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Number and percentage distribution of public school teachers with five years or less teaching experience, by how well prepared they were to use a variety of instructional methods in their first year of teaching and state: 2011–12

State   Percentage distribution of teachers who were  
  Total number of teachers   Not at all prepared   Somewhat prepared   Well prepared   Very well prepared  
United States   628,400 2.6 29.0 45.4 23.0
Alabama  7,300 22.1 58.4 18.2
Alaska  
Arizona   16,300 28.0 46.9 21.3
Arkansas   8,600 28.2 48.2 21.6
California   38,000 36.1 41.1 20.5
Colorado   12,000 35.3 52.1 10.7 !
Connecticut   7,200 26.3 54.4 16.6
Delaware   2,400 22.4 48.7 15.3 !
District of Columbia    
Florida    
Georgia   19,400 36.8 39.4 21.9 !
Hawaii    
Idaho   3,200 34.6 47.0 16.2 !
Illinois   29,200 20.8 50.9 26.6
Indiana   11,500 22.9 46.7 29.3
Iowa   5,400 28.8 46.7 20.4
Kansas   8,800 17.5 52.4 29.3 !
Kentucky   9,600 2.2 ! 25.2 51.6 21.0
Louisiana   10,800 37.6 34.8 17.2 !
Maine   2,500 25.2 50.5 23.9 !
Maryland    
Massachusetts   14,800 23.1 54.3 21.2
Michigan   12,500 21.4 58.8 18.5
Minnesota   9,100 24.5 48.2 26.9
Mississippi   9,500 3.9 ! 33.0 44.9 18.2
Missouri   16,200 2.3 ! 27.8 49.1 20.7
Montana   2,400 31.5 48.7 18.7 !
Nebraska   4,800 25.6 52.3 20.6
Nevada   3,400 29.8 44.4 24.6 !
New Hampshire   1,800 # 29.5 49.2
New Jersey   22,200 19.1 54.7 24.7
New Mexico   3,600 ! 3.7 ! 29.3 ! 44.9 22.2 !
New York   29,000 32.8 ! 38.3 25.5
North Carolina   21,000 37.5 38.0 23.8
North Dakota   2,000 33.0 50.9 15.4
Ohio   19,000 19.8 46.8 32.5
Oklahoma   8,900 25.7 52.2 19.9
Oregon   5,400 30.2 46.6 21.5
Pennsylvania   23,600 20.3 52.0 26.2
Rhode Island  
South Carolina   9,600 27.6 37.1 32.3
South Dakota   1,800 24.9 50.5 23.4
Tennessee   20,500 2.7 ! 31.2 47.6 18.5
Texas   81,000 3.0 ! 38.4 37.6 21.0
Utah   8,400 19.5 51.5 28.8
Vermont   1,300 33.2 48.0 15.8 !
Virginia   16,200 26.4 40.5 32.5
Washington   7,600 16.8 ! 50.1 32.3
West Virginia   5,100 28.3 44.7 26.1
Wisconsin   12,100 26.7 49.4 18.3 !
Wyoming   1,500 24.0 62.9 11.2 !
# Rounds to zero.
! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 percent and 50 percent (i.e., the standard error is at least 30 percent and less than 50 percent of the estimate).
‡ Reporting standards not met. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is 50 percent or greater (i.e., the standard error is 50 percent or more of the estimate) or the response rate is below 50 percent.
NOTE: These estimates exclude teachers who began teaching prior to the 2007–08 school year. Items pertaining to the first year of teaching were only asked of teachers who began teaching in the 2007–08 school year or later. State data that did not meet reporting standards, due to low state level response rates or high coefficients of variation, are included in the national estimates. For this reason and due to rounding, details may not sum to totals.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), "Public School Teacher Data File," 2011–12.