Education
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Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey (ALL) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education and Statistics Canada)
The Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey (ALL) is an international comparative study designed to provide participating countries, including the United States, with information about the skills of their adult populations. ALL was first conducted in 2003, and built on previous studies including the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) which took place in 1994, 1996 and 1998. Reports are available in PDF. Association of Research Libraries Statistics (Association of Research Libraries)
The Association of Research Libraries (a major organization in the field of academic librarianship) presents a site related to library data, particularly regarding collections, staffing, expenditures, and library and university characteristics. An interactive database interface allows users to produce rankings of member institutions by various criteria; generate summary statistics across member institutions; and extract and download data in comma-delimited format. Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The Baccalaureate and Beyond (B&B) Longitudinal Study provides information concerning education and work experiences after completion of bachelor’s degrees. Students are identified through the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS). The B&B study began with degree-earners in 1993, followed up in 1994, 1997, and 2003. A second cohort was identified in 2000 and followed up in 2001. The data is available online in DAS (matrix) format. Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) Longitudinal Study (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) Longitudinal Study collects data on student experiences through college. Students are initially identified and surveyed through the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS), and then followed up 2 and 5 years later through the BPS. The initial cohort was first surveyed in 1990, followed by a new cohort in 1996 and a third cohort in 2004. The data is available online in DAS (matrix) format. Campus Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool (Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Dept. of Education)
This site provides a searchable database of campus crime statistics for over 6000 colleges and universities. Users can opt between three kinds of reports: data from one institution or campus (past 3 years); aggregated data for a group of campuses (past 3 years); data download for a group of campuses (back to 2001). Crime statistics are divided into three categories: criminal offenses, hate crimes, and arrests/disciplinary actions. Center for International Development Research Datasets (Harvard University)
The Research Datasets Page at Harvard’s Center for International Development (CID) contain links to datasets and accompanying papers results from research done at the Center. Data is presented in a various formats. Some titles include: Demographic Change and Economic Growth in Asia; International Data on Educational Attainment: Updates and Implications; and, Sources of Slow Growth in African Economies. Child Care and Early Education Research Connections (CCEERC) (Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) and National Center for Children in Poverty, Columbia University; United States Department of Health and Human Services)
The Child Care and Early Education Research Connections (CCEERC) web site is aimed at researchers and policymakers. The site provides access to nearly 80 datasets from the ICPSR collection as well as subsets created by CCEERC, with no registration required. The site also includes a searchable index of reports, projects and syntheses (some available in full-text); an index to relevant instruments and measures; state data tools for creating customized tables; and annotated web links to policy sites, summary statistics, and sites with 50-state databases. Childinfo.org – Monitoring the Situation of Children and Women (United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF))
The ChildInfo site provides access to the statistical information made available by UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund. A menu of themes such as Child Survival and Health, Water and Sanitation, and Immunization, leads to reports on each indicator, with HTML tables (downloadable in Excel) covering the developing countries included in the initiative. ChildInfo also contains the full set of resources for the UNICEF-supported Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), a household survey program designed to help developing countries fill data gaps for monitoring the situation of women and children. The site contains PDF reports for countries from the first round of MICS (1995), and downloadable data (free registration required) for over 40 countries included in the second round (2000). A third round of MICS for 2005/2006 is currently in process. ChildStats.gov (Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics)
This website provides links to federal and state statistics and reports on children and their families, including: population and family characteristics, economic security, health, behavior and social environment, and education. Reports of the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics include America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, the annual federal monitoring report on the status of the nation's children, and Nurturing Fatherhood. Civic Education Study (CivEd) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The Civic Education Study (CivEd) was conducted in 1999, to provide information on what U.S. ninth-graders know about democratic practices and institutions in relationship to students in 27 other participating countries. Reports are available online; data files may be ordered free of charge on CD-ROM through the U.S. Department of Education’s EdPubs ordering system. College Board (College Board)
The College Board is the organization responsible for standardized tests used by college admissions offices: the SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, AP, and CLEP. The site contain sections aimed at students (test preparation, registration & results, college selection); parents (college planning and application); and educators (news, services and research.) The Summary reports on AP exam grades are available on the site at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/exgrd_sum/2007.html. Reports are national and by state, in PDF since 1997 and Excel since 2001. Colorado by the Numbers (CBN) (University of Colorado at Boulder Government Publications Library)
