NCES developed the Handbooks Online in the 1970s to improve the consistency of data definitions and data maintenance, so that education data can be more accurately aggregated and analyzed. The Handbooks were intended to serve as a reference document for K-12 public and private education agencies, schools, early childhood centers, and other educational institutions, as well as for researchers involved in the collection of education data. The Handbooks Online was neither a data collection instrument nor did it reflect any type of federal data maintenance requirement.

Common Education Data Standards (CEDS) Extend

To facilitate the growing demand for the incorporation of data definitions from multiple efforts in one place, the NCES Handbook elements have been moved to the CEDS website. The CEDS website has now expanded to include the elements of the NCES Handbooks into Extend, a searchable database of elements.

How to find NCES Handbook Elements on the CEDS Site

The Handbook elements that overlap with CEDS are part of the CEDS search functions and tools. The Handbook elements that are not the same as CEDS are now included in Extend and can be accessed in four different ways:

1. Element Search Tool: When searching and viewing Version 4 elements by name users may choose to "Search Extend Elements" to expand your search to include the NCES Handbook elements.
2. Domain Entity Schema: When using the drill down function of the Domain Entity Schema users may choose "Extend Your Search" to see the NCES Handbook elements.
3. Element Downloads: Users may choose "Include Extend Elements in Download" when using the new Excel dynamic download tool.
4. PDF Format: The CEDS site includes zip files which contain the NCES Handbooks in their full, print formatted form.

Common Education Data Standards (CEDS) website link.