NCES Publications

Employees in Postsecondary Institutions, Fall 2008, and Salaries of Full-Time Instructional Staff, 2008-09

11/18/2009 7:04:00 AM

This First Look presents data from the Winter 2008-09 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), including data on the number of staff employed in Title IV postsecondary institutions in fall 2008 by primary function/occupational activity, length of contract/teaching period, employment status, salary class interval, faculty and tenure status, academic rank, race/ethnicity, and gender.

Public Elementary and Secondary School Student Enrollment and Staff From the Common Core of Data: School Year 2007-08

11/10/2009 7:00:00 AM

This First Look presents national and state level data on student enrollment by grade and by race/ethnicity within grade, the numbers of teachers and other education staff, and several student/staff ratios for the 2007-08 school year.

Undergraduate Financial Aid Estimates for Six States: 2007-08

11/5/2009 8:57:00 AM

These tables show the types and amounts of financial aid received by undergraduate students enrolled in Title IV-eligible public 2-year, public 4-year, private not-for-profit 4-year, and private for-profit degree-granting institutions in each of six states: California, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New York and Texas. Data from the 2007-08 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:20008) were used to describe the distribution of aid at the state level, providing more detailed information about state-funded grants and the role of state grant programs in the awarding of financial aid. For each state and institution type, estimates include average in-state tuition and fees, average total price of attendance, and the percentages and characteristics of undergraduate students receiving any financial aid, grants, or student loans. The tables also provide information on net price (price minus grants), out-of-pocket net price (price minus total aid), average federal Expected Family Contribution (EFC), remaining need after financial aid, and students’ level of work and their annual earnings while enrolled in school.

Mapping State Proficiency Standards Onto NAEP Scales: 2005-2007

10/29/2009 10:30:00 AM

This research and development report compares the standards that states use in reporting 4th- and 8th- grade reading and mathematics proficiency using NAEP as a common metric. The state standards used in reporting 2006-07 results were mapped onto the NAEP scales to compare the standards across the states and in relation to the NAEP achievement levels.

The mapping procedure offers an approximate way to assess the relative rigor of the states’ adequate yearly progress (AYP) standards established under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Once mapped, the NAEP scale equivalent score representing the state's proficiency standards can be compared to indicate the relative rigor of those standards. The term rigor as used here does not imply a judgment about state standards. Rather, it is intended to be descriptive of state-to-state variation in the location of the state standards on a common metric.

The Children Born in 2001 at Kindergarten Entry: First Findings From the Kindergarten Data Collections of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B)

10/28/2009 8:08:00 AM

Using data from the final two rounds of the ECLS-B, a longitudinal study begun in 2001, this First Look provides a snapshot of the demographic characteristics, reading and mathematics knowledge, fine motor skills, school characteristics, and before- and after-school care arrangements of the cohort at the time they first began kindergarten. Information has been collected from and about these children when they were 9 months old, 2 years old, 4 years old, and at kindergarten entry. This survey provides a comprehensive and reliable data about children’s early development; their home learning experiences; their experiences in early care and education programs; their health care, nutrition, and physical well-being; and how their early experiences relate to their later development, learning, and success in school.

2005-06 School Survey on Crime and Safety Survey Documentation

10/28/2009 8:00:00 AM

This documentation provides comprehensive information about the 2005-06 School Survey on Crime and Safety Survey (SSOCS), including its purpose, the data collection instrument, the sample design, data collection methods, and data processing procedures.

Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Local Education Agencies From the Common Core of Data: School Year 2007-08 - First Look

10/22/2009 8:14:00 AM

This First Look presents selected findings on the numbers and types of public elementary and secondary local education agencies (LEAs) in the United States and the territories in the 2007-08 school year, using data from the Local Education Agency Universe Survey of the Common Core of Data (CCD) survey system.

Public School Graduates and Dropouts From the Common Core of Data: School Year 2006-07

10/21/2009 9:00:00 AM

This First Look report presents the number of high school graduates, the Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate (AFGR), and dropout data for grades 9 through 12 for public schools during the 2006-07 school year. State education agencies (SEAs) provided the data to the Common Core of Data (CCD) nonfiscal survey.

Information Required to Be Disclosed Under the Higher Education Act of 1965: Suggestions for Dissemination

10/16/2009 3:13:00 AM

This report is the output of a National Postsecondary Education Cooperative (NPEC) Working Group on the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA).The purpose of the document is to help colleges and universities successfully identify and meet their obligation to disclose information as required under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended by the HEOA. It includes suggestions to help institutions make the HEA-required disclosure information more accessible and understandable to consumers and more comparable across institutions. A summary of HEA institutional disclosure requirements and a list of HEA-required disclosures by the required methods of dissemination are also included.

