The indicators in this section examine student achievement and other outcomes of education among students in elementary and secondary education, and among adults in the larger society. There are 26 indicators in this section. The indicators on student achievement show how students are performing on assessments in reading, mathematics, science, and other academic subject areas; trends over time in student achievement; and gaps in achievement. The indicators in this section are organized into five subsections.

The indicators in the first subsection trace the gains in achievement and specific reading and mathematics skills of children through the early years of elementary education. Children enter school with varying levels of knowledge and skill. Measures of these early childhood competencies represent important indicators of students’ future prospects both inside and outside of the classroom. Two indicators (8-2004 and 8-2005) show changes in student achievement for a cohort of children who began kindergarten in fall 1998 as they progressed through 3rd grade in 2001–02.

The indicators in the second subsection report trends in student performance by age or grade in the later years of elementary education through high school. As students progress through school, it is important to know the extent to which they are acquiring necessary skills and becoming proficient in challenging subject matter. Academic outcomes are basically measured in three ways: as the change in students’ average performance over time, as the change in the percentage of students achieving predetermined levels of achievement, and through international comparisons of national averages.

Together, measures in the first two subsections, across indicators, help create a composite picture of academic achievement in U.S. schools. For example indicator 8-2004 shows the overall reading and mathematics achievement of U.S. students from kindergarten through 3rd grade, while indicator 14 shows the overall reading and mathematics achievement of students in grades 4 and 8.

In addition to academic achievement, there are adult literacy measures in the third subsection and culturally and socially desirable outcomes of education in the fourth subsection. These outcomes contribute to an educated, capable, and engaged citizenry, which can be gauged by adult literacy, civic knowledge, community volunteerism, and voting participation. Other measures are patterns of adult reading habits, communication and media use, and the health status of individuals.

The fifth subsection looks specifically at the economic outcomes of education. Economic outcomes refer to the likelihood of being employed, the salaries that employers are prepared to pay individuals with varying levels of skill and competence, the job and career satisfaction of employees, and other measures of economic well being and productivity.