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August 31, 2006
Major Upgrade to the MEPS [Medical Expenditure Panel Survey] Web site Coming Soon
During the first week of September 2006, there will be significant changes to the MEPS Web site. This is the first major upgrade to the MEPS site since its initial launching over a decade ago.
The new MEPS Web site will be more user-friendly. Content on the current site is sometimes difficult to locate and often requires going through multiple Web pages; the new site will have a more logical structure and will provide multiple ways to find the information you are seeking in fewer steps.
The new MEPS Web site will have a lot of new content. A few examples include a complete set of MEPS Household Component questionnaires for all survey years; an index of topics that provides links to tables, files, and publications by specific areas of interest; improved survey methods documentation, including survey sample sizes and response rates by year; MEPS Insurance Component State data in spreadsheet formats for all prior years; and improved documentation throughout the site.
The new MEPS Web site will have more powerful databases and search engines. This will improve the speed, quality, and reliability of searches and downloads of public use files, publications, and tables.
The new MEPS Web site will be upgraded to meet all current Federal Web standards.
As with any change, there will be a transition period for those used to the current site. For example, if you have bookmarked pages in the current site, they will no longer function once the new site is activated. If you have problems finding the information you need, please contact us at MEPSProjectDirector@ahrq.hhs.gov and we will be glad to help you navigate the new MEPS Web site.
Posted by ronbo at 01:37 PM
NCES Newsflash: NCES has released the searchable and downloadable database of The Postsecondary Education Facilities Inventory and Classification Manual (FICM), 2006 Edition.
The manual describes standard practices for initiating, conducting, reporting, and maintaining a postsecondary institutional facilities inventory. It is designed to be useful to both specialized staff and generalists and to be applicable to institutions with sophisticated information needs as well as to those with more basic facilities information needs. It reflects the perspective that along with human resources and financial assets, space is one of the primary resources of a postsecondary educational institution. It provides updated definitions for building area measurements, space and room use codes, and other data elements that are useful for including in a facilities inventory. It describes the basic principles for developing a facilities database, provides guidance on required and optional data elements for inclusion in a facilities inventory suggests analytic, administrative and comparative uses for facilities data and presents issues that are emerging in the collection, maintenance and reporting of facilities data.
To access The Postsecondary Education Facilities Inventory and Classification Manual, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/ficm
Posted by ronbo at 11:39 AM
August 29, 2006
Roper Center Data Acquisitions Update, July 2006
Click here for a list of new additions to the Roper Center data archive that are now available to Center Members via Roper Express.
Stanford University Libraries maintains a membership to the Roper Center and Stanford faculty, staff, and students can now download data directly accessible via Roper Express. For instructions on requesting data not available via Roper Express, click on the "Data Services - Roper" link on our SSDS web site.
This month the attached PDF contains:
• 3 new Cable News Network/USA Today Polls conducted by Gallup Organization from February-March, 2006 including The Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina sample of New Orleans residents.
• Public Attitudes Toward Painkiller Abuse conducted by Schulman, Ronca, & Bucuvalas, Inc. for Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc. from May 13-June 14, 2005.
• Politics and Public Service & College Undergraduate 4 polls conducted by Institute of Politics at Harvard University in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.
These notices have been archived on the Roper Center website at:
http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/dataacq/yeartodate.html
If you have any questions about these data collections please do not hesitate to contact the Roper Center at rcweb@ropercenter.uconn.edu.
Posted by ronbo at 03:47 PM
American Community Survey Alert, Number 41
(released August 29, 2006)
Informing you about news, events, data releases, congressional action and other developments associated with the American Community Survey (ACS).
News in this Alert
* U.S. Census Bureau Releases 2005 ACS Economic Estimates; data are first from full implementation of ACS
* ACS Reference Guides Now Available ______________________________________________________________________
* U.S. Census Bureau Releases 2005 ACS Economic Estimates; data are first from full implementation of ACS
The U.S. Census Bureau today released the 2005 American Community Survey (ACS) data on economic characteristics for the nation, all 50 states and the District of Columbia, every congressional district and all counties and places with 65,000 population or more. Economic characteristics for Puerto Rico and 12 municipios and other geographic areas in Puerto Rico also were released based on the Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS).
These data were released in conjunction with the Census Bureau’s annual release of income, poverty and health insurance data.
Today’s release covers nearly 7,000 geographic entities and marks the first year that ACS data are available for areas with populations of less than 250,000. It is part of the full implementation of the survey, which will provide updated data on an annual basis for all levels of geography (including census tracts and block groups) by 2010.
