U.S. Department of Education

NCES 2006-072
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U.S. Department of Education

NCES 2006-072

The Condition

of Education 2006

in Brief

June 2006

Editor

Andrea Livingston

MPR Associates, Inc.
U.S. Department of Education

Margaret Spellings

Secretary

Institute of Education Sciences

Grover J. Whitehurst

Director

National Center for Education Statistics

Mark Schneider

Commissioner

Suggested Citation

Livingston, A. (2006). The Condition 

of Education 2006 in Brief (NCES 

2006-072). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National 

Center for Education Statistics.

For additional information, 

contact Michael Planty: 

National Center for 

Education Statistics 

phone: 202-502-7312

e-mail: michael.planty@ed.gov.

To order this pub li ca tion or the 

complete volume, write to

U.S. Department of Education

ED Pubs

P.O. Box 1398

Jessup, MD 20794–1398

call toll free 1-877-4ED-PUBS; 

or order online at 

http://www.edpubs.org.

The complete volume also 

appears on the NCES website:

http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data

related to education in the United States and other nations. It fulfi lls a congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, 

and report full and complete statistics on the condition of education in the United States; conduct and publish reports and 

specialized analyses of the meaning and signifi cance of such statistics; assist state and local education agencies in improving 

their statistical systems; and review and report on education activities in other countries.

NCES activities are designed to address high-priority education data needs; provide consistent, reliable, com plete, and accurate indicators of ed u ca tion status and trends; and report timely, useful, and high-quality data to the U.S. De part ment of 

Education, the Congress, the states, other education policymakers, prac ti tio ners, data users, and the general public. Unless

specifi cally noted, all information contained herein is in the public domain.

We strive to make our products available in a variety of formats and in language that is appropriate to a variety of audiences.

You, as our customer, are the best judge of our success in communicating information effectively. If you have any comments 

or suggestions about this or any other U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Ed u ca tion Statistics, product or 

report, we would like to hear from you. Please direct your comments to

 National Center for Education Statistics

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 1990 K Street NW

 Washington, DC 20006–5651

June 2006

The NCES World Wide Web Home Page is http://nces.ed.gov.

The NCES World Wide Web Electronic Catalog is http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch.
What’s Inside

This publication contains a sample of the 50 indicators in The Condition of Education 2006. To order the entire printed 

edition of The Condition free of charge, call ED PUBS (1-877-4ED-PUBS). 

The indicators in this publication are numbered sequentially, rather than according to their numbers in the complete edition. 

The Contents page offers a cross-reference between the two publications.

Since 1870, the federal government has gathered data about students, teachers, schools, and education fund ing. As mandated by Congress, the U.S. De part ment of Ed u ca tion’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the Institute of 

Education Sciences annually publishes a sta tis ti cal report on the status and progress of ed u ca tion in the United States. The 

Condition of Education in cludes data and analysis on a wide variety of issues. The 2006 edition contains a special analysis 

and The Condition indicators are divided into fi ve sections:

• Participation in Education

• Learner Outcomes

• Student Effort and Educational Progress

• Contexts of Elementary and Secondary Education

• Contexts of Postsecondary Education

The indicators in The Condition of Education use data from government and private sources. The complete publication 

includes a special analysis on the performance of U.S. students and adults relative to their peers in other countries. The 

publication also contains ad di tion al tables and notes related to each in di ca tor.

The Condition of Education 2006 in Brief and the complete edition are available on the NCES website (http://nces.ed.gov).
This page intentionally left blank.
Contents

Indicator 1 U.S. Performance on International Education Assessments (Table 10)............................................................................... 2

Indicator 2 Past and Projected Elementary and Secondary Public School Enrollments (Indicator 3) ........................................... 3

Indicator 3 Trends in Private School Enrollments (Indicator 4) .................................................................................................................... 4

Indicator 4 Racial/Ethnic Distribution of Public School Students (Indicator 5)...................................................................................... 5

Indicator 5 Past and Projected Undergraduate Enrollments (Indicator 9)............................................................................................... 6

Indicator 6 Reading Performance of Students in Grades 4 and 8 (Indicator 12).................................................................................... 7

