************************* Sources of Data, Glossary ************************* The information presented in this report was obtained from many sources, including federal and state agencies, private research organizations, and professional associations. The data were collected using many research methods including surveys of a universe (such as all school districts) or of a sample, compilations of administrative records, and statistical projections. Users of The Condition of Education should take particular care when comparing data from different sources. Differences in procedures, timing, phrasing of questions, interviewer training, and so forth mean that the results are not strictly comparable. Following the general discussion of data accuracy below, descriptions of the information sources and data collection methods are presented, grouped by sponsoring organization. More extensive documentation of procedures used in one survey as compared to another does not imply more problems with the data, only that more information is available. Unless otherwise noted, all comparisons cited in the text were tested for significance using t-tests and are significant at the .05 level. However, when multiple comparisons are cited, a Bonferroni adjustment to the significance level was made. When other tests were used, they are described in a note on the indicator page or in the supplemental note for the indicator. The accuracy of any statistic is determined by the joint effects of "sampling" and "nonsampling" errors. Estimates based on a sample will differ somewhat from the figures that would have been obtained if a complete census had been taken using the same survey instruments, instructions, and procedures. In addition to such sampling errors, all surveys, both universe and sample, are subject to design, reporting, and processing errors and errors due to nonresponse. To the extent possible, these nonsampling errors are kept to a minimum by methods built into the survey procedures. In general, however, the effects of nonsampling errors are more difficult to gauge than those produced by sampling variability. The estimated standard error of a statistic is a measure of the variation due to sampling and can be used to examine the precision obtained in a particular sample. The sample estimate and an estimate of its standard error permit the construction of interval estimates with prescribed confidence that the interval includes the average result of all possible samples. If all possible samples were selected, each of these surveyed under essentially the same conditions, and an estimate and its standard error were calculated from each sample, then approximately 90 percent of the intervals from 1.6 standard errors below the estimate to 1.6 standard errors above the estimate would include the average value from all possible samples; 95 percent of the intervals from two standard errors below the estimate to two standard errors above the estimate would include the average value of all possible samples; and 99 percent of all intervals from 2.5 standard errors below the estimate to 2.5 standard errors above the estimate would include the average value of all possible samples. These intervals are called 90 percent, 95 percent, and 99 percent confidence intervals, respectively. To illustrate this further, consider the text table for Indicator 1 and the standard error table S1 for estimates of standard errors from Census Current Population Surveys. For the 1992 estimate of the percentage of 3-year-olds enrolled in school (27.7 percent), table S1 shows a standard error of 1.2. Therefore, we can construct a 95 percent confidence interval from 25.3 to 30.1 (27.7 ñ 2 x 1.2). If this procedure were followed for every possible sample, about 95 percent of the intervals would include the average for all possible samples. Standard errors can help assess how valid a comparison between two estimates might be. The standard error of a difference between two sample estimates is approximately equal to the square root of the sum of the squared standard errors of the estimates. The standard error (se) of the difference between sample estimate "a" and sample estimate "b" (if "a" and "b" are approximately independent) is: It should be noted that most of the standard errors presented in the indicators and in the original documents are approximations. That is, to derive estimates of standard errors that would be applicable to a wide variety of items and that could be prepared at a moderate cost, a number of approximations were required. As a result, most of the standard errors presented provide a general order of magnitude rather than the exact standard error for any specific item. The preceding discussion on sampling variability was directed toward a situation concerning one or two estimates. Determining the accuracy of statistical projections is more difficult. In general, the further away the projection date is from the date of the actual data being used for the projection, the greater the possible error in the projection. If, for instance, annual data from 1977 to 1990 are being used to project enrollment in elementary and secondary education, the further beyond 1990 one projects, the more variability in the projection. One will be less sure of the 1996 enrollment projection than of the 1991 projection. A detailed discussion of the projections methodology is contained in Projections of Education Statistics to 2004 (National Center for Education Statistics, 1993). Both universe and sample surveys are subject to nonsampling errors. Nonsampling errors can arise in various ways: from respondents or interviewers interpreting questions differently, from respondents estimating the values that they provide, from partial to total nonresponse, from imputation or reweighting to adjust for nonresponse, from inability or unwillingness on the part of respondents to provide correct information, from recording and keying errors, or from overcoverage or undercoverage of the target universe. Sampling and nonsampling error combine to yield total survey error. Since estimating the magnitude of nonsampling errors would require special experiments or access to independent data, these magnitudes are seldom available. In almost all situations, the sampling error represents an underestimate of the total survey error, and thus an overestimate of the precision of the survey estimates. To compensate for suspected nonrandom errors, adjustments of the sample estimates are often made. For example, adjustments are frequently made for nonresponse, both total and partial. An adjustment made for either type of nonresponse is often referred to as an imputation-substitution of the "average" questionnaire response for the nonresponse. Imputations are usually made separately within various groups of sample members which have similar survey characteristics. Imputation for item nonresponse is usually made by substituting for a missing item the response to that item of a respondent having characteristics that are similar to those of the nonrespondent. In editions prior to 1992 of The Condition of Education, when reporting race-specific data from the Current Population Survey, Hispanics were usually included among whites and blacks (i.e., "Hispanics may be of any race."). Beginning with the 1992 edition, racial/ethnic data from the Current Population Survey excludes Hispanics from whites and blacks (e.g., whites are non-Hispanic whites and blacks are non-Hispanic blacks). Unless otherwise noted, all dollar values in this volume are expressed in constant 1993 dollars. The consumer price index (CPI) is used to convert current dollars for earlier years to 1993 dollars. The CPI index for 1993 is 144.7. How to obtain standard errors for the supplemental tables To obtain estimates of standard errors for the statistics in the supplemental tables write to: Editor, The Condtion of Education 1994 (Standard Errors Request) National Center for Education Statistics 555 New Jersey Ave., NW Room 517 Washington, DC 20208-5650 Please specify WK1 or ASCII format on 3.5 or 5.25 inch disks. 1. Federal Agency Sources National Center for Education Statistics U.S. Department of Education Adult Literacy in America The National Adult Literacy Survey was created as a new measure of literacy and funded by the Department of Education. It is the third and largest assessment of adult literacy funded by the federal government. The aim of the survey is to profile the English literacy of adults in the United States based on their performance across a wide array of tasks that reflect the types of materials and demands they encounter in their daily lives. To gather the information on adults' literacy skills, trained staff interviewed nearly 13,600 individuals age 16 and older during the first eight months of 1992. These participants had been randomly selected to represent the adult population in the country as a whole. Black and Hispanic households were oversampled to ensure reliable estimates of literacy proficiencies and to permit analyses of the performance of these smaller subgroups. In addition, some 1,100 inmates from 80 federal and state prisons were interviewed to gather information on the proficiencies of the prison population. In total, over 26,000 adults were surveyed. Each survey participant was asked to spend approximately an hour responding to a series of diverse literacy tasks as well as questions about his or her demographic characteristics, educational background, reading practices, and other areas related to literacy. Based on their responses to the survey tasks, adults received proficiency along three scales, which reflect varying degrees of skill in prose, document, and quantitative literacy. Beginning Postsecondary Student Longitudinal Study The Beginning Postsecondary Student Longitudinal Study (BPS) provides information concerning persistence, progress, and attainment from initial time of entry into postsecondary education through leaving school and entering the workforce. BPS includes traditional and nontraditional (e.g., older) students and is representative of all beginning students in postsecondary education. BPS follows first-time, beginning students for at least 6 years at 2-year intervals, collecting student data, postsecondary transcripts, and financial aid reports. By starting with a cohort that has already entered postsecondary education, and following it for 6 years, BPS will be able to determine to what extent, if any, students who start postsecondary education later differ in their progress, persistence, and attainment. Common Core of Data The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) uses the Common Core of Data (CCD) survey to acquire and maintain statistical data on the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the outlying areas from the universe of state-level education agencies. Information about staff and students is collected annually at the school, LEA (local education agency or school district), and state levels. Information about revenues and expenditures is also collected at the state level. Data are collected for a particular school year (July 1 through June 30) via survey instruments sent to the states by October 15 of the subsequent school year. States have 2 years in which to modify the data originally submitted. Since the CCD is a universe survey, the CCD information presented in this edition of The Condition of Education is not subject to sampling error. However, nonsampling error could come from two sources-nonreturn and inaccurate reporting. Almost all of the states submit the six CCD survey instruments each year, but there are many delays in submitting data and the submissions are sometimes incomplete. Understandably, when 57 education agencies compile and submit data for over 85,000 public schools and approximately 15,800 local school districts, misreporting can occur. Typically, this results from varying interpretation of NCES definitions and differing recordkeeping systems. NCES attempts to minimize these errors by working closely with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and its Committee on Evaluation and Information Systems (CEIS). The state education agencies report data to NCES from data collected and edited in the states' regular reporting cycles. NCES encourages the agencies to incorporate into their own survey systems the NCES items they do not already collect so that those items will also be available for the subsequent CCD survey. Over time this has meant fewer missing data cells in each state's response, reducing the need to impute data. NCES subjects data from the education agencies to a comprehensive edit. Where data are determined to be inconsistent, missing, or out of range, NCES contacts the education agencies for verification. NCES-prepared state summary forms are returned to the state education agencies for verification. States are also given an opportunity to revise their state-level aggregates from the previous survey cycle. Questions concerning the Common Core of Data can be directed to: John Sietsema Elementary and Secondary Education Statistics Division National Center for Education Statistics 555 New Jersey Avenue NW Washington, DC 20208-5651 Federal Support for Education NCES prepares an annual compilation of Federal Funds for Education. Data for U.S. Department of Education program totals come from the Budget of the U.S. Government. Budget offices of other federal agencies provide information for all other federal program support except for research funds, which are obligations reported by the National Science Foundation in Federal Funds for Research and Development, fiscal years 1965 to 1992. Some data are estimated, based on reports from the federal agencies contacted and the Budget of the U.S. Government. Except for money spent on research, outlays were used to report program funds to the extent possible. Some tables are obligations as noted in the title of the table. Some federal program funds not commonly recognized as education assistance are also included in the totals reported. For example, portions of federal funds paid to some states and counties as shared revenues resulting from the sale of timber and minerals from public lands have been estimated as funds used for education purposes. Parts of the funds received by states (in 1980) and localities under the General Revenue Sharing Program are also included, as are portions of federal funds received by the District of Columbia. The share of these funds allocated to education was assumed equal to the share of general funds expended for elementary and secondary education by states and localities in the same year as reported by the U.S. Bureau of the Census in its annual publication, Governmental Finances. All state intergovernmental expenditures for education were assumed earmarked for elementary/secondary education. Contributions of parent governments of dependent school systems to their public schools amounted to approximately 9 percent of local government revenues and local government revenue sharing in each year. Therefore, 9 percent of local government revenue-sharing funds were assumed allocated each fiscal year to elementary and secondary education. Parent government contributions to public school systems were obtained from the U.S. Bureau of the Census, Finances of Public School Systems. The amount of state revenue-sharing funds allocated for postsecondary education in 1980 was assumed to be 13 percent, the proportion of direct state expenditures for institutions of higher education reported in Governmental Finances for that year. The share of federal funds for the District of Columbia assigned to education was assumed equal to the share of the city's general fund expenditures for each level of education. For the job training programs conducted by the Department of Labor, only estimated sums spent on classroom training have been reported as educational program support. During the 1970s, The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) prepared annual reports on federal education program support. These were published in Budget of the U. S. Government [Special Analyses]. The information presented in this report is not, however, a