This report is based on a part of the decennial census which consists of questions asked of a one-in-six sample of persons and housing units in the United States. This sample was asked more detailed questions about income, occupation, and housing costs in addition to general demographic information.
School Enrollment Persons classified as enrolled in school reported attending a "regular" public or private school or college. Questions asked were whether the institution attended was public or private, and level of school in which the student was enrolled.
Educational Attainment Data for educational attainment were tabulated for persons 15 years and over, and classified according to the highest grade completed or the highest degree received. Instructions were also given to include the level of the previous grade attended or the highest degree received for persons currently enrolled in school.
Poverty Status To determine poverty status, answers to income questions were used and compared to the appropriate poverty threshold. All persons except institutionalized persons, persons in military group quarters and in college dormitories, and unrelated persons under 15 years old were considered. If total income of each family or unrelated individual in the sample was less than the corresponding cutoff, that family or individual was classified as "below the poverty level."
Further information on the 1990 Census and 2000 Census of population may be obtained from:
Population Division
Census Bureau
U.S. Department of Commerce
Washington, DC 20233
http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decenial.html
http://www.census.gov/main/www/cen2000.html
Prior to July 2001, estimates of school enrollment rates, as well as social and economic characteristics of students, were based on data collected in the Census Bureau's monthly household survey of about 50,000 dwelling units. Beginning in July 2001, this sample was expanded to 60,000 dwelling units. The monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) sample consists of 754 areas comprising 2,007 geographic areas, independent cities, and minor civil divisions throughout the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The samples are initially selected based on the decennial census files and are periodically updated to reflect new housing construction.
The monthly CPS deals primarily with labor force data for the civilian noninstitutional population (i.e., excluding military personnel and their families living on bases and inmates of institutions). In addition, in October of each year, supplemental questions are asked about highest grade completed, level and grade of current enrollment, attendance status, number and type of courses, degree or certificate objective, and type of organization offering instruction for each member of the household. In March of each year, supplemental questions on income are asked. The responses to these questions are combined with answers to two questions on educational attainment: highest grade of school ever attended, and whether that grade was completed.
The estimation procedure employed for monthly CPS data involves inflating weighted sample results to independent estimates of characteristics of the civilian noninstitutional population in the United States by age, sex, and race. These independent estimates are based on statistics from decennial censuses; statistics on births, deaths, immigration, and emigration; and statistics on the population in the armed services. Generalized standard error tables are provided in the Current Population Reports. The data are subject to both nonsampling and sampling errors.
Caution should also be used when comparing data from 1993 to 2001, which reflect 1990 census-based population controls, with data from March 1993 and earlier years, which reflect 1980 or earlier census-based population controls, as well as with data from 2002 onwards which reflect 2000 census-based controls. Changes in population controls generally have relatively little impact on summary measures such as means, medians, and percentage distributions. They can have a significant impact on population counts. For example, use of 1990-based population resulted in about a 1 percent increase in the civilian noninstitutional population and in the number of families and households. Thus, estimates of levels for data collected in 1994 and later years will differ from those for earlier years by more than what could be attributed to actual changes in the population. These differences could be disproportionately greater for certain subpopulation groups than for the total population.
Further information on CPS may be obtained from:
Education and Social Stratification Branch
Population Division
Census Bureau
U.S. Department of Commerce
Washington, DC 20233
http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/cpsmain.htm
Dropouts
Each October, the Current Population Survey (CPS) includes supplemental questions on the enrollment status of the population 3 years old and over as part of the monthly basic survey on labor force participation. In addition to gathering the information on school enrollment, with the limitations as noted under "School Enrollment," the survey data permit calculations of dropout rates. Both status and event dropout rates are tabulated from the October CPS Survey. The Digest provides information using the status rate calculation. Event rates describe the proportion of students who leave school each year without completing a high school program. Status rates provide cumulative data on dropouts among all young adults within a specified age range. Status rates are higher than event rates because they include all dropouts ages 16 through 24, regardless of when they last attended school.
