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The 2011 edition of the "Digest of Education Statistics" is the 47th in a series of publications initiated in 1962. The "Digest" has been issued annually except for combined editions for the years 1977-78, 1983-84, and 1985-86. Its primary purpose is to provide a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field of American education from prekindergarten through graduate school. The "Digest" includes a selection of data from many sources, both government and private, and draws especially on the results of surveys and activities carried out by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). To qualify for inclusion in the "Digest," material must be nationwide in scope and of current interest and value. The publication contains information on a variety of subjects in the field of education statistics, including the number of schools and colleges, teachers, enrollments, and graduates, in addition to data on educational attainment, finances, federal funds for education, libraries, and international comparisons. Supplemental information on population trends, attitudes on education, education characteristics of the labor force, government finances, and economic trends provides background for evaluating education data. Although the "Digest" contains important information on federal education funding, more detailed information on federal activities is available from federal education program offices. The "Digest" contains seven chapters: All Levels of Education, Elementary and Secondary Education, Postsecondary Education, Federal Programs for Education and Related Activities, Outcomes of Education, International Comparisons of Education, and Libraries and Adult Education. Preceding these chapters is an Introduction that provides a brief overview of current trends in American education, which supplements the tabular materials in chapters 1 through 7. The "Digest" concludes with three appendices. The first appendix, Guide to Sources, provides a brief synopsis of the surveys used to generate the "Digest" tables; the second, Definitions, is included to help readers understand terms used in the "Digest"; and the third, Index of Table Numbers, allows readers to quickly locate tables on specific topics. (Contains 29 figures and 450 tables.) [For Appendices, see ED544581. For "Digest of Education Statistics, 2010. NCES 2011-015," see ED518987.]

The 2012 data book explores how our kids have fared during the last decade--some outcomes are positive, some negative. But positive or negative outcomes for kids don't just happen. They are the inevitable results of effective or failed policy choices. The State of Texas Children 2012 combines data and policy to tell the story of Texas kids. It's time we learn from our past choices, positive and negative, so that we can shape a different story for our future. (Contains 78 endnotes.) [Additional funding for this paper was provided by Methodist Healthcare Ministries.]

Adolescence is a formative period during which children grow into their rightful place as full citizens and agents of change in their own lives and the lives of their societies. This publication provides an overview of the situation of adolescents, including of their vulnerabilities in critical areas. It makes a compelling case for increased efforts in advocacy, programming and policy, and for investment, to ensure the rights of adolescents and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Following a foreword by Anthony Lake, the UNICEF Executive Director, this document contains the following sections: (1) Progress for adolescents; (2) Socio-demographic profile of adolescents--Population trends and child marriage; (3) Education and work--Related to MDG 1, MDG 2, and MDG 3; (4) Adolescent mortality, morbidity and health-related behaviours--Related to MDG 4; (5) Adolescent sexual behaviour, childbearing and maternal health, and HIV--Related to MDG 5 and MDG 6; (6) Violence--Related to the Millennium Declaration; and (7) The way forward. Contains the following: (1) an overview of the statistical table; (2) a statistical table on key statistics on adolescents; and (3) a regional classification of the countries and territories from which regional averages were calculated.

The Houston Community College (HCC) 2011-2012 Fact Book provides statistical information about the college district. It is important for the reader to be aware that data presented in this publication may differ slightly from statistics found in other district reports. Such variances may result from differences methodology including the source of information used, the reporting period covered (semester, academic year), or the student base included (semester credit, continuing education, adult education and literacy). The source of the information in each table and graph is cited, along with the date generated, the reporting period, and the students included. [For "Houston Community College 2010-2011 Fact Book," see ED531754.]

