The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting,... more The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data related to education in the United States and other nations. It fulfills a congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report full and complete statistics on the condition of education in the United States; conduct and publish reports and specialized analyses of the meaning and significance of such statistics; assist state and local education agencies in improving their statistical systems; and review and report on education activities in foreign countries. NCES activities are designed to address high priority education data needs; provide consistent, reliable, complete, and accurate indicators of education status and trends; and report timely, useful, and high quality data to the U.S. Department of Education, the Congress, the states, other education policymakers, practitioners, data users, and the general public. We strive to make our products available in a variety of formats and in language that is appropriate to a variety of audiences. You, as our customer, are the best judge of our success in communicating information effectively. If you have any comments or suggestions about this or any other NCES product or report, we would like to hear from you.
Sample undercoverage issues in the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) are ad... more Sample undercoverage issues in the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) are addressed. The main focus is the exclusion of certain categories of student in the base year, 1988, and in in-school follow-up rounds. A subsidiary focus is the question of how adequately transfer students were captured within the sampling procedures of the study. Recommendations are offered for how better to deal with undercoverage issues in future school-based longitudinal studies. The six ways in which a student might not have been selected we:e: (1) refusal by the school to participate; (2) ineligibility of the school; (3) ineligibility of the student, for language, disability, behavioral problems, or lack of English; (4) absence from the school due to study elsewhere; (5) temporary unavailability due to illness or transition; (6) clerical error; and (7) inadequate sampling frame that omitted a school. The exclusion of students is referred to as a problem, but including everyone would have been more of a problem. Ways to increase the rate of meaningful participation in the future are discussed. The experience of NELS:88 suggests that more students have been excluded than is justified. Two tables provide study data. (Contains "1 references.) (SLD)
The collection of dropout statistics is discussed from the perspective of the National Education ... more The collection of dropout statistics is discussed from the perspective of the National Education L'dngitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). The NELS:88 follows a cohort of 1988 eighth graders over time and is Cesigned to provide trend data about transitions experienced as students progress through the educational system. Dropout statistics are provided for each year, for those who have not finished school at any given point and for the cohort as a whole. The concept of a dropout has been operationalized to distinguish those who are not enrolled in some alternative education. The ways in which the NELS:88 remedies weaknesses of the High School and Beyond study are reviewed, centering on the more pocu.ate estimates provided by confirmation from school enrollment and demographic data. Data from longitudinal cohort studies similar to the NELS:88 make more meaningful analysis of educational trends possible. Threi appendices provide supplemental information about survey methodology. (SLD)
This report desc,'ibes the growth in cognitive skills and achievement, and the continuities and d... more This report desc,'ibes the growth in cognitive skills and achievement, and the continuities and discontinuities experienced in school and at home by the eighth-grade cohort of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) during the 2 years between the study's base year (1988) and the first-followup (1990) surveys. The report examines school change in view of the almost universally experienced transition to high school, with findings about patterns of school transition and changes in students' perceptions of safety and overall learning environment. Major changes in home life and family are also outlined. Finally, the report examines the tested achievement of the cohort by exploring gains and the content areas in which they occurred. By the followup, about 67. of the students were no longer in school, and half reported that they left simply becaura they did not like school. In terms of simple achievement gains, students gained in all four subject categories of science, mathematics, social studies, and reading comprehension, although gain patterns were complex. Data from NELS:88 and its followups are a rich source of information for policy makers and education practitioners. Four appendixes discuss standard errors, research methodology, an overview of the program, and an annotated bibliography of 30 NELS:88 publications. (Contains 14 tables, 40 figures, and 70 references.) (Author/SLD)
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting,... more The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data related to education in the United States and other nations. It fulfills a congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report full and complete statistics on the condition of education in the United States; conduct and publish reports and specialized analyses of the meaning and significance of such statistics; assist state and local education agencies in improving their statistical systems; and review and report on education activities in foreign countries. NCES activities are designed to address high-priority education data needs; provide consistent, reliable, complete, and accurate indicators of education status and trends; and report timely, useful, and high-quality data to the U.S. Department of Education, the Congress, the states, other education policymakers, practitioners, data users, and the general public. Unless specifically noted, all information contained herein is in the public domain. We strive to make our products available in a variety of formats and in language that is appropriate to a variety of audiences. You, as our customer, are the best judge of our success in communicating information effectively.
Many longitudinal and follow-up studies face a common challenge: locating study participants. Thi... more Many longitudinal and follow-up studies face a common challenge: locating study participants. This study examines the extent to which a geographically dispersed subsample of participants can be relocated after 37 to 51 years of noncontact. Relying mostly on commercially available databases and administrative records, the 2011-12 Project Talent Follow-up Pilot Study (PTPS12) located nearly 85 percent of the original sample members, many of whom had not participated in the study since 1960. This study uses data collected in the base year to examine which subpopulations were the hardest to find after this extended hiatus. The results indicate that females were located at significantly lower rates than males. As expected, sample members with lower cognitive abilities were among the hardest-to-reach subpopulations. We next evaluate the extent to which biases introduced during the tracking phase can be minimized by using the multivariate chi-square automatic interaction detection (CHAID) ...