In addition to other survey limitations, dropout rates may be affected by survey coverage and exclusion of the institutionalized population. The incarcerated population has grown more rapidly than the general population, and it has a higher dropout rate than the general population. Dropout rates for the total population might be higher than those for the noninstitutionalized population if the prison and jail populations were included in the dropout rate calculations. On the other hand, if military personnel, who tend to be high school graduates, were included, it might offset some or all of the impact from the theoretical inclusion of the jail and prison population.
Another area of concern with tabulations involving young people in household surveys is the relatively low coverage ratio compared to older age groups. CPS under-coverage results from missed housing units and missed persons within sample households. Overall CPS under-coverage is estimated to be about 8 percent. CPS under-coverage varies with age, sex, and race. Generally, under-coverage is larger for males than for females and larger for Blacks and other races combined than for Whites. For example, the under-coverage ratio for Black 20- to 29-year-old males is 34 percent. Ratio estimation to independent age-sex-race-Hispanic population controls partially corrects for the bias due to under-coverage. However, biases exist in the estimates to the extent that missed persons in missed households or missed persons in interviewed households have different characteristics from those of interviewed persons in the same age-sex-race-origin-state group. Further information on CPS methodology may be obtained from: http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/cpsmain.htm.
Further information on calculation of dropouts and dropout rates may be obtained from the NCES Dropout Rates in the United States: 2001 at: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2005046 or by contacting:
Chris Chapman
Early Childhood Longitudinal and Household Studies Program (ECICSD)
National Center for Education Statistics
1990 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
Chris.Chapman@ed.gov
Educational Attainment
Data on years of school completed are derived from two questions on the Current Population Survey (CPS) instrument. Reports documenting educational attainment are produced by the Census Bureau using March CPS supplement (Annual Demographic Survey) results. The latest release is Educational Attainment in the United States: 2004, which may be downloaded at: http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/education/cps2004.html.
In addition to the general constraints of CPS, some data indicate that the respondents have a tendency to overestimate the educational level of members of their household. Some inaccuracy is due to a lack of the respondent's knowledge of the exact educational attainment of each household member and the hesitancy to acknowledge anything less than a high school education. Another cause of nonsampling variability is the change in the numbers in the armed services over the years.
For the March 2004 basic CPS, the response rate was 91.5 percent and for the supplement the response rate was 91.8 percent for a total supplement response rate of 84.0 percent.
For the March 2005 basic CPS, the response rate was 90.6 percent and for the supplement the response rate was 91.2 percent for a total supplement response rate of 82.3 percent. The variability in estimates for subgroups (region, household relationships, etc.) can be estimated using the tables presented in Current Population Reports. Further information on the Current Population Survey and its Supplements may be obtained from the CPS website at: http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/cpsmain.htm.
Further information on CPS "Educational Attainment in the United States" may be obtained from:
Education and Social Stratification Branch
Census Bureau
U.S. Department of Commerce
Washington, DC 20233
http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/educ-attn.html
School Enrollment
Each October, the Current Population Survey (CPS) includes supplemental questions on the enrollment status of the population 3 years old and over, in addition to the monthly basic survey on labor force participation. Prior to 2001, the October supplement consisted of approximately 47,000 interviewed households. Beginning with the October 2001 supplement, the sample was expanded by 9,000 to a total of approximately 56,000 interviewed households. The main sources of non-sampling variability in the responses to the supplement are those inherent in the survey instrument. The question of current enrollment may not be answered accurately for various reasons. Some respondents may not know current grade information for every student in the household, a problem especially prevalent for households with members in college or in nursery school. Confusion over college credits or hours taken by a student may make it difficult to determine the year in which the student is enrolled. Problems may occur with the definition of nursery school (a group or class organized to provide educational experiences for children), where respondents' interpretations of "educational experiences" vary.
For the October 2003 basic CPS, the response rate was 92.7 percent; and for the school enrollment supplement, the response rate was 93.7 percent for a total supplement response rate of 86.9 percent.