This report gives an overview of the existing evidence base on class size and education in England. In particular, it considers how class sizes have changed over time; the impact of the increase in birth rate on pupil numbers and how this could affect the teacher requirement and class sizes; and the impact of class size on educational outcomes. The report also considers the impact of the 1998 School Standards and Framework Act. This put a duty on Local Authorities (LAs) and schools to limit the size of infant classes taught by one teacher to 30 pupils. It became a legal requirement from September 2001. Local authority plans, produced in order to ensure the legal requirement was met, were subject to challenge, approval, intervention when required, funding and monitoring, and held to account against delivery. Overall, the available evidence in 4 ("How Important is Class Size?") and 5 ("International Comparisons") suggests that class size reduction policies are not the best option in terms of value for money to raising pupil attainment, compared to others such as increasing teacher effectiveness. Broadly evidence suggests that class size reduction policies have an uncertain and diminishing effect on pupil achievement in the long run. There will, however, be increasing demands for primary and secondary school places over the next few years, as the number of children born each year in England has increased each year since 2002, apart from in 2009. The number of births in 2010 was around 20% higher than in 2002 and 13% higher than in 2004 (ONS, 2011a). Whilst the continually falling pupil teacher ratios in independent schools implies there is demand for smaller class sizes in the market for education, while class size is the third most common reason for parents to choose to send their child to an independent school (Ipsos Mori, 2008). A bibliography is included. (Contains 45 figures and 32 footnotes.)

This paper explores the nation's changing child population based on data from the 2010 census. While the number of U.S. children increased only slightly, the demographic shifts within the population were considerable. Some areas of the country (Nevada and Texas) and some demographic groups (including children of mixed race) grew significantly, while the number of children in other areas (Vermont and New York) and in other groups (such as non-Hispanic whites) declined. Appended are: (1) State Changes in Child Population 1990, 2000, and 2010; and (2) Distribution of Children (under age 18) by Race and Hispanic Origin: 2010. (Contains 16 tables, 3 figures, 1 chart and 30 endnotes.)

This document presents 2010 data from the Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) program of the U.S. Census Bureau. The SAIPE program produces poverty estimates for the total population and median household income estimates annually for all counties and states. SAIPE data also produces single-year poverty estimates for the school-age population (age 5-17) for all school districts in the U.S. The main objective of the SAIPE program is to provide timely, reliable estimates of income and poverty statistics for the administration of federal programs and the allocation of federal funds to local jurisdictions. Some state and local programs also use SAIPE income and poverty estimates to distribute funds and manage programs. Due to the comprehensive geographic coverage and one-year focus, SAIPE data can be used to analyze geographic variation in poverty and income, as well as changes over time. The purpose of this document is to highlight several key aspects of such analysis. Appended are: (1) Census Regions and Divisions in the United States; (2) Counties by Metro/Micro Area Status; (3) Supplemental Information for School Districts; and (4) Counties Published in the 2009 ACS 1-Year Estimates. (Contains 2 tables, 22 figures and 30 footnotes.)

Monitoring the Future (MTF), which is now in its 36th year, is a research program conducted at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research under a series of investigator-initiated research grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The study is comprised of several ongoing series of annual surveys of nationally representative samples of 8th- and 10th-grade students (begun in 1991), 12th-grade students (begun in 1975), and high school graduates into adulthood (begun in 1976). The current monograph reports the results of the repeated cross-sectional surveys of high school graduates since 1976 as the authors follow them into their adult years. Several segments of the general adult population are covered in these follow-up surveys: (1) American college students; (2) Their age peers who are not attending college, sometimes called the "forgotten half"; (3) All young adult high school graduates of modal ages 19 to 30, which the authors refer to as the "young adult" sample; and (4) High school graduates at the specific later modal ages of 35, 40, 45, and 50. Changes in substance abuse and related attitudes and beliefs occurring at each of these age strata receive particular emphasis. The authors can summarize the findings on trends as follows: For more than a decade--from the late 1970s to the early 1990s--the use of a number of illicit drugs declined appreciably among 12th-grade students, and declined even more among American college students and young adults. These substantial improvements--which seem largely explainable in terms of changes in attitudes about drug use, beliefs about the risks of drug use, and peer norms against drug use--have some extremely important policy implications. One clear implication is that these various substance-using behaviors among American young people are malleable--they can be changed. It has been done before. The second is that demand-side (rather than supply-side) factors appear to have been pivotal in bringing about most of those changes. The levels of marijuana availability, as reported by 12th graders, have held fairly steady throughout the life of the study. (Moreover, among students who abstained from marijuana use, as well as among those who quit, availability and price rank very low on their lists of reasons for not using.) And, in fact, the perceived availability of cocaine was actually rising during the beginning of the sharp decline in cocaine and crack use in the mid- to late- 1980s, which occurred when the perceived risk associated with that drug rose sharply. However, improvements are surely not inevitable; and when they occur, they should not be taken for granted. Relapse is always possible and, indeed, just such a relapse in the longer term epidemic occurred during the early to mid-1990s, as the country let down its guard on many fronts. The drug problem is not an enemy that can be vanquished. It is more a recurring and relapsing problem that must be contained to the extent possible on an ongoing basis. Therefore, it is a problem that requires an ongoing, dynamic response--one that takes into account the continuing generational replacement of children, the generational forgetting of the dangers of drugs that can occur with that replacement, and the perpetual stream of new abusable substances that will threaten to lure young people into involvement with drugs. (Contains 30 tables, 49 figures and 68 footnotes.) [For related reports, see "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2010. Volume I, Secondary School Students" (ED528081); and "Monitoring the Future National Results on Adolescent Drug Use: Overview of Key Findings, 2010" (ED528077).]

