Reliable, accurate, and timely data are necessary to monitor the progress of U.S. education and respond to its opportunities and challenges. To ensure such data are available, Congress has mandated that the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) produce an annual report, The Condition of Education. This year's report presents indicators of important developments and trends in U.S. education. These indicators focus on participation and persistence in education, student performance and other measures of achievement, the environment for learning, and resources for education. In addition, this year's volume contains a special analysis that examines changes in student coursetaking in high school using national transcript data from 1982 to 2005. While the analysis focuses on the credit accrual of high school graduates, it also takes a special look at the coursework of high school dropouts and courses taken for college credit.

This statement summarizes the main findings of the special analysis and the 48 indicators that appear in the five following sections. Each indicator discussed is referenced by its number (e.g., indicator 10).