Indicator 7 Mathematics Performance of Students in Grades 4 and 8 (Indicator 13) .......................................................................... 8

Indicator 8 Science Performance of Students in Grades 4, 8, and 12 (Indicator 18).............................................................................. 9

Indicator 9 Trends in Adult Literacy (Indicator 19)..........................................................................................................................................10

Indicator 10 Status Dropout Rates by Race/Ethnicity (Indicator 26) ..........................................................................................................11

Indicator 11 Public High School Graduation Rates by State (Indicator 28) ..............................................................................................12

Indicator 12 Immediate Transition to College (Indicator 29).........................................................................................................................13

Indicator 13 Educational Attainment (Indicator 31) .........................................................................................................................................14

Indicator 14 Student/Teacher Ratios in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools (Indicator 35) ................................................15

Indicator 15 Parental Choice of Schools (Indicator 36)....................................................................................................................................16

Indicator 16 School Violence and Safety (Indicator 39)...................................................................................................................................17

Indicator 17 Expenditures in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools by Expenditure Category (Indicator 42) .................18

Indicator 18 Degrees and Fields of Study (Indicator 45) ................................................................................................................................ 19

Indicator 19 Federal Grants and Loans to Undergraduate Students (Indicator 50) ..............................................................................20

Special Analysis

Participation

in Education

Learner Outcomes

Student Effort and

Educational Progress

Contexts of Elementary

and Secondary Education

Contexts of

Postsecondary Education
Page 2 | The Condition of Education 2006 in Brief

Indicator 1

U.S. Performance on 

International Education 

Assessments U.S. 4th-graders perform relatively well in reading literacy compared with their international peers, including 

those in highly industrialized countries. At 4th grade, U.S. students perform relatively well in mathematics 

and science, but may not be keeping pace with their international peers. They are showing improvement at 

8th grade. However, when U.S. 15-year-olds are asked to apply what they have learned in mathematics and 

science, they show less ability than most of their peers in other highly industrialized countries. U.S. adults 

scored below four out of fi ve other countries in literacy and numeracy. 

Based on the results of recent international assessments, measures of students’ and adults’ skills 

and abilities in reading, mathematics, and science present a mixed picture. 

1

 Includes those countries with approved data appearing in 

reports. Total excludes the United States.

SOURCE: International Association for the Evaluation of 

Educational Achievement (IEA), Progress in International 

Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), 2001; Trends in International 

Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), 2003; Statistics Canada 

and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development 

(OECD), Adult Literacy and Lifeskills (ALL) Survey, 2003; OECD, 

Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), 2003, 

previously unpublished tabulation (October 2005).

Special Analysis

U.S. performance on international assessments of mathematics, science, and reading relative to other countries

 Number of countries with

 average score relative to the United States

 Number of Signifi cantly Not signifi cantly Signifi cantly

Subject and grade or age countries1

 higher different lower

Reading

 4th-graders (2001) 34 3 8 23

 15-year-olds (2000) 30 3 20 7

Mathematics

 4th-graders (2003) 24 11 0 13

 8th-graders (2003) 44 9 10 25

 15-year-olds (2003) 38 23 4 11

Science

 4th-graders (2003) 24 3 5 16

 8th-graders (2003) 44 7 5 32

 15-year-olds (2003) 38 18 9 11

Adult literacy

 Ages 16–65 (2003) 5 4 0 1

Adult numeracy

 Ages 16–65 (2003) 5 4 0 1
The Condition of Education 2006 in Brief | Page 3

Participation in Education Indicator 2

Past and Projected 

Elementary and 

Secondary Public 

School Enrollments

Rising immigration since 1970 and the baby boom echo—a 25 percent increase in the number of annual 

births that began in the mid-1970s and peaked in 1990—boosted public school enrollment in grades prekindergarten (preK) through 12 from the latter part of the 1980s through the early 2000s. Public school 

enrollment is projected to reach an estimated 48.7 million in 2005 and to increase each year to an all-time 

high of 51.2 million in 2015. Enrollment in grades preK –8 is projected to decrease to 33.8 million in 2005 

and then to increase to 36.4 million in 2015, while enrollment in grades 9–12 is projected to increase to 

15.1 million in 2007 and then to decrease to 14.8 million in 2015. 

