demonstrates that overall satisfaction has decreased among
FAU initial certification program completers in the four years the survey has been used.
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Table 1: Overall Satisfaction
% average or higher % excellent / very good
rating of 5,4 or 3 rating of 5 or 4
2009 Total 88.3 82.4
2008 Total 96.5 80.7
2007 Total 96.1 84.4
2006 Total 87.7 59.4
Source: New Teacher Satisfaction Survey, 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006
Scale: 5= excellent, 4=very good, 3=average, 2=fair, 1=poor
Self Ratings of FAU Preparation for Teaching:
(mean ratings presented: 5=excellent, 4=very good, 3=average, 2=fair, 1=poor)
As shown in Table 2:
All ratings report at least above average perception of training received in preparation for a career
in teaching. The top three rated indicators were:
1. Work with individuals of diverse backgrounds (4.6)
2. Perform overall assigned responsibilities in a professional manner (4.5)
While rated in the average range (score of 3. 7 on a 5-point scale), the lowest rated indicator was:
1. Apply appropriate measures to improve students’ computational skills
Table 2: Mean Self-Ratings
Performance Behavior Mean Rating Mean Rating Mean Rating Mean Rating
2006 2007 2008 2009
New Teachers New Teachers New Teachers New Teachers
Write in a logical and understandable style 3.95 4.21 4.30 4.20
using appropriate grammar
Speak in a logical and understandable style 4.00 4.18 4.34 4.20
using appropriate grammar
Recognize signs of student’s difficulty with 3.36 3.76 3.74 4.10
reading
Recognize signs of students’ difficulty with 3.23 3.59 3.58 3.80
computational processes
Apply appropriate measures to improve 3.30 3.61 3.47 3.90
students’ reading skills
Apply appropriate measures to improve 3.17 3.39 3.47 3.70
students’ computational processes
Maintain an orderly and disciplined 3.15 3.55 3.65 3.90
classroom conducive to student learning
Use and integrate appropriate technology in 3.58 3.78 3.67 4.00
teaching and learning processes
Use creative thinking skills/abilities to 3.83 4.21 4.14 4.20
generate new ideas
Demonstrate responsibility/accountability in 4.0 4.22 4.21 4.40
self-management
Use reflective decision-making skills to 4.02 4.32 4.42 4.40
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choose ethical courses of action
Participate as a “team player” 4.02 4.21 4.40 4.40
Work with individuals of diverse 4.38 4.30 4.45 4.60
backgrounds
Demonstrate the ability to acquire, interpret 3.98 4.05 4.16 4.40
and use information
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding 4.15 4.05 4.12 4.30
of Sunshine State Standards
Perform overall assigned responsibilities in 4.07 4.21 4.39 4.50
a professional manner
Source: New Teacher Satisfaction Survey 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006
Scale: 5= excellent, 4=very good, 3=average, 2=fair, 1=poor
Compared to the rating of performance by principals, new teachers rated themselves lower on 31.2% of the survey
items. Table three demonstrates the side by side results of the Employer Satisfaction Survey items and the New
Teacher Satisfaction Survey items.
Table 3: Performance Behavior Indicators: Mean Ratings
Performance Behavior Mean Rating Mean Rating
2009 2009
New Teachers Principals
Write in a logical and understandable style using appropriate 4.20 4.30
grammar
Speak in a logical and understandable style using appropriate 4.20 4.30
grammar
Recognize signs of student’s difficulty with reading 4.10 3.80
Recognize signs of students’ difficulty with computational 3.80 3.90
processes
Apply appropriate measures to improve students’ reading skills 3.90 3.70
Apply appropriate measures to improve students’ computational 3.70 3.80
processes
Maintain an orderly and disciplined classroom conducive to student 3.90 4.00
learning
Use and integrate appropriate technology in teaching and learning 4.00 4.00
processes
Use creative thinking skills/abilities to generate new ideas 4.20 4.00
Demonstrate responsibility/accountability in self-management 4.40 4.10
Use reflective decision-making skills to choose ethical courses of 4.40 4.10
action
Participate as a “team player” 4.40 4.20
Work with individuals of diverse backgrounds 4.60 4.20
Demonstrate the ability to acquire, interpret and use information 4.40 3.90
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Sunshine State 4.30 4.00
Standards
Perform overall assigned responsibilities in a professional manner 4.50 4.20
Source: Employer Satisfaction Survey, 2009, New Teacher Satisfaction Survey, 2009
Scale: 5= excellent, 4=very good, 3=average, 2=fair, 1=poor
Comparison of ratings between 2008 and 2009 New Teachers and Principals- While the 2009 response
rate was similarly low for New Teachers (29%) and for Principals (19%), Principals generally indicated overall
satisfaction with FAU program completers.
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Impact on Student Learning- Sixteen of the thirty four new teachers (47%) surveyed provided evidence of
their impact on student learning in the classroom. Examples included the use of many sources of data (pre-
tests, test scores, compiled spreadsheets, academic gap assessments, strength/weakness analysis, miscue
analysis), resulting in differentiated instruction and “targeted mini-lessons”. The planned use of critical thinking
strategies and the use of higher order thinking questioning was mentioned by 5 respondents. Assessment
strategies listed include: observation, notebooks, portfolios, quizzes, tests, oral questioning, individualized
questioning, reading response journals, and literary conferencing. Three new teachers mentioned that they
used data to analyze their teaching, as measured by overall student learning gains.
Comments from Participants- The survey offered participants the opportunity to add comments. Analysis was
done on the comments rendered by seventeen of the thirty-four participants (50%). Six comments were written
with a dissatisfied tone, eleven praised specific areas, and twenty four phrases offered suggestions in the spirit
of improvement. Four patterns surfaced from this analysis.
Satisfaction: In all, eleven phrases expressed specific areas of satisfaction or general
compliments concerning FAU training. Of these phrases, five were general; four praised the
mentoring and coaching experienced in coursework, student teaching and in the AIT program; one
felt the ESOL endorsement prepared them well; and one felt prepared to diagnose reading
problems. One student shared “ Thank you for what your program has done for me in terms of
preparation and guidance. I’m sure in these hard economic times FAU’s College of Education was
the main reason I not only got a job as an educator, but my education at FAU has allowed me to
keep that job.”
Dissatisfaction was noted in regard to reading remediation strategies, the timing of student
teaching, and the job market need for “highly qualified” teachers.
1. Remediation strategies: The need for effective “guided reading” and “remedial
reading type situations” was cited in three phrases. Another comment shared that
the undergraduate reading course was adequate to diagnose reading issues, but
not how to remediate.
2. Student teaching timing: One phrase cited the difference in student teaching
responsibilities from a fall semester or spring semester assignment. “Students who
participate in the spring miss out on very important beginning of the year teacher
responsibilities (setting up the classroom, student progress monitoring forms,
determining who to put on a PMP, understanding cum folders, and how to prepare
and handle back to school night).
3. One comment shared frustration with an earned degree lacking the needed
reading endorsement to be considered “highly qualified” at the county level. “I can’t
get a job because the degree was not adequate”.
Transition to the Classroom issues were mentioned by three new teachers. Two cited the
realization that teaching is “a lot of work, for a little bit of money”, and felt that their teacher
preparation did not prepare them for the frustrations of “what truly happens in the classroom”. Two
phrases regarding the need to learn “a lot in the classroom”, and “pressure to toe the line” in
classrooms led two new teachers to say they would not pursue the career again.
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