• Data File: Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Dropout and Completion
  Data: School Years 1991-92 Through 1996-97
• Data File: Common Core of Data State Public Elementary/Secondary Education Dropout and Completion File: School Years 1991-92 Through 1996-97
  
• Data File: State Library Agencies Survey: Fiscal Year 2001

• Findings From The Condition of Education 2002: Private Schools—A Brief Portrait
• Directory of Public Elementary and Secondary Education Agencies: 2000-2001
• Findings From The Condition of Education 2002: Nontraditional Undergraduates
• The Condition of Education 2002 in Brief
• Programs and Plans of the National Center for Education Statistics: 2002 Edition
• NCES Statistical Standards
• Defining and Assessing Learning: Exploring Competency-Based Initiatives
• Technology in Schools: Suggestions, Tools, and Guidelines for Assessing Technology in Elementary and Secondary Education

• The AERA Grants Program
• The NAEP Secondary Analysis Grant Program

This data file, constructed from data collected through the Common Core of Data (CCD) “Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey” and “Local Education Agency Universe Survey,” contains dropout and completion counts and rates for school years 1991-92 through 1996-97. This file separates the dropout and completion data for local education agencies (school districts) into their own file and adds three new variables to the file: dropout rates, high school 4-year completion rates, and enrollment base. The data in this file are at the school district level; state-level data are available in a separate file, the Common Core of Data State Public Elementary/Secondary Education Dropout and Completion File: School Years 1991-92 Through 1996-97 (NCES 2002-365). Like other CCD data, the data in these files were provided by state education agencies (SEAs) from their administrative records.

The data can be downloaded from the NCES Electronic Catalog either in SAS files or in flat files that can be used with other statistical processing programs, such as SPSS. Documentation is provided in separate files.

This data file was constructed from data collected through the Common Core of Data (CCD) “Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey” and “Local Education Agency Universe Survey.” The file contains state dropout and completion counts and rates for school years 1991-92 through 1996-97. It separates these data into their own file and adds three new variables to the file: dropout rates, high school 4-year completion rates, and enrollment base. The data in this file are at the state level; district-level data are available in a separate file, Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Dropout and Completion Data: School Years 1991-92 Through 1996-97 (NCES 2002-366). Like other CCD data, the data in these files were provided by state education agencies (SEAs) from their administrative records.

The data can be downloaded from the NCES Electronic Catalog either in SAS files or in flat files that can be used with other statistical processing programs, such as SPSS. Documentation is provided in separate files.

The State Library Agencies (StLA) Survey is conducted annually by NCES as a cooperative effort with the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA), the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS), and the U.S. Census Bureau. The StLA Survey provides state and federal policymakers, researchers, and other interested users with descriptive information about state library agencies in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The StLA Survey for fiscal year 2001, the eighth in the series, collected data on 423 items, including services to libraries and systems, electronic services and information, public service hours, service outlets, service and development trans-actions, collections, allied operations, staff, income, and expenditures.

The StLA Survey file is available in both Microsoft Access and ASCII formats. The data and related documentation can be downloaded from the NCES Electronic Catalog.

This examination of private schools was originally published as a special analysis in the 2002 edition of The Condition of Education, a congressionally mandated NCES annual report. Republished separately in this booklet, the analysis examines private schools, how they differ by type (Catholic, other religious, and nonsectarian), and how they differ from public schools. The data presented are from several NCES surveys.

This directory provides a complete listing of agencies responsible for providing free public elementary/secondary instruction or education support services in the 50 states, District of Columbia, five outlying areas, Department of Defense Dependents Schools, and Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. The agencies are organized by state or jurisdiction and, within each state or jurisdiction, by agency type. Seven types of agencies are listed: regular school districts, supervisory union components, supervisory union administrative centers, regional educational service agencies (RESAs), state-operated agencies, federally operated agencies, and other agencies.

The entry for each listed agency (if complete) includes the following information: agency name, mailing address, and phone number; name of county; metropolitan status code; grade span; student membership (number of students enrolled); number of regular high school graduates; number of students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs); number of teachers; and number of schools. The information presented comes primarily from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD), “Local Education Agency Universe Survey,” 2000-01. Preceding the information on individual agencies are several tables providing summary information, such as numbers and percentages of agencies by type, size, and state.

This examination of nontraditional undergraduates (such as those who are financially independent or attend part time) was originally published as a special analysis in the 2002 edition of The Condition of Education, a congressionally mandated NCES annual report. Republished separately in this booklet, the analysis uses data from the NCES 1999-2000 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:2000) to describe nontraditional undergraduates in terms of their demographic characteristics, enrollment patterns, ways of combining school and work, and participation in distance education. In addition, it uses data from the NCES 1996/98 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (NPSAS:96/98) to examine the relationship between nontraditional status and persistence in postsecondary education.

Topics covered in The Condition of Education 2002 in Brief include enrollments in preschool, elementary/secondary, and postsecondary education; student achievement; high school dropout, college transition, and college persistence rates; trends in high school coursetaking, school choice, and the qualifications of teachers; the impacts of work on college students, distance education, and faculty salaries; and levels of education funding. The data presented are from many sources, both government and private.

This report summarizes current NCES statistical programs, major publications, and plans for future work. It includes descriptions, timelines, and plans for all NCES data collections, such as the Common Core of Data, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, National Assessment of Educational Progress, Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Third International Mathematics and Science Study-Repeat, and National Postsecondary Student Aid Study. Also included are descriptions of NCES centerwide programs and services, such as statistical standards, training, technology, and customer service.