Colorado by the Numbers was developed in 1996 as “an online statistical abstract for the State of Colorado.” At the time, it was primarily populated with data downloaded from CD-ROM products. The earlier data originating from CD-ROMs is still available, but updates have taken the form of annotated links to other online entities with information about Colorado, from airports to immigration to taxation to traffic safety. A very nice collection of links, but the format may come as a surprise to users expecting a more traditional statistical abstract. Common Core of Data (CCD) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The Common Core of Data (CCD) is an annual comprehensive statistical database of information concerning all public elementary and secondary schools and local education agencies in the United States, with data starting as far back as 1986. Data products on the CCD web site include downloadable data and address files, a search utility for schools and districts, and a “build-a-table” function. Council for Aid to Education (Council for Aid to Education)
CAE is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit national organization dedicated both to enhancing the effectiveness of corporate and other private-sector support in improving education at all levels and to helping education institutions more effectively acquire private support for their programs. The site includes the Voluntary Support of Education Data Miner (a fee-based service; UW-Madison does not subscribe). Crime and Safety Surveys (CSS) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
This is an umbrella site within the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for surveys and publications regarding data on crime, violence and safety in U.S. elementary and secondary schools. Current Population Survey Table Creator (U.S. Bureau of the Census)
The U.S. Bureau of the Census offers the Current Population Survey (CPS) Table Creator as a working prototype. The data comes from the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) for 2002 and 2003, collected in 2003 and 2004. The ASEC is the survey formerly known as the Annual Demographic Survey aka the March Supplement. The table-creation form comes in seven sections: Years of data, universe, subsets, variable selection, statistics, customized formatting, and appearance issues. A “Detailed Examples” section shows examples of table creation. Datalab (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The Datalab page on the NCES site offers a concise choice between several levels of tools for using NCES education data. The current choices are QuickStats, which allows a user to create a simple table quickly; Data Analysis System (DAS), a considerably more complex system in which users can create complex tables and run regressions; and "Library", where users can search among existing tables. A new data analysis tool called PowerStats, billed as a successor to the Data Analysis System, was slated to be released in Spring 2009 and is still "coming soon" as of July 2009. DiversityData (Harvard School of Public Health)
The DiversityData project at the Harvard School of Public Health is aimed at users who are interested in describing, profiling and ranking United States metropolitan areas in terms of quality of life, with an emphasis on diversity issues. The site encourages researchers, policymakers and community advocates to make use of the data to advocate for policy action and social change. Visitors to the site can examine metropolitan areas on a range of social measures such as education, housing opportunities, economic opportunities, residential integration, and health, using data from multiple data sources. The emphasis on diversity applies to various racial/ethnic, income and nativity groups. The strength of the DiversityData resource is its user-friendly menus and its display of profiles, rankings and maps. The site currently only offers a single year worth of data for any variable, and focuses on data display rather than download. Division of Science Resource Statistics (SRS), National Science Foundation (NSF) (National Science Foundation (NSF))
The Division of Science Resource Statistics within the NSF's web site provides thematic links to reports, tables and data about science and engineering resources in the United States. Topics include research and development; science education; federal government; and workforce. See also their list of survey names and descriptions. Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) program has been designed to include two overlapping cohorts: a Birth Cohort (ECLS-B, 2001) and a Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K, 1998/99). Children and their families, teachers, and schools provide information on children's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. User manuals are available online as PDFs; data files may be ordered free of charge on CD-ROM from the U.S. Department of Education’s EdPubs ordering system. EdStats (World Bank)
EdStats, short for Education Statistics, is an interactive education statistics database developed by the World Bank’s Education Group. It compiles data on education from a variety of national and international sources. Results may be saved in Excel format. Education Finance Statistics Center (EDFIN) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The Education Finance Statistics Center (EDFIN) web site is the central NCES site for education finance information for United States elementary and secondary education. It includes an interactive tool letting users compare the finances of a school district with its peers. Also included are links to finance data and publications. EFA 2000 Assessment (United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO))
The EFA 2000 Assessment is a program of the Education For All Forum of UNESCO, carrying out an in-depth assessment of basic education in 180 countries between 1990 and 2000. The resulting country and regional reports are provided on this website, in HTML with graphical tables. Reports are in one of three languages: English, Spanish, or French. Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The FRSS was established in 1975 to collect issue-oriented data quickly and with minimum response burden, focusing generally on primary and secondary education. FRSS was designed to meet the data needs of Department of Education analysts, planners, and decision makers when information could not be collected quickly through traditional NCES surveys. The FRSS site allows downloads of selected FRSS datasets and publications. GenderStats (World Bank)
GenderStats is an interactive database of gender statistics, developed by the World Bank's Gender and Development. GenderStats offers country data sheets showing summary gender indicators, basic demographic data, population dynamics, labor force structure, and education and health statistics. Data sources for GenderStats include national statistics, United Nations databases, and World Bank-conducted or funded surveys. Results may be saved in Excel format. General Household Survey, Great Britain (Social Survey Division, Office for National Statistics)