Public elementary and secondary enrollment is projected to increase to 51 million in 2015. 

SCHOOL ENROLLMENT: Public elementary and secondary school enrollment in prekindergarten through grade 12, by 

grade level, with projections: Various years, fall 1965–2015

0

20,000

10,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

Enrollment (in thousands) Projected

Grades 9–12

Grades preK–8

Total

Fall of year

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

48,560

33,925

14,634

NOTE: Includes kindergarten and most prekindergarten enrollment. Data for years 2001 and 2002 were revised and may differ 

from previously published fi gures.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for 

Education Statistics (NCES). (forthcoming). Digest of Education 

Statistics, 2005 (NCES 2005-030), tables 37 and 40; Hussar, 

W. (forthcoming). Projections of Education Statistics to 2015

(NCES 2006-084), table 1; Snyder, T., and Hoffman, C.M. 

(1995). State Comparisons of Education Statistics: 1969–70 to 

1993–94 (NCES 95-122), tables 10 and 11; and table ESE65, 

retrieved January 10, 2006, from http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/

AnnualReports/reports.asp?type=historicalTables. Data from 

U.S. Department of Education, NCES, The NCES Common Core 

of Data (CCD), “State Nonfi scal Survey of Public Elementary/

Secondary Education,” 1986–87 to 2003–04 and Statistics of 

Public Elementary and Secondary School Systems, various years, 

1965–66 to 1985–86.
Page 4 | The Condition of Education 2006 in Brief

Indicator 3

Trends in Private School 

Enrollments

Between 1989–90 and 2001–02, private school enrollment in kindergarten through grade 12 increased from 

4.8 to 5.3 million students but declined to 5.1 million students in 2003–04. The distribution of students across 

types of private schools changed between 1989–90 and 2003–04. Though Roman Catholic schools continue 

to have the largest share of total private school enrollment, the percentage decreased from 55 to 46 percent due 

to the decline in the percentage of students enrolled in parochial schools.1

 However, there were increases in the 

percentage of students enrolled in Conservative Christian schools, from 11 to 15 percent, and in the percentage 

enrolled in nonsectarian private schools, from 13 to 18 percent. 

The number of private school students in kindergarten through grade 12 increased from 1989–90 

through 2001–02 and then declined in 2003–04, while the percentage fl uctuated at around 10 percent. 

1

 Parochial schools are Catholic schools run by a parish, not by a 

diocese or independently. 

2

 Other religious schools have a religious orientation or purpose, 

but are not Roman Catholic. Conservative Christian schools are 

those with membership in at least one of four associations: Accelerated Christian Education, American Association of Christian 

Schools, Association of Christian Schools International, or Oral 

Roberts University Education Fellowship. Affi liated schools are 

those with membership in other religious school associations. 

Unaffi liated schools are those that have a religious orientation 

or purpose, but are not classifi ed as Conservative Christian or 

affi liated.

3

 Nonsectarian schools do not have a religious orientation 

or purpose.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: Broughman, S.P., and Swaim, N.L. (2006). Characteristics of Private Schools in the United States: Results From the 

2003–2004 Private School Universe Survey (NCES 2006-319), 

table 7 and previously unpublished tabulation (September 

2005). Data from U.S. Department of Education, National 

Center for Education Statistics, Private School Universe Survey 

(PSS), various years, 1989–90 through 2003–04. 

