A Guide To Improving the National Education Data System: Executive Summary. October 1990.

This document provides an overview of the "Guide To Improving the National Education Data System," the first publication of the newly created National Forum on Education Statistics. The 36 recommendations for improving the nation's elementary and secondary education statistics system that are outlined in the Guide are summarized. This national education data agenda is the product of a broad-based consensus building process that brought together representatives of State and Federal education agencies and other organizations with an interest in education data. The Guide's examination of national data in four major domains (background and demographics, education resources, school processes, and student outcomes) is described. For each domain, the guide discusses the potential importance of the data for policy purposes, the nature and limitations of current collection practices, and potential strategies for improvement; and it summarizes specific recommendations for data improvement. Five figures supplement the text. (SLD)