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Concerns about the quality of the nation's public education system have drawn attention to key elements of teacher effectiveness (Darling-Hammond 2000; Lewis et al. 1999; Mayer, Mullens, and Moore 2001; National Commission on Teaching and America's Future 1996). While there is little consensus on what constitutes high-quality teachers, past research has emphasized two broad dimensions of teacher effectiveness: (1) the level of knowledge and skills that teachers bring to the classroom, as measured by teacher preparation and qualifications, and (2) classroom practices. In 1998, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) conducted a survey to provide a national profile on the first dimension of teacher quality--teacher preparation and qualifications (Lewis et al. 1999). In 2000, NCES conducted a second survey on Teacher Professional Development and Training to revisit the issue of teacher preparation and qualifications and measure change since 1998. The 2000 survey repeated key indicators of teacher quality examined in the 1998 survey, in addition to exploring issues such as follow up to professional development. This survey was designed to provide a national profile of all public school teachers and examines three indicators of teacher quality: (1) teacher education; (2) teacher participation in formal professional development and collaborative activities related to teaching; and (3) teachers' feelings of preparedness for various classroom demands. In addition to presenting current findings on teacher professional development and training from the 2000 survey, this report makes comparisons with the 1998 data. The 2000 survey was conducted by NCES using the Fast Response Survey System (FRSS). The FRSS is a survey system designed to collect small amounts of issue-oriented data with minimal burden on the respondents and disseminate findings within a relatively short time period. Questionnaires were mailed to a nationally representative sample of 5,253 public school teachers in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data have been weighted to yield national estimates. In addition to national estimates, selected survey findings are presented by the following teacher and school characteristics: (1) Teachers' years of teaching experience (3 or fewer years, 4 to 9 years, 10 or more years); (2) School instructional level (elementary, middle, secondary, combined); (3) School enrollment size (less than 500, 500 to 999, 1,000 or more); (4) School locale (central city, urban fringe/large town, rural/small town); (5) Percent minority enrollment in the school (5 percent or less, 6 to 20 percent, 21 to 50 percent, more than 50 percent); and (6) Percent of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (less than 35 percent, 35 to 49 percent, 50 to 74 percent, 75 percent or more). Two appendices present: (1) Methodology and Technical Notes; and (2) Survey Instrument.

Recognizing the critical role of parent involvement for the success of their children in school, this report presents statistics which focus on various areas in which parents and schools can work together to develop partnerships. The report presents data collected from a survey of 810 public elementary schools serving kindergarten through grade 8. Results were weighted to produce national estimates of all public schools serving these grades. Data were collected on several kinds of activities which public elementary schools sponsor to encourage parent involvement, the amount of parent participation in those activities, and the extent to which parent input is considered in decisionmaking related to school issues. This report discusses results of school-sponsored activities to inform and involve parents, including: (1) "Parent Attendance at School Events"; (2) "Parent Attendance by School Characteristics"; (3) "Parent Participation in School Decisionmaking"; and (4) "Parent Input Through School Councils." The Brief concludes with a summary of findings and a section of technical notes describing how the survey was conducted. Includes five tables of descriptive statistics. (AMC)

A survey was conducted to determine by what methods schools classify students' race and ethnicity, the categories they use, and how they report the information to the federal government. The survey was conducted through the Fast Response Survey System, a system designed for small amounts of data and rapid surveys. Brief questionnaires were sent to a nationally representative sample of public elementary and secondary schools. Responses were received from 926 school personnel. About half of the sampled schools collected data on student race and ethnicity only at initial registration. One-quarter of schools collected such information on an annual basis. Forty-one percent of schools reported that there are students in their schools for whom the standard five federal categories (American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian or Pacific Islander, Black, Hispanic, and White) were not adequate, but more schools (73%) used only these categories. Only 5% of schools used a general "multiracial" category. Schools typically ask parents or guardians to identify the student's classification. Appendix A discusses survey methodology and data. Appendix B contains tables of standard errors, and Appendix C is the survey form. (Contains three figures, six tables, and seven appendix tables.) (SLD)

This report provides results of a Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics for the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The OCR wanted input for their decision-making process on possible modifications to their biennial survey of a national sample of public school districts (PSDs). The survey, the Elementary and Secondary School Civil Rights Survey (E&S Survey), provides OCR offices with information about compliance review and source material for investigations. Findings from the FRSS survey in 1991 are reported, providing information on data maintained by PSDs in the areas of school discipline, special academic programs, special populations, and information systems. Survey information came from over 800 school district superintendents. Highlight information includes: (1) over 90 percent of the PSDs administer in-school and out-of-school suspensions and expulsions; (2) 30 percent of the PSDs administer corporal punishment; (3) about 80 percent of the PSDs offer gifted and talented programs; (4) almost 75 percent of the PSDs classify biracial students as a single race or ethnicity; and (5) 30 percent of the PSDs currently have an automated and integrated student record system. Information is given about the types of reports districts are capable of making. Fifteen graphs illustrate the findings, and 22 tables present data from the study. Appendix A contains the E&S Survey, and Appendix B presents the questionnaire sent to superintendents. (SLD)

Under a Congressional mandate, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is required to collect data on the frequency, seriousness, and incidence of violence in elementary and secondary schools. The NCES responded to this requirement by commissioning a survey, the Principal/School Disciplinarian Survey on School Violence, the results of which are detailed in this report. The school violence survey was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 1,234 regular public elementary, middle, and secondary schools in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the spring and summer of 1997. The survey requested information on: (1) the incidence of crime and violence in the public schools; (2) principals' (or school disciplinarians') perceptions about discipline issues; (3) types of disciplinary actions schools took; and (4) security and violence prevention measures in the schools. More than half of U.S. public schools reported experiencing at least one crime incident in the school year 1996-97, and 1 in 10 schools reported at least one serious violent crime during the school year. Crime and violence were more of a problem in middle and high schools than in elementary schools. Middle and high schools were more likely to report that they had experienced one or more incidents of any crime and one or more incidents of serious violent crime than elementary schools. Most public schools reported having zero tolerance policies towards serious student offenses, and most schools reported that they used low levels of security measures to prevent violence. Most schools reported having formal school violence prevention programs. An appendix contains the survey questionnaire. (Contains 12 figures, 32 tables.) (SLD)