Reported characteristics include: *Income *Poverty *Employment status *Occupation *Industry *Journey to work
ACS 2005 PUMS data also were released today and may be found at: < http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/acs_pums_2005.html>.
The physical and financial characteristics of housing estimates are planned for release on Oct. 3. Additionally, selected population profiles with data by race, Hispanic origin and ancestry will be released on Nov. 14. Comparable PRCS data will also be released under the same schedule.
* ACS Reference Guides Now Available
The Census Bureau has developed several products to assist data users in understanding the 2005 ACS data. Using Data from the 2005 American Community Survey is a handbook for users that covers a broad set of topics relating directly to the 2005 ACS. It is available in PDF format and can be downloaded for use as a reference document. The Guide to the ACS Data Products is an online tool that allows users to obtain additional information about the 2005 data products. The ACS Data User Training Guide is a set of PowerPoint presentations that you can use to train general audiences about the ACS.
These documents may be found on the ACS Web site (www.census.gov/acs/www) under the tab labeled “Using the Data.”
Contact Us
If you have questions or comments about the American Community Survey, please call (888) 346-9682 or e-mail < cmo.acs@census.gov >.
Posted by ronbo at 03:30 PM
From the ESS User Bulletin 6, August 2006: ESS News
Round 3 fieldwork
Round 3 fieldwork will be getting underway at the start of September 2006. The first data release from the ESS Data Website http://ess.nsd.uib.no will be in the autumn of 2007. Please click here if you would like to see the Questionnaire.
This round's rotating modules are:
o Personal and Social Well-being: Creating indicators for a flourishing Europe
This module seeks to evaluate the success of European countries at promoting the personal and social well-being of their citizens and represents the first systematic attempt to create a set of policy-relevant national well-being accounts.
o The Timing of Life: The organisation of the life course in Europe
The module aims at furthering our understanding of the views of European citizens on the organisation of the life course and of their strategies to influence and plan their own lives.
So far 25 countries have confirmed their participation for Round 3:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and United Kingdom
ESS Infrastructure Award gets underway
In May 2006 the survey's Central Co-ordinating Team was delighted to start work on a grant by the European Commission to fund Infrastructure activities over the next five years. The activities include Networking, Access and Joint Research activities.
Networking activities include quality enhancement meetings to improve methodology in cross-national surveys, improvements to the ESS websites, a new on-line ESS bibliography and new on-line training modules using ESS data. In addition there will be new methodological work conducted by a network of researchers aimed at developing event reporting, as well as a series of training courses for young researchers.
Access activities include improving web-based access to substantive, methodological and process data, metadata and protocols. These will include access to a cumulative dataset in due course.
Joint Research activities include a programme of research into mixed mode data collection, research investigating improving representativeness and response rates and a vast programme of research looking at the reliability and validity of ESS questions and possible data corrections for measurement error.
More details will appear on the ESS website shortly.
About the ESS
The European Social Survey (ESS) is an academically-driven social survey designed to chart and explain the interaction between Europe's changing institutions and the attitudes, beliefs and behaviour patterns of its diverse populations. The survey covers over 25 European nations and employs rigorous methodology. Funding for the central design and coordination of the ESS comes from the European Commission via its Framework Programmes, supplemented by support from the European Science Foundation which initiated the project. Funding for national data collection and coordination comes from funding agencies in participating countries.
The project is directed by a Central Co-ordinating Team:
City University: Roger Jowell, Rory Fitzgerald, Caroline Roberts, Gillian Eva, Daniella Hawkins, Mary Keane http://www.city.ac.uk/
University of Leuven: Jaak Billiet http://www.kuleuven.ac.be/sociologie/ENG/onderzoekeng/ispoeng/index.htm
NSD Norway: Bjorn Henrichsen, Kirstine Kolsrud, Knut Kalgraff Skjåk http://ess.nsd.uib.no/
ZUMA Germany : Peter Mohler, Janet Harkness, Sabine Haeder, Achim Koch, Annelies Blom http://www.gesis.org/en/zuma/index.htm
University of Amsterdam: Willem Saris, Irmtraud Gallhofer http://www.english.uva.nl/
SCP Netherlands : Ineke Stoop http://www.scp.nl/english/index.shtml
To contact the CCT via the London office e-mail: ess@city.ac.uk
Posted by ronbo at 03:23 PM
NCES Newsflash: NEW NCES REPORT! - Age 2: Findings From the 2-Year-Old Follow-up of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B)
The new NCES report, Age 2: Findings From the 2-year-old Follow-up of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (NCES 2006-043) shows the wide range of skills and abilities demonstrated by children at an early age. For example, 84 percent of children recognize and understand certain spoken words at about 2 years of age, while 4 percent show beginning counting skills.
