Appendix A: Technical Notes and Glossary

A.1 Design and Implementation of the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002)

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education has collected longitudinal data for more than 30 years. Starting in 1972 with the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS:72) and continuing to the most recent study, the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), NCES has collected longitudinal and trend data on the achievement and experiences of high school students, as well as postsecondary outcomes such as entry into the labor market and college enrollment and persistence.

The base year of ELS:2002 was the first stage of a new effort designed to provide data about critical transitions experienced by a cohort of sophomores in 2002 as they proceed through high school and into postsecondary education and/or their careers. The 2002 sophomore cohort was surveyed again in 2004. Starting in 2006, future follow-ups will collect data about postsecondary access and choices, postsecondary attainment, entry into the work force, family formation, voting, volunteerism, and life goals and values.

This appendix provides an overview of the base-year (BY) and first follow-up study (F1) design and methodology. This appendix also provides information on the statistical procedures employed and supplies a glossary that documents the analysis variables used in this report. Appendix B includes tables of standard errors. In addition, it reports weighted standard deviations and raw sample sizes for all means reported in tables of estimates.