Abstract:
Data from two panel studies, the 1993 to 1995 nationwide Schools and Staffing Survey
and the Teacher Follow-Up Survey, as well as a 1998-1999 survey of teachers in one
western state are used to examine the influence of variables related to demographic characteristics, work assignment, effectiveness, social support, and school management on
the satisfaction and retention decisions of 1st-year public school teachers. Minor differences appear between the results for the statewide and national samples, but both sets of results indicate that the most important influences on satisfaction involve variables related to social support and school management, and that the most important influence on
retention decisions is job satisfaction. Implications for future research and for practitioners
are discussed, including the central role of effective and supportive school management
in promoting the satisfaction and retention of 1st-year teachers.