This report is based on efforts by the National Center for Education Statistics to collect data on teacher preparation and qualifications using a nationally representative survey of full-time public school teachers whose main teaching assignment is in English/language arts, social studies/social sciences, foreign language, mathematics, or science (or who teach a self-contained classroom). The report includes indicators of preservice and continued learning and examines work environments in which educators teach. Section 1 discusses how teacher quality has been defined and studied and explains the organization of the report. Section 2 discusses preservice learning and teaching assignment (teacher education, teacher certification, and teaching assignment). Section 3 examines continued learning (formal professional development and collaboration with other teachers). Section 4 focuses on supportive work environments. Section 5 discusses teachers' feelings of preparedness. Section 6 presents conclusions. The six appendixes offer survey methodology and data reliability; detailed tables of estimates and tables of standard errors for the 1998 Fast Response Survey System survey; detailed tables of estimates and tables of standard errors for the 1993-94 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) study; standard error tables for text tables and figures; 1998 teacher survey on professional development and training fast response survey system Questionnaire; and selected questionnaire items form the 1993-94 SASS teacher questionnaire. (Contains 59 references.) (SM)