The influence of survey return rate and sources of information other than the survey on the teaching employment rate (as calculated) in the year following completion of a teacher preparation program were studied. A second objective was to investigate the tendency to respond for these individuals. A total of 291 individuals formed the target population for the study following graduates of a teaching internship. Thirty-four percent responded to the initial survey, and 69.8% were teaching. The second mailing increased the response rate to 51%, and the cumulative percentage teaching to 71.7%. The third request brought the response rate to 57% and the teaching rate to 73.6%. Telephone calls and late responses increased response rate but depressed teaching rate. Adding information from other sources brought coverage to 93%, and the percentage teaching to 75.5%. A spring survey yielded similar results for nonrespondents. From a statistical point of view, early returns did not differ significantly from those achieved by subsequent efforts. Results also suggest that deciding to participate in a survey is highly dependent on the inclination of the individual. Two tables present study findings. (Contains 26 references.) (SLD)