Appendix A—Glossary

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all other benefits

All other benefits (excluding retirement and health insurance) paid by the school district, municipal, state, and other government agencies for teachers (e.g., unemployment compensation, worker compensation, and fringe benefits such as housing allowances, moving expenses, and paid parking).

American Indian/Alaska Native

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment. (OMB directive, 1977, 1997)

Asian/Pacific Islander

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands. This area includes, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Guam, the Philippine Islands, Samoa, and other Pacific Islands. (OMB directive, 1977)

bachelor's degree

An award (baccalaureate or equivalent degree, as determined by the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education) that normally requires at least 4, but not more than 5, years of full-time-equivalent college-level work. This includes all bachelor's degrees conferred in a 5-year cooperative (work-study) program. A cooperative program provides for alternate class attendance and employment in business, industry, or government; thus, it allows students to combine actual work experience with their college studies. Also includes bachelor's degrees in which the normal 4 years of work are completed in 3 years.

base salary

The negotiated annual salary for teaching duties for the school year. The base salary excludes pay for additional duties, such as supervising or directing after-school activities, school administration activities, and teaching summer school or adult education classes. Bonuses and other incentives are not included in base salaries.

Black or African American

A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. (OMB directive, 1977, 1997)

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Common Core of Data (CCD)

A group of public elementary/secondary education surveys of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). CCD data are collected from the administrative records systems of each state's department of education.

contract days

Number of days specified in a teacher's contract.

district new teacher indicator

This item indicates if a teacher is new to the district.

doctor's degree

The highest award a student can earn for graduate study. The doctor's degree classification includes such degrees as Doctor of Education, Doctor of Juridical Science, Doctor of Public Health, and Doctor of Philosophy, which can be awarded in any field (such as agronomy, food technology, education, engineering, public administration, ophthalmology, or radiology).

full-time equivalent (FTE)

The state's (or district's) FTE value for a teacher. FTE is the amount of time required to perform a teaching assignment stated as a proportion of a full-time position; it is computed by dividing the amount of time employed by the time normally required for a full-time position. FTE is not necessarily linked to contract days.

health benefits

All amounts paid by the school district, municipal, state, and other government agencies for teachers' health insurance.

highest degree earned

The highest degree earned by a teacher from a college, university, or other postsecondary education institution as official recognition for the successful completion of a program of study.

Hispanic or Latino

A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. (OMB directive, 1977, 1997)

local education agency (LEA)

The government agency at the local level whose primary responsibility is to operate public schools or to contract for public school services.

master's degree

An award that normally requires the successful completion of a program of study of at least the full-time equivalent of 1 or 2 academic years of work beyond the bachelor's degree.

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race/ethnicity

Categories used to describe groups with which individuals identify or to which they belong in the eyes of the community. The categories do not denote scientific definitions of anthropological origins. A person may be counted in only one group.

retirement benefits

All amounts paid by the school district, municipal, state, and other government agencies toward a teacher's retirement plan.

sex

Indicates whether the teacher is female or male.

state education agency (SEA)

An agency of the state charged with primary responsibility for coordinating and supervising public instruction, including setting standards for elementary and secondary instructional programs.

state new teacher indicator

This item indicates if a teacher is new to the state.

substitute teacher

Individuals who fill the role of a regular teacher.

teacher

A professional school staff member who instructs students in prekindergarten, kindergarten, grades 1 through 12, or ungraded classes and maintains daily student attendance records.

teacher salary indicator

This item indicates whether or not a teacher's base salary includes pay for other official assignments (such as administration, curriculum coordinator, and guidance counseling). By definition base salary does not include other duties but some states cannot make this separation. The salary indicator provides information on this distinction for analysis.

teacher status indicator

This indicator is used to determine a teacher's employment status, such as full-time teacher at one school only; full-time teacher assigned to several schools (itinerant teacher); full-time employee, part-time teacher at one school only; full-time employee, part-time teacher assigned to several schools; part-time employee whose primary duty is as a teacher; part-time employee who teaches and performs other duties; and substitute teacher.

total benefits

Sum of retirement, health, and all other benefits, or total benefits paid by the school district, municipal, state, and other government agencies if unable to break out retirement and health benefits.

total salary

The total amount of money paid to a teacher by the school district for the school year.

White

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East. (OMB directive, 1977, 1997)

year of birth

Teacher's year of birth.

years of experience

Years of teaching experience recognized by the school district or state education agency as of the end of the school year. New full-time teachers, hired at the beginning of the school year (with no previous teaching experience), are reported as having 1 year of teaching experience.

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