continuation of the OMB series. A number of differences in the two series should be noted. OMB required all federal agencies to report outlays for education-related programs using a standardized form, thereby assuring agency compliance in reporting. The scope of education programs reported here differs from that of OMB. Off-budget items such as the annual volume of guaranteed student loans were not included in OMB's reports. Finally, while some mention is made of an annual estimate of federal tax expenditures, OMB did not include them in its annual analysis of federal education support. Estimated federal tax expenditures for education are the difference between current federal tax receipts and what these receipts would be without existing education deductions to income allowed by federal tax provisions. Recipients' data are estimated based on Estimating Federal Funds for Education: A New Approach Applied to Fiscal Year 1980, U.S. Department of Education, "Federal Support for Education, Fiscal Years 1980 to 1984," and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. The recipients' data tend to undercount institutions of higher education (IHEs), students, and local education agencies (LEAs). This is because some of the federal programs have more than one recipient receiving funds. In these cases the recipients were put into a "mixed recipients" category, because there was no way to disaggregate the amount each recipient received. Questions concerning "Federal Support for Education" can be directed to: Charlene Hoffman Data Development Division National Center for Education Statistics 555 New Jersey Avenue NW Washington, DC 20208-5650 High School and Beyond High School and Beyond (HS&B) is a national longitudinal survey of 1980 high school sophomores and seniors. The base-year survey was a probability sample of 1,015 high schools with a target number of 36 sophomores and 36 seniors in each of the schools. A total of 58,270 students participated in the base-year survey. Substitutions were made for noncooperating schools-but not for students-in those strata where it was possible. Overall, 1,122 schools were selected in the original sample and 811 of these schools participated in the survey. An additional 204 schools were drawn in a replacement sample. Student refusals and student absences resulted in an 82 percent completion rate for the survey. Several small groups in the population were oversampled to allow for special study of certain types of schools and students. Students completed questionnaires and took a battery of cognitive tests. In addition, a sample of parents of sophomores and seniors (about 3,600 for each cohort) was surveyed. HS&B first followup activities took place in the spring of 1982. The sample design of the first followup survey called for the selection of approximately 30,000 people who were sophomores in 1980. The completion rate for sophomores eligible for on-campus survey administration was about 96 percent. About 89 percent of the students who left school between the base year and first followup surveys (dropouts, transfer students, and early graduates) completed the first followup sophomore questionnaire. In designing the senior cohort first followup survey, one of the goals was to reduce the size of the retained sample, while still keeping sufficient numbers of minorities to allow important policy analyses. A total of 11,227 (94 percent) of the 11,995 persons subsampled completed the questionnaire. Information was obtained about the respondents' school and employment experiences, family status, and attitudes and plans. The sample for the second followup, which took place in spring 1984, consisted of about 12,000 members of the senior cohort and about 15,000 members of the sophomore cohort. The completion rates were 91 percent for the senior cohort and 92 percent for the sophomore cohort. HS&B third followup data collection activities were performed in spring 1986. Both the sophomore and senior cohort samples for this round of data collection were the same as those used for the second followup survey. The completion rates for the sophomore and senior cohort samples were 91 percent and 88 percent, respectively. Further information on the High School and Beyond survey may be obtained from: Aurora M. D'Amico Postsecondary Education Statistics Division National Center for Education Statistics 555 New Jersey Avenue NW Washington, DC 20208-5652 High School Transcript Studies As part of the first followup survey of High School and Beyond, transcripts were requested in fall 1982 for an 18,152-member subsample of the sophomore cohort. Of the 15,941 transcripts actually obtained, 1,969 were excluded because the students had dropped out of school before graduation, 799 were excluded because they were incomplete, and 1,057 were excluded because the students graduated before 1982 or the transcript indicated neither a dropout status nor graduation. Thus 12,116 transcripts were used for the overall curriculum analysis presented in this publication. All courses in each transcript were assigned a six-digit code based on A Classification of Secondary School Courses (developed by Evaluation Technologies, under contract with NCES). Credits earned in each course were expressed in Carnegie units. (The Carnegie unit is a standard of measurement that represents 1 credit for the completion of a 1-year course. To receive credit for a course, the student must have received a passing grade-"pass," "D," or higher.) Students who transferred from public to private schools or from private to public schools between their sophomore and senior years were eliminated from public/private analyses. Transcripts of 1987 high school graduates were compared with transcripts of 1982 graduates to describe changes in course taking across this 5-year period. The analyses were based on approximately 22,700 transcripts of 1987 graduates obtained as part of the 1987 High School Transcript Study and 12,000 transcripts of 1982 graduates who participated in the High School and Beyond (HS&B) project. A brief description of each study is provided below. The sample of schools for the 1987 High School Transcript Study (conducted by Westat, Inc. for the U.S. Department of Education, NCES) consisted of a nationally representative sample of 471 eligible secondary schools selected for 1986 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for grade 11/age 17 students, of which 433 schools participated. The 1990 High School Transcript Study was conducted using methodology and techniques nearly identical to those used in the 1987 study. The sample of schools was a nationally representative sample of schools teaching grade 12 or having 17-year-old students, and the sample of students was a representative sample of seniors graduating from each school. Approximately three-fourths of the sample for the transcript study had participated in NAEP assessments in 1990. These analyses focused on high school graduates, so only those students who had graduated from high school were included-from the 1990 study, the 1987 High School Transcript Study, and from High School and Beyond. Because the methods of identifying and defining handicapped students were different for the later studies, and in order to make the samples as comparable as possible, it was necessary to restrict the samples to those students whose records indicated they had not participated in a special education program. Further information on this survey may be obtained from: Patrica Dabbs Education Assessment Division National Center for Education Statistics 555 New Jersey Avenue NW Washington, DC 20208-5653 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) surveys all postsecondary institutions, including universities and colleges, as well as institutions offering technical and vocational education beyond the high school level. This survey, which began in 1986, replaces and supplements the Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS). IPEDS consists of several integrated components that obtain information on where postsecondary education is available (institutions), who participates in it and completes it (students), what programs are offered and what programs are completed, and what human and financial resources are involved in the provision of institutionally based postsecondary education. Specifically, these components include: institutional characteristics, including institutional activity; fall enrollment, including age and residence; fall enrollment in occupationally specific programs; completions; finance; staff; salaries of full-time instructional faculty; and academic libraries. The higher education portion of this survey is a census of accredited 2- and 4-year colleges, while data from the technical and vocational institutions are collected through a sample survey. Thus, some portions of the data will be subject to sampling and nonsampling errors, while some portions will be subject only to nonsampling errors. Prior to the establishment of IPEDS in 1986, HEGIS acquired and maintained statistical data on the characteristics and operations of institutions of higher education. Implemented in 1966, HEGIS was an annual universe survey of institutions listed in the latest NCES Education Directory of Colleges and Universities. The trend tables presented in this report draw on IPEDS and HEGIS surveys, which solicited information concerning institutional characteristics, faculty salaries, finances, enrollment, and degrees. Since these surveys were distributed to all higher education institutions, the data presented were not subject to sampling error. However, they were subject to nonsampling error, the sources of which varied with the survey instrument. Information concerning the nonsampling error of the enrollment and degrees surveys draws extensively on the "HEGIS Post-Survey Validation Study" conducted in 1979. Further information on IPEDS may be obtained from: William H. Freund Postsecondary Education Statistics Division National Center for Education Statistics 555 New Jersey Avenue NW Washington, DC 20208-5652 Fall Enrollment. This survey has been part of the IPEDS or HEGIS series since 1966. The enrollment survey response rate was relatively high; the 1990 response rate was 87.2 percent. Major sources of nonsampling error for this survey were classification problems, the unavailability of needed data, interpretation of definitions, the survey due date, and operational errors. Of these, the classification of students appears to have been the main source of error. Institutions had problems in correctly classifying first-time freshmen, other first-time students, and unclassified students for both full-time and part-time categories. These problems occurred most often at 2-year institutions (private and public) and private 4-year institutions. In the 1977-78 HEGIS validation studies, the classification problem led to an estimated overcount of 11,000 full-time students and an undercount of 19,000 part-time students. Although the ratio of error to the grand total was quite small (less than 1 percent), the percentage of errors was as high as 5 percent for detailed student levels and even higher at certain aggregation levels. Beginning with fall 1986, the survey system was redesigned with the introduction of IPEDS (see above). The new survey system comprises all postsecondary institutions, but also maintains comparability with earlier surveys by allowing HEGIS institutions to be tabulated separately. The new system also provides for preliminary and revised data releases. This allows the Center flexibility to release early data sets while still maintaining a more accurate final database. Salaries, Tenure, and Fringe Benefits of Full-Time Instructional Faculty. This survey has been conducted for most years from 1966-67 to 1985-86, and in 1987-88 and 1989-90. Although the survey form was changed a number of times during those years, only comparable data are presented in this report. The data were collected from the individual colleges and universities. Between 1966-67 and 1985-86 this survey differed from other HEGIS surveys in that imputations were not made for nonrespondents. Thus, there is some possibility that the salary averages presented in this report may differ from the results of a complete enumeration of all colleges and universities. Beginning with the surveys for 1987-88, the IPEDS data tabulation procedures included imputations for survey nonrespondents. The response rate for the 1989-90 survey was 80.5 percent. The response rate for public colleges was substantially higher than the response rate for private colleges. Thus, it is probable that the public colleges' salary data are more accurate than the data for private colleges. Although data from these surveys are not subject to sampling error, sources of nonsampling error included computational errors and misclassification in reporting and processing. NCES checked individual colleges' data for internal and longitudinal consistency and contacted the colleges to check inconsistent data. Completions. This survey was part of the HEGIS series throughout its existence. However, the degree classification taxonomy was revised in 1970-71 and 1982-83. Collection of degree data has been maintained through the IPEDS system. Though information from survey years 1970-71 through 1981-82 is directly comparable, care must be taken if information before or after that period is included in any comparison. For example, degrees-conferred trend tables arranged by the 1982-83 classification were added to the Digest of Education Statistics, 1992 to provide consistent data from 1970-71 to 1988-89. However, data on associate and other formal awards below the baccalaureate, by field of study after 1982-83, are not comparable with figures for earlier years. The nonresponse rate did not appear to be a significant source of nonsampling error for this survey. The return rate over the years was high, with the response rate for the 1989-90 survey at 92.3 percent. Because of the high return rate, nonsampling error caused by imputation was also minimal. The major sources of nonsampling error for this survey were differences between the NCES program taxonomy and taxonomies used by the colleges, classification of double majors and double degrees, operational problems, and survey timing. In the 1979 HEGIS validation study, these sources of nonsampling were found to contribute to an error rate of 0.3 percent overreporting of bachelor's degrees and 1.3 percent overreporting of master's degrees. The differences, however, varied greatly among fields. Over 50 percent of the fields selected for the validation study had no errors identified. Categories of fields that had large differences were business and management, education, engineering, letters, and psychology. It was also shown that differences in proportion to the published figures were less than 1 percent for most of the selected fields that had some errors. Exceptions to these were: master's and Ph.D. programs in labor and industrial relations (20 percent and 8 percent); bachelor's and master's programs in art education (3 percent and 4 percent); bachelor's and Ph.D. programs in business and commerce, and in distributive education (5 percent and 9 percent); master's programs in philosophy (8 percent); and Ph.D. programs in psychology (11 percent). Financial Statistics. This survey was part of the HEGIS series and has been continued under the IPEDS system. Changes were made in the financial survey instruments in fiscal years (FY) 1976, 1982, and 1987. The FY 76 survey instrument contained numerous revisions to earlier survey forms and made direct comparisons of line items very difficult. Beginning in FY 82, Pell Grant data were collected on federal restricted grants and contracts revenues and restricted scholarships and fellowships expenditures. The introduction of IPEDS in the FY 87 survey included several important changes to the survey instrument and data processing procedures. While these changes were significant, considerable effort has been made to present only comparable information on trends in this report and to note inconsistencies. Finance tables for this publication have