According to the GHS web site, “The General Household Survey (GHS) is a multi-purpose continuous survey carried out by the Social Survey Division of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which collects information on a range of topics from people living in private households in Great Britain. The survey started in 1971 and has been carried out continuously since then, except for breaks in 1997/98 (when the survey was reviewed) and 1999/2000 when the survey was re-developed.” General Household Survey documentation and datasets are online at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=5756&More=N. A particularly user-friendly presentation of GHS 2002 results, including time-series tables in Excel, can be found in the Living in Britain 2002 report at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/lib2002/ (the 2000 and 2001 reports are also online). Georgia2000 Information System (University of Georgia, Carl Vinson Institute of Government)
The Georgia2000 Information System bills itself as “the best source on the web for Georgia statistics.” It takes its sources from the 2000 U.S. Census, county vital statistics, economic development agencies, school districts and more. Users can generate HTML reports (that can be saved as Excel files) via the “menu-based reporting,” or take a map-based approach which requires download of the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer from the site. A list of reports is available at http://ga2000.itos.uga.edu/more_info/info_data_sources.asp, while a list of maps is at http://ga2000.itos.uga.edu/more_info/info_map_layers.asp. The menu-based reporting only allows selection of a single entity (e.g. one county, one MSA, or one ZIP code) at a time. Free registration is required to use the system. Global Education Database (GED) (U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID))
The Global Education Database combines indicators from the UNESCO Institute of Statistics and indicators from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), in order to provide USAID "and its development partners with statistics on international education and related developing country socioeconomic conditions." Users can select indicators by country or across countries, or use online analytic tools: a Rapid Education Assessment Calculator, a tool for charting child dependency ratios, and data on Millennium Development Goals. High School and Beyond (HS&B) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The High School and Beyond (HS&B) longitudinal survey examines educational, occupational, and family experiences of high school sophomores and seniors in the United States. The HS&B survey included two cohorts: the 1980 senior class, and the 1980 sophomore class. Both cohorts were surveyed every two years through 1986, and the 1980 sophomore class was also surveyed again in 1992. Data is available online in DAS (matrix) format. High School Transcript Studies (HSTS) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
High school transcript studies have been conducted by NCES as part of the Longitudinal Studies Program and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) High School Transcript Studies (HSTS) program since 1982. Each transcript study is associated with a major NCES data collection, sometimes with a longitudinal study as with the High School & Beyond (HSB) first follow-up study in 1982. The data is not maintained separately from the larger data collections; a page of links on the HSTS page points to the data sources. Higher Education Statistics Agency, United Kingdom (HESA) (Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA))
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) has been the central agency for collecting and reporting statistics for higher education in the United Kingdom since 1993. The site features a Statistics section with free Public Information annual tables back to 1994, available as HTML or as CSV download. These public tables include statistics on students (items such as gender, level of study, ethnicity, disability, and first destination after study), staff, and institutional finance. Other HESA data and publications can be ordered for a fee. HigherEdInfo.Org (National Information Center for Higher Education Policymaking and Analysis)
The HigherEdInfo site gathers data from various sources on higher education and presents it as maps, charts or downloadable tables (Excel or tab-delimited) on a state-by-state basis, sometimes by county. The data is grouped into nine categories: preparation, participation, affordability, student learning, completion, benefits, employment and finance. Drop-down menus identify measures within each category, and then one can select submeasures and years and how to display the information. The page for each measure also includes a section on definitions and a brief write-up on the policy implications of the measure. In addition to the pre-programmed maps and tables, the site has a “Data & Maps” feature (upper right of the screen). “Generate Your Own Data” lets you create and download custom tables from the data on the site, while “Generate Your Own Map” works in the opposite direction: you input your own state-by-state data, the site generates a map for you, downloadable as a JPEG. Historical Statistics of the United States, Millennial Edition Online (UW-Madison subscription) (Cambridge University Press)
The historical counterpart to the annual Statistical Abstract of the United States has finally been updated and put online! The previous edition covered colonial times through 1970 and was issued by the U.S. Bureau of the Census in honor of the U.S. Bicentennial (DISC has the bicentennial edition on CD-ROM). The present edition, greatly expanded and updated, was undertaken by Cambridge University Press, resulting in a web edition as well as 5 volumes in print (print volumes available at several libraries on the UW-Madison campus, including the CDE print library). Major subject categories include: Population, Work and Welfare, Economic Structure and Performance, Economic Sectors, Governance and International Relations. The online version offers tables for download in XLS and CSV, along with a custom table feature for combining more than one table. The custom tables and some other site features require a free registration, in addition to the subscription provided by UW-Madison via IP-authentication. Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) is a system of surveys designed to collect institution-level data from all primary providers of postsecondary education in the U.S. Survey areas include enrollments, program completions, faculty, staff, and finances. The IPEDS Peer Analysis online tool allows comparison of institutions using the IPEDS data. International Archive of Education Data (IAED) (Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) and National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The core of the International Archive of Education Data (IAED) collection at ICPSR is data collected by the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The data is freely available for download, though downloading constitutes an agreement to use the data appropriately. The IAED is aimed at academics, policymakers, and researchers interested in education data. International Comparisons in Education (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The International Comparisons in Education page from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) serves to highlight several studies that produce education data providing international comparisons between the United States and other countries. Internet for Social Research Methods (Louise Corti, University of Essex and Intute)
