# Archived Information

# End Outcomes for Goals 1 and 2

Congress appropriated approximately \$42 billion in fiscal year 2000 for
various program activities administered by the Department of Education.
Expenditures for these program activities represented about 2 percent of
the federal government's annual \$1.8 trillion budget. Combining EDs
expenditures with funding from all other federal agencies, the
government contributes approximately 9 percent of total national
expenditures on education; the remaining 91 percent comes from state,
local, and private sources. More than half of the Department's budget
supported elementary and secondary education. In addition to the many
programs, the Department administers tax expenditures targeted for
education benefits that also significantly support the objectives of the
Department's Strategic Plan.

To measure the use of these resources, EDs Strategic Plan sets forth 7
performance indicators for elementary and secondary education. These
indicators summarize the Nation's education progress across the wide
variety of departmental programs and provide a picture of the state of
U.S. elementary education as a whole.

Progress toward the 7 key outcome indicators is influenced by Federal
programs and activities taking place under Goals 1 and 2 of the
Strategic Plan:

-   Goal 1. Help all students reach challenging academic standards so
    that they are prepared for responsible citizenship, further
    learning, and productive employment.

-   Goal 2. Build a solid foundation for the learning of all children.

The outcomes measured by these 7 indicators cannot be achieved by the
Federal government al1 but constitute the shared responsibility of
states, districts, schools, parents, communities, and society at large.
The strategies described in Goals 1 and 2 show how we can work together
with our non-federal partners to focus on results, minimize
administrative burden, and use resources to the fullest to maximize
student learning.

Indicator A. Increasing percentages of all students will meet or exceed
basic, proficient, and advanced performance levels in national and state
assessments of reading, math, and other core subjects.

**Assessment of Progress.** No new data. 2000 data for math are due in
2001. The percentage of 4th and 12th grade students performing at or
above the basic level in reading has been stable since 1992. The small
decline at the 12^th^ grade level is not statistically significant.
Eighth graders' reading performance has improved. Math performance
improved substantially for students in all 3 grades (4, 8, and 12) from
1990 to 1996.

Figure A.1

**Source:** National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the
National Center for Education Statistics. *Frequency*: Every 4 years,
alternating math and reading. *Next Update:* Math 2000 data are due in
2001. **Validation procedure:** Data verified and validated by the
National Center for Education Statistics and the National Assessment
Governing Board. **Limitations of data and planned improvements:**
Reading data for 1990 are omitted because they are not comparable with
those of later years.

Indicator B. Students in high-poverty schools will show continuous
improvement in achieving proficiency levels comparable to those for the
Nation.

**Assessment of Progress.** No new data; 1999 data for reading and math
are due in fall 2000.

[Reading]{.underline}. While students in low-poverty schools improved
their reading scores from 1988 to 1996, scores of students in
high-poverty schools only began improving in 1992. From 1992 to 1996,
scores of 9-year-olds in high-poverty schools rose by 8 scale score
points, or close to a grade level of improvement.

Low-poverty schools are defined as those in which fewer than 25 percent
of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches.
High-poverty schools are defined as those in which more than 75 percent
of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches.

[Math]{.underline}. Improvement in mathematics has occurred most
appreciably for students in high-poverty schools since 1992, rising by 9
points, or about 1 grade level.

Figure B.1 Figure B.2

**Note:** Low poverty schools are schools with 0-25% of students
eligible for free or reduced price lunches, and high poverty schools are
schools with 76 to 100% of students eligible for free or reduced price
lunches.

**Source:** Special analyses of data from National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) and the National Center for Education
Statistics. *Frequency:* Biennial from 1988 to 1996, decreasing to once
every 4 years by 2003. *Next Update:* 1999 data for reading and math are
due in fall 2000. The next update for both reading and math data will be
in 2003, with the data becoming available in fall 2004. **Validation
procedure:** Based on special analyses of NAEP reading and mathematics
trend data. NAEP is reviewed according to *NCES Statistical Standards*.
**Limitations of data and planned improvements:** Data on the percentage
of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunches are not
available for some schools, and definitions vary somewhat across years.

Indicator C. The proportion of high school graduates who complete at
least 3 years of science and 3 years of math will increase 10 percent
between 1994 and 1998.

Assessment of Progress. No new data; 1998 data are due in summer 2000.
In 1994, 60 percent of all high school graduates had completed 3 years
of mathematics and 3 years of science. In addition to the number of
years of coursework, the level of difficulty of the courses students
complete is also important. The percentage of students completing
various courses in mathematics and science increased from 1990 to 1994
for all courses offered, including more challenging courses such as
calculus and physics.