The Monitoring the Future (MTF) study involves an ongoing series of national surveys of American adolescents and adults that has provided the nation with a vital window into the important, but largely hidden, problem behaviors of illegal drug use, alcohol use, tobacco use, anabolic steroid use, and psychotherapeutic drug use. For more than a third of a century, MTF has provided a clearer view of the changing topography of these problems among adolescents and adults, a better understanding of the dynamics of factors that drive some of these problems, and a better understanding of some of their consequences. It has also given policymakers and nongovernmental organizations in the field some practical approaches for intervening. This annual monograph series has been the primary vehicle for disseminating MTF's epidemiological findings. This latest two-volume monograph presents the results of the 36th survey of drug use and related attitudes and beliefs among American high school seniors, the 31st such survey of American college students, and the 20th such survey of 8th- and 10th-grade students. Importantly, results are also reported for high school graduates followed in a series of panel studies through age 50. Results from the samples of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders are contained in "Volume I", which is preceded by two national press releases and an advance summary report. Results on college students and other adults are reported each year in "Volume II", which is published a few months after "Volume I". A new monograph was added in 2009 on risk and protective behaviors for the spread of HIV/AIDS among young adults. The authors can summarize the findings on trends as follows: For more than a decade--from the late 1970s to the early 1990s--the use of a number of illicit drugs declined appreciably among 12th-grade students, and declined even more among American college students and young adults. These substantial improvements--which seem largely explainable in terms of changes in attitudes about drug use, beliefs about the risks of drug use, and peer norms against drug use--have some extremely important policy implications. One clear implication is that these various substance-using behaviors among American young people are malleable--they can be changed. It has been done before. The second is that demand-side (rather than supply-side) factors appear to have been pivotal in bringing about most of those changes. The levels of marijuana availability, as reported by 12th graders, have held fairly steady throughout the life of the study. Moreover, among students who abstained from marijuana use, as well as among those who quit, availability and price rank very low on their lists of reasons for not using.) And, in fact, the perceived availability of cocaine was actually rising during the beginning of the sharp decline in cocaine and crack use in the mid- to late- 1980s, which occurred when the perceived risk associated with that drug rose sharply. However, improvements are surely not inevitable; and when they occur, they should not be taken for granted. Relapse is always possible and, indeed, just such a relapse in the longer term epidemic occurred during the early to mid-1990s, as the country let down its guard on many fronts. The drug problem is not an enemy that can be vanquished. It is more a recurring and relapsing problem that must be contained to the extent possible on an ongoing basis. Therefore, it is a problem that requires an ongoing, dynamic response--one that takes into account the continuing generational replacement of children, the generational forgetting of the dangers of drugs that can occur with that replacement, and the perpetual stream of new abusable substances that will threaten to lure young people into involvement with drugs. Appended are: (1) Prevalence and Trend Estimates Adjusted for Absentees and Dropouts; (2) Definition of Background and Demographic Subgroups; (3) Estimation of Sampling Errors; (4) Trends by Subgroup: Supplemental Tables for Secondary School Students; (5) Trends in Specific Subclasses of Hallucinogens, Amphetamines, Tranquilizers, Sedatives, and Narcotic Drugs Other than Heroin; and (6) Trends in Drug Use for Three Grades Combined. An index is included. (Contains 242 tables, 123 figures and 131 footnotes.) [For related reports, see "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2010. Volume II, College Students & Adults Ages 19-50" (ED528082); and "Monitoring the Future National Results on Adolescent Drug Use: Overview of Key Findings, 2010" (ED528077).]