been adjusted by subtracting the largely duplicative Pell Grant amounts from the later data to maintain comparability with pre-FY 82 data. Possible sources of nonsampling error in the financial statistics include nonresponse, imputation, and misclassification. The response rate has been about 85 to 90 percent for most of the years reported. The response rate for the FY 1989 survey was 83.5 percent. Two general methods of imputation were used in HEGIS. If the prior year's data were available for a nonresponding institution, these data were inflated using the Higher Education Price Index and adjusted according to changes in enrollments. If no previous year's data were available, current data were used from peer institutions selected for location (state or region), control, level, and enrollment size of institution. In most cases estimates for nonreporting institutions in IPEDS were made using data from peer institutions. Beginning with FY 87, the new survey system (IPEDS, see above) has comprised all postsecondary institutions, but has also maintained comparability with earlier surveys by allowing 2- and 4-year HEGIS institutions to be tabulated separately. The finance data tabulated for this publication reflect totals for the HEGIS or higher education institutions only. For FY 87 through FY 89, in order to maintain comparability with the historical time series of HEGIS institutions, data were combined from two of the three different survey forms that make up the IPEDS survey system. The vast majority of the data were tabulated from Form 1, which was used to collect information from public and private nonprofit 2- and 4-year colleges. Form 2, a condensed form, was used to gather data for the 2-year proprietary institutions. Because of the differences in the data requested on the two forms, several assumptions were made about the Form 2 reports so that their figures could be included in the institutions of postsecondary education totals. In IPEDS, the Form 2 institutions were not asked to separate appropriations from grants and contracts, nor state from local sources of funding. For the Form 2 institutions, all the federal revenues were assumed to be federal grants and contracts and all of the state and local revenues were assumed to be restricted state grants and contracts. All other Form 2 sources of revenue, except for tuition and fees and sales and services of educational activities, were included under "other." Similar adjustments were made to the expenditures accounts. The Form 2 institutions reported instruction, scholarship, and fellowship expenditures only. All other educational and general expenditures were allocated to academic support. To reduce reporting error, NCES used national standards for reporting financial statistics. These standards are contained in College and University Business Administration: Administrative Services (1974 Edition), published by the National Association of College and University Business Officers; Audits of Colleges and Universities (as amended August 31, 1974), by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; and HEGIS Financial Reporting Guide (1980), by NCES. Wherever possible, definitions and formats in the survey form are consistent with those in these three accounting texts. Fall Staff. The fall staff data presented in this publication were collected in cooperation with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In 1989, survey instruments were mailed to 6,669 in-scope postsecondary education institutions, including 2,576 4-year schools, 2,739 2-year schools, and 273 public less-than-2-year schools. The universe of 5,002 less-than-2-year private institutions were represented by a sample of 1,071 institutions. EEOC collects staff data through the Higher Education Staff Information (EEO-6) report from all higher education institutions with 15 or more full-time employees. NCES, through the IPEDS system, collects data from all other postsecondary institutions, including higher education institutions with less than 15 full-time employees. NCES and EEOC collect staff data biennially in odd numbered years in institutions of postsecondary education. The IPEDS file combines data from the two surveys to create the IPEDS "Fall Staff" data tape. For example, the IPEDS "Fall Staff" questionnaires were mailed out in July 1989 by NCES; the respondents reported the number of employees in their institution as of October 1, 1989. The EEO-6 questionnaires were mailed out by EEOC between October and November 1989; the respondents reported the employment statistics in their institution that cover the payroll period closest to October 1 or the survey year. The 3,589 institutions of higher education (in the 50 states and the District of Columbia) in operation in 1989 form a subset of the universe of postsecondary institutions in this report. These institutions are accredited at the college level by an agency recognized by the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education; these institutions previously were surveyed under HEGIS, which IPEDS supersedes. The "Fall Staff" survey had an overall response rate of 77.4 percent. This response rate was calculated as the ratio of the number of completed survey forms divided by the number of in-scope institutions. The response rate for higher education institutions was 89.6 percent. Institutional Characteristics. This survey provided the basis for the universe of institutions presented in the Education Directory, Colleges and Universities. The universe comprised institutions that met certain accreditation criteria and offered at least a 1-year program of college-level studies leading toward a degree. All of these institutions were certified as eligible by the U.S. Department of Education's Division of Eligibility and Agency Evaluation. Each fall, institutions listed in the previous year's Directory were asked to update a computer printout of their information. National Assessment of Educational Progress The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a Congressionally mandated study funded by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education. The overall goal of the project is to determine the nation's progress in education. To accomplish this goal, a cross-sectional study was designed and initially implemented in 1969. Periodically, NAEP has gathered information about levels of educational achievement across the country. NAEP has surveyed the educational accomplishments of 9-,13-, and 17-year-old students (and in recent years, grades 4, 8, and 12), and occasionally young adults, in 10 learning areas. Different learning areas were assessed annually and, as of 1980-81, biennially. Most areas have been periodically reassessed in order to measure possible changes in education achievement. The reading, writing, mathematics, and science assessments presented in this publication were conducted by either the Education Commission of the States (1969-1983) or the Educational Testing Service (1983 to the present). NAEP in-school assessments were based on a deeply stratified three-stage sampling design to obtain a nationally representative sample by age and, beginning in 1983-84, by grade. The first stage of sampling entails defining and selecting primary sampling units (PSUs). For each grade level (4, 8, or 12), the second stage entails enumerating, stratifying, and randomly selecting schools, both public and private, within each PSU selected at the first stage. The third stage involves randomly selecting students within a school for participation in NAEP. Assessment exercises were administered to small groups of students by specially trained personnel. Information from NAEP is subject to both nonsampling and sampling error. Two possible sources of nonsampling error are nonparticipation and faulty instrumentation. The effects of nonparticipation are in some ways reduced through oversampling, although this does not assess the bias of nonparticipants. Instrumentation nonsampling error includes whether the NAEP assessment instruments measure what is being taught and in turn what is being learned by the students, ambiguous items or instructions, and insufficient time limits. For further information on NAEP, contact: Gary Phillips Education Assessment Division National Center for Education Statistics 555 New Jersey Avenue NW Washington, DC 20208-5653 National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) is the third major longitudinal study sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics. The two studies that preceded NELS:88, the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS-72) and High School and Beyond (HS&B) surveyed high school seniors (and sophomores in HS&B) through high school, postsecondary education, and work and family formation experiences. Unlike its predecessors, NELS:88 began with a cohort of eighth grade students. NELS:88 is designed to provide trend data about critical transitions experienced by young people as they develop, attend school, and embark on their careers. It complements and strengthens state and local efforts by furnishing new information on how school policies, teacher practices, and family involvement affect student educational outcomes (i.e., academic achievement, persistence in school, and participation in postsecondary education). The base-year NELS:88 was a multi-faceted study questionnaire with four cognitive tests, and questionnaires for students, teachers, parents, and the school. Sampling was first conducted at the school level and then at the student level within schools. The data were drawn from a nationally representative sample of 1,000 schools (800 public schools and 200 private schools, including parochial institutions). Within this school sample, 26,000 eighth grade students were selected at random. The first and second followups revisited the same sample of students in 1990 and 1992, when the 1988 8th graders were in the 10th and 12th grades. Similar follow-ups are being conducted in 1994 and 1997. For more information on this survey, contact: Jeffrey A. Owings Elementary and Secondary Education Division National Center for Education Statistics 555 New Jersey Avenue NW Washington, DC 20208-5651 National Household Education Survey The National Household Education Survey (NHES) is the first major attempt by the National Center for Education Statistics to go beyond its traditional, school-based data collection to a household survey. Historically, NCES has collected data from teachers, students, and schools through school-based surveys and from administrative records data through surveys of school districts and state education agencies. NHES has the potential to address many issues in education that have not been addressed previously by NCES data collection activities. NHES is designed as a mechanism for collecting detailed information on educational issues from a relatively large and targeted sample of households in a timely fashion. Data for the NHES are being collected through telephone interviews, a relatively new approach for gathering data related to education issues. NHES uses Random Digit Dialing (RDD) to select households and Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) to collect information from household members. The sample for the NHES is drawn from the non-institutionalized civilian population in households with a telephone in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. During the spring of 1991, NCES fielded a full-scale NHES on early education. Approximately 60,000 households were screened to identify a sample of children 3- to 8-years old. The parents of these children were interviewed in order to collect information about their children's educational activities and the role of the family in children's learning. At the same time, an adult education supplement was fielded. Adult household members were sampled and questioned about their participation in adult education. The adult education component was, for the most part, adapted from the previous Current Population Survey (CPS) adult education supplements. However, unlike the CPS, it collects information on both adult education participants and nonparticipants. At present, NCES plans to field the adult education component once every 4 years after 1991. The NHES:91 survey identified and screened more than 60,000 households. A knowledgeable adult was asked a series of questions to screen all household members for adult education participation in a sample of about 20,000 of these 60,000 households, resulting in interviews with approximately 9,800 adult education participants and 2,750 non- participants. The adult education component of NHES can be used to address many questions about the patterns of participation by demographic and labor force characteristics. It includes data on reasons for taking courses, on the providers of the courses, and the cost of the courses. Information was also collected from non- participants concerning barriers to their participation. For further information on the adult education component of NHES contact: Peter Stowe Elementary and Secondary Education Statistics Division National Center for Education Statistics 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20208-5651 National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 The National Longitudinal Study (NLS) of the high school class of 1972 began with the collection of base-year survey data from a sample of about 19,000 high school seniors in spring of 1972. Five more followup surveys of these students were conducted in 1973, 1974, 1976, 1979, and 1986. The NLS was designed to provide the education community with information on the transitions of young adults from high school through postsecondary education and the workplace. The sample design for the NLS is a stratified, two-stage probability sample of students from all schools, public and private, in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, with a 12th-grade enrollment during the 1971-72 school year. During the first stage of sampling, about 1,070 schools were selected for participation in the base-year survey. As many as 18 students were selected at random from each of the sample schools. The sizes of the school and student samples were increased during the first followup survey. Beginning with the first followup and continuing through the fourth followup, about 1,300 schools participated in the survey, and slightly under 23,500 students were sampled. The response rates for each of the different rounds of data collection have been 80 percent or higher. Sample retention rates across the survey years have been quite high. For example, of the individuals responding to the base-year questionnaire, the percentages who responded to the first, second, third, and fourth followup questionnaires were about 94, 93, 89, and 83 percent, respectively. Further information may be obtained from: Aurora D'Amico Postsecondary Education Statistics Division National Center for Education Statistics 555 New Jersey Avenue NW Washington, DC 20208-5652 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study The National Center for Education Statistics conducted the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) for the first time during the 1986-87 school year. This survey established the first comprehensive student financial aid database. Data were gathered from 1,074 postsecondary institutions and approximately 60,000 students and 24,000 parents. These data provided information on the cost of postsecondary education, the distribution of financial aid, and characteristics of both aided and non-aided students and their families, and the nature of aid packages. In response to the continuing need for these data, NCES conducted the second cycle of NPSAS for the 1989-90 school year. In addition to replicating the earlier study, the 1990 NPSAS contains enhancements to the 1987 methodology that will fully meet the data needs of the financial aid community and of policymakers. The 1990 in-school sample involved about 70,000 students selected from registrar lists of enrollees at 1,200 postsecondary institutions. The sample included both aided and nonaided students. Student information such as field of study, education