The findings in the report are based on the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort, which is following the progress of about 10,000 children, representative of the approximately 4 million children born in the United States in 2001. It is the first national effort to assess directly children’s early mental and physical development, their relationships with parents, the quality of their early care and education, and the contributions of both mothers and fathers in their lives.
Other findings from the report include:
* Thirty-two percent of the toddlers could match or differentiate objects, for example, by color.
* Twenty-one percent lived in poverty, and 14 percent of children born in 2001 lived in poverty both when they were about 9 months old and when they were about 2 years old.
* About half, 49 percent, received care from someone other than a parent on a regular basis.
* Of those in center-based care, 9 percent were in what was considered low-quality care, 66 percent were in medium-quality care, and 24 percent were in high-quality care, according to assessments conducted by trained observers. Among 2-year-olds who were cared for in a private home, 36 percent were considered to have low-quality care, 57 percent were in medium-quality care, and 7 percent had high-quality care.
* Just over three-quarters of the children (76 percent) lived with their biological fathers when they were about 2 years old.
To download, view and print the publication as a PDF file, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006043
The data upon which this report is based are available in the ECLS-B Longitudinal 9-Month–2-Year Restricted-Use Data File and Electronic Codebook (NCES 2006-044). For information about ordering these data, which are only available in restricted-use format, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006044
Posted by ronbo at 03:18 PM
From the MEPS list: Continuing Education Institute Workshop
AHRQ's Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and the American Public Health Association Continuing Education Institute Workshop Set for November 4
The Continuing Education Institute (CEI) on the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component (MEPS HC) is sponsoring a 1-day workshop on November 4 in Boston, MA, to provide an in-depth learning experience concerning MEPS. The purpose of this workshop is to facilitate the use of the MEPS HC public use data files by the health services research community. To attend the CEI, a separate registration fee of $225 is required. The MEPS workshop is approved for CME, CHES, and nursing contact hours credits. See http://www.apha.org/meetings/continuing_ed.htm for registration materials and more information.
Posted by ronbo at 03:06 PM
August 25, 2006
Recent ICPSR updates and additions - August 25, 2006
Below is a list of new data collection additions to the ICPSR data archive along with a list of released data collections that have been updated:
NEW ADDITIONS:
4467 Uniform Crime Reporting Program Data [United States]: Hate Crime Data, 2004
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04467.xml
4539 Supplemental Survey of Civil Appeals, 2001 [United States]
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04539.xml
4465 Uniform Crime Reporting Program Data [United States]: Supplementary Homicide Reports, 2004
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04465.xml
4463 Uniform Crime Reporting Program Data [United States]: Property Stolen and Recovered, 2004
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04463.xml
4459 Uniform Crime Reporting Program Data [United States]: Offenses Known and Clearances by Arrest, 2004
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04459.xml
4462 Uniform Crime Reporting Program Data [United States]: Police Employee (LEOKA) Data, 2004
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04462.xml
UPDATES:
6367 Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of the Lifestyles and Values of Youth, 1993
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/06367.xml
You can also view a list of all studies added and updated in the last ninety days by visiting the ICPSR Web site at http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/.
Posted by ronbo at 03:28 PM
NCES Newsflash: State Education Reform Website
NCES has just updated the State Education Reforms (SER) website. This website was first based on the report Overview and Inventory of State Education Reforms: 1990 to 2000, and is updated periodically to incorporate new data on state education reform activities.
The SER website, which draws primarily on data collected by organizations other than NCES, compiles and disseminates data on state-level education reform efforts in four areas: 1) standards, assessment, and accountability, 2) school finance reforms, 3) resources for learning, and 4) state support for school choice options. Specific reform areas include student and teacher assessments, adequate yearly progress, state-wide exit exams, highly qualified teachers, open enrollments laws, and charter schools.
To view the State Education Reforms website, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/statereform/
Posted by ronbo at 01:39 PM
August 24, 2006
NCES Newsflash: UserXs Guide to Computing High School Graduation Rates
NCES has just released the 'User’s Guide to Computing High School Graduation Rates, Volume 1: Review of Current and Proposed Graduation Indicators' and the 'User’s Guide to Computing High School Graduation Rates, Volume 2: Technical Evaluation of Proxy Graduation Indicators.'