This guide is an Internet tutorial that focuses on social research methods on the web, written by Louise Corti of the University of Essex and updated in 2009. It allows users to tour the web for resources in social research methodology, learn how to improve their searching techniques, learn how to improve critical thinking skills regarding information on the web, and reflect on using the web as a teaching tool. The tutorial is now part of the Intute Virtual Training Suite. Internet for Social Statistics (Robin Rice, Edinburgh University Data Library and Intute)
The Internet for Social Statistics guide, which was written by Robin Rice of the Edinburgh University Data Library and substantially updated in 2006, offers a free tutorial on how to use social statistics. Users can tour sites for statistics, learn how to improve their data searching techniques, learn how to apply critical thinking skills to citing sources on the web, and reflect on how to use the web as a better tool for researching and teaching. This guide is now part of the Intute Virtual Training Suite. JamStats (Planning Institute of Jamaica)
JamStats is a database project with the tagline and goal of "Tracking Jamaica's Progress," specifically toward the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. The database, which uses DevInfo software, can either be accessed online or downloaded from the JamStats site (over 10Mb in a zipped archive; the database and DevInfo software must be downloaded separately). As of July 2009, the online application allows users to select from three databases: EduStats 2008, JamStats 2008-9, and Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (MICS) 2005 for Jamaica. Indicator groupings, aka Sectors, in the JamStats database include demography, economy, education, environment, gender equity, health, information & communication, and national security. Data appears most complete for the past decade, but occasional indicators have values as far back as 1960. Joint Center for Political & Economic Studies – Databank (Joint Center for Political & Economic Studies)
The Databank at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies bills itself as a "comprehensive warehouse of data on racial populations” (scope is limited to the United States). The Joint Center is a research and public policy institution focusing on “public policy issues of concern to African Americans and other communities of color.” The information in the Databank includes factsheets, tables and reports (primarily in text or PDF) on topics including Black elected officials, children and youth, education, poverty, and health. Most of the information appears to be from 2001 and before. Some of the figures originate from Joint Center research, while others come from agencies such as the U.S. Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control. Library Statistics Program (LIB) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
Since 1989, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has been conducting a nationwide library statistics program for the United States that includes surveys on academic libraries, public libraries, school library media centers, and state library agencies. Both public-use and restricted-use data files may be downloaded from the site. Online data tools for comparing public libraries and comparing academic libraries are also available. Measuring Up: The National Report Card for Higher Education (National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education)
The Measuring Up site grades U.S. states on their higher-education performance in five categories: preparation, participation, affordability, completion, and benefits. State summaries and profiles are available, as are nationwide and international comparisons. Measuring Up reports have been produced biennially since 2000. Downloadable data files are available in Excel. Millennium Development Goals Indicators (United Nations Statistics Division)
In the year 2000, 189 nations signed on to the United Nations Millennium Declaration, promising commitment to sweeping development goals, to be accomplished by 2015. The goals involve fighting poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women. Measurable goals and targets were established. The United Nations Statistics Division compiles and disseminates the data for 48 selected indicators beginning in 1990. Results of country-level data selections are displayed as HTML tables and may be downloaded as in csv, xml, or Excel; the entire database may also be downloaded. A "Gapminder" feature added to the site in 2006 creates various graphical representations of trends. Minority Data Resource Center (Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR))
The Minority Data Resource Center (MDRC) is a new addition to ICPSR’s growing collection of special-purpose archives, showcasing existing ICPSR data. The focus of the MDRC is data for comparative analysis of issues affecting racial and ethnic minority populations in the United States. The subject coverage of the selected studies runs the gamut from education to housing to poverty to political participation. MDRC data falls into two general categories: studies that focus specifically on minority populations, such as the National Black Election Studies series; and studies with large enough sample sizes or ethnic/racial oversampling to permit meaningful analysis of issues that affect race and ethnic minority populations, such as the American Housing Survey series. While documentation is freely browsable, data download is available only to ICPSR member institutions, including UW-Madison. National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card, is a program from the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) intended to monitor skills, knowledge, and performance of students. NAEP provides results of student assessment in the following subject areas: the arts (theatre, music, visual arts), civics, geography, mathematics, reading, U.S. history, science, and writing. An interactive “data tool” interface is the latest addition to this site. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) (U.S. Department of Education)