The Nation's Report Card: Mathematics 2009

10/14/2009 9:50:00 AM

This report presents results of the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in mathematics at grades 4 and 8. Results for students in the nation, the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Department of Defense schools are reported as average scores and as percentages of students performing at or above three achievement levels: Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. Scores are also reported at selected percentiles, showing changes in the performance of lower-, middle-, and higher-performing students. Results for groups of students defined by various background characteristics (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender, and students’ eligibility for free or reduced-price school lunch) are included, as well as sample assessment questions with examples of student responses. Additional technical notes and appendix tables provide information on NAEP samples, school and student participation rates, the exclusion and accommodation of students with disabilities and English language learners, and additional state-level results.

Highlights of the national results show that gains in overall average scores seen in earlier years did not continue at grade 4 but did continue at grade 8. While still higher than the scores in the six assessment years from 1990 to 2005, the overall average score for fourth-graders in 2009 was unchanged from the score in 2007. The upward trend seen in earlier assessments for eighth-graders continued with a 2-point increase from 2007 to 2009. There were no significant changes from 2007 to 2009 in the score gaps between White and Black students or between White and Hispanic students at either grade 4 or grade 8. State results for grade 4 show score increases since 2007 in 8 states and decreases in 4 states and jurisdictions. At grade 8, scores were higher in 2009 than in 2007 in 15 states and jurisdictions, and no states showed a decline.

NAEP Mathematics 2009 State Snapshot Reports

10/14/2009 9:00:00 AM

Each state and jurisdiction that participated in the NAEP 2009 mathematics assessment receives a one-page snapshot report that presents key findings and trends in a condensed format. The reports in this series present bulleted text describing overall student results, bar charts showing NAEP achievement levels for each year in which the state participated, and tables displaying results by gender, race/ethnicity, and eligibility for free/reduced-price lunch. In addition, bulleted text describes the trends in average scale score gaps for gender, race/ethnicity, and eligibility for free/reduced-price lunch. A map comparing the average score in 2009 to other states/jurisdictions is also displayed.

Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools From the Common Core of Data: School Year 2007-08 - First Look

10/13/2009 7:48:00 AM

This report presents findings on the numbers and types of public elementary and secondary schools in the United States and the territories in the 2007-08 school year, using data from the Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey of the Common Core of Data (CCD) survey system.

Postsecondary Institutions and Price of Attendance in the United States: Fall 2008 and Degrees and Other Awards Conferred: 2007-08, and 12-Month Enrollment 2007-08

10/13/2009 7:40:00 AM

This First Look presents findings from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) fall 2008 data collection, which included three survey components: Institutional Characteristics for the 2008-09 academic year, Completions covering the period July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008. and data on 12-Month Enrollment for the 2007-08 academic year. These data were collected through the IPEDS web-based data collection system.

Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998–99 (ECLS-K), Eighth-Grade Methodology Report

9/30/2009 10:15:00 AM

This methodology report provides technical information about the development, design, and conduct of the eighth grade data collection of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998–99 (ECLS-K). Detailed information on the development of the instruments, sample design, data collection methods, data preparation and editing, response rates, and weighting and variance estimation is included.

2007-08 Private School Universe Survey (PSS) Data File User's Manual and Survey Documentation

9/30/2009 8:42:00 AM

This data file user's manual documents the design, data collection, and data processing of the 2007-08 Private School Universe Survey (PSS). Information to help users access anduse the 2007-08 PSS data file is also included.

Teacher Strategies to Help Fourth-Graders Having Difficulty in Reading: An International Perspective

9/29/2009 9:00:00 AM

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) assesses the reading achievement of fourth-graders and collects data on their teachers’ reading instruction practices and strategies. Presenting data from the United States and the 44 other jurisdictions that participated in PIRLS 2006, this Statistics in Brief describes international patterns in the strategies reported by teachers to help fourth-graders falling behind in reading. These strategies include: (a) waiting to see if performance improves with maturation, (b) spending more time working on reading individually with that student, (c) having other students work on reading with the student having difficulty, (d) having the student work in the regular classroom with a teacher-aide, (e) having the student work in the regular classroom with a reading specialist, (f) having the student work in a remedial reading classroom with a reading specialist, (g) assigning homework to help the student catch up, (h) and asking the parents to help the student with reading. Asking the parents to help the student was among the most commonly cited strategies in 44 of the 45 jurisdictions. Working with a reading specialist in a regular classroom was among the least commonly cited strategies in 40 jurisdictions.

Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998 - 99 (ECLS-K), Psychometric Report for the Eighth Grade

9/25/2009 5:17:00 AM

This methodological report documents the design, development, and psychometric characteristics of the assessment instruments used in the eighth grade data collection of the ECLS-K. The instruments examined include those developed to measure cognitive and socioemotional development. In addition, issues in analyzing longitudinal measures are discussed.

TIMSS 2007 U.S. Technical Report and User Guide

9/23/2009 10:10:00 AM

The U.S. TIMSS 2007 Technical Report and User Guide provides an overview of the design and implementation of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007 in the United States, along with information designed to facilitate access to the U.S. TIMSS 2007 data.

High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2007

9/23/2009 9:10:00 AM

This report builds upon a series of National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports on high school dropout, completion, and graduation rates that began in 1988. The report includes discussions of many rates used to study how students complete or fail to complete high school. It presents estimates of rates for 2007 and provides data about trends in dropout and completion rates over the last three and a half decades (1972-2007) along with more recent estimates of on-time graduation. Among findings in the report was that among reporting states in 2006, the averaged freshman graduation rate (AFGR) was 73.2 percent. The rate provides an estimate of the percentage of public high school students who graduate with a regular diploma 4 years after starting 9th grade. The report also shows that students living in low-income families were approximately 10 times more likely to drop out of high school between 2006 and 2007 than were students living in high-income families. In October 2007, approximately 3.3 million civilian noninstitutionalized 16- through 24-year-olds were not enrolled in high school and had not earned a high school diploma or alternative credential.

Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2003: U.S. Nonresponse Bias Analysis

9/17/2009 7:50:00 AM

This report is concerned with the extent of potential bias introduced into the 2003 U.S. study through nonresponse on the part of schools and students. Three bias analyses were conducted to address the issues of school nonresponse, student nonresponse, as well as possible achievement differences between students in the spring and fall testing sessions. The analysis compares selected characteristics likely to reflect bias in participation from participating and nonparticipating schools. The results suggest that there is little potential for nonresponse bias in the PISA original participating sample based on the characteristics studied. The results also suggest that, based on the characteristics studied, there is some potential for nonresponse bias in the PISA student sample, using base weights.

Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey (ALL) 2003: U.S. Nonresponse Bias Analysis

9/17/2009 7:46:00 AM

This report provides the results of a systematic analysis of bias due to the nonresponding persons in the 2003 ALL sample. The ALL estimates of literacy-related skills in the United States are subject to potential bias due to nonresponse at various levels of data collection. The ALL survey estimates of literacy-related skills are subject to unit nonresponse from the screener, background questionnaire (BQ), and assessment, and also subject to item nonresponse to BQ items. The unit analyses were composed of a bivariate analysis, multivariate analysis, and an analysis of the weighting effects on nonresponse bias. The item analyses included a similar study into the effect of nonresponse. The general conclusion of the unit analysis is that the potential amount of nonresponse bias due to unit nonresponse in ALL is likely to be negligible. The item nonresponse analysis revealed some low response rates in certain domains and some indication that a potential for bias may exist.

Forum Guide to Metadata The Meaning Behind Education Data

9/16/2009 7:00:00 AM

The Forum Guide to Metadata empowers people to more effectively use data as information. This guide includes definition of metadata; why metadata are critical to the development of sound education systems; what components comprise a metadata system; what value metadata bring to data management and use; and how to implement and use a metadata system in an education organization.

Projections of Education Statistics to 2018

9/15/2009 9:00:00 AM

This publication provides projections for key education statistics. It includes statistics on enrollment, graduates, teachers, and expenditures in elementary and secondary schools, and enrollment and earned degrees conferred expenditures of degree-granting institutions. For the Nation, the tables, figures, and text contain data on enrollment, teachers, graduates, and expenditures for the past 14 years and projections to the year 2018. For the 50 States and the District of Columbia, the tables, figures, and text contain data on projections of public elementary and secondary enrollment and public high school graduates to the year 2018. In addition, the report includes a methodology section describing models and assumptions used to develop national and state-level projections.

Revenues and Expenditures by Public School Districts: School Year 2006-07 (Fiscal Year 2007)

9/8/2009 7:05:00 AM

This brief publication contains data on revenues and expenditures per pupil made by school districts for school year 2006-07. Median per pupil revenue and expenditure data are reported by state, as well as values at the 5th and 95th percentiles. Data for charter schools are reported separately. There are also discussions on the different types of school districts, and other resources that may be helpful in analyzing school district level data. Revenues and expenditures for the 100 largest school districts are included, as well as federal revenues by program. For total revenues and expenditures for public education made by states and the nation, readers should refer to the state-level "Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2006-07" (NCES 2008-337)