Submitter:

Name:Owen Ambur

Email:Owen.Ambur@verizon.net

Organization:

Name:National Center for Education Statistics

Acronym:NCES

Description:
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the U.S. and other nations. NCES is located within the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences

Stakeholder(s):

• 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.


• Office of the Deputy Commissioner: The Office of the Deputy Commissioner, which includes the Chief Statistican and the Chief Technology Officer, provides state-of-the-art technology and statistical support to the Center and to federal and nonfederal organizations and entities involved in statistical work in support of NCES. In addition, the staff develops and operates a licensing system for individuals and organizations who require access to confidential data for statistical purposes.


• Early Childhood, International and Crosscutting Studies Division (ECICSD): Early Childhood, International and Crosscutting Studies Division (ECICSD) has responsibility within NCES for international comparisons, early childhood education, and school crime and safety. It is responsible for conducting studies and producing reports that cut across all levels of education, from early childhood through life-long learning, and for maintaining relations with key international and interagency groups. The division also manages an on-going program to monitor American education through its annual reports, The Condition of Education, Digest of Education Statistics, and Projections of Education Statistics, and produces NCES's Programs and Plans.


• Elementary/Secondary and Libraries Studies Division (ESLSD): Elementary/Secondary and Libraries Studies Division (ESLSD) oversees planning, design, operations, statistical analysis, reporting, and dissemination for elementary, secondary, and library surveys at the national, state, and local levels. The staff also work with state and local representatives in the development and implementation of the Congressionally mandated National Cooperative Education Statistics System in the areas of elementary, secondary and libraries.


• Postsecondary, Adult, and Career Education Division (PACE): Postsecondary, Adult, and Career Education Division (PACE) oversees planning, design, operations, statistical analysis, reporting, and dissemination on postsecondary education, adult education, and career and technical education. PACE collects universe data on postsecondary institutions; conducts sample surveys on student financial aid and student access, persistence, completion, and outcomes of postsecondary education; and collects data on the education and training that youth and adults need to prepare for work. PACE staff are content knowledge experts and serve as consultants to programs in NCES that assess the academic proficiency and literacy of young adults, college students, and adults. In addition, PACE has responsibility within NCES for responding to the Congressional mandate to collect and report data on Career and Technical Education for high school students, college students, and adults. PACE maintains a robust publication and dissemination program to share the results of these studies with the public.


• 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.


• Department of Education


• Congress: Who Uses NCES Statistics? Education statistics are used for a number of purposes: Congress uses them to plan federal education programs, to apportion federal funds among the states, and to serve the needs of constituents.


• Federal agencies: Federal agencies, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Department of Commerce and the National Science Foundation, are concerned with the supply of trained manpower produced by schools and colleges and with the subjects that are being taught.


• Bureau of Labor Statistics


• Department of Commerce


• National Science Foundation


• State Education Agencies: State Education agencies are both users and suppliers of NCES data.


• State Officials: State and local officials are concerned with problems of staffing and financing public education.


• Local Officials


• Educational Organizations: Educational organizations, such as the American Council on Education and the National Education Association, use the data for planning and research.


• American Council on Education


• National Education Association


• News Media: The news media, such as television networks, news magazines, and many of the nation's leading daily newspapers frequently use NCES statistics to inform the public about matters such as school and college enrollment and expenditures per student.


• Television Networks


• News Magazines


• Newspapers


• Business organizations: Business organizations use trend data on enrollments and expenditures to forecast the demand for their products.


• General Public: The general public uses education statistics to become more informed and to make intelligent decisions concerning educational issues.


• NCES Customers: How Can NCES Help You? The National Center for Education Statistics helps its customers by: * Addressing high priority education data needs; * Providing consistent, reliable, complete, and accurate indicators of education status and trends; and * Reporting timely, useful, and high quality data to education policymakers and data users.