level, and attendance status (part-time or full-time) was obtained from registrar records. Types and amounts of financial aid and family financial characteristics were abstracted from school financial aid records. Also, approximately 26,000 parents of students were sampled. Data concerning family composition and parent financial characteristics was compiled. Followup data collections are expected at 2-year intervals. Students enrolled in postsecondary education for the first time in 1990 will serve as the base for the longitudinal component of NPSAS. Further information about this survey may be obtained from: Andrew G. Malizio Postsecondary Education Statistics Division National Center for Educational Statistics 555 New Jersey Avenue NW Washington, DC 20208-5652 National Survey of Postsecondary Faculty The National Survey of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF-88) was a comprehensive survey of higher education instructional faculty in the fall of 1987. It was the first such survey conducted since 1963. It gathered information regarding the backgrounds, responsibilities, workloads, salaries, benefits, and attitudes of both full- and part-time instructional faculty in 2- and 4-year institutions under both public and private control. In addition, information was gathered from institutional and department-level respondents on such issues as faculty composition, new hires, departures and recruitment, retention, and tenure policies. There were three major components of the study: a survey of institutional-level respondents at a stratified random sample of 480 U.S. colleges and universities; a survey of a stratified random sample of 3,029 eligible department chairpersons (or their equivalent) within the participating 4-year institutions; and a survey of a stratified random sample of 11,013 eligible faculty members within the participating institutions. Response rates to the three surveys were 88 percent, 80 percent, and 76 percent, respectively. The universe of institutions from which the sample was selected was all accredited nonproprietary U.S. postsecondary institutions that grant a 2-year (AA) or higher degree and whose accreditation at the higher education level is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. This includes religious, medical, and other specialized postsecondary institutions as well as 2- and 4-year nonspecialized institutions. According to the 1987 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), this universe comprised 3,159 institutions. The universe does not include proprietary 2- and 4-year institutions or less-than-2-year postsecondary institutions. Further information about this survey may be obtained from: Linda Zimbler Postsecondary Education Statistics Division National Center for Education Statistics 555 New Jersey Avenue NW Washington, DC 20208-5652 Projections of Education Statistics Since 1964, NCES has published Projections of Education Statistics, projecting key statistics for elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education. Data are included for enrollments, instructional staff, graduates, and earned degrees. Projections includes several alternative projection series and a methodology section describing the techniques and assumptions used to prepare them. Data in this edition of The Condition of Education reflect the intermediate projection series only. Differences between the reported and projected values are, of course, almost inevitable. An evaluation of past projections revealed that, at the elementary and secondary level, projections of enrollment have been quite accurate: mean absolute percentage differences for enrollment projections from 1 to 5 years into the future were less than 1 percent, while those for teachers were less than 4 percent. Since projections of time series are subject to errors both by the nature of statistics and the properties of projection methodologies, users are cautioned not to place too much confidence in the numerical values of the projections. Important but unforeseeable economic and social changes may lead to differences. Projections are to be considered as indicators of broad trends. For further information about projection methodology and accuracy, contact: Debra E. Gerald Statistical Standards and Methodology Division National Center for Education Statistics 555 New Jersey Avenue NW Washington, DC 20208-5654 Survey of Recent College Graduates NCES has conducted periodic surveys of persons, about 1 year after graduation, to collect information on college outcomes. The "Recent College Graduates" surveys have concentrated on those graduates entering the teaching profession. To obtain accurate results on this smaller subgroup, graduates who are newly qualified to teach have been oversampled in each of the surveys. The survey involves a two-stage sampling procedure. First, a sample of institutions awarding bachelor's and master's degrees is selected and stratified by percentage of education graduates, control, and type of institution. Second, for each of the selected institutions, a sample of degree recipients is chosen. The response rates on the recent college graduates survey have tended to be low because of the great difficulty in tracing the students after graduation. Much more of the nonresponse can be attributed to invalid mailing addresses than to refusals to participate. Despite their shortcomings, the data are presented in this report because they provide valuable information not available elsewhere about college outcomes. Users should be cautious about drawing conclusions based on data from small samples. It is also likely that the data are somewhat biased since the more mobile students, such as graduate students, are the most difficult to track for the survey. The 1976 survey of 1974-75 college graduates was the first and smallest of the series. The sample consisted of 209 schools, of which 200 (96 percent) responded. Of the 5,506 graduates in the sample, 4,350 responded, for a response rate of 79 percent. The 1981 survey was larger, with a coverage of 301 institutions and 15,852 graduates. Responses were obtained from 286 institutions, for an institutional response rate of 95 percent, and from 9,312 graduates (716 others were determined to be out of scope), for a response rate of 62 percent. The 1985 survey requested data from 18,738 graduates from 404 colleges. Responses were obtained from 13,200 students, for a response rate of 74 percent (885 were out of scope). The response rate for the colleges was 98 percent. The 1987 survey form was sent to 21,957 graduates. Responses were received from 16,878, for a response rate of 79.7 percent. The 1987 Transcript Study collected transcripts for each student who was part of the 1987 sample. The 1991 survey sampled 18,135 graduates and 400 institutions. The response rates were 83 percent for the graduates and 95 percent for institutions. Further information on this survey may be obtained from: Peter Stowe Postsecondary Education Statistics Division National Center for Education Statistics 555 New Jersey Avenue NW Washington, DC 20208-5652 International Assessment of Educational Progress In 1990-91, a total of 20 countries assessed the mathematics and science achievement of 13-year-old students and 14 of the 20 countries assessed 9-year-old students in these same subjects. Some countries assessed virtually all age-eligible children in the appropriate age group; others confined their samples to certain geographic regions, language groups, or grade levels. The definition of populations often followed the structure of school systems, political divisions, and cultural distinctions. In some countries, significant proportions of age- eligible children were not represented because they did not attend school (see notes to supplemental tables 15:1-4 and 16:1-4). Also, in some countries, low rates of school or student participation mean results may be biased. Typically, a random sample of 3,300 students from about 110 different schools was selected from each population at each age level; half were assessed in mathematics and half in science. A total of about 175,000 9- and 13-year-olds (those born in calendar years 1981 and 1977, respectively) were tested in 13 different languages in March 1991. The achievement tests lasted one hour. The tests given to 9-year-olds included 62 questions in mathematics and 60 questions in science. Those for 13-year-olds included 76 questions in mathematics and 72 questions in science. In addition, students of each age group spent about 10 minutes responding to questions about their backgrounds and home and school experiences. School administrators completed a school questionnaire. Initial analyses involved the calculation of the percentage of correct answers and standard errors for individual questions. For each population, the weighted percentage of correct answers was calculated for each question. The results of students who omitted questions at the end of sections because they did not reach them were excluded from the calculations for those questions. For each percentage correct, an estimate of its standard error was calculated using the jackknife procedure. Percentage and standard errors were calculated for subgroups within each population, including gender and grade. Statistics for Canada were calculated using an appropriately weighted sample of responses drawn from the individual Canadian populations. Further information on this survey can be obtained from: Maureen E. Treacy Education Assessment Division National Center for Education Statistics 555 New Jersey Avenue NW Washington, DC 20208-5653 Schools and Staffing Survey The school work force and teacher supply and demand are fundamental features of America's public and private school landscape. Yet, until recently, there has been a lack of data on the characteristics of our children's teachers and administrators and their workplace conditions. The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) was designed to meet this need. This survey is a comprehensive public and private, elementary/secondary education database that combines and expands three separate surveys NCES has conducted in the past. These included surveys of teacher demand and shortage, of public and private schools, and of public and private school teachers. The school administrator survey is a new addition to the NCES database. Schools were the primary sampling unit for SASS, and a sample of teachers was selected in each school; public school districts were included in the sample when one or more of their schools was selected. The 1990-91 SASS included approximately 12,800 schools (9,300 public and 3,500 private), 65,000 teachers (52,000 public and 13,000 private), and 5,600 public school districts. The survey was conducted by mail with telephone followups. The SASS sample has been designed to support the following types of estimates and comparisons: national and state estimates for public schools and teachers; estimates for private schools and teachers at the national level and for selected orientation groupings; and national comparisons of elementary, secondary, and combined schools and teachers. SASS was first conducted in the 1987-1988 school year. Data collection at 2-year intervals began in 1990-91. Another component of SASS is the Teacher Followup Survey (TFS). It consists of a subsample of SASS, and is implemented 1 year after the base-year survey. The survey identifies and collects data from various groups of teachers who were interviewed the previous year: (1) those persons who remain in the teaching profession, including those who remain in the same school as well as those who have moved; and (2) those persons who have left the teaching profession. These data are used to provide information about teacher attrition and retention in the public and private schools and to project teacher demand during the 1990s. Further information on this survey may be obtained from: Dan Kasprzyk Elementary and Secondary Education Division National Center for Education Statistics 555 New Jersey Avenue NW Washington, D. C. 20208-5651 Office for Civil Rights U.S. Department of Education Elementary and Secondary School Civil Rights Survey The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the U.S. Department of Education conducts periodic surveys of elementary and secondary schools to obtain data on the characteristics of students enrolled in public schools throughout the nation. Racial/ethnic status, gender, limited English proficiency, and handicapping conditions are among the characteristics covered by recent surveys. Such information is required by OCR to fulfill its responsibilities under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The 1976 survey was a complete census of public school districts in the nation. The 1984, 1986, and 1988 surveys were based on samples. The universe, from which the districts were to be sampled, was defined to be all public schools in the nation (50 states and the District of Columbia). A universe file maintained by the National Center for Education Statistics from its Common Core of Data was used. The selection factors used in selecting the sample were (1) minimum percent coverage of a specific population variable, and (2) maximum percent standard deviation of a projection of a population variable from the sample to the universe total. Stratification also included district size and state. The 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, and 1992 surveys are subject to sampling and nonsampling errors. For further information about these surveys contact Sharon Tuchman Surveys and Statistical Support Branch Room 5058, Switzer Building 330 C Street SW Washington, DC 20202 Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services U.S. Department of Education Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Education of the Handicapped Act The Education of the Handicapped Act (EHA) requires the Secretary of Education to transmit to Congress annually a report describing the progress in serving the nation's handicapped children. The annual report contains information on such children served by the public schools under the provisions of Part B of the EHA and on children served in state-operated programs (SOP) for the handicapped under Chapter I of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA). Statistics on children receiving special education and related services in various settings and on school personnel providing such services are reported in an annual submission of data to the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) by the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the outlying areas. The child count information is based on the number of handicapped children receiving special education and related services on December 1 of each year for EHA and October 1 for Chapter I of ECIA/SOP. Since each participant in programs for the handicapped is reported to OSERS, the data are not subject to sampling error. However, nonsampling error can occur from a variety of sources. Some states follow a noncategorical approach to the delivery of special education services but produce counts by handicapping condition only because EHA-B requires it. In those states that do categorize their handicapped students, definitions and labeling practices vary. In each case, even though states must use the federal definitions of the handicapping categories for reporting purposes, there is no way to judge the accuracy of these states' relabeling of their students for the federal count. Some states also have reported combined counts for some of the smaller categories of handicap. These variations in labeling practices may help explain why there have been inconsistencies both year to year within a given state and from state to state in the ways in which students with more than one handicapping condition have been categorized. However, federal and state efforts to ensure that children are being classified and reported appropriately, and efforts to achieve greater consistency in classification and reporting among states help minimize these variations. Further information on the Annual Report to Congress may be obtained from: Lou