The first volume of this report examines the existing measures of high school completion and the newly proposed proxy measures. This includes a description of the computational formulas, the data required for each indicator, the assumptions underlying each formula, the strengths and weaknesses of each indicator relative to a true cohort on-time graduation rate, and a consideration of the conditions under which each indicator does or does not work. The second volume of this report provides documentation of the technical work that the Department leadership used to select an interim graduation rate. The analysis in volume 2 draws upon the student record data from two states to compute the true cohort on-time graduation rate for each of those states, to compute the proxy graduation measures for each of these states, and to compare the performance of each proxy indicator to that of the true cohort rate. The Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate (AFGR) indicator is the only measure that is consistently among the best performing indicators in each analysis.
To download, view and print Volume 1 as a pdf file, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006604
To download, view and print Volume 2 as a pdf file, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006605
Posted by ronbo at 10:37 AM
August 23, 2006
NCES Newsflash: NEW NCES REPORT! - E.D. TAB: Public Libraries in the United States: Fiscal Year 2004
This report includes national and state summary data on public libraries in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, with an introduction, findings, and numerous tables. The report is based on data from the Public Libraries Survey for fiscal year 2004, and includes information on population of legal service area, service outlets, public service hours, library materials, total circulation, circulation of children’s materials, reference transactions, library visits, children’s program attendance, interlibrary loans, electronic services and information, full-time-equivalent staff, operating revenue and expenditures, and capital expenditures. The report includes several key findings: Nationwide, library visits to public libraries totaled 1.3 billion, or 4.7 library visits per capita. The average number of Internet terminals available for public use per stationary outlet was 10.3.
To download, view and print the publication as a PDF file, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006349
Posted by ronbo at 07:33 PM
NCES Newsflash: Student Financing of Undergraduate Education: 2003-04
NCES has just released, 'Student Financing of Undergraduate Education: 2003-04 With a Special Analysis of the Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits.' This report, based on data from the 2003-04 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04), provides detailed information about undergraduate tuition and total price of attendance at various types of institutions, the percentage of students receiving various types of financial aid, and the average amounts that they received. In 2003-04, three-quarters of all full-time undergraduates received some type of financial aid ($9,900 average). One-half took out student loans ($6,200 average), and 62 percent received grants ($5,600 average). Forty percent received both grants and loans (combined average $13,600). The average tuition and fees for full-time undergraduates in 2003-04 were $2,000 at public 2-year, $5,400 at public 4-year, and $18,400 at private not-for-profit 4-year institutions. About one-fourth of full-time undergraduates did not pay any tuition, because the entire tuition amount was covered by grants. Nearly one-half of full-time low-income dependent undergraduates had their entire tuition amount covered by grant aid. The total price of attendance (tuition plus room and board and other expenses) for full-time undergraduates in 2003-04 was $10,500 at public 2-year, $15,200 at public 4-year, and $28,300 at private not-for-profit 4-year institutions. After subtracting all financial aid (including loans), the average out-of-pocket net price of attendance for full-time low-income dependent undergraduates was $6,000 at public 2-year, $5,600 at public 4-year and $9,200 at private nonprofit 4-year institutions. In addition, this report presents estimates of the federal education tax benefits for students (Hope and Lifetime Learning tax credits, and tuition deductions): nearly one-half (49 percent) of all undergraduates or their parents had their taxes reduced by an average of $600 by claiming these benefits. Middle-income students were the most likely to receive these tax benefits. Among the families of upper-middle-income students, more than two-thirds (69 percent) received an average reduction in federal taxes of $1,100.
To download, view and print the report as a pdf file, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006186
Posted by ronbo at 04:15 PM
August 22, 2006
NCES Newsflash: New NAEP Report: A Closer Look at Charter Schools Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling
A Closer Look at Charter Schools Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (NCES 2006-460) was released today. A special oversample of charter schools, conducted as part of the 2003 fourth-grade NAEP assessments, permitted a comparison of academic achievement for students enrolled in charter schools to that for students enrolled in traditional public schools. The school sample comprised 150 charter schools and 6,764 traditional public schools.
The report uses hierarchical linear models (HLMs) to examine differences between the two types of schools when multiple student and/or school characteristics are taken into account. After adjusting for student demographic characteristics, charter school mean scores in reading and mathematics were lower, on average, than those for traditional public schools. The size of these differences was smaller in reading than in mathematics. Results from the second analysis showed that in reading and mathematics, average performance differences between traditional public schools and charter schools affiliated with a public school district were not statistically significant, while charter schools not affiliated with a public school district scored significantly lower on average than traditional public schools.
