Basic Print Sources at IUB Wells Library and Electronic Resources on the Web

Basic Print Sources at IUB Wells Library

The U. S. government publishes excellent and easy-to-use statistics on education issues. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the agency behind all of this. In NCES publications, one can finds a vast array of tables and graphs.

Note: Locations of print materials may have changed. Consult IUCAT for current locations.

Below are the two best ongoing NCES publications:

  • Digest of Education Statistics.
    [ED 1.326: ET2 -- 1975-79 editions in storage; 1980-present in ET2; latest issue(s) on reserve at the front desk].
    The mother of all education statistics volumes, everything can usually be found here. The only problem is that no interpretation of the statistics' significance is done for the reader/student; the reader/student must interpret the data him/herself. So much of the space in other NCES publications deal with contextualizing (or interpreting ) the information; no such space is "wasted" here. This is a good source for the student who already knows what s/he wants and why s/he wants it.
     
  • The Condition of Education.
    [ED 1.109: ET2--again, 1975-79 editions in storage; 1980-present in ET2; latest issue(s) on reserve at the front desk].
    The motivation, according to its authors, is: "Federal, state, and local policymakers require a variety of information to develop, implement, and monitor policies designed to improve education... Informed decisions cannot be made without valid information, however." All levels are covered here--primary, middle school, high school, postsecondary. Lots and lots of graphs and tables--and, unlike in the Digest , these statistics are interpreted for the reader. Its "Sources of Data" section in the back of each publication is potentially quite useful; it could point the student to other more helpful sources.

Other resources include:

  • The National Education Goals Report.
    [ED 1.1/3: ET2 ? Various types of publications from various years].
    We have several different NEGR volumes; all are located together on the shelf. Begun in 1989, the NEGR is interested in "building a national consensus for educational improvement" and in speeding up this improvement process. Eight goals are provided: 1) Ready to learn, 2) School completion, 3) Student achievement and citizenship, 4) Teacher education and professional development, 5) Math and science, 6) Adult literacy and lifelong learning, 7) Safe, disciplined, and alcohol- and drug-free schools, and 8) Parental participation. A nice source for quick statistical/graphical support for one's thesis/argument.
     
  • Statistical Abstract of the United States. U. S. Bureau of the Census .
    [C 3.134:2000 ET2 - Reference Desk].
    This work is a good and easy-to-use bet for finding statistics on education and many other topics, so always keep it in mind.
     
  • Education Statistics Quarterly. NCES.
    [ED 1.328/13: ET2 ? Reference Desk].
    This work just began publication in 1999. If you don't know exactly what your research topic is going to be, but you know that it has something to do with education, look here first; each issue is focusing on different things, and obviously only the hot topics in education will be published. If you want to know what these hot topics are, look here too. Not so easy to navigate, maybe, but again, these publications could help one kick-start his/her research.
     
  • Historical Trends: State Education Facts 1969 to 1989. NCES. John Grymes and Irene Harwath.
    [ED 1.302: H62 1969-1989 ET2 -- Stacks].
    Contains lots of U.S. maps with "Percentage change" for the time period covered in various categories. Also provides year-by-year numbers for each state for each category/topic (e.g., enrollment, salary, etc.). There are 41 different topics--graphs and tables are provided for each. This is obviously a nice tool, though it is somewhat old. Can be supplemented with other sources listed here, obviously. A more recent volume along the same lines is State Comparisons of Education Statistics: 1969-70 to 1996-97 (ET2 1.302: Sr 2/4).
     
  • Education Indicators. Ed. by Joyce Stern. NCES. 1988 and 1989 volumes.
    [ED 1.109/2: 1988 and 1989 ET2 -- Stacks].
    These volumes trace educational trends for earlier years as well--the 1970s through the mid-1980s, usually. Topics of interest haven't really changed that much in the past 10-15 years, interestingly enough. Would be quite helpful for one interested in comparing current educational trends and statistics and problems with somewhat older ones--perhaps a student could use such a source to dispel the sorts of "The World is Going to Hell in a Handbasket" myths that are so prevalent in American society, especially regarding education and "our young people."

  • Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). NCES. Various publications.
    [ED 1.302: ET2 -- Stacks].
    This is, as its authors describe, "the most comprehensive survey of the school work force and teacher supply and demand ever conducted in the U.S." The tables and graphs contained here are quite different than those found elsewhere; the focus is completely different. Topics include teacher job satisfaction, teacher salaries, teacher perceptions. The foreward claims that SASS is to be conducted every five years, but GPD doesn't have the 1998-99 edition--whether the SASS was altogether ditched or just put on hold is hard to say. The most recent edition, then, is the 1993-94 edition, so it could be a little outdated (something like "teacher perceptions" has probably changed quite a bit in the post-Columbine era, for example).
     
  • America's Teachers: Profile of a Profession, 1993-94.
    [ED 1.302: T 22/6/993-94 ET2 -- Stacks].
    Contains statistics very much like the source above. Does a somewhat better job of interpreting and contextualizing these statistics, however.
     
  • NAEP 1998 Reading Report Card for the Nation and the States. NCES
    [ED 1.302: R 22/4/998 ET2 -- Stacks].
    There is an obvious focus here on reading. Many of the stats here simply require the user to read some of the text (i.e., the tables and graphs are not instantly interpreted). For instance, the term "proficient reader" is used a lot here; but what do the authors mean by "proficient"?
     
  • Youth Indicators 1996: Trends in the Well-Being of American Youth. NCES.
    [ED 1.327:996 ET2 -- Reference Desk].
    The stats here are not limited to school; socioeconomic background, for instance, is discussed. Could be useful in putting together the "big picture," in other words, since non-school-related matters obviously have a huge impact on students' performance.
     
  • World Data on Education: A Guide to the Structure of National Education Systems. International Bureau of Education. [LB 43.673 ET2 -- Stacks].
    Finally, non-American educational statistics! This source shows the number of schools, enrollment, and the number of teachers for every single country. Some (but not many) graphs and tables can be found in the back. A bit of a disappointment in many regards, but worth a look if one is interested in comparative education.
     
  • Violence and Discipline Problems in U.S. Public School: 1996-97. NCES.
    [ED 1.328/5: V81 ET2 -- Reference Desk].
    Like other NCES publications, this source is easy-to-use and full of graphs and tables. A good resource for a hot topic.
     
  • Projections of Education Statistics to 2008. NCES.
    [ED 1.120:2008 ET2 -- Reference Desk].
    This is the 27th report in a series begun in 1964. The projections are for enrollment, graduates, classroom teachers, and expenditures. Put together for students and researchers, not for bureaucrats. A good source to use for quantifying one's vision of education in the future, obviously.
     
  • Education in the United States. 1990 Census of Population. Bureau of the Census.
    [C3: 223/10:1990 CP-3-4 ET2 -- Reference Desk].
    Statistics on educational attainment by age, sex, race, and national origin, for both the national and state level. Not nearly as straightforward as the NCES stuff found here. The 2000 Census information can be found online.
     
  • Private Schools in the United States: A Statistical Profile, with Comparisons to Public Schools.
    [ED 1.102:P 93/2 ET2 -- Reference Desk].
    Not flashy like most other NCES stuff. A little outdated (published in 1991).
     
  • Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2000. NCES.
    [ED 1.102:C86 ET2 -- Reference Desk].
    This work is effectively an update of one of the works listed above ( Violence and Discipline Problems... ).
     
  • Key Data on Education in Europe. European Community.
    [LA 620 .K48 ET2 -- Reference Desk].
    Europeans clearly think about education much differently than do Americans, as evidenced by the different sorts of tables and graphs found here. Worth a look.
     
  • Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators.
    [LA 620 .K48 ET2 -- Reference Desk].
    For OECD ("first world") countries. Published in 2001, so the information is very current. Its electronic copy in PDF is available on the OECD website; see the list of electronic resources as followed.

Top

Electronic Resources on the Web

  • Statistical Resources on the Web - Education
    A webliorgraphic site by the Document Center of the University of Michigan Libraries. It contains a considerable number of statistical data sites in relation to education.
     
  • National Center for Education Statistics
    Part of the U.S. Department of Education, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data that are related to education in the United States and other nations. NCES has developed an information program that provides the users of education statistics with access to a wide range of data. Statistical information is provided through the NCES Electronic Catalog, the National Education Data Resource Center, the National Library of Education, and ED Pubs.

    The following are some of the frequently used microdata data resources distributed by NCES.
  • Annual Statistical Reports
    Combines several different NCES statistical collections online. Brings together data from sources including Digest of Education Statistics, Condition of Education, Projections of Educational Statistics, Youth Indicators, Education Indicators: An International Perspective, Education in States and Nations . If you are going to look for your education statistics online, this is easily the first and best place to look.
     