Danielson Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Office of Special Education Programs Room 3523, Switzer Building 330 C Street SW Washington, DC 20202 Bureau of the Census U.S. Department of Commerce Current Population Survey Current estimates of school enrollment and social and economic characteristics of students are based on data collected in the Census Bureau's monthly household survey of about 60,000 households, the Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS covers 729 sample areas consisting of 1,973 counties, independent cities, and minor civil divisions throughout the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The current sample was selected from 1980 census files and is periodically updated to reflect new housing construction. The primary function of the monthly CPS is to collect data on labor force participation of the civilian noninstitutional population. (It excludes military personnel and inmates of institutions.) In October of each year, questions on school enrollment by grade and other school characteristics are asked about each member of the household. The estimation procedure employed for the monthly CPS data involves inflating weighted sample results to independent estimates for the total civilian noninstitutional population by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin. These independent estimates are derived from statistics from decennial censuses of the population: statistics on births, deaths, and immigration and emigration; and statistics on the strength of the Armed Forces. Generalized standard error tables are provided in the Current Population Reports. The data are subject to both nonsampling and sampling errors. Further information is available in the Current Population Reports, Series P-20, or by contacting: Education and Social Stratification Branch Population Division Bureau of the Census U.S. Department of Commerce Washington, DC 20233 School Enrollment. Each October, the Current Population Survey (CPS) includes supplemental questions on the enrollment status of the population aged 3 and over. Annual reports documenting school enrollment of the population have been produced by the Bureau of the Census since 1946. The latest report is Current Population Reports, Series P-20, No. 469, School Enrollment-Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 1991. All sample surveys are subject to sampling and nonsampling error. The main sources of nonsampling error in the supplement are those inherent in any household survey. When a household respondent reports for all individuals in the household, is that person knowledgeable about the grade or level of school, type of school, or full-time status? In addition, some analysts believe social acceptability of response causes biased reporting, such as reluctance to report lack of a high school diploma; some dismiss it. Household-reported data may not be consistent with administrative data because definitions may not be the same. An additional source of variation in statistics reported may be a change in the survey universe over time. For example, a significantly larger proportion of young men were members of the Armed Forces in the late 1960s and early 1970s than before or after and, therefore, were not in the CPS universe. That caused a short-term increase in the school enrollment rate of young men, which was greater than the increase in numbers of enrollees would indicate. Other events may similarly affect survey data. The user must be mindful of external events as well as the character of the population being measured when describing survey trends. An advantage of household survey data over administrative data is the availability of demographic, social, and economic data for the student and family. Beginning with data for October 1981, tabulations have been controlled to the 1980 census. Estimates for earlier years were controlled to earlier censuses. Questions concerning the CPS school enrollment data may be directed to: Education and Social Stratification Branch Population Division Bureau of the Census U.S. Department of Commerce Washington, DC 20233 Educational Attainment. Data on years of school completed are derived from two questions on the CPS instrument. Biennial reports documenting educational attainment are produced by the Bureau of the Census using March CPS data. The latest report is Current Population Reports, Series P-20, No. 451 Educational Attainment in the United States, March 1989 and 1988. The usual constraints on use of household survey data apply. Reliability of response may depend on whether a proxy respondent was used, the recency and importance of the event, and the number and clarity of response categories. There is some evidence that years of school completed in the CPS may not measure completion of degrees as clearly as they once did. The number of persons who have completed 4 years of college has been increasing more rapidly than the number of bachelor's degrees added each year would suggest. While the number of years completed is not deteriorating in quality (that is, respondents are not exaggerating the number of years), more students than in the past are taking more than 4 academic years to complete a bachelor's degree. Also, although interviewers are instructed to count receiving a high school diploma by means of passing a GED exam as completion of the 12th grade, as the number of persons who have received a diploma in this way has increased the number counted appropriately may not have kept pace. The 1990 Census of Population contains a question on highest degree received rather than relying solely on a "years of school completed" item. Beginning with the data for March 1980, tabulations have been controlled to the 1980 census. Estimates for earlier years were controlled to earlier censuses. Questions concerning the CPS educational attainment data may be directed to: Education and Social Stratification Branch Population Division Bureau of the Census U.S. Department of Commerce Washington, DC 20233 Participation in Adult Education. In May of 1969, 1972, 1975, 1978, 1981, and 1984, the Current Population Survey (CPS) included a supplemental inquiry on "Participation in Adult Education" (PAE). In addition to the questions on the CPS, interviewers asked if anyone in the household 17 years of age or older had participated in adult education in the 12-month period prior to the survey date. A survey form was filled out by the interviewer or left with a proxy member of the household for participants who were not at home at the time of the interview. In 1981, the supplement form was no longer left with the proxy but completed by the interviewer. The PAE response rate of 94 percent in 1981 must be viewed in conjunction with the 96 percent response rate of the CPS. The overall response rate for the PAE survey in 1981 is then 90 percent. For more information, contact: Postsecondary Education Statistics Division National Center for Education Statistics 555 New Jersey Avenue NW Washington, DC 20208-5652 Voting and Registration. In November of election years, the CPS includes supplemental questions on voting and registration within the civilian noninstitutional population. CPS voting estimates exceed counts of the actual number of votes cast. On balance, the CPS overstates voting in Presidential elections by 10 to 20 percent of the total number of persons reported as having voted. Some of the possible reasons for the discrepancies are: (a) understatement of actual number of votes cast; (b) possible reluctance of some CPS respondents to admit to not voting; (c) nonresponse to the CPS survey; (d) CPS undercoverage of certain groups in the population in which nonvoting may be high; (e) use of a single household respondent to report on the voting and registration of all persons in the household. These reasons are discussed in greater detail in Current Population Reports, Series P-20, No. 453, "Voting and Registration in the Election of November 1990," pp. 9-11. Data on voter participation by social and economic characteristics of the population of voting age have been published since 1964 in Current Population Reports, Series P-20. The latest report is "Voting and Registration in the Election of November 1990," No. 453. For additional information about this survey, contact: Jerry T. Jennings Population Division Bureau of the Census U.S. Department of Commerce Washington, DC 20233 Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Department of Labor Educational Attainment of Workers These data are collected by the March supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS), sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and conducted by the Bureau of the Census. Sampling and nonsampling errors associated with the CPS are discussed under that heading. For further information on employment and unemployment statistics contact: Division of Labor Force Statistics Bureau of Labor Statistics 441 G Street NW (Room 2486) Washington, DC 20212 How workers get their training. In January 1983 and 1991, The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) funded supplements to the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey on worker training. The questions asked individuals to identify various types of training they needed to obtain their current or last job as well as the training used to improve their skills on those jobs. In contrast with the 1983 survey, interviewers conducting the 1991 survey were instructed to obtain the information from each individual directly; proxy responses were not permitted. Primarily because individuals could not answer by proxy, a high proportion of eligible persons in the sample did not respond to the January 1991 training questions. In order to obtain data about the population based only on information provided by respondents, the sample weight originally assigned each respondent was adjusted based on factors for specific age, sex, race, employment status, and occupational status. The adjusted weights were used to prepare published estimates. For more information, contact: Office of Employment Projections Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Department of Labor 2 Massachusetts Avenue, N. E. Washington, D. C. 20212 The National Longitudinal Study of Youth The National Longitudinal Study of Youth (NLSY) is a nationally representative sample of 12,686 young men and young women who were ages 14-21 in 1979 when they were first interviewed. Three independent probability samples, designed to represent the entire population of youth born in the United States between 1957 and 1964, were drawn for the NLSY: (1) a cross-sectional sample designed to be representative of the noninstitutionalized civilian segment of American young people age 14-21 as of January 1, 1979; (2) a supplemental sample designed to overrepresent civilian Hispanic, black, and economically disadvantaged non-Hispanic, non-black youth; and (3) a military sample designed to represent the population aged 17-21 as of January 1, 1979 and serving in the military as of September 30, 1978. Response rates within the NLSY sample have remained at or above 90 percent for the first 12 years of interviews. By the end of 1990, 10,436 civilian and military respondents continued to be interviewed for an overall retention rate of 89.9 percent. Further information is available by contacting: The Center for Human Resource Research The Ohio State University 921 Chatham Lane, Suite 200 Columbus, Ohio 43221-2418 (614) 442-7300 Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Higher Education Staff Information Survey (EE0-6) The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) requires all public and private institutions of higher education with at least 15 full-time employees to file the Higher Education Staff Information (EEO-6) report biennially. Higher education institutions are those accredited at the college level by an agency recognized by the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education. The EEO-6 collects information on: (1) the number of full-time and part- time employees, by occupation, race/ethnicity and sex; (2) the number of full-time faculty, by academic rank, tenure status, race/ethnicity, and sex; and (3) the salaries of full-time staff, by occupation, race/ethnicity, and sex. Beginning in 1987, data from the EEO-6 have been combined with data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to create the Fall Staff survey. The Fall Staff survey is discussed under IPEDS and is conducted by NCES. For additional information on the EEO-6 survey, contact: Betty Wright U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 1801 L Street, NW Washington, DC 20507 Bureau of Justice Statistics U.S. Department of Justice National Crime Survey, School Crime Supplement The National Crime Survey (NCS) conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) collects data from a nationally representative sample of households. When a household is selected for inclusion in the sample, household members age 12 or older are interviewed every 6 months for 3 years. During each interview, information is obtained about the personal victimizations, if any, experienced by the interviewee in the 6 months preceding the interview. One member, generally over the age of 18, is also designated the household respondent, from whom information is obtained about all crimes committed against the household during the preceding 6 months. The NCS measures both attempted and completed incidents of the violent crimes of rape, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault; personal thefts with and without contact; and the household crimes of burglary, household larceny, and motor vehicle theft. The School Crime Supplement to the NCS contains data collected in interviews conducted from January through June of 1989 as a supplement to the NCS data collection program. It focuses on personal crimes of violence and theft that were committed inside a school building or on school property only. The only eligible respondents for this school crime supplement were those household members who were between the ages of 12 and 19, had attended school at any time during the 6 months preceding the interview, and were enrolled in a school that would advance them towards the eventual receipt of a high school diploma. Further information on the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Survey may be obtained from: Bruce Taylor Bureau of Justice Statistics 633 Indiana Avenue NW Washington, DC 20531 National Institute on Drug Abuse U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Monitoring the Future The National Institute on Drug Abuse is the primary supporter of the long-term study entitled Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of the Lifestyles and Values of Youth, conducted by the University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research. One component of the study deals with student drug abuse, another investigates student victimization at school. Results of a national sample survey have been published annually since 1975. Approximately 125 to 135 schools have participated each year. With the exception of 1975 when about 9,400 students participated in the survey, more than 15,000 students have participated annually. For the class of 1990, about 15,200 students responded to the survey. Over the years, the response rate has varied from 77 to 84 percent. The data in this survey represent only high school seniors. Understandably, there will be some reluctance to admit illegal activities. Also, students who were out of school on the day of the survey were nonrespondents. The survey did not include high school dropouts. The inclusion of these two groups would tend to increase the proportion of individuals who had used drugs. A 1983 study found that the inclusion of the absentees could increase some of the drug usage estimates by as much as 2.7 percent. (Details on that study and its methodology were published in Drug Use Among American High School Students, College Students, and Other Young Adults, by Lloyd D. Johnston, Patrick M. O'Malley, and Jerald G. Bachman, available from the National Clearinghouse on Drug Abuse