The executive summary for this report is: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pubs/studies/2006460.asp
The report may be downloaded at: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006460
The NAEP pilot study on charter schools is described at: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/studies/charter/
Posted by ronbo at 04:27 PM
August 21, 2006
From SIPP Users List - Digest, Volume 1, #243
On August 24, 2006, the Bureau of the Census will conduct a meeting to discuss the re-engineering of the Survey of Income and Program
Participation (SIPP) specifically, the content of the new survey. The meeting will be held in the Gannett/Hollerith conference rooms at the U.S. Census Bureau Headquarters, 4700 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, Maryland. The meeting will begin at approximately 10 a.m. and adjourn at approximately 12 noon. The meeting is open to the public and seating is available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
The SIPP has been the primary data source used by policymakers to evaluate the effectiveness of government programs and to analyze the impacts of options for modifying them. The SIPP’s longitudinal design has many advantages, but imposes considerable burden on respondents and makes review and data processing difficult and time-consuming. The re-engineered system, to be known as the dynamics of economic well-being system, is expected to reduce respondent burden and attrition and deliver data on a timely basis. Although it will not supply the same level of detail as the SIPP, its design must offer policymakers and researchers data that address the same basic issues.
A major goal of this new system is to develop monthly estimates of whether and how much individuals participate in cash-assistance programs, and to include a longitudinal component. For more information about the new system see www.sipp.census.gov/sipp/dewb.html. Also, suggestions about content in the new system can be conveyed by completing the stakeholder matrix at the same web site.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Johnson, Chief, Housing and
Household Economics Statistics Division, Department of Commerce, U.S.
Census Bureau, Room 1071, Federal Building 3, Washington, DC 20233. His telephone number is (301) 763-6443.
Posted by ronbo at 08:10 PM
From the Census Product Update - August 11, 2006
Fact of the Day
Business Statistics for ZIP Code Areas
Running short of gas as you enter the Smokies? In Asheville, NC, the gateway to the Smokies, the ZIP Code where you are most likely to find a gas station is 28806. It had 29 gas stations counted in the 2002 Economic Census - most in the Asheville area. The Census Bureau has released ZIP Code statistics for eight of the 18 economic sectors covered in the Economic Census. American FactFinder lets you access these statistics by census division (e.g., South Atlantic States) and further narrow your search by geography, industry, or sales size.
Hot Tip
Save or Send Your Search in American FactFinder!
Created a table in the American FactFinder you want to share with others? Here's a simple and quick way to send your AFF results page to a colleague or customer. Once you have the results on your screen, copy the URL address (it is often quite long and may not appear to make sense, but it will work) into an email. The recipient of your email can then click on the URL and see the exact data table or map that you created in American FactFinder. In addition, to save an American FactFinder data table or map, you can bookmark the page that has your results (as you would bookmark any other web page) so that you can easily access the page any time in the future.
Posted by ronbo at 06:20 PM
American Community Survey Alert, Number 40 (released August 15, 2006)
U.S. Census Bureau Releases 2005 ACS Social and Demographic Estimates; data are first from full implementation of ACS
The U.S. Census Bureau today released the 2005 American Community Survey (ACS) data on social and demographic characteristics for the nation, all 50 states and the District of Columbia, every congressional district and all counties and places with populations of 65,000 or more. In addition, data on demographic and social characteristics for Puerto Rico and 12 municipios and other geographic areas in Puerto Rico also were released. These data are based on the Puerto Rico Community Survey.
Today’s release covers nearly 7,000 geographic entities and marks the first time that ACS data are available for areas with populations of less than 250,000. It is part of the full implementation of the survey, which will provide updated data on an annual basis for all levels of geography (including census tracts and block groups) by 2010.
Reported characteristics include:
*Race and ethnicity
*Ancestry
*Origins and language
*Age and sex
*Education
*Marital status
*Grandparents as caregivers
*Veteran status
*Disability status
*Household size
*Citizenship and year of entry
The data may be found at: http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DatasetMainPageServlet?_program=ACS&_submenuId=&_lang=en&_ts=
Economic data will be released in conjunction with the Census Bureau’s annual release of income, poverty and health insurance data on August 29, with physical and financial characteristics of housing planned for release on October 3. Additionally, selected population profiles with data by race, Hispanic origin and ancestry will be released on November 14. Comparable data from the Puerto Rico Community Survey will also be released under the same schedule.