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary United States federal agency for collecting and analyzing data related to education. The site carries many ongoing surveys with links to downloadable data, in addition to a publications catalog and NCES announcements. In addition to the downloadable data, DISC has a number of NCES datasets, often on CD-ROM (check the DISC catalog). National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) focuses on critical transitions of eighth graders through college, with cognitive tests from students, parents, teachers, and transcripts. A nationally representative sample of eighth-graders were first surveyed in the spring of 1988. A sample of these respondents were then resurveyed through four follow-ups in 1990, 1992, 1994, and 2000. On the questionnaire, students reported on a range of topics including: school, work, and home experiences; educational resources and support; the role in education of their parents and peers; neighborhood characteristics; educational and occupational aspirations; and other student perceptions. Additional topics included self-reports on smoking, alcohol and drug use and extracurricular activities. Public use data files may be ordered free of charge on CD-ROM from the U.S. Department of Education’s EdPubs ordering system. Data is also available online in DAS (matrix) format. National Household Education Survey (NHES) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The National Household Education Survey (NHES) collects descriptive data about the educational activities of the U.S. population, from early childhood to adulthood. NHES surveys have been conducted in 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001, and 2003. Data files and documentation are available for download on the site. National Longitudinal Survey of 1972 (NLS-72) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The National Longitudinal Survey of 1972 (NLS-72) was the first major longitudinal survey designed and conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for the United States Department of Education. Participants in the study were selected when they were seniors in high school in the spring of 1972, and in a supplementary sample drawn in 1973. The records include the "Base Year" survey; follow-up surveys in 1973, 1974, 1976, 1979, and 1986; high school records; and postsecondary transcripts (collected in 1984). Data is available online in DAS (matrix) format. National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) is a comprehensive nationwide study designed to determine how students and their families pay for postsecondary education in the United States, and to describe some demographic and other characteristics of those enrolled. The first study NPSAS study was conducted during the 1986-87 school year; subsequent studies have been carried out during the 1989-90, 1992-93, 1995-96, and 1999-2000 school years. The data is available online in DAS (matrix) format. National Priorities Project Database (National Priorities Project (NPP))
The National Priorities Project (NPP) is a United-States-based non-partisan education and advocacy group that "focuses on the impacts of federal tax and spending policies at the community level." The NPP takes a particular interest in the trade-offs between military spending and tax breaks versus social spending. The NPP Database provides state and county level data on U.S. federal spending in the following areas: hunger, military, income & poverty, housing, education, and labor, in addition to basic demographics. Users can select up to five "datasets" (i.e., specific federal programs or demographic attributes) to create an HTML table covering multiple states or multiple counties within one state, with information as far back as 1983. Users are requested to complete a free registration to use the database after their first visit. National Survey of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The National Survey of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF) samples post-secondary institutions in the United States. The survey collects information regarding the backgrounds, responsibilities, workloads, salaries, benefits, attitudes, and future plans of both full- and part-time faculty, as well as institutional-level data on such issues as faculty composition, turnover, recruitment, retention, and tenure policies. The NSOPF was conducted in 1987-88, 1992-93, 1998-99, and 2003-04. The data is available online in DAS (matrix) format. National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) (National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and Indiana University)
The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) collects annual information from colleges and universities in the United States about student participation in programs and activities that institutions provide for their learning and personal development. The results speak to the way in which undergraduates spend their time and what they gain from attending college. Participating institutions receive data specific to their school and peer institution comparisons. The website carries annual PDF reports back to 2000, summarizing responses from the various types of participating institutions and students. A companion survey, the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) has been conducted since 2004 and measures faculty expectation of student engagement. The site also links to related surveys for law schools (LSSSE), high schools (HSSSE), and community colleges (CCSSE). NCES Handbook of Survey Methods (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The NCES Handbook of Survey Methods explains how the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) obtains and prepares the data it publishes for each of its survey programs. New York State Education Department Data Institutional Master File (IMF), 1967-1981 (New York State Archives)
The IMF contains data on each school district, public and private school building, and intermediate district (Board of Cooperative Educational Services--BOCES) in New York. Individual records provide institution identifiers and statistics on enrollment, staffing, and special educational programs. Files are available for each school year, 1967-1981, and contain four record types: public school, private school, school district, and BOCES. Annual files contain an average of 7200 records; the size of the records varies. The IMF is divided in the NYS Archives' ftp directory into 15 files, each representing a single school year. The Archives has used both the pkzip and gzip utilities to compress the files. These compressed files range in size from 846 to 1213 kilobytes. A User's Guide containing complete documentation is available for hypertext viewing and downloading. New York State Statistics (Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, State University of New York)
Hosted by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, the New York State Statistical Yearbook since 2002 is available online in PDF and Excel files. The print versions of editions back to 1998 may be ordered from the web site. OECD Factbook (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD))
The OECD Factbook is the organization's best-selling title, an annual global overview focusing on economic, social and environmental indicators for OECD member countries and several additional partners (Brazil, Russian Federation, India, Indonesia, China, South Africa, Chile, Estonia, Israel and Slovenia.) Each year a special topic is chosen for a supplemental chapter; in 2009 the special topic is inequality.
