The survey results for all first-year P-3 teachers on subject-matter areas of assistance are shown in the five charts below. To view each chart, click on the heading.

• Percent of first-year teachers who want help in a subject. More than eighty percent of all responding first-year P-3 teachers want assistance in understanding laws and regulations, making this the most sought-after subject among the ten included in the study. Around seventy percent of responding first-year teachers also want help in four other subject areas – following state and local curriculum guidelines, identifying and using instructional strategies, using technology, and developing goals and objectives. At the other end of the distribution, a little over half of responding first-year P-3 teachers want help in managing class time and establishing collegial relationships with colleagues, making these the least sought-after subjects for assistance. The chart shows these results.
  
• Percent of teachers who receive help in a subject. More than half of responding first-year P-3 teachers report receiving assistance in six subjects -- following curriculum guidelines, identifying and using instructional strategies, developing goals and objectives, understanding laws and regulations, managing student behavior, and monitoring student performance. Less than 45 percent of first-year P-3 teachers report receiving help in managing class time and establishing collegial relationships with colleagues. The chart shows these results.
  
• Of those who want assistance in a subject, percent who receive it. The highest "satisfaction ratios" for assistance were recorded in the areas of developing goals and objectives in lesson plans, establishing relationships with colleagues, and following curriculum guidelines. Eight of every ten first-year P-3 teachers who want help in these subjects report that they receive it. This "satisfaction ratio" is determined by combining the percent of those wanting help with the percent who obtain it (i.e., if 80 percent of responding teachers want help in a subject and 80 percent of those same teachers obtain it, the success ratio would be 64 percent (80% X 80% = 64%)). Five other subjects showed satisfaction ratios in the 75-percent range. On the other hand, the lowest satisfaction ratios were recorded for understanding laws and regulations and using technology in the classroom. Assistance in these subjects was highly sought by first-year P-3 teachers, and the relatively low satisfaction ratios should be a matter of concern. The chart shows these results.
  
• "Satisfaction ratios" by student income level. First-year P-3 teachers whose students are predominantly low-income are less likely to receive the help they want in every subject-matter area. The gap is especially wide in the area of managing student behavior. This finding from the survey suggests the need for upgrading assistance to new teachers on a statewide basis. Alabama’s testing results show a strong connection to students’ socioeconomic levels, which means that teachers of low-income students have the greatest need for high-quality assistance. The chart shows these results.
  
• Need versus satisfaction. Dividing the results into four quadrants based on need for assistance versus satisfaction, it becomes clear that there are two high-need/low-satisfaction subjects for first-year P-3 teachers – understanding laws and regulations and using technology. In both of these areas, high percentages of teachers want assistance, but low percentages of those teachers actually receive it. This finding from the survey should prompt consideration of what might be done to meet teachers’ desire for more help in these areas. In addition, the survey shows that there are three high-need/high-satisfaction subjects for first-year P-3 teachers – following curriculum guidelines, developing goals and objectives, and identifying and using instructional strategies. Providers of teacher education and professional assistance should ensure that their efforts in these subject areas are maintained. The chart shows these results. The numbers adjacent to the data points in the chart refer to the list of subject areas on pages 2 and 3 of the main study report, and readers may want to have a copy of that list before them when studying the chart.