Synthesis of Invited Papers: Elementary/Secondary Education Data Redesign Project. A Public Discussion Draft.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) invited researchers, practitioners, and users to provide recommendations that would assist NCES in the redesign of its elementary and secondary education data program. This is a draft of the first of two volumes synthesizing the papers received by July 31, 1985. In Part I, Emerson J. Elliot, Administrator of NCES, introduces the Elementary Secondary Data Redesign Project and invites public participation. The six chapters of Part II combine the diverse concepts drawn from different papers into the following coherent units: (1) "Basic Data--Descriptive Statistics"; (2) "The Need for Process Data"; (3) "Educational Outcomes"; (4) Improving Our Understanding of the Relationship between Educational Inputs and Processes, and Educational Outcomes and Life Chances"; (5) Methodological, Technological and Technical Issues on Data Collection"; and (6) "Issues on the Functions and Activities of the National Center for Education Statistics." Part III provides the synthesizers' suggestions, based on the papers, on the following topics: consistency of definitions, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, process data collection, competency-based curriculum, and ways of improving the quality of the data collection process, the use of new technologies, the need to acknowledge non-school learning, and the potential for reorganizing NCES and its new mission. Appendices include a list of authors of invited papers, comments and letters; guidelines for invited papers; and the Elementary/Secondary Education Data Acquisition Program of the NCES, May 1985. (JAZ)