![](media/image3.wmf) Figure C.1 Figure C.2

Indicator D. Increasing numbers of high school students will
successfully complete Advanced Placement Program courses each year.

**Assessment of Progress.** Since 1990, an increasing proportion of
11^th^ and 12^th^ grade students have been taking Advanced Placement
(AP) Program courses, and an increasing number have passed at the level
necessary to receive postsecondary credit. In 1999, 165 AP tests were
administered per 1,000 students, and 105 of those tests resulted in
postsecondary credit. This trend toward increased AP course-taking began
in 1984 and has occurred among both sexes and all racial/ethnic groups.

Figure D.1

![](media/image4.wmf)

**Source:** Based on special analyses of data from the College Board AP
Program, prepared for and reviewed by the National Center for Education
Statistics. *Frequency:* Annual. *Next update*: 2000 data due in 2001.
**Validation procedure:** Special analyses prepared for and reviewed by
the National Center for Education Statistics according to *NCES
Statistical Standards*. Data supplied by the College Board.
**Limitations of data and planned improvements:** Because AP candidates
often take more than 1 examination, there is not a 1-to-1 ratio between
the number of examinations taken and the number of students.

Indicator E. Students in high-poverty schools will complete comparable
amounts of challenging coursework -- including Advanced Placement
courses -- which will enable them to pursue higher education or other
options.

Assessment of Progress. No new data; unable to judge as the 1998 data
will be available in summer 2000. As preparation for postsecondary
study, students are encouraged to complete 3 years of mathematics and 3
years of science. In 1994, there was only a small gap between the
percentage of all graduates and the percentage of graduates of
high-poverty schools who had taken this coursework.

While the number of years of mathematics is important, the rigor of the
coursework is also important (see Indicator C.2 in this series).
Research shows that schools with a large proportion of high-poverty
students are less likely to offer advanced courses than schools in which
students come from affluent families.

Figure E.1

![](media/image5.wmf)**Source:** Based on special analyses of data from
the NAEP Transcript Study, prepared for the National Center for
Education Statistics. *Frequency:* Every 4 years*. Next Update:* 1998
data due in summer 2000. **Validation procedure:** Special analyses
prepared for the National Center for Education Statistics and reviewed
according to *NCES Statistical Standards.* **Limitations of data and
planned improvements:** Data collected only once every 4 to 6 years.
Next data to be collected in 2000.

Indicator F. High school attendance and graduation rates will
continually improve---particularly in high-poverty schools and among
students with disabilities and others at risk of school failure.

**Assessment of Progress.** No new data; the 1999 data will be released
in fall 2000. Between 1990 and 1998, the percentage of students who
dropped out of high school increased slightly for all students and for
students from low-income families. There are many ways to calculate
dropout rates. The rate used in this indicator is the event dropout
rate, which is the most sensitive to year-to-year changes in the
percentage of students who leave school before graduating. The event
dropout rate is defined as the percentage of 15-to-24-year-olds who were
enrolled in high school 1 year but had not completed high school and
were not enrolled in grades 10--12 in October a year later.

Figure F.1 Figure F.2

**Source:** National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Dropout
Rates in the United States 1998, based on data from U.S. Department of
Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Current Population Survey, October
(various years). *Frequency:* Annual. *Next Update:* 1999 data due in
fall 2000. **Validation procedure:** Data published by NCES and reviewed
according to *NCES Statistical Standards*. Based on U.S. Department of
Commerce, Bureau of the Census. **Limitations of data and planned
improvements:** Dropout data for subgroups of students fluctuate
considerably from year to year because of small sample sizes.

Indicator G. Increasing percentages of high school graduates will
successfully transition into postsecondary education or employment.

**Assessment of Progress.** No new data; the 1999 data will be released
in fall 2000. The percentage of graduates who are enrolled in
postsecondary studies the October following graduation has risen
steadily since the early 1990s. The percentage of graduates not in
postsecondary studies who are employed has been fairly stable since the
early 1990s.

![](media/image8.wmf) Figure G.1 Figure G.2

![](media/image9.wmf)

**Source:** Based on special analyses of Census Bureau data and the
October Current Population Surveys prepared for the National Center for
Education Statistics. *Frequency:* Annual. *Next Update:* 1999 data due
in 2000. **Validation procedures:** Data provided by the National Center
for Education Statistics and reviewed according to *NCES Statistical
Standards*. **Limitations of data and planned improvements:** None.