Participation in Education

PRIVATE SCHOOL ENROLLMENT: Percentage distribution of private school students in kindergarten through grade 12, 

by school type: 1989–90 and 2003–04

0

20

40

60

80

100

Percent

1989–90 2003–04

Nonsectarian3Other religious2

School type

Roman Catholic

Conservative Affiliated Unaffiliated

Christian

Total Parochial Diocesan Private Total

55

21

15 18

7 7

32 36

11 15

9 10 13 11 13

18

32

46
The Condition of Education 2006 in Brief | Page 5

Participation in Education Indicator 4

Racial/Ethnic Distribution 

of Public School Students

In 2004, 43 percent of public school students were considered to be part of a racial or ethnic minority 

group, up from 22 percent in 1972. In comparison, the percentage of public school students who were White 

decreased from 78 to 57 percent. The minority increase was largely due to the growth in the proportion 

of students who were Hispanic, from 6 percent in 1972 to 19 percent in 2004. The proportion of students 

who were Black or members of other minority groups increased less over this period than the proportion 

who were Hispanic, and Hispanic enrollment surpassed that of Blacks for the fi rst time in 2002. In the West, 

beginning in 2003, minority public school enrollment exceeded White enrollment. 

The percentage of racial/ethnic minority students enrolled in the nation’s public schools increased 

between 1972 and 2004, primarily due to growth in Hispanic enrollments. 

# Rounds to zero.

1

 Includes Asians/Pacifi c Islanders.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. 

Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, 

and Pacifi c Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race categories 

exclude Hispanic origin unless specifi ed. Includes all public 

school students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade. 

Starting in 2003, the categories for race were changed on the 

Current Population Survey (CPS), allowing respondents to select 

more than one race. Respondents who selected more than one 

race were placed in the “Other” category for the purposes of this 

analysis. In 2004, some 2.4 percent of public school students 

were more than one race. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current 

Population Survey (CPS), October Supplement, 1972 and 2004, 

previously unpublished tabulation (September 2005).

MINORITY ENROLLMENT: Percentage distribution of the race/ethnicity of public school students enrolled in kindergarten 

through 12th grade, by region: Fall 1972 and 2004

0

20

40

60

80

100

Percent

Other1

Hispanic

Black

White

1972 2004 1972 2004 1972 2004 1972 2004 1972 2004

43

73

54

70 74

88

64

81

57

78

6

6

24

14 25

11

15

12

16

15

39

17 15

5

7

2

14

6

19

6 12 5 6

1

5

#

7

1

7

1

South West

Region

Total Northeast Midwest
Page 6 | The Condition of Education 2006 in Brief

Indicator 5

Past and Projected 

Undergraduate 

Enrollments Total undergraduate enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions has generally increased over 

the past three and a half decades and is projected to continue increasing through 2015, albeit at a slower 

rate. These increases have been accompanied by changes in the proportion of students who are women. 

Since 1978, the number of undergraduate women in degree-granting 2- and 4-year institutions has exceeded 

the number of undergraduate men. Since 1970, women’s undergraduate enrollment has increased more 

than twice as fast as men’s. From 2006 to 2015, both men’s and women’s undergraduate enrollments are 

projected to increase, but at a slower rate than in the past 10 years. Women’s undergraduate enrollment is 

projected to continue growing faster than men’s enrollment. 

Women’s undergraduate enrollment has increased at a faster rate than men’s since 1970, and this 

trend is expected to continue through 2015. 

Participation in Education

NOTE: Projections are based on data through 2004 and middle 

alternative assumptions concerning the economy. Data for 1999 

were imputed using alternative procedures. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for 

Education Statistics (NCES). (forthcoming). Digest of Education 

Statistics, 2005 (NCES 2006-030), tables 176 and 189 and 

Hussar, W. (forthcoming). Projections of Education Statistics to 

2015 (NCES 2006-084), table 19. Data from U.S. Department of 

Education, NCES, Higher Education General Information Survey 

(HEGIS), “Fall Enrollment in Colleges and Universities” surveys, 

1970–1985, and 1986–2005 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, “Fall Enrollment Survey” (IPEDS-EF:86–99) 

and Spring 2001 through Spring 2005.

