NCES STANDARD: 1-2

PURPOSE: To ensure that all proposed NCES products are included in an annual NCES publication plan that will assist with the coordination of publications across divisions, in an effort to avoid duplication and to maximize collaboration. The publication plan will make explicit the status of all anticipated publications for the next year; provide target dates for all mandatory and required publications; and assure that appropriate attention is given to all necessary aspects of the planning process.

STANDARD 1-2-1: All NCES publications and data products must be included in the annual NCES publication plan. This includes mandatory, required and projected publications.

1. Mandatory publications include a limited number of high profile reports that the agency is committed to release in a specific month.
2. Required publications are those that are scheduled for release within the fiscal year; including most first releases from NCES data collections, including data files, CD-ROMs, and electronic codebooks.
3. Projected publications are those that may be completed during the year, but for which there is no predetermined expectation about a release date. These are staff-initiated in-depth reports and publications over which the agency has less control over timing.

(See List 1-2-A for a description of NCES product types, Standard 7-2 for a description of content requirements by product type, and Standard 6-1 for the type of review required by product type.)

GUIDELINE 1-2-1A: A publication should be added to the publication plan by the time it is signed off by the Program Director for Division review.

GUIDELINE 1-2-1B: Project Directors should update changes in the NCES publication plan on an as needed basis.

STANDARD 1-2-2: All proposed publications and data products must receive Program Director and Associate Commissioner approval before inclusion in the NCES publication plan.

GUIDELINE 1-2-2A: Bimonthly meetings between Office of the Commissioner (OC) publications staff and the Associate Commissioners and their division staff should be held to review progress on the publication plan.

STANDARD 1-2-3: All mandatory and required publications must have firm target delivery dates to the OC Publication Database Coordinator for distribution for peer review.

GUIDELINE 1-2-3A: The date for printed release is approximately 6 to 8 weeks after the final post-adjudication sign-off by the Chief Statistician.

GUIDELINE 1-2-3B: For Web release only publications, the release date can be simultaneous with the post-adjudication sign-off, but should occur within 1 week.

STANDARD 1-2-4: For printed release publications, the reports will not be sent to GPO until the PDF file and the Web publishing form are submitted to the webmaster. For early Web release publications, the PDF file will be posted on the Web and sent to the Media and Information Service (MIS) for review when the OC approves the release. If changes are needed as a result of the MIS review, the author is responsible for correcting the PDF. (For additional information about Web publishing, contact: NCESWebmaster@ed.gov

STANDARD 1-2-5: All analytic, descriptive, and research and development publications must have a written analysis plan approved by the Program Director prior to beginning an analysis.

GUIDELINE 1-2-5A: The analysis plan should be developed in consultation with the Associate Commissioner and the Chief Statistician.