Despite the fact that misbehavior in school is a pervasive problem to educators and despite its a... more Despite the fact that misbehavior in school is a pervasive problem to educators and despite its adverse consequences, few researchers have examined the range of misbehaviors by students, their antecedents, or their consequences. The authors used data from the National Education Longitudinal Survey of 1988 (NELS:88) conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to examine immediate and long-term
We examine the relationship between values" and beliefs about economic justice by conducting a cr... more We examine the relationship between values" and beliefs about economic justice by conducting a cross-cultural analysis. Social values of Americans and West Germans are compared and the relationships between values and beliefs about the fairness of the distribution of business profits are examined. Data are from the 1984 General Social Survey and its West German counterpart, the 1984 ALLBUS; both surveys contain identical value and economic justice items. We find that among citizens in both countries beliefs about the fairness of the distribution of business profits are related to values even when income and education are held constant, but the relationship is stronger in West Germany. For Americans, beliefs about the fairness of the distribution of business profits are related primarily to conservative values (beliefs that greater efforts lead to greater rewards). In addition, the positive influence of conservative values and of income level on fairness judgments is greater for Americans with higher levels of education. For West Germans, beliefs about the fairness of business profits are related both to conservative and to liberal values (beliefs that class divisions persist). In general, economic fairness" judgments of West Germans have a strong ideological basis, but polarization associated with differing ideologies is found. Economic fairness judgments of Americans showed both a simpler ideological basis and some relationship to self-interest. The influence of both .{'actors on Americans' fairness judgments seemed to be affected by socialization due to education. Results are discussed in terms of the prevailing economic ideologies in both countries.
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting,... more The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data related to education in the United States and other nations. It fulfills a congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report full and complete statistics on the condition of education in the United States; conduct and publish reports and specialized analyses of the meaning and significance of such statistics; assist state and local education agencies in improving their statistical systems; and review and report on education activities in foreign countries. NCES activities are designed to address high priority education data needs; provide consistent, reliable, complete, and accurate indicators of education status and trends; and report timely, useful, and high quality data to the U.S. Department of Education, the Congress, the states, other education policymakers, practitioners, data users, and the general public. We strive to make our products available in a variety of formats and in language that is appropriate to a variety of audiences. You, as our customer, are the best judge of our success in communicating information effectively.
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting,... more The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data related to education in the United States and other nations. It fulfills a congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report full and complete statistics on the condition of education in the United States; conduct and publish reports and specialized analyses of the meaning and significance of such statistics; assist state and local education agencies in improving their statistical systems; and review and report on education activities in foreign countries. NCES activities are designed to address high priority education data needs; provide consistent, reliable, complete, and accurate indicators of education status and trends; and report timely, useful, and high quality data to the U.S. Department of Education, the Congress, the states, other education policymakers, practitioners, data users, and the general public. We strive to make our products available in a variety of formats and in language that is appropriate to a variety of audiences. You, as our customer, are the best judge of our success in communicating information effectively. If you have any comments or suggestions about this or any other NCES product or report, we would like to hear from you.
Sample undercoverage issues in the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) are ad... more Sample undercoverage issues in the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) are addressed. The main focus is the exclusion of certain categories of student in the base year, 1988, and in in-school follow-up rounds. A subsidiary focus is the question of how adequately transfer students were captured within the sampling procedures of the study. Recommendations are offered for how better to deal with undercoverage issues in future school-based longitudinal studies. The six ways in which a student might not have been selected we:e: (1) refusal by the school to participate; (2) ineligibility of the school; (3) ineligibility of the student, for language, disability, behavioral problems, or lack of English; (4) absence from the school due to study elsewhere; (5) temporary unavailability due to illness or transition; (6) clerical error; and (7) inadequate sampling frame that omitted a school. The exclusion of students is referred to as a problem, but including everyone would have been more of a problem. Ways to increase the rate of meaningful participation in the future are discussed. The experience of NELS:88 suggests that more students have been excluded than is justified. Two tables provide study data. (Contains "1 references.) (SLD)
The collection of dropout statistics is discussed from the perspective of the National Education ... more The collection of dropout statistics is discussed from the perspective of the National Education L'dngitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). The NELS:88 follows a cohort of 1988 eighth graders over time and is Cesigned to provide trend data about transitions experienced as students progress through the educational system. Dropout statistics are provided for each year, for those who have not finished school at any given point and for the cohort as a whole. The concept of a dropout has been operationalized to distinguish those who are not enrolled in some alternative education. The ways in which the NELS:88 remedies weaknesses of the High School and Beyond study are reviewed, centering on the more pocu.ate estimates provided by confirmation from school enrollment and demographic data. Data from longitudinal cohort studies similar to the NELS:88 make more meaningful analysis of educational trends possible. Threi appendices provide supplemental information about survey methodology. (SLD)