UNDERGRADUATE ENROLLMENT: Total undergraduate enrollment in degree-granting 2- and 4-year postsecondary 

institutions, by sex, with projections: Fall 1970–2015

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

10,000

11,000

12,000

Enrollment (in thousands)

Female

Male

Year

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

Projected

8,538

6,376
The Condition of Education 2006 in Brief | Page 7

Learner Outcomes Indicator 6

Reading Performance 

of Students in Grades 

4 and 8 The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has assessed the reading abilities of 4th-, 8th-, 

and 12th-graders in both public and private schools since 1992.1

 Between 1992 and 2005, national average reading scores of 4th- and 8th-graders varied little, though both were 2 points higher in 2005 than in 

1992. Reported on a scale of 0–500, the average score of 4th-graders increased from 217 in 1992 to 219 

in 2005, while the average score of 8th-graders increased from 260 to 262. The percentage of 4th-graders 

at or above Profi cient (indicating solid academic achievement) increased between 1992 and 2002 (from 

29 to 31 percent) and has remained steady since then. Thirty-one percent of 8th-graders performed at or 

above this level in 2005. 

National average reading scores of 4th- and 8th-graders have varied little over time, though both 

were 2 points higher in 2005 than in 1992. 

1

 The 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 

assessment included a 12th-grade component, but these data 

were not available at the time of this analysis.

2

 Testing accommodations (e.g., extended time, small group 

testing) for children with disabilities and limited-Englishprofi cient students were not permitted.

NOTE: Beginning in 2002, the NAEP national sample was 

obtained by aggregating the samples from each state, rather 

than by obtaining an independently selected national sample. 

As a consequence, the size of the national sample increased, and 

smaller differences between years or between types of students 

were found to be statistically signifi cant than would have been 

detected in previous assessments. 

SOURCE: Perie, M., Grigg, W.S., and Donahue, P.L. (2005). The 

Nation’s Report Card: Reading 2005 (NCES 2006-451), fi gure 

1. Data from U.S. Department of Education, National Center for 

Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), various years, 1992–2005 Reading Assessments.

READING PERFORMANCE: Average reading scores for 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-graders: Various years, 1992–2005

225

250

275

300

325

Score

0

200

Year

1992 1994 1998 2000 2002 2005 2003

292

260 264

263

290

215

217

260

214 217

287 291 287

264

213

219 218

262

219

263

Accommodations

not permitted2

Accommodations

permitted

Grade 121

Grade 8

Grade 4
Page 8 | The Condition of Education 2006 in Brief

Indicator 7

Mathematics 

Performance of Students 

in Grades 4 and 8 The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has assessed the mathematics abilities of students 

in grades 4, 8, and 12 in public and private schools since 1990.1

 In 2005, the national average mathematics 

scores of 4th- and 8th-graders were higher than in all previous assessments. Reported on a 0–500 scale, 

between 1990 and 2005, the average score of 4th-graders increased 25 points, from 213 to 238, and the 

average score of 8th-graders increased 16 points, from 263 to 279. The percentage of students performing 

at or above Profi cient (indicating solid academic performance) increased from 13 to 36 percent during this 

period in grade 4 and from 15 to 30 percent in grade 8.

The mathematics performance of 4th- and 8th-graders improved steadily from 1990 to 2005. For 

both grades, the average score in 2005 was higher than in all previous assessments. 

Learner Outcomes

1

 The 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 

assessment included a 12th-grade component, but at the time 

of this analysis, these data were not available.

2

 Testing accommodations (e.g., extended time, small group 

testing) for children with disabilities and limited-Englishprofi cient students were not permitted.

NOTE: Beginning in 2003, the NAEP national sample was 

obtained by aggregating the samples from each state, rather 

than by obtaining an independently selected national sample. 

As a consequence, the size of the national sample increased, and 

smaller differences between years or between types of students 

were found to be statistically signifi cant than would have been 

detected in previous assessments. 

SOURCE: Perie, M., Grigg, W.S., and Dion, G.S. (2005). The Nation’s 

Report Card: Mathematics 2005 (NCES 2006-453), fi gure 1. Data 

from U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress 

(NAEP), various years, 1990–2005 Mathematics Assessments.