The Annual Condition of Education Report provides a wide range of state-level data, including shifts in student populations and demographics, teacher salaries and characteristics, student achievement results, and school financial information. A few examples of the categories presented in this 22nd edition report include: (1) Enrollment; (2) Early Childhood Education; (3) Staff; (4) Program; (5) Student Performance; (6) Special Education; and (7) Finance. (Contains 164 tables and 151 figures.)

The Annual Disability Status Reports provide policy makers, disability advocates, reporters, and the public with a summary of the most recent demographic and economic statistics on the non-institutionalized population with disabilities. They contain information on the population size and disability prevalence for various demographic subpopulations, as well as statistics related to employment, earnings, household income, veterans' service-connected disability and health insurance. Comparisons are made to people without disabilities and across disability types. The Status Reports primarily look at the working-age population because the employment gap between people with and without disabilities is a major focus of government programs and advocacy efforts. Employment is also a key factor in the social integration and economic self-sufficiency of working-age people with disabilities. The estimates in the 2009 Disability Status Reports are based on American Community Survey (ACS) data--a US Census Bureau survey that has replaced the Decennial Census long form. The estimates in these reports are based on responses from a sample of the population and may differ from actual population values because of sampling variability and other factors. Differences observed between the estimates for two or more groups may not be statistically significant. Finally, the 2009 Disability Status Report estimates should not be compared to estimates from any reports based on ACS data collected prior to 2008. In 2008, the US Census Bureau made a number of significant changes to the ACS. These changes included an entirely new set of disability questions as described in this paper. A glossary is included. [This paper was produced with the editing and production assistance of Sara VanLooy, Jeff Trondsen, and Joe Williams. For the 2008 edition of this report, see ED539268.]

"Kids Count in Colorado!" is an annual publication of the Colorado Children's Campaign, which provides the best available state- and county-level data to measure and track the education, health and general well-being of the state's children. "Kids Count in Colorado!" informs policy debates and community discussions, serving as a valuable resource for policymakers, community leaders, advocates and citizens. This report, "The Impact of the Great Recession on Kids in Colorado," contains some of the earliest data of its kind in Colorado and in the nation about the implications of the recession on children's lives. In addition to reporting some of the first available data on child well-being trends affected by the Great Recession, including child health, early childhood care and development and education, this year's "KIDS COUNT in Colorado!" also includes trends in participation in the programs and services that support Colorado kids. While demand for these programs is growing because of need, participation is limited by the diminishing state resources available to meet the need, and this combination will likely have an effect on children's lives for years to come. When children are not prepared to learn, when student achievement gaps persist, when children are more obese, less healthy and unable to access basic health care, kids and their families suffer and the state's ability to compete in a global economy is diminished. The Great Recession has taken a toll on Colorado's families, their neighbors and their children. Coming on the heels of nearly a decade of significant poverty increases, many Coloradans were already especially vulnerable to its impacts. And while there are recent indications that economic factors, including employment rates, are improving, the implications on children are ongoing and significant. (Contains 68 figures, 2 tables, and 137 footnotes.) [Additional funding was provided by the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado. Link to Errata page: http://www.coloradokids.org/file_download/d6ea11ee-3cd5-4e37-af4d-6e2cc29a3897.]