  • Education at a Glance - OECD 1998-current
    A rich, comparable and up-to-date array of indicators of OECD countries' education, including information on the human and financial resources invested in education, on how education and learning systems operate and evolve, and on the returns to educational investments. The thematic organisation of the volume and the background information accompanying the tables and charts make this publication a valuable resource for anyone interested in analysing education systems across OECD countries. Data user can browse the main report (consisting of six chapters) on the Web and dig into the accompanied World Education Indicators and the On-line OECD Education Database. A print copy of this source is also available in the ET2, LC Stacks under the Call number LB2846 .E247.
     
  • Unesco Statistics
    Provides access to Unesco statistics in four areas, one of which is education. On its main page, look into world educational statistics data sets and reports under both of the following links - Statistics and Publications.
     
  • Education Data at ICPSR
    The ICPSR "(a)cquires, processes, documents, and disseminates (international) data." Explains how to use their data sets.
     
  • Education, Training, and Learning from Statistics Canada
    Statistics Canada as Canada's national statistical agency has administered a variety of educational surveys that collect statistical data.
     
  • UK Data Archive - Education Data
    More than 300 data files have been archived and made available by the UK Data Archive for public use, including the following:
    • SN 66040 - Provision of Adult Education and Education Leisure; Adult
    • SN 66041 - Provision of Adult Education and Education Leisure; Student
    • SN 66042 - Provision of Adult Education and Education Leisure; Staff
    • SN 983 - Attitudes of Parents of Primary School Children : National Survey of Parents of Primary School Children, 1964
    • SN 984 - Parental Attitudes of Secondary School Pupils : Follow-Up Survey of Plowden National Sample : Secondary School Parents, 1967-1968
    • SN 3760 - Teaching and Learning Processes in Inner City Infant Schools, 1992
    • SN 3815 - National Adult Learning Survey (NALS), 1997
    • SN 1096 - Pre-School Education and the Family : Relative Responsibilities of Local Authority Departments
    • SN 1285 - Pupils Interests, Abilities and Future Progress at School and Work
    • SN 1354 - Attitudes of Students at the London School of Economics, February 1980
    • SN 1514 - Children's Difficulties on Starting Infant School
    • SN 1605 - Department of Education and Science Form 7 Schools Data, 1978; Middle Schools
    • SN 1658 - Education and Career Choices of Fifth Form Pupils
    • SN 1965 - Longitudinal Study from Middle School to 14+ of Some Factors Affecting the Development and Stability of English Pupils' Interest in Science and Science Subject Choices
    • SN 199 - Effect of Local Education Authority Resources and Policies on Educational Attainment
    • SN 2068 - Attitudes of Students at the London School of Economics, January 1983
    • SN 2088 - Attitudes of Students at the London School of Economics, January - February, 1985
    • SN 2092 - Pre-Retirement Education, 1979-1981
    • SN 2144 - Recent Developments in the Transition from School to Work, 1981-1984
    • SN 2296 - Structure and Process of Initial Teacher Education Within Universities in England and Wales : Staff Data
    • SN 665 - Scottish Education Time Series Data, 1962, 1970, 1972
    • SN 66027 - Study of Postgraduate Education; Survey of Advanced Course Students
    • SN 4111 - Survey on School Competition, 1997
    • SN 4039 - Civil Rights in Schools : School Students' Views, 1997-1998
    • SN 3781 - Health Education Monitoring Survey (HEMS), 1996
    • SN 3562 - Health Education Monitoring Survey (HEMS), 1995
    • SN 3488 - National Data on Rates of School Exclusion, Socio-Economic and Educational Circumstances of Some Local Education Authorities, 1992-1993
    • SN 3467 - Higher Education in Northern Ireland : Participation and the Graduate Labour Market, 1991-1992
    • SN 3296 - Scottish School-Leavers Survey, 1992 Leavers
       
  • Higher Education Statistics Agency Data (UK)
    HESA is the central agency responsible for collecting statistical data from all the UK Universities. The results and aggregate data on students, institutions, and finances are distributed in both print and digital form. Academic users can get access to the raw data (microdata) without charge via the Society for Research into Higher Education with an individual or institutional membership. Ten research datapacks are available by theme: ethnicity; entry qualifications in Higher Education; course results; first destinations of graduates; disability; overseas students; regional issues; ethnicity; academic staff; non-credit-bearing courses.

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