MATHEMATICS PERFORMANCE: Average mathematics scores for 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-graders: Various years, 1990–2005

225

250

275

300

325

Score

0

200

Year

1990 1992 1996 2000 2005 2003

294

263

272

302

224

224

270

268

220

213

299

304 301

273

226

235

279

238

278

Accommodations

not permitted2

Accommodations

permitted

Grade 121

Grade 8

Grade 4
The Condition of Education 2006 in Brief | Page 9

Learner Outcomes Indicator 8

Science Performance 

of Students in Grades 

4, 8, and 12 The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has assessed the science abilities of 4th-, 8th-, and 

12th-graders in both public and private schools since 1996, using a separate 0–300 scale for each grade. Between 1996 and 2005, the national average 4th-grade science score increased from 147 to 151; there was no 

measurable change in the 8th-grade score; and the 12th-grade score decreased from 150 to 147. The percentages 

of 4th- and 8th-graders performing at or above Profi cient (indicating solid academic achievement) were not 

measurably different from 1996 to 2005, while the percentage of 12th-graders at or above this level decreased. 

In 2005, 29 percent of 4th- and 8th-graders and 18 percent of 12th-graders were at or above Profi cient. 

In 2005, the average science score of students was higher than in previous assessment years at 

grade 4, was not measurably different at grade 8, and was lower at grade 12 than in 1996. 

1

 Testing accommodations (e.g., extended time, small group 

testing) for children with disabilities and limited-Englishprofi cient students were not permitted on the 1996 science 

assessment.

SOURCE: Grigg, W., Lauko, M., and Brockway, D. (2006). The 

Nation’s Report Card: Science 2005 (NCES 2006-466), fi gure 

1. Data from U.S. Department of Education, National Center 

for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational 

Progress (NAEP), 1996, 2000, and 2005 Science Assessments.

SCIENCE PERFORMANCE: Percentage of students performing at or above Basic and at or above Profi cient in science, by 

grade: 1996, 2000, and 2005

0

20

40

60

80

100

Percent

At or above Basic At or above Proficient

63

28

63

27

68

29

60

29

59

30

59

29

57

21

52

18

54

18

1996 2000 2005 1 1996 2000 2005 1 2000 2005

Grade 4 Grade 8 Grade 12

19961
Page 10 | The Condition of Education 2006 in Brief

Indicator 9

Trends in Adult Literacy

The National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) assessed adults age 16 or older in three types of literacy1

(prose, document, and quantitative) in 1992 and 2003. The average prose and document literacy scores of 

U.S. adults were not measurably different in 2003 from 1992, but the average quantitative literacy score 

increased 8 points between these years. Adults’ educational attainment was positively related to all three types 

of literacy: those with a bachelor’s degree or higher outperformed their peers in 1992 and 2003. Between 

these years, average prose literacy decreased at each level of educational attainment, and document literacy 

decreased among those with at least some college education or a bachelor’s degree or higher. 

While the quantitative literacy of adults improved from 1992 to 2003, the prose and document 

literacy of adults was not measurably different between these two years. 

Learner Outcomes

1

 Literacy is defi ned as “using printed and written information to 

function in society, to achieve one’s goals, and to develop one’s 

knowledge and potential.”

2

 Included in this category are those still enrolled in high school.

NOTE: Prose literacy is the knowledge and skills needed to 

perform prose tasks (i.e., to search, comprehend, and use 

information from continuous texts, such as paragraphs from 

stories); document literacy is the knowledge and skills needed 

to perform document tasks (i.e., to search, comprehend, and use 

information from noncontinuous texts in various formats, such 

as bills or prescription labels); and quantitative literacy is the 

knowledge and skills required to perform quantitative tasks (i.e., 

to identify and perform computations, either alone or sequentially, using numbers embedded in printed materials). Results are 

reported in terms of average scores on a 0–500 scale. 

SOURCE: Kutner, M., Greenberg, E., and Baer, J. (2005). A First 

Look at the Literacy of America’s Adults in the 21st Century (NCES 

2006-470), fi gure 1. Data from U.S. Department of Education, 

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 2003 National 

Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL).