Information, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.) Further information on this survey may be obtained from: National Institute on Drug Abuse Division of Epidemiology and Statistical Analysis 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857 National Center for Health Statistics U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Health Interview Survey The National Health Interview Survey is a continuous cross-sectional household interview survey. Each week a probability sample of the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States is interviewed by personnel of the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Estimates for certain health characteristics, such as limited activity and respondent-assessed status, are compiled yearly. Information on special health topics, such as health care coverage, health promotion, and disease prevention, is periodically collected for all or a sample of household members. All information collected in the survey results from reports by responsible family members or unrelated individuals residing in the household. When possible, all adult members participate in the interview. However, proxy responses are accepted for family members who are not at home, and are required for all children (those under 18 years of age) and for all household members who are physically or mentally incapable of responding for themselves. In 1982, the NHIS questionnaire and data preparation procedures of the survey were extensively revised. The basic concepts of NHIS changed in some cases, and in other cases the concepts were measured in a different way. Comparisons with earlier results should not be undertaken without carefully examining these changes. In 1985, although several new sample design features were adopted for NHIS, conceptually the sampling plan remained the same. The major changes included (a) reducing the number of primary sampling locations from 376 to 198 for sampling efficiency, (b) oversampling the black population to improve the precision of the statistics, (c) subdividing the NHIS sample into four separate representative panels to facilitate linkage to other National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) surveys, and (d) using an all-area frame not based on the decennial census to facilitate NCHS survey linkage and to conduct NHIS followback surveys. The National Center for Health Statistics provides estimates and technical notes on methods for this survey in Series 10 publications, Data from the National Health Interview Survey. For additional information about this survey, contact: National Center for Health Statistics Division of Health Interview Statistics 6525 Belcrest Road Hyattsville, MD 20782 (301) 436-7089 National Science Foundation Survey of Earned Doctorates The Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) has been conducted annually, under contract, by the National Research Council for the U.S. Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, and other federal agencies since 1957. Information from the survey becomes part of the Doctorate Records File, which includes records for doctorates awarded since 1920 by regionally accredited universities and colleges. The universe consists of all recipients of doctoral degrees such as Ph.D. or D.Sc., but excludes the recipients of first-professional degrees such as the J.D. or M.D. Approximately 95 percent of the annual cohort of doctorate recipients have responded to the questionnaire, which is distributed through the cooperation of the Graduate Deans. Partial data from public sources are added to the file for nonrespondents. The data for a given year include all doctorates awarded in the 12-month period ending on June 30th of that year. Data for the SED are collected directly from individual doctorate recipients. In addition to the field and specialty of the degree, the recipient is asked to provide educational history, selected demographic data, and information on postgraduate work and study plans. The National Center for Education Statistics' "Survey of Earned Degrees," part of its Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), collected data from institutions, not individuals. Therefore, the number of doctorates reported in SED differs slightly from IPEDS/HEGIS totals. Also, SED data are restricted to research doctorates. The differences between the two data series have been generally consistent since 1960. The ratio of IPEDS/HEGIS to SED totals for all Ph.D.s has ranged from 1.01 to 1.06. Further information on this survey can be obtained from Summary Report: Doctorate Recipients from United States Universities, various years, published by the National Research Council, or by contacting: Office of Scientific and Engineering Personnel National Research Council 2101 Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC 20418 Survey of Doctorate Recipients The Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR) is a biennial survey of individuals who have received doctorates in the humanities, sciences, and engineering over the past four decades. It has surveyed scientists (including social scientists and psychologists) and engineers since 1973 and humanists since 1977. It is conducted by the National Research Council with support from the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Energy. The population for the survey consists of individuals who have received doctorates during a 42-year period. To maintain the length of this timespan for each biennial survey, the two most recent graduating cohorts of Ph.D.s are added to the population, and the two oldest are eliminated. It is a longitudinal survey-that is, individual members of the survey panel are resurveyed every 2 years-and contains historical data on employment status, employment sector, primary work activity, academic rank, tenure status, salary, and other characteristics. For a more detailed discussion of the history of the SDR, the sample, and other methodological issues, see: National Research Council, Methodological Report of the 1987 Survey of Doctorate Recipients, National Research Council, April 1989 (prepared by Mary Belisle). For further information, contact: Survey of Doctorate Recipients Project Office of Scientific and Engineering Personnel National Research Council 2101 Constitution Avenue NW (Room GR 412) Washington, DC 20418 Scientific and Engineering Expenditures at Universities and Colleges Survey The National Science Foundation's Scientific and Engineering Expenditures at Universities and Colleges Survey originated in 1954 and has been conducted annually since 1972. The population surveyed in most years has consisted of the 500 to 600 universities and colleges that grant a graduate science or engineering degree and/or annually perform at least $50,000 in separately budgeted research and development (R&D). R&D is defined as current fund expenditures designed to produce specific research outcomes and is funded either by an external agency to an institution or is separately budgeted by an internal institution unit. The institutions included in this survey population expend over 95 percent of the nation's academic R&D funds. In addition, approximately 17 university-administered, federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) that are engaged in basic or applied research, development, or management of R&D activities are surveyed. Since 1984 this survey has been conducted as a sample survey consisting of two strata: a certainty stratum including all doctorate-granting institutions, all historically black colleges and universities with R&D, and all university-administered FFRDCs; and a probability stratum including a random sample of all nondoctorate-granting institutions that perform significant levels of research and development. Further information on this survey may be obtained from Guide to the National Science Foundation's Surveys of Academic Science and Engineering, December 1990, published by the National Science Foundation, or by contacting: Science and Engineering Activities Program Division of Science Resources Studies National Science Foundation, Room L-611 1800 G Street NW Washington, DC 20550 2. Other Organization Sources American College Testing Program The American College Testing (ACT) Assessment is designed to measure educational development in the areas of English, mathematics, social studies, and natural sciences. The ACT Assessment is taken by college-bound high school students and the test results are used to predict how well students might perform in college. Prior to the 1984-85 school year, national norms were based on a 10 percent sample of the students taking the test. Since then, national norms have been based on the test scores of all students taking the test. Moreover, beginning with 1984-85 these norms have been based on the most recent ACT scores available from students scheduled to graduate in the spring of the year. Duplicate test records are no longer used to produce national figures. ACT standard scores are reported for each subject area on a scale from 1 to 36. The four ACT standard scores have a mean (average) of about 19 and a standard deviation of about 6 for college-bound students nationally. A composite score is obtained by taking the simple average of the four standard scores and is an indication of student's overall academic development across these subject areas. It should be noted that college-bound students who take the ACT Assessment are not representative in some respects of college-bound students nationally. First, students who live in the Midwest, Rocky Mountains and Plains, and the South are overrepresented among ACT-tested students compared with college-bound students nationally. Second, ACT-tested students tend to enroll in public colleges and universities more frequently than do college-bound students nationally. The 1990 ACT assessment is significantly different from previous years. Consequently, it is not possible to make direct comparisons between scores earned in 1990 and those scores earned in previous years. To permit continuity in tracking of score trends, ACT has established links between scores earned on ACT tests administered before October 1989 and scores on the new ACT. For further information, contact: The American College Testing Program 2201 North Dodge Street P.O. Box 168 Iowa City, IA 52243 American Federation of Teachers The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) reports national and state average salaries and earnings of teachers, other school employees, government workers, and professional employees over the past 25 years. The AFT's survey of state departments of education obtains information on minimum salaries, experienced teachers reentering the classroom, and teacher age and experience. Most data from the survey are reported as received, although some data are confirmed by telephone. These data are available in the AFT's annual report Survey and Analysis of Salary Trends. While serving as the primary vehicle for reporting the results of the AFT's annual survey of state departments of education, several other data sources are also used in this report. Further information on this survey can be obtained from: American Federation of Teachers 555 New Jersey Avenue NW Washington, DC 20001 College Entrance Examination Board The Admissions Testing Program of the College Board comprises a number of college admissions tests, including the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). High school students participate in the testing program as sophomores, juniors, or seniors-some more than once during these 3 years. If they have taken the tests more than once, only the most recent scores are tabulated. The PSAT and SAT report subscores in the areas of mathematics and verbal ability. The SAT results are not representative of high school students or college-bound students nationally since the sample is self-selected. Generally, tests are taken by students who need the results to attend a particular college or university. The state totals are greatly affected by the requirements of its state colleges. Public colleges in a number of states require ACT scores rather than SAT scores. Thus the proportion of students taking the SAT in these states is very low and is inappropriate for any comparison. In recent years about 1 million high school students have taken the examination annually. Further information on the SAT can be obtained from: College Entrance Examination Board Educational Testing Service Princeton, NJ 08541 Gallup Poll Each year the Gallup Poll conducts the "Public Attitudes Toward the Public Schools" survey, funded by Phi Delta Kappa. The survey includes interviews with approximately 1,600 adults representing the civilian noninstitutional population 18 years old and over. The sample used in the 22nd annual survey was made up of a total of 1,594 respondents and is described as a modified probability sample of the nation. Personal, in-home interviewing was conducted in representative areas of the nation and types of communities. Approximately 67 percent of the respondents had no children in school, 30 percent were parents of children in public schools, and 6 percent had children attending nonpublic schools. This total is greater than 100 percent because some parents had children attending both public and nonpublic schools. The survey is a sample survey and is subject to sampling error. The size of error depends largely on the number of respondents providing data. For example, an estimated percentage of about 10 percent based on the responses of 1,000 sample members has an approximate sampling error of 2 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. The sampling error for the difference in two percentages (50 percent versus 41 percent) based on two samples of 750 members and 400 members, respectively, is about 8 percent. Further information on this survey can be obtained from: Gallup Poll Phi Delta Kappa P.O. Box 789 Bloomington, IN 47402-0789 Graduate Record Examination Council All students who have taken the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test were asked a series of background information questions. The responses and the test scores themselves form the basis for continuing GRE Program research. In addition, these data are compiled and included in an annual report. The 12th in the series is A Summary of Data Collected From Graduate Record Examinations Test Takers During 1986-1987. The GRE cautions users of these data that "information in these reports is based solely on examinees who took the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test and should not be interpreted as being representative of any other group. The report does not present data for all baccalaureate degree recipients, for all graduate school applicants, or for all first-time graduate school enrollees." Nevertheless, the test- taking group is a large subset (albeit a self-selected one) of each of these groups. Further information on this and previous editions of the report may be obtained by contacting: Office of the GRE Program Director Educational Testing Service Princeton, NJ 08541 National Education Association Estimates of School Statistics The National Education Association (NEA) reports revenues and expenditure data in its annual publication, Estimates of School Statistics. Each year NEA prepares regression-based estimates of financial and other education statistics and submits them to the states for verification. Generally about 30 states adjust these estimates based on their own data. These preliminary data are published by NEA along with revised data from previous years. States are asked to revise previously submitted data as final figures become available. The most recent publication contains all changes reported to the NEA. Some tables in The Condition of Education used revised estimates of financial data prepared by NEA because it was the most current source. Since expenditure data reported to NCES must be certified for use in the U.S. Department of Education formula grant programs (such as Chapter I of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act), NCES data are not available as soon as NEA estimates. Further information can be