1-20-93 B4 36693

FOREWORD

This 1993 edition of the Digest of Education Statistics is the 29th in a series of publications initiated in 1962. (The Digest has been issued annually except for combined editions for the years 1977-78, 198384, and 1985-86.) Its primary purpose is to provide a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field of American education from kindergarten 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). 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 educational attainment, finances, federal funds for education, employment and income of graduates, libraries, and international education. 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.

The Digest is divided into 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 "Learning Resources and Technology." To qualify for inclusion, material must be nationwide in scope and of current interest and value. The introduction includes a brief overview of current trends in American education, which supplements the tabular materials in chapters 1 through 7. Information on the structure of the statistical tables is contained in the "Guide to Tabular Presentation." The "Guide to Sources" provides a brief synopsis of the surveys

used to generate the tabulations for the Digest. Also, a "Definitions" section is included to help readers understand terms.

In addition to updating many of the statistics that have appeared in previous years, this edition contains a substantial amount of new material, including:

• Teachers' opinions on the education system, tables 26, 27, and 28;

Financial statistics of urban, suburban, and rural school districts, table 87;

• Plans and activities of high school sophomores, tables 143, 144, and 145;

• Public elementary and secondary school expenditures, by function and state, tables 161 and 162;

• International literacy achievement of students, tables 395 and 396;

• International geography achievement of students, table 384

In the past, the Digest of Education Statistics has proved to be of interest and value to education researchers and administrators, government officials, the media, the business community, and the general public. Recently, we have implemented a program to expand the scope of materials included in the Digest to make it even more comprehensive. We welcome comments and suggestions to improve future editions. We trust that the users of this 29th edition will find it even more valuable than its predecessors.

Emerson J. Elliott, Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics September 1993

H

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many people have contributed in one way or another to the development of the Digest. Foremost among these contributors is W. Vance Grant, who served as an editor of this series from 1962 to 1986. His developmental work made the publication the widely used and respected report it is today. Thomas D. Snyder was responsible for the overall development and preparation of this Digest which was prepared under the general direction of Jeanne E. Griffith.

Charlene M. Hoffman provided technical assistance in all phases of its preparation and was responsible for Chapter 4, "Federal Programs for Education and Related Activities," and for tables on degrees conferred. Carol Sue Fromboluti developed the text for the chapter introductions and the Guide to Sources and was responsible for materials dealing with student assessment. Irene Baden Harwarth was responsible for Chapter 6, "International Comparisons of Education," and for the section on higher education enrollment. William Sonnenberg provided statistical computing consultation on all phases of the report. Celestine Davis provided statistical assistance on materials dealing with educational attainment and student assessment. Debra Gerald and William Hussar prepared projections of school enrollment and finance statistics.

A number of individuals outside the Center also expended large amounts of time and effort on the Digest. Robert Craig, James J. Corina, and Michelle Brown of Pinkerton Computer Consultants, Inc., provided computer support. Louise Woerner, Barbara

Robinson, Jeannette Bernardo, Jeff Sisson, and Theodore Willis of HCR provided research assistance. In the Office of Information Services, Nancy Floyd and Margery Martin provided editorial assistance and managed typesetting, and Phil Carr designed the cover. Jerry Fairbanks of the U.S. Government Printing Office managed the typesetting.

This year's edition of the Digest has received extensive reviews by individuals within and outside the Department of Education. We wish to thank them for their time and expert advice. In the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), John Burkett, W. Vance Grant, and Mary Frase reviewed the entire manuscript. Lee Greene (National Association of Elementary School Principals) and Rosemary Clark (U.S. Bureau of the Census) also reviewed the entire document. OERI staff who reviewed portions of the manuscript were: Sharon Bobbitt, Dan Kasprzyk, Patricia Q. Brown, Frank Morgan, Susan Susan Ahmed, Broyles, Susan Mike Cohen, Rosa Fernandez, William Freund, William Fowler, Kerry Gruber, Lee Hoffman, Frank Johnson, Andrew Kolstad, P. Elaine Kroe, Andrew Malizio, Marilyn McMillen, John Sietsema, and Peter Stowe. Agency reviews were conducted by the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget, Office for Civil Rights, Office of the General Counsel, Office of Policy and Planning, Office of Private Education, and the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education.