The Factbook is available through the UW-Madison SourceOECD subscription, but also in various formats for non-subscribers, including PDF with Excel graphs. OECD Factbook also provides Trendalyzer dynamic visualisation software to help users identify long-term trends and comparisons between countries, and the Flash-based OECD Factbook eXplorer which combines maps and graphs with stories to let users examine time developments and interrelations between indicators. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Statistics (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development)
This site provides a portal to free socio-economic statistics collected by the OECD. UW-Madison also subscribes to SourceOECD, OECD's premier fee-based statistics product. Países@ (Countries@) (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE))
The Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) has announced a new map-based data extractor called Países@ (“Países” translates to “Countries”). This Flash-based ready reference tool contains basic population, social indicator, economic, technological, land use, and United Nations Millenium Development Goals information for each of the 192 United Nations members for the latest year available.
To use the extractor, select a country from the World Map on the Países@ main page. Basic information about the country will appear (in Portuguese, the only currently-available language for Países@). Select a category of indicators for that country, then click the globe icon next to an individual indicator to get a sortable listing for that indicator for all countries in the database. Additional information for each country includes a political map, a short slide show featuring photographic highlights of the country, and a link to a Google satellite map.
Note: for geographically-small countries, users may have to use the magnifying glass icon (+) several times, in conjunction with the arrow keys, until the country becomes large enough to click on. Pew Hispanic Center (Pew Charitable Trusts)
The Pew Hispanic Center, supported by Pew Charitable Trusts, was founded in 2001 "to improve understanding of the U.S. Hispanic population and to chronicle Latinos' growing impact on the entire nation." The Center commissions studies on such topics as education, immigration, labor, and economics, including some public opinion surveys. Several datasets are available on the site, along with research reports back to 2002. PolicyMap (The Reinvestment Fund)
PolicyMap is a geographic information system that lets users map, graph, and organize data relevant to neighborhood planning and economic revitalization. The site carries data on demographics, real-estate, crime, income, education, and jobs – over 4,000 indicators. Depending on the data, maps and reports can be focused on areas as small as block groups or census tracts, or as large as states.
The site has many components available with a free registration, and others available to subscribers only. The free data comes from such agencies as the Census, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the Social Security Administration (SSA), and other US government agencies. Fee-based, subscriber-only data comes mostly from Claritas, a consumer-data and demographics firm that produces projections and annual small-area estimates. Subscribers can also upload data and create custom mapping regions. (UW-Madison does not subscribe).
The oldest data is from the 2000 Census, while the most current is the 2008 Presidential Contributions by state and ZIP code. A complete list of PolicyMap data can be found at http://www.policymap.com/our-data.html. Postsecondary Education Descriptive Analysis Reports (PEDAR) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The Postsecondary Education Descriptive Analysis Reports (PEDAR) program provides a series of reports that focus on postsecondary education policy issues in the United States. The reports, which generally use data from multiple NCES surveys, are available for download as PDFs. Most of the tables in the reports were created by using the DAS online application. Postsecondary Education Quick Information System (PEQIS) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The Postsecondary Education Quick Information System (PEQIS) was created to quickly collect timely data on focused postsecondary education issues in the United States, without the need to wait for the large NCES recurring surveys. PEQIS employs a standing sample (panel) of approximately 1,600 U.S. postsecondary education institutions at the 2-year and 4-year level. The PEQIS site includes HTML and PDF versions of selected reports of PEQIS survey results. Private School Survey (PSS) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The Private School Survey (PSS) produces data for private elementary and secondary schools in the U.S., similar to that of the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) for the public schools. The PSS is conducted every 2 years with the first collection during the 1989-90. Data tables for 2001-02 are available in HTML and Excel, and a Private School Locator based on the data allows a search for private schools that match certain characteristics. Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD))
The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a system of international assessments that focus on 15-year-olds' capabilities in reading literacy, mathematics literacy, and science literacy. The countries participating in PISA are primarily from the OECD, but other countries such as Brazil and Indonesia have participated as well. PISA has been administered in 2000 and 2003, and is scheduled to continue every three years. Reports and data are available on the web site. Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and International Study Center, Boston College)
The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is a large international comparative study of the reading literacy of nine- and ten-year-old students. Thirty-five countries participated in PIRLS 2001, the first in a planned five-year cycle of trend studies. Data and reports are available for download on the site. An online data analysis tool is also available. Project GeoSim: Geography Education Software (Virginia Tech)
The following "modules" are available for download to various platforms:
