The estimates presented in this report were produced using the BPS:96/98 Data Analysis Systems (DAS). The DAS software makes it possible for users to specify and generate their own tables. With the DAS, users can replicate or expand upon the tables presented in this report. In addition to the table estimates, the DAS calculates proper standard errors and weighted sample sizes for these estimates.³ If the number of valid cases is too small to produce a reliable estimate (less than 30 cases), the DAS prints the message “low-N” instead of the estimate.

In addition to tables, the DAS will also produce a correlation matrix of selected variables to be used for linear regression models. Included in the output with the correlation matrix are the design effects (DEFTs) for each variable in the matrix. Since statistical procedures generally compute regression coefficients based on simple random sample assumptions, the standard errors must be adjusted with the design effects to take into account the stratified sampling method used in the NPSAS and BPS surveys.

For more information about the BPS:96/98 and other Data Analysis Systems, consult the NCES DAS website (http://nces.ed.gov/das) or contact:

Aurora D'Amico
Postsecondary Studies Division
National Center for Education Statistics
1990 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 502-7334
Internet address: Aurora.D'Amico@ed.gov