This study describes the characteristics and experiences of beginning public school teachers in the Northeast and Islands Region states and compares them with the characteristics and experiences of beginning teachers nationally using data from the 2007/08 Schools and Staffing Survey. This study uses data from the 2007/08 Schools and Staffing Survey to describe the characteristics and experiences of beginning teachers in the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands Region states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont) and nationally. Beginning teachers are defined as teachers who reported that they started teaching during or after the 2003/04 school year and therefore had fewer than five years of teaching experience. The report focuses on variables related to teachers' preparation and workplace supports that research suggests might be associated with their perceptions of preparedness, effectiveness, and retention. This study provides data to help states in the region tailor initiatives to the needs of beginning teachers. It responds to a request expressed by stakeholders in four of the region's states and the New England Collaborative for Educator Effectiveness (formed by six New England states evaluation) to better understand the characteristics and preparation of beginning teachers in the region and to have information on how beginning teachers are supported. This study also contributes to the literature on teacher preparation, working conditions, and support by providing an overview of the characteristics and experiences of beginning teachers in the Northeast Region and nationally. Appended are: (1) Review of the literature; (2) Data and methodology; (3) Study sample, weights, and imputation; and (4) Comparison of beginning teachers sampled in the Schools and Staffing Survey. (Contains 1 box, 40 tables and 7 notes.) [For "The Characteristics and Experiences of Beginning Teachers in Seven Northeast and Islands Region States and Nationally. Summary. Issues & Answers. REL 2012-No. 133," see ED530614.]