Java applet versions of the programs are available from the main page as well.School District Demographics System (SDDS) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The School District Demographics System (SDDS) site provides access to school district geographic and demographic data useful for describing and analyzing characteristics of school districts, children, and K-12 education. The site draws on data from Census 2000 and 1990, including special tabulations, and intercensal estimates as well. Data can be downloaded or viewed as tables or maps. School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) collects information on school crime and safety from a national sample of school principals in U.S. elementary and secondary schools. The survey was conducted in 1999/2000 and again in 2003/2004, with plans to continue on a biennial schedule. Questionnaires and publications are available online as PDFs; data files may be ordered free of charge on CD-ROM from the U.S. Department of Education’s EdPubs ordering system. SchoolMatters (Standard & Poor’s)
The stated purpose of the SchoolMatters website is to “give policymakers, educators, and parents the tools they need to make better-informed decisions that improve student performance.” To do this, the site provides a searchable database covering the United States at three levels: state, school district, and school. The content covers student performance; spending, revenue, and taxes; school environment; and community demographics. Data is compiled from various surveys from the National Center for Education Statistics; state departments of education; the U.S. Census Bureau; and college preparatory test vendors. A "Compare" tool allows users to create a downloadable side-by-side comparison of key performance information for up to 5 states, districts, or schools, while a “Create Your Own Table” tool allows users to create a customized table to download for up to 100 schools or school districts across a set of key indicators. Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) is a nationwide sample survey of public and private schools in the United States, conducted periodically since 1987-88. Data tables from 1999-2000 are available online in HTML or Excel. A Questionnaire Item Bank allows access to questions and summary responses for all the years of the survey. Search for NCES Tables and Figures (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
This search tool lets you locate all tables/figures/charts published in the inventory of NCES' Education Statistics Quarterly; the NEDRC (National Education Data Resource Center) Postsecondary Table Library; the Condition of Education; the Digest of Education Statistics, and many other NCES publications. New tables are constantly being added to this database, whose contents now number in the thousands. In general, tables are displayed in ASCII or HTML and offer an Excel download option. SESTAT (National Science Foundation)
From the SESTAT site: "The Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System (SESTAT) is an integrated data collection effort capturing information about employment, educational, and demographic characteristics of scientists and engineers in the United States. The data are collected from three national surveys of this population: the National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG), the National Survey of Recent College Graduates (NSRCG), and the Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR).
The data collected from these three surveys are combined in a comprehensive, integrated database: SESTAT. Data are available for download, or through the SESTAT Data Tool, which allows users to generate custom data tables.
SESTAT provides information about the employment, educational, and demographic characteristics of scientists and engineers in the United States."
The java-based SESTAT software allows users to: generate a customized table, access commonly asked for tables, and view technical documentation. Free registration is required to use the full extent of the software. State Education Indicators (Council of Chief State School Officers)
According to their website, "the Council of Chief State School Officers is a nationwide, nonprofit organization composed of public officials who lead the departments responsible for elementary and secondary education" in the United States. The State Education Indicators section of their web site provides links to HTML and PDF reports with charts and tables, reporting on the state education data collection that they promote. State Politics and Policy Quarterly – Data Resource (State Politics and Policy Quarterly)
The SPPQ Data Resource compiles 50 variables from various sources, for the United States by state, covering the following areas: population and vital statistics; politics; education; crime; and business & economy. Most variables are annual figures, and some go back as far as 1975. Download the entire set or a single subject area, in Excel format. A codebook in Word is also available for download. Statistical Accounts of Scotland (EDINA)
In celebration of its 5th anniversary, the EDINA National Datacentre has made available the Statistical Accounts of Scotland dataset. These data, collected by parish ministers in the 1790s and the 1830s, provide a rich record of topics such as: wealth, class and poverty; climate, agriculture, fishing and wildlife; population, schools, and the moral health of the people. A free login is required. Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development (National Science Foundation (NSF))
This survey, conducted by the National Science Foundation, annually collects data on current funding levels and future obligations for research and development by U.S. federal agencies and their subdivisions. It provides a consistent time series on federal research and development (R&D) support broken down by character of work, type of performer, field of science and engineering, and geographic distribution. Reports and tables are available in spreadsheet or ASCII format (Excel table links are embedded within HTML reports). Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (National Science Foundation)
This site contains publications and data files related to the NSF's Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (otherwise known as the Graduate Student Survey). The Condition of Education (COE) (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education)
The Condition of Education (COE) site is the web counterpart to a congressionally-mandated annual NCES print publication. The Condition of Education report presents 40 indicators of various trends and developments in education in the United States. The indicators are drawn from various NCES sources and surveys. The US Counties IN Profile (Stats Indiana and Indiana Business Research Center, Indiana University Kelley School of Business)
