The Condition of Education, 2000.

"The Condition of Education, 2000" is an indicator report, summarizing the health of education, monitoring important developments, and showing trends in major aspects of education. Indicators examine relationships; show changes over time; compare or contrast subpopulations, regions, or countries; or assess characteristics of students from different backgrounds and types of schools. An indicator is policy relevant and problem oriented; it typically incorporates a standard against which to judge progress or regression. Each year about 60 indicators are selected that represent a consensus of professional judgment about significant national measures of the condition and progress of education at this time. The report leads with an essay on the knowledge, skills, and behaviors that entering kindergartners bring to school. The essay summarizes the initial results of a national, longitudinal study that is tracking the progress of these kindergartners through the elementary grades. Data from the study suggest the range of development that kindergarten teachers work with and that subsequent schooling needs to address. The indicators that follow the essay are in six sections: (1) Participation in Education; (2) Learner Outcomes; (3) Student Effort and Educational Progress; (4) the Quality of Elementary and Secondary Educational Environments; (5) Context of Postsecondary Education; and (6) Societal Support for Learning. The report includes the text, tables, and charts for each indicator plus the technical supporting data, supplemental information, and data sources. Appendices comprise over half of the publication and contain supplemental tables and notes, estimates of standard errors for the statistics, data sources, a glossary, and a bibliography that includes publications and surveys of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). (MLF)