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- Subject: fyi - Condition of Education, 1996 (fwd)
- From: Mike Eisenberg <mike@ERICIR.SYR.EDU>
- Date: Thu, 8 Aug 1996 16:21:51 -0400
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 1996 15:44:09 -0400
From: Kirk Winters <Kirk_Winters@ed.gov>
To: Multiple recipients of list <edinfo@inet.ed.gov>
Subject: Condition of Education, 1996
WHAT IS THE *CONDITION OF EDUCATION* in the United States?
Each year, the National Center for Education Statistics
publishes a compilation of statistics to help answer that
question. It's called "The Condition of Education, 1996"
& it was released last week.
As in the past, this year's report is organized around 60
*indicators* representing "a consensus of professional
thinking on the most significant national measures of the
condition & progress of education to date," says former
Acting Commissioner of NCES Jeanne Griffith.
These 60 indicators can help readers find their way through
the thousands of statistics in this nearly 400-page report.
They're listed below, along with a few findings.
The full text is available -- with a full-text search
capability -- in our Online Library at:
http://www.ed.gov/NCES/pubs/ce/index.html
====================================================
A Few Findings from The Condition of Education, 1996
====================================================
--------------------------------------------------------------
High school students are taking tougher courses, especially in
math & science.
--------------------------------------------------------------
o High school graduates in 1994 were more likely to take
mathematics courses at the level of algebra I or higher &
science courses at the level of biology or higher than their
counterparts in 1982. [Indicator 29]
o A larger percentage of 1994 graduates, both male & female,
earned credit in biology, chemistry & physics than their
1982 counterparts. Similar percentages of males & females
earned credit in biology in both years. Females were more
likely to earn credit in chemistry in 1994. Males were
consistently more likely to earn credit in physics.
o High school students have completed more academic courses in
recent years. The proportion of high school graduates
completing the New Basics curriculum (4 years English, plus
3 years each of social studies, mathematics & science) rose
from 14% in 1982 to 51% in 1994. [Indicator 28]
o High school students are completing more advanced
mathematics & science courses. The proportion of students
completing a chemistry class rose from 31% in 1982 to 56% in
1994 & the proportion completing Algebra II rose from 32% to
59%. During this same period, the performance of 17-year-
olds on mathematics & science assessments rose the
equivalent of one grade level. [Indicators 29, 15 & 16]
-------------------------
College attendance is up.
-------------------------
o The percentage of young people enrolled in college grew from
33% in 1984 to 42% in 1994. [Indicator 8]
o More than half (57%) of 4-year college students seeking a
bachelor's degree in 1989-90 had graduated by spring 1994.
Students who started at age 18 were more likely than older
students to graduate within five years. [Indicator 10]
---------------------------------------------------------------
More high school graduates go to college immediately after high
school, even though college costs continue to rise relative to
family income.
---------------------------------------------------------------
o Between 1973 & 1994, the proportion of high school graduates
going directly to college increased from 47% to 62%. The
proportion of students choosing to enroll in both 2-year &
4-year colleges was greater in 1994 than in 1973 (21%
compared to 15% for 2-year colleges & 41% compared to 32%
for 4-year colleges). [Indicator 7]
o Between 1980 & 1994, tuition, room & board at public
institutions increased from 10% to 14% of median family
income. This increase was larger for low-income families
than for high income families. Over the same period,
tuition, room & board at private institutions rose from 22%
to 39% of family median income. [Indicator 12]
---------------------------------------
Conditions facing schools are changing.
---------------------------------------
o First, schools are facing a period of rising enrollments
after a long period of decline. [Indicator 38]
o Second, many more disabled students, particularly those with
learning disabilities, are receiving special services.
[Indicator 43].
o Third, many more students speak a language other than
English at home & have difficulty speaking English, a likely
indication that even more students may have difficulty
reading & writing English.
o Fourth, many children live in poverty (21% or 15.3 million),
& these children typically live in neighborhoods & attend
school together. [Indicator 44]
o Fifth, an increasing percentage of public school teachers
are reporting that physical conflicts & weapons possession
are moderate or serious problems in their schools.
===================================================
60 Indicators from The Condition of Education, 1996
===================================================
------------------------------------
A. Access, Participation, & Progress
------------------------------------
1. School enrollment rates, by age
2. Preprimary education enrollment
3. Age of first-graders
4. School choice
5. Dropout rates
6. Dropouts who complete high school within 2 years of
scheduled graduation
7. Immediate transition from high school to college
8. Racial & ethnic differences in participation in higher ed.
9. Community college outcomes
10. Persistence toward a bachelor's degree
11. Time to complete a bachelor's degree
12. College costs & family income
13. Net cost of attending postsecondary education
14. Participation in adult education
-------------------------------------
Achievement, Attainment, & Curriculum
-------------------------------------
15. Trends in math proficiency of 9-, 13-, & 17-year-olds
16. Trends in science proficiency of 9-, 13-, & 17-year-olds
17. Average reading proficiency of 4th-, 8th-, & 12th-graders
18. Average U.S. history proficiency of 4th-, 8th-, & 12th-
graders
19. Average geography proficiency of 4th-, 8th-, & 12th-
graders
20. International comparisons of reading literacy
21. International comparisons of adult literacy
22. Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) scores
23. International comparisons of mathematics performance
24. International comparisons of science performance
25. Educational attainment
26. Postsecondary education enrollments & completions of
the class of 1982
27. International comparisons of ed'l attainment, by age
28. High school course taking in the core subject areas
29. High school mathematics & science course-taking patterns
-----------------------------------------
C. Economic & Other Outcomes of Education
-----------------------------------------
30. Transition from high school to work
31. Transition from college to work
32. Employment of young adults
33. Weeks & hours worked, by educational attainment
34. Annual earnings of young adults
35. Starting salaries of college graduates
36. Welfare participation, by educational attainment
37. Voting behavior, by educational attainment
-----------------------------------------------------
D. Size, Growth, & Output of Educational Institutions
-----------------------------------------------------
38. Elementary & secondary school enrollment
39. College & university enrollment, by type & control of
institution
40. Degrees conferred, by level
41. Bachelor's degrees conferred, by field of study
---------------------------------------------------------------
E. Climate, Classrooms, & Diversity in Educational Institutions
---------------------------------------------------------------
42. Student absenteeism & tardiness
43. Education of students with disabilities
44. Children in poverty
45. Racial & ethnic distribution of college students
46. Community service performed by high school seniors
47. Teachers' participation in school decision making
48. Teaching workload of full-time teachers
49. Teaching workload of full-time postsecondary faculty
50. Student exposure to faculty at institutions of higher ed.
----------------------------------------------------------
F. Human & Financial Resources of Educational Institutions
----------------------------------------------------------
51. National index of public effort to fund education
52. International comparisons of public expenditures for
education
53. Higher education expenditures per student
54. Higher education revenues per student
55. Salaries of teachers
56. Sources of supply of newly hired teachers
57. Education & certification of secondary teachers
58. Literacy of teachers
59. Teachers' participation in professional development
60. Salaries & total earnings of full-time postsec. faculty
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Kirk Winters
Office of the Under Secretary
U.S. Department of Education
kirk_winters@ed.gov
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