The full 2010 survey results are reported in "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975;2010: Volume I, Secondary School Students". That monograph contains a description of MTF's design and purposes, as well as extended reporting on substance use of all kinds, licit and illicit, and a number of related factors such as attitudes and beliefs about drugs, age of initiation, non-continuation of drug use, relevant conditions in the social environment, history of daily marijuana use, use of drugs for the treatment of ADHD, and sources of prescription drugs used outside of medical supervision. Appendix D of "Volume I" contains tabular data on trends in drug use for various demographic subgroups for each of the many drugs under study. The present occasional paper presents those same subgroup trends in "graphic form", because graphic presentations are much easier to comprehend. (Showing the trends in color greatly facilitates the differentiation of the various trend lines in each graph.) Historically, the graphic presentations have not been included in "Volume I" due both to their length and the cost of printing them in color. Even though the annual monographs from the study now are published electronically on the study's Website, rather than in paper form, the authors continue to make the graphic presentation of the subgroup trends available in this separate document in the MTF Occasional Paper series. Trend data are presented for 12th-grade respondents beginning with 1975, the first year in which a nationally representative sample of high school seniors was surveyed. Trend data for 8th and 10th grades are presented beginning with 1991, when the study's annual surveys were expanded to include those grade levels. The numerical information upon which these graphics are based is contained in the relevant appendix D tables of "Volume I". Detailed definitions of the demographic categories are given in appendix B of that volume. (Contains 258 figures.)

The Houston Community College (HCC) 2010-2011 Fact Book provides statistical information about the college district. It is important for the reader to be aware that data presented in this publication may differ slightly from statistics found in other district reports. Such variances may result from differences methodology including the source of information used, the reporting period covered (semester, academic year), or the student base included (semester credit, continuing education, adult education and literacy). The source of the information in each table and graph is cited, along with the date generated, the reporting period, and the students included.

The data presented in this combined report--"Rankings & Estimates"--provide facts about the extent to which local, state, and national governments commit resources to public education. As one might expect in a nation as diverse as the United States--with respect to economics, geography, and politics--the level of commitment to education varies on a state-by-state basis. Regardless of these variations, improvements in public education can be measured by summary statistics. Thus, National Education Association (NEA) Research offers this report to its state and local affiliates as well as to researchers, policymakers, and the public as a tool to examine public education programs and services. Part I of this combined report--"Rankings 2010"--provides state-level data on an array of topics relevant to the complex enterprise of public education. Since the 1960s, "Rankings" has presented facts and figures useful in determining how states differ from one another--or from national averages--on selected statistics. In addition to identifying emerging trends in key economic, political, and social areas, the state-by-state figures on government financing, state demographics, and public schools permit a statistical assessment of the scope of public education. Of course, no set of tables tells the entire story of a state's education offerings. Consideration of factors such as a state's tax system, provisions for other public services, and population characteristics also are needed. Therefore, it is unwise to draw conclusions based solely on individual statistics in this report. Readers are urged to supplement the ranked data with specific information about state and local service activities related to public education. Part II of this combined report--"Estimates 2011"--is in its 67th year of production. This report provides projections of public school enrollment, employment and compensation of personnel, and finances, as reported by individual state departments of education. Not surprisingly, interest in the improvement and renewal of public education continues to capture the attention of the nation. The state-level data featured in "Estimates" permit broad assessments of trends in staff salaries, sources of school funding, and levels of educational expenditures. The data should be used with the understanding that the reported statewide totals and averages may not reflect the varying conditions that exist among school districts and schools within the state. A glossary is included. (Contains 28 tables and 7 figures.)