This publication presents the 2002 revised statistical standards and guidelines for NCES, which is the principal statistical agency in the U.S. Department of Education. The purpose of these standards and guidelines is to guide NCES staff and contractors in their data collection, analysis, and dissemination activities. The standards and guidelines are also intended as a clear statement for data users regarding how data should be collected in NCES surveys and the limits of acceptable applications and use. Users should note that the contents of this publication are reviewed continually in relation to technological and statistical advances.

This report is a hands-on resource that provides basic information about the construction and use of competency assessments in postsecondary education and other learning environments. It includes the results of eight case studies of competency-based programs, and based on these case studies, it presents a set of operating principles to guide best practices in this field. The report also examines issues involved in compiling, analyzing, maintaining, and reporting data about students’ competencies and presents information about the theory of competency-based education.

Defining and Assessing Learning: Exploring Competency-Based Initiatives is a product of the National Postsecondary Education Cooperative (NPEC) Working Group on Competency-Based Initiatives. Working group members were selected for their expertise in utilizing competencies in a variety of settings.

This guide describes how to measure technology use by examining planning and policies, finance, equipment and infrastructure, technology applications, maintenance and support, professional development, and technology integration. The guide is designed to facilitate the preparation, collection, and assessment of information needed in making decisions about the distribution and use of computers in the educational environment. Technology in Schools was prepared under the NCES Cooperative Education Statistics System and is directed toward state and local education agencies.

Jointly funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), NCES, and the Institute of Education Sciences, this training and research program is administered by the American Educational Research Association (AERA). The program has four major elements: a research grants program, a dissertation grants program, a fellows program, and a training institute. The program is intended to enhance the capability of the U.S. research community to use large-scale data sets, specifically those of the NSF and NCES, to conduct studies that are relevant to educational policy and practice, and to strengthen communications between the educational research community and government staff.

Applications for this program may be submitted at any time. The application review board meets three times per year. The following are examples of grants recently awarded under the program:

Research Grants

• Albert Beaton, Boston College—Examining Changes in International Multilevel Variance and Student Correlates of Mathematics Achievement Using Data From TIMSS 1995 and TIMSS 1999
• Sharon Judge, University of Tennessee—Resilient and Vulnerable At-Risk Children: What Makes the Difference?
• Xiaofeng Liu, University of South Carolina—Professional Support, School Conditions, and First-Year Teacher Attrition
• Ann O’Connell, University of Connecticut—Factors Associated With Growth in Proficiency During Kindergarten and Through First Grade
• David Post, University of Pittsburgh—Academic Achievement by Working Eighth-Grade Students in Ten Nations
• Linda Renzulli, University of Georgia—School Choice Whose Choice?

• Guanglei Hong, University of Michigan—Causal Inference for Multi-Level Observational Data With Applications to Educational Research
• Doo Hwan Kim, University of Chicago—My Friend’s Parents and My Parent’s Friends: Impact of Parental Resources on Student’s Competitiveness for College
• Natalie Lacireno-Paquet, George Washington University—Charter School Responses to Policy Regimes and Markets: The Effect on Service to Disadvantaged Students
• Kate Mahoney, Arizona State University—Linguistic Influences in Differential Item Functioning for English Learners on the NAEP Mathematics, 1996
• Colin Ong-Dean, University of California—San Diego-Parents’ Role in the Diagnosis and Accommodation of Disabled Children in the Educational Context
• Ying Zhou, Pennsylvania State University—Examining the Influences on Faculty Departure Using NSOPF:99

The NAEP Secondary Analysis Grant Program was developed to encourage education researchers to conduct secondary analysis studies using data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the NAEP High School Transcript Studies. This program is open to all public or private organizations and consortia of organizations. The program is typically announced annually, in the late fall, in the Federal Register. Grants awarded under this program run from 12 to 18 months and awards range from $15,000 to $100,000. The following grants were awarded for fiscal year 2002:

• Henry Braun, Educational Testing Service—Using State NAEP Data to Examine Patterns in Eighth-Grade Mathematics Achievement and the Efficacy of State Education Policy Initiatives
• Hua-Hua Chang, University of Texas at Austin—Improving the DIF Detection Procedures for NAEP Data Analysis
• Kendrick Curry, United Negro College Fund Special Programs Corporation—The Trickle Down Effect: How Teacher Quality and Recruitment Practices Affect the Achievement of African American Students in a Three-State Metropolitan Area
• Matthias von Davier, Educational Testing Service—A Tool for Improved Precision Reporting in Secondary Analysis of National and State Level NAEP Data
• Laura Desimone, Vanderbilt University—Preparation, Professional Development, and Policy in Mathematics: Does It All Add Up?
• Claudia Gentile, Educational Testing Service—Reading Test Design, Validity, and Fairness: A Re-Analysis of Data From the 2000 Fourth-Grade Reading Assessment
• Susan Lubienski, Iowa State University—A Closer Look at Mathematics Achievement and Instructional Practices: Examinations of Race, SES, and Gender in a Decade of NAEP Data
• Laura O’Dwyer, Boston College—Estimating the Full NAEP Population Distribution: Imputing Scores for Excluded SD and LEP Students Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling Techniques
• Norman Webb, University of Wisconsin—Informing State Mathematics Reform Through State NAEP