Online “Guide to the 2005 ACS Data Products" Now Available
An online "Guide to the 2005 ACS Data Products" was recently released. Included in the Guide are a list of data products, a list of geographical areas for which data are available and step-by-step instructions for accessing the data on the Census Bureau's American FactFinder (AFF) site. The Guide may be found at: http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/index.htm
In addition, the “2005 ACS Data User Guide” that is designed to help data users understand the types of data available from the ACS and how to interpret these data will be available shortly.
A similar user guide for the Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS) will be released in Spanish in the next few weeks.
Contact Us
If you have questions or comments about the American Community Survey, please call (888) 346-9682 or e-mail < cmo.acs@census.gov >.
Posted by ronbo at 05:41 PM
NCES Newsflash: National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Research Opportunity!
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) Research Grants Program is accepting applications with deadlines of September 1, 2006, January 5, 2007, and March 1, 2007.
The program's goals are:
(1) to stimulate research on issues related to U.S. education policy and practice using National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and National Science Foundation (NSF) data sets; (2) to improve the educational research community's firsthand knowledge of the range of data available at the two agencies and how to use them; and (3) to increase the number of educational researchers using the data sets.
Underrepresented minority researchers are strongly encouraged to apply. More information about this program is available at: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/researchcenter/funding.asp
Researchers have used NAEP data in combination with other NCES data sets such as those from the Common Core of Data, High School Transcript Studies, and Schools and Staffing Survey. Other NCES databases such as Early Childhood Longitudinal Study and National Public Education Financial Survey may also be used with this program; see descriptions at: http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/
Posted by ronbo at 02:03 PM
August 18, 2006
NCES Newsflash: Applications are now being accepted for the NCES Cooperative System Fellows Program
The Cooperative System Fellows Program consists of a yearly 1-week training and technical assistance program delivered on-site at NCES for approximately 30 local/state/higher education/library participants. The next session will take place November 13-17, 2006.
Attendees may expect to -
Increase their knowledge of the organization, operation, and programs at NCES; increase understanding and use of national education statistics; increase NCES's understanding of and responsiveness to the issues and challenges facing LEAs, states, institutions of higher education, and library agencies in collecting and reporting education data; and build a local/state/higher education/federal network of data professionals working together to improve the process and results of data collections.
The online application will be accepted through September 8, 2006 and is available at:
http://nces.ed.gov/whatsnew/conferences/confinfo.asp?confid=10
For more information please contact Mary McCrory -- mary.mccrory@ed.gov
Posted by ronbo at 02:31 PM
Recent ICPSR updates and addition - August 18, 2006
Below is a list of new data collection additions to the ICPSR data archive along with a list of released data collections that have been updated:
NEW ADDITIONS:
3951 Eurobarometer 60.0: Consumer Rights, Data Protection, Education Through Sport, Product Safety, E-Commerce, Attitudes Towards People With Disabilities, and the Euro, September 2003
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/03951.xml
4293 American National Election Studies: 2004 Panel Study
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04293.xml
4350 Candidate Countries Eurobarometer 2004.1, February-March 2004
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04350.xml
4374 Current Population Survey, March/April 1984 Match Files: Alimony and Child Support
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04374.xml
UPDATES:
3363 Eurobarometer 56.0: Information and Communication Technologies, Financial Services, and Cultural Activities, August-September 2001
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/03363.xml
3661 Eurobarometer 58.0: Services of General Interest, New Technologies, ICT, Health, Environment, and Public Safety, September-October 2002
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/03661.xml
7104 Social Bases of West German Politics, 1953
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/07104.xml
7255 Negro Political Participation Study, 1961-1962
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/07255.xml
You can also view a list of all studies added and updated in the last
ninety days by visiting the ICPSR Web site at http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/.
Posted by ronbo at 02:03 PM
August 10, 2006
NCES Newsflash: NEW NCES REPORT! - Digest of Education Statistics, 2005
The 41st in a series of publications initiated in 1962, the Digest’s primary purpose is to provide a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field of American education from prekindergarten through graduate school. The Digest contains data on a variety of topics, including the number of schools and colleges, teachers, enrollments, and graduates, in addition to educational attainment, finances, and federal funds for education, libraries, and international comparisons. Some examples of highlights from the report include the following items. Enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools rose 22 percent between 1985 and 2005. The fastest public school growth occurred in the elementary grades (prekindergarten through grade 8), where enrollment rose 24 percent over this period, from 27.0 million to 33.5 million. Public secondary school enrollment declined 8 percent from 1985 to 1990, but then rose 31 percent from 1990 to 2005, for a net increase of 20 percent. The number of public school teachers has risen faster than the number of students over the past 10 years, resulting in declines in the pupil/teacher ratio. Between 1994 and 2004, the number of full-time college students increased by 30 percent compared to an 8 percent increase in part-time students. During the same time period, the number of men enrolled rose 16 percent, while the number of women enrolled increased by 25 percent.