The October 2004 basic CPS response rate was 92.3 percent; and for the school enrollment supplement, the response rate was 96.0 percent for a total supplement response rate of 88.6.
Further information on CPS methodology may be obtained from: http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/cpsmain.htm.
Further information on CPS "School Enrollment" may be obtained from:
Education and Social Stratification Branch
Census Bureau
U.S. Department of Commerce
Washington, DC 20233
http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school.html
The Census Bureau conducts an annual survey of Government Finances as authorized by law under Title 13, United States Code, Section 182. This survey covers the entire range of government finance activities: revenue, expenditure, debt, and assets. Revenues and expenditures comprise actual receipts and payments of a government and its agencies, including government-operated enterprises, utilities, and public trust funds. The expenditure reporting categories comprise all amounts of money paid out by a government and its agencies with the exception of amounts for debt retirement and for loan, investment, agency, and private trust transactions.
Most of the federal government statistics are based on figures that appear in The Budget of the United States Government. Since the classification used by the Census Bureau for reporting state and local government finance statistics differs in a number of important respects from the classification used in the United States budget, it was necessary to adjust the federal data. For this report, federal budget expenditures include interest accrued, but not paid, during the fiscal year; Census data on interest are on a disbursement basis.
The state government finances are based primarily on the annual Census Bureau survey of state finances. Census staff compiles figures from official records and reports of the various states for most of the state financial data.
The sample of local governments is drawn from the periodic Census of Governments and consists of certain local governments taken with certainty plus a sample below the certainty level.
The statistics in Government Finances that are based wholly or partly on data from the sample are subject to sampling error. State government finance data are not subject to sampling error. Estimates of major United States totals for local governments are subject to a computed sampling variability of less than one-half of l percent. The estimates are also subject to the inaccuracies in classification, response, and processing which would occur if a complete census had been conducted under the same conditions as the sample.
Further information on Government Finances may be obtained from:
Governments Division
Census Bureau
U.S. Department of Commerce
Washington, DC 20233
http://www.census.gov/govs/www/index.html
The main objective of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) is to provide accurate and comprehensive information about the income and program participation of individuals and households in the United States, and about the principal determinants of income and program participation. SIPP offers detailed information on cash and noncash income on a subannual basis. The survey also collects data on taxes, assets, liabilities, and participation in government transfer programs. SIPP data allow the government to evaluate the effectiveness of federal, state, and local programs.
The survey design is a continuous series of national panels, with sample size ranging from approximately 14,000 to 36,700 interviewed households. The duration of each panel ranges from 2 1/2 years to 4 years. The SIPP sample is a multistage-stratified sample of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. For the 1984-1993 panels, a panel of households was introduced each year in February. A 4-year panel was introduced in April 1996. A 2000 panel was introduced in February 2000 for 2 waves. A 3-year 2001 panel was introduced in February 2001. All household members 15 years old and over are interviewed by self-response, if possible. Proxy response is permitted when household members are not available for interviewing.
The SIPP content is built around a "core" of labor force, program participation, and income questions designed to measure the economic situation of persons in the United States. These questions expand the data currently available on the distribution of cash and noncash income and are repeated at each interviewing wave. The survey uses a 4-month recall period, with approximately the same number of interviews being conducted in each month of the 4-month period for each wave. Interviews are conducted by personal visit and by decentralized telephone.
The survey has been designed also to provide a broader context for analysis by adding questions on a variety of topics not covered in the core section. These questions are labelled "topical modules" and are assigned to particular interviewing waves of the survey. Topics covered by the modules include personal history, child care, wealth, program eligibility, child support, disability, school enrollment, taxes, and annual income.
Further information on the Survey of Income and Program Participation may be obtained from:
Economics and Statistics Administration
U.S. Census Bureau
U.S. Department of Commerce
Washington, DC 20233
http://www.sipp.census.gov/sipp/
Other Governmental Agencies