“The US Counties IN Profile” allows users to pick a state and county and see how they are ranked in terms of various statistical categories. Categories include population, number of households, labor force, unemployment rate, per capita personal income, poverty rate, and many others. Users can choose the state, and then choose a county and also see how the county ranks in terms of other counties within the state. Also available are comparisons between two counties. Data is provided in HTML tables only. Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and International Study Center, Boston College)
TIMSS is a collaborative research project sponsored by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). Over 40 countries participated, with 5 grades assessed in 2 subjects (math and sciences), and over a million students tested in 31 different languages. The site includes downloadable data files (ASCII, SAS, SPSS) and PDF codebooks for the 1995, 1999 and 2003 surveys, plus reports and other documents. An online data analysis tool is also available. Continuing the four-year cycle, a 2007 survey is planned. TransMONEE: Database of Socio-Economic Indicators for CEE/CIS Countries (United Nations Children's Fund and Innocenti Research Center)
TransMONEE contains over 150 economic and social indicators divided into ten different topics (population, natality, child and maternal mortality, life expectancy and adult mortality, family formation, health, education, child protection, crime indicators, and economic indicators) for 27 transition countries in Central Europe and the former Soviet Union. Annual time series data is available as far back as 1989. The TransMONEE data and country profiles are both available in Excel format. U.S. Department of Education (U.S. Department of Education)
This is the U.S. Department of Education Web site. Click on the "Research and Statistics" link in the brown box on the right for the statistical area of the site. UNdata (United Nations)
The United Nations is undertaking to bring together many of its various statistical databases under a single interface, at UNdata. As of February 2008, UNdata carries 14 databases containing over 55 million data points, covering a range of topics including population, industry, energy, trade and national accounts. The databases are accessible either by keyword searching from a single search page, or through a menu of databases. UNdata will be replacing the UN Common Database, which is slated to be discontinued in the summer of 2008. Indicators formerly offered through the UN Common Database will be listed under Key Global Indicators, and will be searchable through the main interface as well. However, the trade information in UNdata will not be replacing UN Comtrade, which will continue to cover a deeper and more fully-featured set of merchandise statistics. Understanding Social Statistics (Jane Fielding and Nigel Gilbert)
A companion website to the 2000 book of the same title by Jane Fielding and Nigel Gilbert. The site offers downloadable data sets, including the 1991 and 1995 General Household Survey . It also includes subsets of the World Bank’s Socioeconomic Indicators of Development, plus exercises to learn how to read and use data. Examples of statistical tables and a glossary are also included on the site. UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) ()
(From the UIS web site) "The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) was established in July 1999 to meet the growing needs of UNESCO Member States and the international community for a wider range of policy-relevant, timely, and reliable statistics in the fields of education, science and technology, culture and communication." Statistics on the site fall into five categories: Education, Literacy, World Education Indicators Programme, Culture and Communication, and Science and Technology. Many of the tables can be manipulated through the Beyond 20/20 web interface, with downloads available in CSV and Excel; others are only available as Excel files. The site also carries questionnaires and manuals for ongoing surveys, and related articles and reports. Note that since the UIS was founded in 1999, in general the tables only go back to 1999 as well. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (United Nations Children's Fund)
This is the official home page for UNICEF. There is a wealth of information available, as well as statistical data broken down by country, in addition to various world maps for selected indicators. Statistics may be accessed under the "Information Resources" link. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO))
This site offers information on current events, publications, information services, programmes, statistics, and legal instruments. WebCASPAR (National Science Foundation)
WebCASPAR bills itself as an "integrated science and engineering resources data system." The database system is a collection of statistical data from several surveys in higher education from NSF and NCES via a web-based extraction form, allowing users to create tables (or view pre-defined tables). Includes institution-level data. Free registration is required to be able to customize the search fully. Wisconsin Public Library Statistics (Department of Public Instruction)
Contains statistics gathered at the library, local, county and state levels in spreadsheet format, for 1996-2004. Variables include branches, hours of operation, collections, circulation, ILL, programming, staffing, appropriations, income, salaries, other budget information, and service population. World Data on Education (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO))
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization provides tables of education data for 161 countries worldwide, "with a particular emphasis on curricula and curriculum development processes." Topics of tables include: population, illiteracy, teaching staff, enrollment levels, enrollment ratios, public expenditures on education, teacher training, number of libraries, book production, and more. The database can also be ordered on a CD-ROM free of charge. Both the current and the most recent edition can be accessed online. World Development Indicators (UW-Madison Subscription) (World Bank)
The World Development Indicators (WDI) is the World Bank's premier annual compilation of data about development. The latest WDI includes approximately 800 indicators in 87 tables, organized in six sections: World View, People, Environment, Economy, States and Markets, and Global Links. The tables cover 152 economies and 14 country groups-with basic indicators for a further 55 economies. WDI timeseries data begins in 1960. The latest "print version" is online at http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.web/worlddevelopmentindicatorstext. Note: UW-Madison subscribes via IP-authentication.
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