National Center for Education Statistics

National Center for Education Statistics
Agency overview

Jurisdiction	Federal government of the United States
Headquarters	1990 K Street, NW Washington, D.C., 20006 38°54′9.1″N 77°2′41.2″W / 38.902528°N 77.044778°W / 38.902528; -77.044778
Employees	110
Agency executive	Peggy Carr, Acting Commissioner
Parent agency	Institute of Education Sciences
Website	National Center for Education Statistics

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States. It also conducts international comparisons of education statistics and provides leadership in developing and promoting the use of standardized terminology and definitions for the collection of those statistics. NCES is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System.

John Easton, director of the Institute of Education Sciences, is the acting director of NCES.

History

The functions of NCES have existed in some form since 1867, when Congress passed legislation providing "That there shall be established at the City of Washington, a department of education, for the purpose of collecting such statistics and facts as shall show the condition and progress of education in the several States and Territories, and of diffusing such information respecting the organization and management of schools and school systems, and methods of teaching, as shall aid the people of the United States in the establishment and maintenance of efficient school systems, and otherwise promote the cause of education throughout the country." ^[1]

Organizational structure

The National Center for Education Statistics fulfills a Congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report complete statistics on the condition of American education; conduct and publish reports; and review and report on education activities internationally. The structure and activities of the center are as follows:^[2]

Office of the Commissioner

The Office of the Commissioner sets policy and standards for the center and oversees its operation, thus ensuring that statistical quality and confidentiality are maintained.

Administrative Data Division (ADD)

Administrative Data Division (ADD) oversees planning, design, operations, statistical analysis, reporting, and dissemination of administrative records data at the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education levels, and on libraries.

Assessment Division (AD)

Assessment Division (AD) creates, designs, develops, implements and reports on the National Assessment of Educational Progress at the national level and coordinates assessment and related data collection activities with the states. The staff also conducts a variety of other related education assessment studies.

Sample Surveys Division (SSD)

Sample Surveys Division (SSD) oversees, planning design, operations, statistical analysis reporting, and dissemination of data from sample surveys at all levels of education, including early childhood and adult, and international data. Surveys on vocational and technical education are also included in this division.

Current programs of research

Assessment programs

The National Assessment of Educational Progress, a nationwide assessment of achievement among primary and secondary students
The National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), a large study performed roughly every decade since 1992
The International Assessments Activities (IAA) coordinates the participation of U.S. adults, students, teachers, principals, and schools in various international studies

Early childhood studies

The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS)
Components of the National Household Education Survey (NHES)

Elementary and secondary studies

The Beginning Teacher Longitudinal Study (BTLS), a study of a cohort of beginning public school teachers initially interviewed as part of the 2007-08 Schools and Staffing Survey
The Common Core of Data which annually collects fiscal and non-fiscal data about all public schools, public school districts and state education agencies in the United States
The School Survey on Crime and Safety
The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1998 (NELS:88), which began with an 8th grade cohort in 1988, providing trend data about critical transitions experienced by young people as they develop, attend school, and embark on their careers
The Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS), a longitudinal survey that monitors the transitions of a national sample of tenth graders in 2002 to postsecondary education and the world of work
The High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS), which follows a cohort of more than 25,000 9th graders in 2009 through their high school, postsecondary, and early career experiences, focusing on college decision-making and on math learning based on a new algebra assessment
The Private School Universe Survey (PSS), which builds an accurate and complete list of private schools to serve as a sampling frame for NCES sample surveys of private schools and to report data on the total number of private schools, teachers, and students in the survey universe
Components of the National Household Education Survey (NHES)
The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), which collects extensive data on American public and private elementary and secondary schools. Teachers, principals, schools, school districts and library media centers

Postsecondary studies

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), which collects aggregate institutional data on more than 7,000 postsecondary institutions that participate in Title IV federal student aid programs
The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS), a nationally representative cross-sectional study of how students and families pay for college
The Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS), a nationally representative longitudinal study that follows first-time, beginning students for six years after their entry to college and provides information about students' persistence and attainment outcomes
The Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B), a nationally representative longitudinal study that follows baccalaureate graduates for up to ten years, collecting information on their early labor market experiences and post-baccalaureate training and education

External links

Websites for students and families

Kids' Zone, which helps kids learn about schools; find a public library; and engage in games, quizzes and skill building about math and related disciplines
College Navigator, which helps students and their families learn about and compare colleges and universities
Find a Public Elementary/Secondary School
Find a Private Elementary/Secondary School
Find a Public School District
Elementary and Secondary Information System, where one can create tables and datasets of public and private, elementary and secondary, schools and school districts
NAEP Data Explorer, where one can build tables from education assessment data
School District Demographics System, where one can access school district demographic and geographic data

Postsecondary data tools

Datalab, NCES's web-based tool for postsecondary sample survey data
IPEDS Data Center, NCES's web-based tool for analyzing IPEDS data

International data tools

International Data Explorer, for accessing international education data

Other NCES resources

Condition of Education, an annual report mandated by Congress
Digest of Education Statistics, a compilation of organized education data
NCES Handbook of Survey Methods, which describes each survey program in NCES and how program data are obtained and prepared for publication and/or release
NCES Statistical Standards, which outline the standards used by NCES staff and contractors as surveys are designed, data collected and processed, and publications authored

References

↑ 120 Years of American Education: A Statistical Portrait, National Center for Education Statistics, 1993, pg. 1
↑ NCES: About US, National Center for Education Statistics

Federal Statistical System of the United States

Principal agencies	Census Bureau Bureau of Labor Statistics National Center for Education Statistics National Agricultural Statistics Service National Center for Health Statistics Energy Information Administration Bureau of Economic Analysis Economic Research Service Bureau of Justice Statistics National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (National Science Foundation) Statistics of Income Division (Internal Revenue Service) Bureau of Transportation Statistics Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics (Social Security Administration)

Other agencies	Economics and Statistics Administration Office of Immigration Statistics HUD USER

As defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, the principal agencies of the Federal Statistical System have statistical activities as their core mission and conduct much of the government’s statistical work.

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