obtained from: National Education Association-Research 1201 16th Street NW Washington, DC 20036 United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) conducts annual surveys of education statistics of its member countries. Besides official surveys, data are supplemented by information obtained by UNESCO through other publications and sources. Each year more than 200 countries reply to the UNESCO surveys. In some cases, estimates are made by UNESCO for particular items such as world and continent totals. While great efforts are made to make them as comparable as possible, the data still reflect the vast differences among the countries of the world in the structure of education. While there is some agreement about the reporting of first- and second-level data, the third level (postsecondary education) presents numerous substantial problems. Some countries report only university enrollment while other countries report all postsecondary, including vocational and technical schools and correspondence programs. A very high proportion of some countries' third-level students attend institutions in other countries. While definition problems are many in this sort of study, other survey problems should not be overlooked. The member countries that provide data to UNESCO are responsible for their validity. Thus, data for particular countries are subject to nonsampling error and perhaps sampling error as well. Some countries may furnish only rough estimates while data from other countries may be very accurate. Other difficulties are caused by the varying periodicity of data collection among the countries of the world. In spite of such problems, many researchers use UNESCO data because they are the best available. Users should examine footnotes carefully to recognize some of the data limitations. More complete information may be obtained from the Statistical Yearbook published by UNESCO or from: Office of Statistics UNESCO Place de Fontenoy 75700 Paris, France The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement IEA Reading Literacy Study In the period 1989 to 1992, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) conducted a Reading Literacy Study in 32 systems of education. The study focused on two levels in each of these systems, the grade level where most 9-year-olds were to be found and the grade level where most 14-year-olds were to be found. To obtain comparable samples of students, multi-stage sampling was used in each country and schools or classes were typically drawn with a probability proportional to the size of the school or class. Three major domains or types of reading literacy materials assessed at both age levels were as follows: 1. Narrative prose: Continuous texts in which the writers' aim is to tell a story--whether fact or fiction. They normally follow a linear time sequence and are usually intended to entertain or involve the reader emotionally. The selected extracts ranged from short fables to lengthy stories of more than 1,000 words. 2. Expository prose: Continuous texts designed to describe, explain, or otherwise convey factual information or opinion to the reader. The tests contained, for example, brief family letters and descriptions of animals as well as lengthy treatises on smoking and lasers. 3. Documents: Structured information presented in the form of charts, tables, maps, graphs, lists, or sets of instructions. These materials were organized in such a way that students had to search, locate, and process selected facts rather than read every word of continuous text. In some cases, students were required to follow detailed instructions in responding to such documents. To obtain raw scores, all correct answers were totaled for each student in each domain. The Rausch procedure was used to produce scales for each domain. Each scale was given a mean of 500 and a standard deviation of 100. Further information is available in the IEA report How in the World Do Students Read? by Warwick B. Elley. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) publishes analyses of national policies in education, training, and economics in 23 countries. The countries surveyed are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, and Yugoslavia. Since only developed nations, mostly European, are included in OECD studies, the range of analysis is limited. However, OECD data allow for some detailed international comparisons of financial resources or other education variables to be made for this selected group of countries. Further information can be obtained from: OECD 2, rue Andre-Pascal 75775 PARIS CEDEX 16, France ***************** Table of Contents ***************** Commissioner's Statement Acknowledgements Overview by Thomas M. Smith Indicator Number A. Access, Participation, and Progress 1 School enrollment rates, by age 2 Enrollment rates in preprimary education 3 Tuition and enrollment in private schools 4 Grade retention and dropout rates 5 Persistence in high school 6 Dropouts and late completers 7 Adult advice to attend college received by sophomores 8 College costs and family income 9 Immediate transition from high school to college 10 Persistence in postsecondary education 11 Skill improvement training among currently employed workers B. Achievement, Attainment, and Curriculum 12 Trends in the reading proficiency of 9-, 13-, and 17-year-olds 13 Trends in writing proficiency in grades 4, 8, and 11 14 Trends in the mathematics proficiency of 9-, 13-, and 17-year-olds 15 Trends in the science proficiency of 9-, 13-, and 17-year-olds 16 International comparisons of reading literacy 17 International comparisons of mathematics performance 18 International comparisons of science performance 19 Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores 20 Adult literacy 21 Educational attainment 22 International comparisons of educational attainment, by age 23 Course-taking in academic, vocational, and personal- use subjects among high school graduates 24 High school course taking in the core subject areas 25 Mathematics and science course-taking patterns 26 Foreign language study by college-bound graduates 27 Family background and choice of major 28 Course taking in college, by sex and race/ethnicity 29 Field of study at the associate's degree level, by race/ethnicity and sex 30 Field of study at the bachelor's degree level, by race/ethnicity 31 Degree attainment, by race/ethnicity and sex C. Economic and Other Outcomes of Education 32 Transition from high school to work 33 Employment of young adults 34 Annual earnings of young adults 35 Voting behavior, by educational attainment 36 Health-related behavior of adults, by level of education D. Size, Growth, and Output of Educational Institutions 37 Selected characteristics of preprimary enrollment 38 Elementary and secondary school enrollment 39 College and university enrollment, by type and control of institution 40 Degrees conferred, by level 41 Bachelor's degrees conferred, by field of study E. Climate, Classrooms, and Diversity in Educational Institutions 42 Racial and ethnic distribution of elementary and secondary students 43 Parent involvement in education 44 Student preparedness for class 45 Education of students with disabilities 46 Children who have difficulty speaking English, by state 47 Children in poverty 48 Drug and alcohol use in school 49 Working while in school 50 Racial and ethnic distribution of college students 51 Characteristics of undergraduate students enrolled in different types of postsecondary institutions 52 Community service performed by students enrolled full- time in bachelor's degree programs F. Human and Financial Resources of Educational Institutions 53 Index of public effort to fund education 54 International comparisons of public expenditures for education 55 Growth of expenditures per student and tuition levels 56 Salaries of teachers 57 Salaries of full-time college faculty 58 Sources of supply of newly hired teachers 59 Certification and education of full-time public secondary school teachers 60 Teacher professional development Appendices Supplemental Tables and Notes Sources of Data Glossary Index List of NCES Publications List of Supplemental Tables and Notes Indicator 1 Table 1-1 Percentage of the population enrolled in school, by age: October 1970-92 Indicator 2 Table 2-1 Percentage of 3- to 4-year-olds enrolled in pre-k and kindergarten, by race/ethnicity: October 1971-91 (3-year average) Table 2-2 Percentage of 5-year-olds enrolled in pre-k, kindergarten, and grades 1 or 2, by race/ethnicity: October 1971-91 (3-year average) Table 2-3 Percentage enrolled in preprimary education, by age, level, and family income: October 1970-92 Indicator 3 Table 3-1 Percentage of students who were enrolled in private school, by family income, school level, and type: October 1979, 1982, 1985, and 1991 Table 3-2 Percentage of students who were enrolled in private school, by race/ethnicity, school level, and type: October 1982, 1985, and 1991 Table 3-3 Family income composition of students in public and private schools, by school level and type: October 1979, 1982, 1985 and 1991 Table 3-4 Racial/ethnic composition of public and private schools, by school level and type: October 1982, 1985 and 1991 Indicator 4 Table 4-1 Dropout and retention rates for 16- to 24-year-olds, by student characteristics: 1992 Table 4-2 Dropout rates among 16- to 24-year-olds, by number of grades repeated and highest grade repeated: 1992 Indicator 5 Table 5-1 Percentage of high school students in grades 10- 12, ages 15-24, enrolled the previous October who are enrolled again the following October or who had completed high school, by sex and race/ethnicity: October 1972-92 Table 5-2: Continuous attendance and grade level progression rates for students 15- to 24-years-old, by sex, race/ethnicity, and grade level the previous October: October 1992 Note Persistence rates Indicator 8 Table 8-1 Average undergraduate tuition, room, and board as a percentage of income of families with children 6-17 years old, by control of institution and family income percentile: 1975-92 Table 8-2 Average undergraduate tuition, room, and board (in constant 1993 dollars) as a percentage of the income of all families at selected family income percentiles, by control of institution: 1964-92 Indicator 9 Table 9-1 Percentage of high school graduates enrolled in college in the October following graduation, by sex and type of college: 1973-92 Indicator 10 Table 10-1 Completion and enrollment status for first-time postsecondary students during the 1989-90 academic year, by degree objective and other student characteristics: Spring 1992 Table 10-2 Weighted sample size (thousands) and percentage distribution across selected student characteristics for first-time postsecondary students in the 1989-90 academic year, by degree objective: Spring 1992 Note Postsecondary persistence Indicator 11 Table 11-1 Percentage of currently employed persons who took one or more courses during the last 12 months to improve their skills on their current job, by work status and worker characteristics: 1990-91 Table 11-2 Percentage of workers who received skill improvement training at any time while on their current job, by worker characteristics: 1983 and 1991 Indicator 12 Table 12-1 Explanations of levels of reading proficiency Table 12-2 Percentage of students ages 9, 13, or 17 scoring at or above the five levels of reading proficiency: 1971, 1975, 1980, 1984, 1988 and 1990 Table 12-3 Percentile distribution of reading proficiency scores, by age, and race/ethnicity: 1980, 1984, 1988, 1990 and 1992 Table 12-4 Average reading proficiency, by age and parents' highest level of education level: 1971, 1975, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1990 and 1992 Table 12-5 Average reading proficiency and amount of time spent on homework, by age: 1984 and 1992 Table 12-6 The number of reading materials in the home and average reading proficiency, by age: 1971 and 1992 Note NAEP cohorts Indicator 13 Table 13-1 Explanations of levels of writing task accomplishment Table 13-2 Percentage of students scoring at or above the five levels of writing proficiency, by grade: 1984, 1988, 1990 and 1992 Table 13-3 Percentile distribution of writing proficiency scores, by grade and race/ethnicity: 1984, 1988, 1990 and 1992 Table 13-4 Average writing proficiency, by grade and parents' highest education level of education: 1984, 1988, 1990, and 1992 Table 13-5 Percentage of students making various types of grammatical errors, by sex, type of error, and grade: 1984 and 1992 Indicator 14 Table 14-1 Explanations of levels of mathematics proficiency Table 14-2 Percentage of students scoring at or above the five levels of mathematics proficiency: 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, and 1992 Table 14-3 Percentile distribution of mathematics proficiency scores, by age and race/ethnicity: 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, and 1992 Table 14-4 Average mathematics proficiency, by age and parents' highest education level: 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, and 1992 Table 14-5 Amount of time spent watching television each day and average mathematics proficiency, by age: 1982 and 1992 Indicator 15 Table 15-1 Explanations of levels of science proficiency Table 15-2 Percentage of students scoring at or above the five levels of science proficiency, by age: 1977, 1982, 1986, 1990, and 1992 Table 15-3 Percentile distribution of science proficiency scores, by age and race/ethnicity: 1977, 1982, 1986, 1990, and 1992 Table 15-4 Average science proficiency, by age and parents' highest education level: 1977, 1982, 1986, 1990, and 1992 Table 15-5 Science activities and proficiency at age 9: 1977 and 1992 Indicator 16 Table 16-1 Average reading literacy scale scores, by age, sex, and country: School year 1991-92 Table 16-2 Average scores across narrative, expository, and documents domains for 9-year-olds on reading literacy assessment, by country: School year 1991-92 Table 16-3 Average scores across narrative, expository, and documents domains for 14-year-olds on reading literacy assessment, by country: School year 1991-92 Table 16-4 Average reading achievement scores for students speaking a different language at home and for students speaking the school language, by country: School year 1991- 92 Indicator 17 Table 17-1 Distribution of proficiency scores of 9-year-olds on mathematics assessment, by country: 1991 Table 17-2 Distribution of proficiency scores of 13-year-olds on mathematics assessment, by country: 1991 Note Proficiency scores for IAEP mathematics and science Indicator 18 Table 18-1 Distribution of proficiency scores of 9-year-olds on science assessment, by country: 1991 Table 18-2 Distribution of proficiency scores of 13-year-olds on science assessment, by sex percentile and country: 1991 Indicator 19 Table 19-1 SAT test-takers as a percentage of high school graduates, percentage of test-takers who are minorities, SAT mean scores, standard deviations, and percent scoring over 600: 1972-93 Table 19-2 Mean SAT scores of college-bound seniors, by section and sex: 1972-93 Table 19-3 Percentage of college-bound seniors taking the SAT who scored in various ranges on the verbal and math sections of the SAT, by sex: 1993 Table 19-4 Distribution of college-bound seniors and average verbal and mathematics SAT scores, by selected characteristics: 1993 Table 19-5 Average verbal and mathematics SAT scores of college-bound seniors, by race/ethnicity and parents' highest education level: 1993 Note Interpreting SAT test scores Indicator 20 Table 20-1 Average document and quantitative literacy of adults, by highest level of educational attainment and race/ethnicity: 1992 Table 20-2 Average document and quantitative literacy of adults, by age and race/ethnicity: 1992 Table 20-3 Percentage of adults reaching each of five literacy levels for prose, document and quantitative literacy, by race/ethnicity: 1992 Note Adult literacy proficiency levels and scale scores Indicator 21 Note Educational attainment Indicator 22 Table 22-1 Percentage of the population who have completed secondary and higher education, by sex, country, and age: 1991 Indicator 23 Table 23-1 