In this research brief, the Education Policy Initiative at Carolina (EPIC) examines one and three-year employment rates in North Carolina public schools (NCPS) for individuals initially-prepared to teach at UNC System institutions. While the demographic characteristics of those prepared to teach is largely unchanged over our study period—overwhelmingly white and/or female—the academic competitiveness of initially-prepared graduates is on the rise. Employment rates fluctuate over time, are higher for high-need licensure areas, and vary across UNC System institutions.
This indicates that employment rates are influenced by the preferences of graduates and employers, economic conditions, and labor market characteristics. Analyses show that white graduates are more likely to secure a teaching position in NCPS than black graduates and other graduates of color from the same institution. Finally, graduates of minority-serving institutions are much more likely to secure their first teaching position in a high-poverty school.