Reliable, accurate, and timely data are necessary
to monitor the progress of U.S. education
and respond to its opportunities and challenges.
To ensure such data are available, Congress
has mandated that the National Center for
Education Statistics (NCES) produce an annual
report, The Condition of Education. This
year’s report presents indicators of important
developments and trends in U.S. education.
These indicators focus on participation and
persistence in education, student performance
and other measures of achievement, the environment
for learning, and resources for education.
In addition, this year’s volume contains a
special analysis that examines changes in student
coursetaking in high school using national
transcript data from 1982 to 2005. While the
analysis focuses on the credit accrual of high
school graduates, it also takes a special look at
the coursework of high school dropouts and
courses taken for college credit.
This statement summarizes the main fi ndings
of the special analysis and the 48 indicators
that appear in the fi ve following sections. Each
indicator discussed is referenced by its number
(e.g., indicator 10) in the volume.