This report desc,'ibes the growth in cognitive skills and achievement, and the continuities and d... more This report desc,'ibes the growth in cognitive skills and achievement, and the continuities and discontinuities experienced in school and at home by the eighth-grade cohort of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) during the 2 years between the study's base year (1988) and the first-followup (1990) surveys. The report examines school change in view of the almost universally experienced transition to high school, with findings about patterns of school transition and changes in students' perceptions of safety and overall learning environment. Major changes in home life and family are also outlined. Finally, the report examines the tested achievement of the cohort by exploring gains and the content areas in which they occurred. By the followup, about 67. of the students were no longer in school, and half reported that they left simply becaura they did not like school. In terms of simple achievement gains, students gained in all four subject categories of science, mathematics, social studies, and reading comprehension, although gain patterns were complex. Data from NELS:88 and its followups are a rich source of information for policy makers and education practitioners. Four appendixes discuss standard errors, research methodology, an overview of the program, and an annotated bibliography of 30 NELS:88 publications. (Contains 14 tables, 40 figures, and 70 references.) (Author/SLD)
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting,... more The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data related to education in the United States and other nations. It fulfills a congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report full and complete statistics on the condition of education in the United States; conduct and publish reports and specialized analyses of the meaning and significance of such statistics; assist state and local education agencies in improving their statistical systems; and review and report on education activities in foreign countries. NCES activities are designed to address high-priority education data needs; provide consistent, reliable, complete, and accurate indicators of education status and trends; and report timely, useful, and high-quality data to the U.S. Department of Education, the Congress, the states, other education policymakers, practitioners, data users, and the general public. Unless specifically noted, all information contained herein is in the public domain. We strive to make our products available in a variety of formats and in language that is appropriate to a variety of audiences. You, as our customer, are the best judge of our success in communicating information effectively.
Many longitudinal and follow-up studies face a common challenge: locating study participants. Thi... more Many longitudinal and follow-up studies face a common challenge: locating study participants. This study examines the extent to which a geographically dispersed subsample of participants can be relocated after 37 to 51 years of noncontact. Relying mostly on commercially available databases and administrative records, the 2011-12 Project Talent Follow-up Pilot Study (PTPS12) located nearly 85 percent of the original sample members, many of whom had not participated in the study since 1960. This study uses data collected in the base year to examine which subpopulations were the hardest to find after this extended hiatus. The results indicate that females were located at significantly lower rates than males. As expected, sample members with lower cognitive abilities were among the hardest-to-reach subpopulations. We next evaluate the extent to which biases introduced during the tracking phase can be minimized by using the multivariate chi-square automatic interaction detection (CHAID) ...
Despite the fact that misbehavior in school is a pervasive problem to educators and despite its a... more Despite the fact that misbehavior in school is a pervasive problem to educators and despite its adverse consequences, few researchers have examined the range of misbehaviors by students, their antecedents, or their consequences. The authors used data from the National Education Longitudinal Survey of 1988 (NELS:88) conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to examine immediate and long-term
We examine the relationship between values" and beliefs about economic justice by conducting a cr... more We examine the relationship between values" and beliefs about economic justice by conducting a cross-cultural analysis. Social values of Americans and West Germans are compared and the relationships between values and beliefs about the fairness of the distribution of business profits are examined. Data are from the 1984 General Social Survey and its West German counterpart, the 1984 ALLBUS; both surveys contain identical value and economic justice items. We find that among citizens in both countries beliefs about the fairness of the distribution of business profits are related to values even when income and education are held constant, but the relationship is stronger in West Germany. For Americans, beliefs about the fairness of the distribution of business profits are related primarily to conservative values (beliefs that greater efforts lead to greater rewards). In addition, the positive influence of conservative values and of income level on fairness judgments is greater for Americans with higher levels of education. For West Germans, beliefs about the fairness of business profits are related both to conservative and to liberal values (beliefs that class divisions persist). In general, economic fairness" judgments of West Germans have a strong ideological basis, but polarization associated with differing ideologies is found. Economic fairness judgments of Americans showed both a simpler ideological basis and some relationship to self-interest. The influence of both .{'actors on Americans' fairness judgments seemed to be affected by socialization due to education. Results are discussed in terms of the prevailing economic ideologies in both countries.
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting,... more The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data related to education in the United States and other nations. It fulfills a congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report full and complete statistics on the condition of education in the United States; conduct and publish reports and specialized analyses of the meaning and significance of such statistics; assist state and local education agencies in improving their statistical systems; and review and report on education activities in foreign countries. NCES activities are designed to address high priority education data needs; provide consistent, reliable, complete, and accurate indicators of education status and trends; and report timely, useful, and high quality data to the U.S. Department of Education, the Congress, the states, other education policymakers, practitioners, data users, and the general public. We strive to make our products available in a variety of formats and in language that is appropriate to a variety of audiences. You, as our customer, are the best judge of our success in communicating information effectively.
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