The nation and its public school enrollment are in the midst of dramatic racial change (Frey, 2001; Orfield, 2009). Soon, the nation's public schools will enroll a majority of non-White students, a demographic reality that has already occurred in the two largest regions of the country, the South and the West. As the nation's enrollment grows more diverse and complex--Latino students, for example, outnumber Black students nationally--segregation is also on the rise. Nearly 40% of the nation's Black and Latino students are in racially isolated schools, where there are few White students (Orfield, 2009). For Black students in particular, this level of segregation is higher than it has been in four decades, prior to the implementation of more wide-ranging desegregation efforts. Given these demographic trends, and the implications of them for students and society, this paper explores the composition and segregation of schools in the mid-Atlantic region. The data analyzed in this paper is from an annual dataset collected by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics. In particular, data for the District of Columbia and the five states in the mid-Atlantic region are drawn from the 1990-91, 2000-01, and 2007-08 Common Core of Data, Public School Universe. These data provide student enrollment counts for each school, as well as counts by race-ethnicity and eligibility for free or reduced price lunch (FRL). By merging data for each school, we are able to analyze enrollment and segregation changes from 1990 to 2007. In the body of the paper, school-level data is aggregated to the state level to describe enrollment, enrollment change, and segregation. In six appendices (one per state, Appendices B-G), these same measures are reported for each district/local education agency (LEA) within each state. The paper first describes the racial and economic characteristics of students in schools and districts in the mid-Atlantic region. It also examines racial and enrollment change in the region over time. It next analyzes the extent of student segregation using several common segregation measures, first examining racial segregation and then economic segregation. The overlap of racial and economic segregation is also explored. Appended are: (1) Supplemental tables; (2) Delaware; (3) District of Columbia; (4) Maryland; (5) Pennsylvania; (6) Virginia; and (7) West Virginia. (Contains 16 figures, 106 tables, and 10 footnotes.)

The Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) was first launched in 1997 as a periodic longitudinal study of program performance. Successive nationally representative samples of Head Start children, their families, classrooms, and programs provide descriptive information on the population served; staff qualifications, credentials, beliefs and opinions; classroom practices and quality measures; and child and family outcomes. FACES includes a battery of direct child assessments across multiple domains. It also comprises interviews with the child's parents, teachers and program managers, as well as direct observations of classroom quality. This set of tables is designed to accompany a research brief which profiles the 3- and 4-year-old Head Start children and families who were newly enrolled in the program in fall 2006 and are still attending in spring 2007 (see Aikens et al. 2010). Following an introduction to the study methodology and sample, the tables in the first section provide information on the children's characteristics, family demographics, and home life, including language background, educational environment of the home, family routines, and socioeconomic risk status in spring 2007. These tables also include information on parent involvement in Head Start and level of satisfaction with their own and their children's Head Start experiences. The next sections, on cognitive and social-emotional/health outcomes in spring 2007, chronicle children's developmental progress over the Head Start year. They examine whether these outcomes vary by age, gender, race/ethnicity, or risk status. The following section presents the characteristics of their teachers and classrooms, including measures of observed quality in spring 2007. Subsequent sections provide information on fall-spring change in family environment, child cognitive, social-emotional, and health outcomes. The next section examines the relationships among child, family, and classroom factors and children's outcomes; the methods used for those analyses appear in advance of the tables in that section. The final section provides tables of standard deviations and standard errors. (Contains 183 tables and 12 footnotes.) [For related report, "A Year in Head Start: Children, Families and Programs. ACF-ORPRE Report", see ED517213.]

The bachelor's data in this Focus On were all compiled from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). IPEDS is the core postsecondary education data system for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education. The PhD data in this focus on were all compiled from WebCASPAR, the integrated science and engineering resources data system maintained by the National Science Foundation. The data on the representation of minorities among physics faculty in universities and 4-year colleges were collected from the Statistical Research Center's Academic Workforce Survey. This study reveals that Hispanic Americans are increasing their representation among the US population in general and increasing their presence among college graduates. Hispanics comprise 15% of the population. However, they are not randomly distributed across the country. In fact, their concentration is such that only 9 states as well as Puerto Rico have a population that is 15% or more Hispanic. (Contains 4 figures and 6 tables.)