To download, view and print the publication as a PDF file, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006030
Posted by ronbo at 03:04 PM
August 08, 2006
NCES Newsflash: Qualifications of Public Secondary School History Teachers
NCES has just released the report 'Qualifications of Public Secondary School History Teachers, 1999–2000.' Previous studies of the qualifications of elementary and secondary school teachers have focused on whether teachers have educational backgrounds (a postsecondary major/minor or equivalent) and state certification that match the subjects they teach. If not, they are commonly considered “out-of-field.” This Issue Brief reports the combination of certifications and majors and minors to which secondary-level history students are exposed and how these qualifications vary across schools with differing levels of student poverty. Data from the NCES 1999-2000 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) teacher and school questionnaires indicate that students in the lowest poverty schools were the least likely to have a teacher with both an out-of-field certification and an out-of-field major or minor.
To download, view and print the report as a pdf file, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006004
Posted by ronbo at 12:07 AM
August 07, 2006
Recent ICPSR updates and additions] -August 07, 2006
Below is a list of new data collection additions to the ICPSR data archive along with a list of released data collections that have been updated:
NEW ADDITIONS:
3992 Eurobarometer 60.2: Employment and Social Policies, Financial Services, Harmful Internet Content, and Product Safety, November-December 2003
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/03992.xml
4307 Domestic Violence Experiment in King's County (Brooklyn), New York, 1995-1997
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04307.xml
4470 Survey of Program Dynamics (SPD) Third Longitudinal File: Data Years 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04470.xml
4534 Survey of Program Dynamics (SPD), 2000: Cross-Sectional File
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04534.xml
UPDATES:
3341 Eurobarometer 55.2: Science and Technology, Agriculture, the Euro, and Internet Access, May-June 2001
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/03341.xml
4256 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS), 2004: [United States]
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04256.xml
4438 National Comorbidity Survey: Replication (NCS-R), 2001-2003
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04438.xml
7110 German National Election Panel Study, 1972
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/07110.xml
You can also view a list of all studies added and updated in the last
ninety days by visiting the ICPSR Web site at http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/.
Posted by ronbo at 11:28 PM
August 02, 2006
NCES Newsflash: NEW NCES REPORT! - Changes in Staff Distribution and Salaries of Full-Time Employees in Postsecondary Institutions: Fall 1993X2003
Using data from the 1993 and 2003 Fall Staff Surveys, a component of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), this report examines the change in the number and composition of staff in U.S. postsecondary institutions and the change in average salaries of full-time staff between fall 1993 and fall 2003. Over the decade, the growth of the workforce at colleges and universities outpaced the growth of both the civilian labor force and student enrollment, continuing a pattern that began in the 1970s. The growth rate was higher for part-time employees than full-time employees, for female staff than male staff, for racial/ethnic minorities than Whites, and for professionals than
nonprofessionals. Although the average salaries of full-time employees increased for each of the seven primary occupation categories, only the rate of increase for executive, administrative, and managerial positions (17 percent) exceeded the median for the overall U.S. family income (14 percent).
To download, view and print the publication as a PDF file, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006152
Posted by ronbo at 03:53 PM
Roper Center Newsletter, August 2006
Tip of the month!!
The University of Connecticut and the Board of Directors of the Roper Center are pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Mark Abrahamson as Executive Director of the Roper Center. Abrahamson has been a Professor of Sociology at the University of Connecticut since 1976. During this period he has also served the University as Department Head, Dean and Vice Provost. He was also Program Director at the National Science Foundation. Professor Abrahamson is the author of over one dozen academic books and 40 articles. His appointment as Executive Director is for a period of three years.
Public Opinion Matters!--"Poverty"
http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/cgi-bin/hsrun.exe/roperweb/pom/pom.htx;start=HS_special_topics?Topic=poverty
Do you believe the United States has a poverty problem? Should the government be responsible for those who cannot take care of themselves? Does the United States welfare system need to be reformed? Find out how others feel about this social issue and more in this month's POM--Poverty.
Based on a new topic each month, POM offers a generous free sampling of related polling data and details of survey datasets held by the Roper Center, along with articles previously published in Public Perspective magazine.