Average vocational course units completed by public high school graduates, by vocational education category, sex, race/ethnicity, parents' highest education level, and urbanicity of school: 1969, 1982, 1987, and 1992 Table 23-2 Average number of course units completed by public high school graduates, by curriculum area, parents' highest education level, and urbanicity of school: 1982 and 1992 Note Academic, vocational, and personal-use courses Indicator 24 Table 24-1 Percentage of high school graduates taking 4 units in English, 3 units in social studies, 3 units in science, 3 units in math, and 0.5 units in computer science: 1982, 1987, 1990, and 1992 Table 24-2 Percentage of high school graduates taking 4 units in English, 3 units in social studies, 3 units in science, 3 units in math, 0.5 units in computer science, and 2 units in foreign language: 1982, 1987, 1990, and 1992 Indicator 25 Table 25-1 Percentage of high school graduates taking selected mathematics and science courses, by sex: 1982, 1987, 1990, and 1992 Table 25-2 Percentage of high school graduates taking selected mathematics and science courses, by race/ethnicity: 1982, 1987, 1990, and 1992 Table 25-3 Percentage of high school graduates taking selected mathematics and science courses, by control of school: 1982, 1987, 1990, and 1992 Table 25-4 Percentage of high school graduates taking selected mathematics and science courses, by urbanicity of school: 1982 and 1992 Table 25-5 Percentage of high school graduates taking selected mathematics and science courses, by parents' highest education level: 1982 and 1992 Note Mathematics and science course taking Indicator 26 Table 26-1 Foreign language course units earned by all high school graduates, by student and school characteristics: 1982 and 1992 Table 26-2 Foreign language course units earned by high school graduates who projected an educational attainment of two years of college or less in their sophomore year, by selected student and school characteristics: 1982 and 1992 Table 26-3 Foreign language course units earned by high school graduates who projected an educational attainment of a bachelor's degree or higher in their sophomore year, by selected student and school characteristics: 1982 and 1992 Indicator 27 Table 27-1 Percentage distribution of field of major among students in bachelor's degree programs, by family background characteristics: Academic year 1989-90 Indicator 28 Table 28-1 Percentage of 1985-86 bachelor's degree recipients who took one or more courses in different subjects, by sex and race/ethnicity Table 28-2 Average credit hours earned in different subjects by 1985-86 bachelor's degree recipients who took one or more courses in those subjects, by sex and race/ethnicity Table 28-3 Average credit hours earned in different subjects by all 1985-86 bachelor's degree recipients, by sex and race/ethnicity Indicator 29 Table 29-1 Percentage distribution of associate's degrees conferred, by race/ethnicity, sex, and field of study: Academic year ending 1991 Table 29-2 Percentage distribution of associate's degrees conferred, by race/ethnicity, sex, and field of study: Academic year ending 1987 Indicator 30 Table 30-1 Number of bachelor's degrees conferred, by race/ethnicity and field of study: Selected academic years ending 1977-91 Table 30-2 Percentage distribution of bachelor's degrees conferred, by race/ethnicity and field of study: Selected academic years ending 1977-91 Table 30-3 Minority field concentration ratio at the bachelor's degree level, by race/ethnicity and field of study: Selected academic years ending 1977-91 Indicator 31 Table 31-1 Number of degrees conferred, by sex, degree level, and race/ethnicity: Selected academic years ending 1977-91 Table 31-2 Index of number of degrees conferred (1981=100), by sex, degree level, and race/ethnicity: Selected academic years ending 1977-91 Table 31-3 High school graduates, by race/ethnicity: 1974-91 Indicator 32 Table 32-1 Rates of labor force participation, employment, and unemployment of recent high school graduates not enrolled in college, by sex: 1960-92 Table 32-2 Rates of labor force participation, employment, and unemployment of recent school dropouts, by sex: 1960-92 Table 32-3 Rates of labor force participation, employment, and unemployment of recent high school graduates not enrolled in college, by race/ethnicity: 1973-92 Table 32-4 Rates of labor force participation, employment, and unemployment of recent school dropouts, by race/ethnicity: 1973-92 Table 32-5 Rates of labor force participation, employment, and unemployment of recent high school graduates not enrolled in college, by family income: 1973-92 Table 32-6 Rates of labor force participation, employment, and unemployment of recent school dropouts, by family income: October 1973-92 Note Labor force statistics Indicator 34 Table 34-1 Ratio of median annual earnings of male wage and salary workers 25 to 34 years old with 9-11, 13-15, and 16 or more years of school to those with 12 years of school, by race/ethnicity: 1970-92 Table 34-2 Ratio of median annual earnings of female wage and salary workers 25 to 34 years old with 9-11, 13-15, and 16 or more years of school to those with 12 years of school, by race/ethnicity: 1970-92 Table 34-3 Median annual earnings of wage and salary workers 25 to 34 years old with 12 years of school, by sex and race/ethnicity: 1970-92 (constant 1993 dollars) Indicator 36 Table 36-1 Percentage of persons 18 years of age and over who answered positively to a variety of health-related questions, by race/ethnicity and level of education: 1985 and 1990 Table 36-2 Percentage of persons 18 years of age and over who answered positively to a variety of health-related questions, by sex and level of education: 1985 and 1990 Table 36-3 Percentage of persons who answered positively to a variety of health-related questions, by sex, age, and level of education: 1990 Table 36-4 Percentage of persons who answered positively to a variety of health-related questions, by race/ethnicity, age, and level of education: 1990 Indicator 37 Table 37-1 Percentage of preprimary students who are black and Hispanic, by level: 1970-92 Indicator 38 Table 38-1 Enrollment in elementary and secondary schools, by control and level, with projections: Fall 1970 to Fall 2004 (in thousands) Table 38-2 Enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools (in thousands), by region: Fall 1970-92 Indicator 39 Table 39-1 Total and full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment in higher education, by type and control of institution: Fall 1972-92 Table 39-2 Index of total and full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment (1981=100) in higher education, by type and control of institution: Fall 1972-92 Table 39-3 Percentage distribution of total and full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment in higher education, by type and control of institution: Fall 1972-92 Table 39-4 High school graduates, by age: 1972-92 Indicator 40 Table 40-1 Number of degrees conferred, by level of degree, and number of high school completions: Academic years ending 1971-91 Indicator 41 Table 41-1 Number of bachelor's degrees conferred, by field of study: Academic years ending 1971-91 Table 41-2 Index of number of bachelor's degrees conferred (1981=100), by field of study: Academic years ending 1971-91 Table 41-3 Percentage distribution of bachelor's degrees conferred, by field of study: Academic years ending 1971-91 Indicator 42 Table 42-1 Percentage of students in grades 1 through 12 who are black or Hispanic, by control of school and metropolitan status: 1970-92 Table 42-2 Enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools, by race/ethnicity: 1976, 1984, 1986, 1988, and 1990 Indicator 43 Table 43-1 Percentage of 8th grade students who report various types of parent involvement, by parents' highest education level and percentage of students in school who receive free school lunch: 1988 Table 43-2 Percentage of 8th grade students who report various types of parent involvement, by number of misbehavior incidents: 1988 Indicator 45 Table 45-1 Number of children served in federally supported programs for students with disabilities, by type of disability: School years ending 1977-92 Table 45-2 Percentage distribution of children served in federally supported programs for students with disabilities, by type of disability: School years ending 1977-92 Table 45-3 Children served in federally supported programs for students with disabilities, as a percentage of public K- 12 enrollment, by type of disability: School years ending 1977-92 Table 45-4 Distribution of students in special education programs, by type of disability, sex, and race/ethnicity of student: School years ending 1986, 1988, and 1990 Table 45-5 Distribution of the number of students with disabilities served in schools offering special education programs, by control of school and number of students served: School years 1987-88 and 1990-91 Table 45-6 Percentage of public school children with disabilities served in various school environments, by type of disability and classroom environment: School years ending 1986-91 Table 45-7 Ratio of the number of students with disabilities to the number of special education teachers who serve them, by type of disability: Selected school years ending 1977-91 Indicator 46 Table 46-1 Children 5 to 17 years old who speak a language other than English at home and who speak English with difficulty, by state: 1980 Table 46-2 Children 5 to 17 years old who speak a language other than English at home and who speak English with difficulty, by state and change between 1980 and 1990 Indicator 48 Table 48-1 Percentage of students who reported being under the influence of drugs at school in the previous month, by grade, type of drug, and number of days: 1992 Table 48-2 Percentage of students who reported alcohol and drug use in the last 12 months, by type of drug, grade, situation, and race/ethnicity: 1991 and 1992 combined Table 48-3 Percentage of students who had someone offer to sell them drugs at school during the first half of the school year, by grade, number of offers, sex, race/ethnicity, and control of school: Spring 1988, 1990, and 1992 Table 48-4 Percentage of public school students who had someone offer to sell them drugs at school during the first half of the school year, by grade, number of offers, and selected school characteristics: Spring 1988, 1990, and 1992 Indicator 49 Table 49-1 Percentage of 16- to 24-year-old high school students who were employed in October, by sex and hours worked per week: 1970-92 Table 49-2 Percentage of 16- to 24-year old full-time college students who were employed in October, by race/ethnicity and hours worked per week: 1970-92 Table 49-3 Percentage of 16- to 24 year old full-time college students who were employed in October, by sex and hours worked per week: 1970-92 Table 49-4 Percentage of 16- to 24-year-old part-time college students who were employed in October, by race/ethnicity and hours worked per week: 1970-92 Table 49-5 Percentage of 16- to 24-year old part-time college students who were employed in October, by sex and hours worked per week: 1970-92 Indicator 50 Table 50-1 Total enrollment in institutions of higher education, by control and type of institution and race/ethnicity of student: Fall, selected years 1976-92 Table 50-2 Percentage distribution of total enrollment in institutions of higher education, by control and type of institution and race/ethnicity of student: Fall, selected years 1976-92 Indicator 51 Table 51-1 Percentage of undergraduate students with selected characteristics, by control and type of postsecondary institution: 1989-90 Indicator 52 Table 52-1 Community service performed by undergraduate students, by degree program and attendance status: Academic year 1989-90 Table 52-2 Relationship of community service performed by full-time students to future career, by degree program: Academic year 1989-90 Table 52-3 Community service performed by full-time undergraduate students, by degree program and selected institutional and student characteristics: Academic year 1989-90 Indicator 53 Table 53-1 National index of elementary and secondary public education revenues per student in relation to per capita personal income: Selected school years ending 1930- 92 Table 53-2 National index of higher education public revenues per student in relation to per capita personal income: Selected school years ending 1930-90 Table 53-3 State indices of public elementary/secondary education revenues per student in relation to per capita personal income: School year 1991-92 Table 53-4 Public elementary and secondary school revenues as a percentage of GNP, GDP, and revenue sources: Selected school years 1920-91 Note Calculation of national index of public education revenues Indicator 54 Table 54-1 Current public expenditures for education, by country: School year 1990-91 Table 54-2 Current and capital public expenditure as a percentage of total education expenditure, by country: School year 1990-91 Table 54-3 Current public expenditure on education as a percentage of total public expenditure by country: School year 1990-91 Table 54-4 Distribution of current public expenditure on education for each school level, by country: School year 1990-91 Table 54-5 Public current education expenditure (in national currency) and total enrollment, by country: School year 1990-91 Note International comparisons of current public education expenditures Indicator 55 Table 55-1 Index of expenditures (in constant dollars) per full-time-equivalent student at public institutions, by type of expenditure and type of institution: Academic years ending 1977-91 (1981=100) Table 55-2 Index of expenditures (in constant dollars) per full-time-equivalent student at private (nonprofit) institutions, by type of expenditure and type of institution: Academic years ending 1977-91 (1981=100) Table 55-3 Index of average undergraduate tuition charges (in constant dollars) at institutions of higher education, by control and type of institution: Academic years ending 1977-91 (1981=100) Indicator 56 Table 56-1 Average annual and beginning salary (in constant 1993 dollars) of teachers in public elementary and secondary schools: Selected years 1960-93 Table 56-2 Average annual salaries of all teachers: 1981 and 1993, percentage increase 1981-93, and 1992 per capita personal income (in constant 1993 dollars) Table 56-3 Average amounts of compensation (in current dollars) that full-time public school teachers received, by selected school characteristics: 1990-91 Table 56-4 Average amounts of compensation (in current dollars) that full-time private school teachers received, by selected school characteristics: 1990-91 Table 56-5 Percentage of public school districts and private schools with salary schedules, average scheduled salary (in current dollars) for full-time teachers by highest degree earned and years of teaching experience, percentage of schools without salary schedules, and average lowest and highest schedules: 1990-91 Indicator 57 Table 57-1 Average salaries in constant (1993) dollars of full-time faculty in institutions of higher education, by academic rank and control and type of institution: Selected academic years ending 1972-92 Indicator 58 Table 58-1 Percentage distribution of public newly hired teachers, by region and school characteristics: 1991 Indicator 59 Table 59-1 Percentage of full-time public secondary school teachers with selected professional characteristics, by urbanicity and assignment field: 1987-88 and 1990-91 Table 59-2 Percentage of full-time public secondary school teachers with selected professional characteristics, by main assignment field and urbanicity: 1987-88 and 1990-91 Table 59-3 Percentage of full-time public secondary school teachers who majored or minored in selected academic teaching assignment fields: 1990-91 Note Definitions of certification and major/minor in assignment field Indicator 60 Table 60-1 Percentage of teachers engaging in various types of professional development activities, by control, urbanicity and percent minority: School years 1991-92 and 1990-91 ***last update 3/28/95 (cschmitt)***