The Public Libraries Survey (PLS) is a voluntary survey conducted annually by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). IMLS collects these data under the mandate in the Museum and Library Services Act of 2003 as stated in Section 210. The U.S. Census Bureau is the data collection agent for IMLS. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 survey is the 21st in the series. This report provides summary information about public libraries in the 50 states and the District of Columbia for state FY 2008. It covers service measures such as number of uses of electronic resources, number of Internet terminals used by the general public, reference transactions, interlibrary loans, circulation, library visits, children's program attendance, and circulation of children's materials. It also includes information about size of collection, staffing, operating revenue and expenditures, type of legal basis, and number and type of public library service outlets. This report is based on the final data file. The PLS is designed as a universe survey. The survey frame consists of 9,259 public libraries (9,221 public libraries in the 50 states and the District of Columbia and 38 public libraries in the outlying areas of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands), as identified by state library agencies. (Public libraries in one outlying area, American Samoa, are not included in the survey frame because their state library agencies have never responded to the request for participation in the survey.) A total of 9,073 of the 9,259 public libraries in the survey frame responded to the FY 2008 PLS (including Guam and Puerto Rico), for a unit response rate of 98.0 percent. Item response rates are included in the tables in this report. This report includes the following major sections: (1) Introduction, which includes (a) Survey Purpose and Data Items Included in this Report; (b) Congressional Authorization; (c) Key Library Terminology; (d) Types of Tables Included in this Report; (e) History of the Public Libraries Survey; (2) Findings from the FY 2008 data collection; (3) Tables (including State Ranking Tables in Appendix A); (4) Technical Notes (Appendix B); and (5) Survey Questionnaire (Appendix C). (Contains 77 tables, 21 figures and 10 footnotes.)

Native American students in Washington attend more than 40 postsecondary institutions and participate in college at a rate greater than their proportional presence in the population. They are just as likely to apply for and receive financial aid as other groups, a little less likely to borrow to attend college, and experience a greater gap than other groups between what they can afford to pay and the total cost of college, even after receiving financial aid. These are some of the findings of a research study on Native American students and financial aid conducted by the Higher Education Coordinating Board. The findings were presented in a session at the Pathways Conference held in SeaTac Feb. 18, 2010. The Pathways Conference was the culmination of a larger study on Native American students completed in 2009 titled "Pathways for Native American Students: A report on colleges and universities in Washington State." That study offers recommendations to promote improved access to higher education for Native American students. This Policy Brief also provides information about how Native American students compare with all students in terms of secondary and postsecondary education participation and receipt of financial aid while enrolled in college or university. Most of the information about financial aid behavior is based on students who received need-based financial aid and enrolled in institutions that participate in Washington's state financial aid programs. (Contains 5 tables and 6 footnotes.)

The 2009 edition of the "Digest of Education Statistics" is the 45th in a series of publications initiated in 1962. The "Digest" has been issued annually except for combined editions for the years 1977-78, 1983-84, and 1985-86. Its primary purpose is to provide a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field of American education from prekindergarten through graduate school. The "Digest" includes a selection of data from many sources, both government and private, and draws especially on the results of surveys and activities carried out by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). To qualify for inclusion in the "Digest", material must be nationwide in scope and of current interest and value. The publication contains information on a variety of subjects in the field of education statistics, including the number of schools and colleges, teachers, enrollments, and graduates, in addition to data on educational attainment, finances, federal funds for education, libraries, and international comparisons. Supplemental information on population trends, attitudes on education, education characteristics of the labor force, government finances, and economic trends provides background for evaluating education data. Although the "Digest" contains important information on federal education funding, more detailed information on federal activities is available from federal education program offices. The "Digest" contains seven chapters: All Levels of Education, Elementary and Secondary Education, Postsecondary Education, Federal Programs for Education and Related Activities, Outcomes of Education, International Comparisons of Education, and Libraries and Educational Technology. Preceding these chapters is an Introduction that provides a brief overview of current trends in American education, which supplements the tabular materials in chapters 1 through 7. The "Digest" concludes with three appendixes. Appendices include: (1) Guide to Sources; (2) Definitions; and (3) Index of Table Numbers. (Contains 29 figures and 442 tables.) [For the companion report, "Mini-Digest of Education Statistics, 2009", see ED509884. For the "Digest of Education Statistics, 2008", see ED504502.]