Experience the depth of information housed in the Roper Center archives - The complete list of "Public Opinion Matters!" topics. http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/cgi-bin/hsrun.exe/Roperweb/pom/pom.htx;start=HS_pom_list
Newly spotlighted datasets http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/cgi-bin/hsrun.exe/roperweb/Catalog40/Catalog40.htx;start=HS_surveyspot
Updated as of August 1, 2006
Special studies of interest recently added to iPOLL. The database now contains nearly a half million questions!
http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/ipoll.html
Title: ETS Americans Speak on Education and Competitiveness Survey [May2006]
Source: Survey by Educational Testing Service.
Methodology: Conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates/Winston Group, May 22-June 2, 2006 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,215. Parallel national surveys were done of 150 high school administrators, 150 high school teachers, 231 public high school students, 151 college faculty, and 151 business and opinion leaders
Search for: Topic: 'education'; Organization: 'Peter D. Hart Research'; Date: '05/22/2006 to 05/22/2006'
Title: 2006 National Survey of Latinos [June2006]
Source: Survey by Pew Hispanic Center.
Methodology: Conducted by ICR-International Communications Research, June 5-July 5, 2006 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult hispanics sample of 2,000.
Search for: Topic: 'hispanics'; Date: '06/05/2006 to 06/05/2006 '
Title: ETS Americans Speak Out on High School Reform Survey [April2005]
Source: Survey by Educational Testing Service.
Methodology: Conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates/Winston Group, April 5-April 17, 2005 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult including oversamples of parents of k-12 students, adults in california, new jersey, and ohio. sample of 2,250. There were 1009 national adults with oversamples of 180 parents of K-12 students for a total of 666, 150 parents of high school students for a total of 371, 300 adults in California for a total of 439, 301 adults from New Jersey for a total of 319, and 309 adults in Ohio for a total of 393. Parallel national surveys of 300 high school administrators and 300 high school teachers were conducted. National adult responses are reported here.
Search for: Topic: 'education'; Organization: 'Peter D. Hart Research'; Date: '04/05/2005 to 04/05/2005'
Title: Patriotism Survey [May2006]
Source:
Methodology: Conducted by AARP, May 19-May 23, 2006 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 608. Interviews were conducted by ICR-International Communications Research.
Search for: Topic: 'patriotism'; Organization: 'AARP'; Date: '05/19/2006 to 05/19/2006'
Title: Health Pulse of America Survey [May2006]
Source:
Methodology: Conducted by Stony Brook University Center for Survey Research, May 22-July 2, 2006 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 737.
Search for: Topic: 'health'; Date: '05/22/2006 to 05/22/2006'
Title: Hurrricane Katrina Evacuees Survey [September,2005]
Source: Survey by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Washington Post, Harvard University.
Methodology: Conducted by ICR-International Communications Research, September 10-September 12, 2005 and based on personal interviews with a adult hurricane katrina evacuees residing in Houston shelters sample of 680.
Search for: Topic: 'disasters'; Organization: 'Kaiser Family Foundation'; Date: '09/10/2005 to 09/10/2005'
Title: American Household Debt Survey [April,2006]
Source: Survey by Center for American Progress, Center for Responsible Lending, National Military Families Association, AARP.
Methodology: Conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and Public Opinion Strategies, April 13-April 20, 2006 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,000.
Search for: Topic: 'finances'; Organization: 'Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research'; Date: '04/13/2006 to 04/13/2006'
Title: High-Risk Area Hurricane Survey [July,2006]
Source: Survey by Harvard School of Public Health Project on the Public and Biological Security.
Methodology: Conducted by ICR-International Communications Research, July 5-July 11, 2006 and based on telephone interviews with a adults in high hurricane risk counties of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas sample of 2,029.
Search for: Topic:' hurricane%'; Oorganization: 'ICR'; Date: '07/05/2006 to 07/05/2006'
Additional resources - Web sites with special survey samples
Greenberg, Quinlan Rosner Research Socially Responsible Investing: An Understanding of How SRI is viewed by TIAA-CREF Participants
http://www.greenbergresearch.com/index.php?ID=1709
Pew Global Attitudes Project Muslims in Europe : Economic Worries Top Concerns About Religious and Cultural Identity
http://pewglobal.org/reports/display.php?ReportID=254
Posted by ronbo at 03:45 PM
August 01, 2006
NCES Newsflash: NEW NCES REPORT! - Current Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2003-04
This brief publication contains data on current expenditures, by state, for public elementary and secondary education for school year 2003-04. It also contains data by state, on median current expenditure per student by school districts, and current expenditures per student by districts at the 5th and 95th percentile. State average current expenditures per student are also included in this report.
To download, view and print the publication as a PDF file, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006352
Posted by ronbo at 04:25 PM