ADULT LITERACY PERFORMANCE: Average prose, document, and quantitative literacy scores of adults age 16 or older, by 

educational attainment: 2003

0

50

150

250

100

200

300

500

Score

Literacy type

217

275

219

258

282

307

283

221

268

296

327

288

261

320

271

Bachelor’s degree

or higher

High school diploma Some college

or equivalent

Less than

high school2

Total

Prose Document Quantitative
The Condition of Education 2006 in Brief | Page 11

Student Effort and Educational Progress Indicator 10

Status Dropout Rates 

by Race/Ethnicity

The status dropout rate represents the percentage of an age group that is not enrolled in school and has not 

earned a high school credential (i.e., diploma or equivalent, such as a General Educational Development 

[GED] certifi cate). According to this measure, 10 percent of 16- to 24-year-olds were out of school without 

a high school credential in 2004. The status dropout rate declined for this age group between 1972 and 

2004, including the more recent period since 1990. Status dropout rates and changes in these rates over 

time differ by race/ethnicity. Since 1972, status dropout rates for White, Black, and Hispanic young adults 

have declined, with rates remaining lowest for Whites and highest for Hispanics. 

Status dropout rates for Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics ages 16–24 have declined since 1972; 

nonetheless, in 2004, rates remained lowest for Whites and highest for Hispanics. 

NOTE: The status dropout rate reported in this indicator is one of a 

number of rates used to report high school dropout and completion behavior in the United States. Due to small sample sizes, 

American Indians/Alaska Natives and Asians/Pacifi c Islanders 

are included in the total but are not shown separately. Starting 

in 2003, totals for 2003 and 2004 include respondents indicating 

more than one race, but these respondents are not shown separately. The variable nature of the Hispanic status dropout rates 

refl ects, in part, the historically small sample size of Hispanics. 

Black includes African American and Hispanic includes Latino. 

Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless specifi ed. Some 

estimates are revised from previous publications. 

SOURCE: Laird, J., DeBell, M., and Chapman, C. (forthcoming). 

Dropout Rates in the United States: 2004 (NCES 2006-085), 

table 8. Data from U.S. Department of Commerce, Census 

Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October Supplement, 

1972–2004.

STATUS DROPOUTS: Dropout rates of 16- through 24-year-olds, by race/ethnicity: October 1972–2004

0

10

20

30

40

50

Percent

Year

Hispanic

Black

White

Total

1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004
Page 12 | The Condition of Education 2006 in Brief

Indicator 11

Public High School 

Graduation Rates 

by State The averaged freshman graduation rate—a measure of the percentage of the incoming freshman class that 

graduates 4 years later—can be used as a measure of the percentage of public high school students who 

graduate on time. Among all public high school students in the class of 2002–03, the averaged freshman 

graduation rate was 73.9 percent, from a low of 59.6 percent in the District of Columbia to a high of 87.0 

in New Jersey. The overall averaged freshman graduation rate among public school students increased from 

71.7 percent for the class of 2000–01 to 73.9 percent for the class of 2002–03. Between the two years, there 

was an increase in the graduation rate in 43 states.

The 2002–03 public high school graduation rate for the averaged freshman class 4 years earlier 

was 73.9 percent. 

Student Effort and Educational Progress

NOTE: The averaged freshman graduation rate is the number of 

graduates divided by the estimated count of freshmen 4 years 

earlier. The estimated count of freshmen is calculated by summing 10th-grade enrollment 2 years before the graduation year, 

9th-grade enrollment 3 years before the graduation year, and 

8th-grade enrollment 4 years before the graduation year and 

dividing this amount by 3. Enrollment counts include a proportional distribution of students not enrolled in a specifi c grade.

SOURCE: Seastrom, M., Hoffman, L., Chapman, C., and Stillwell, R. 

(2005). The Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate for Public High 

Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Years 2001–02 

and 2002–03 (NCES 2006-601), tables 2 and 3 and previously 

unpublished tabulation (September 2005). Data from U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 

Common Core of Data (CCD), “State Nonfi scal Data File: School 

Years 1996–97 through 2003–04.”

HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION: Averaged freshman graduation rate for public high school students, by state: 2002–03 

80.0 percent or more (14)

75.0–79.9 percent (16)

70.0–74.9 percent (10)

Less than 70.0 percent (11)
The Condition of Education 2006 in Brief | Page 13

Student Effort and Educational Progress Indicator 12

Immediate Transition 

to College

Between 1972 and 2004, the rate at which high school completers1 enrolled in college in the fall immediately 

after high school increased from 49 to 67 percent. About half of White high school completers immediately 

enrolled in college between 1972 and 1978, and 69 percent had done so by 2004. The rate for Blacks was 

stable between 1972 and 1977, but then decreased until 1983, widening the Black-White gap. Thereafter, 

the rate for Blacks increased through 2004, narrowing the gap between the two groups. For Hispanics, the 

annual rate has fl uctuated over time, resulting in a nearly fl at trend between 1972 and 2002, before increasing to 62 percent by 2004. The Hispanic-White gap widened between 1979 and 1997.

The immediate college enrollment rate has increased since 1972. Between 1998 and 2001, the 

Black-White gap narrowed, while the Hispanic-White gap widened between 1979 and 1997. 

COLLEGE ENROLLMENT RATES: Actual and trend rates of high school completers who were enrolled in college the October 

immediately after completing high school, by race/ethnicity: 1972–2004

1 Refers to those who completed 12 years of school for survey 

years 1972–1991 and to those who earned a high school diploma or equivalent (e.g., a General Educational Development 

[GED] certifi cate) for years since 1992.

NOTE: Includes those ages 16–24 completing high school in a 

given year. Actual rates are annual estimates; trend rates show 

the linear trend of these annual values over the time period 

shown. The Current Population Survey (CPS) questions used to 

obtain educational attainment were changed in 1992. In 1994, 

the survey methodology for the CPS was changed and weights 

were adjusted. Black includes African American and Hispanic 

includes Latino. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless 

specifi ed. The erratic nature of the Hispanic rate refl ects, in part, 

the small sample size of Hispanics.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current 

Population Survey (CPS), October Supplement, 1972–2004, previously unpublished tabulation for 2004 (November 2005). 

0

20

40

60

80

100

Percent

White vs. Black White vs. Hispanic

Actual

Trend

Rates

Year

1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004

White White

Black Hispanic
Page 14 | The Condition of Education 2006 in Brief

Indicator 13

Educational Attainment

In most of the years between 1971 and 2005, the rate at which 25- to 29-year-olds completed a bachelor’s 

degree or higher was roughly half the rate at which they completed at least some college education. The 

percentage in this age group who had completed a bachelor’s degree or higher increased from 17 to 29 

percent between 1971 and 2005, while the percentage who had completed at least some college education 

increased from 34 to 57 percent. Although the percentage who completed a bachelor’s degree or higher 

increased for White, Black, and Hispanic 25- to 29-year-olds, the gaps between Whites and Blacks and 

between Whites and Hispanics have widened over time.

The percentages of 25- to 29-year-olds who have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher have 

increased since 1971, but racial/ethnic differences in levels of educational attainment remain.

Student Effort and Educational Progress

BACHELOR’S DEGREE OR HIGHER: Percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who completed a bachelor’s degree or higher, by 

race/ethnicity: March 1971–2005

0

20

40

60

80

100

Percent

Year

1971 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2005

Hispanic

Black

White

Total1

1

 Included in the totals but not shown separately are those from 

other racial/ethnic categories.

NOTE: Prior to 1992, “high school completers” meant those who 

completed 12 years of schooling and “some college” meant completing 1 or more years of college; beginning in 1992, the terms 

meant those who received a high school diploma or equivalency 

certifi cate and those who completed any college at all, respectively. In 1994, the survey instrument for the Current Population 

Survey (CPS) was changed and weights were adjusted. Some 

estimates are revised from previous publications. Black includes 

African American and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories 

exclude Hispanic origin unless specifi ed.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current 

Population Survey (CPS), Annual Social and Economic Study 

Supplement, 1971–2005, previously unpublished tabulation 

(November 2005).
The Condition of Education 2006 in Brief | Page 15

Contexts of Elementary and Secondary Education Indicator 14

Student/Teacher Ratios 

in Public Elementary 

and Secondary Schools The ratio of students to teachers, frequently used as a proxy measure for class size,1

 declined from 17.6 students per teacher in 1990 to 16.5 in 2003 for regular2

 public elementary, secondary, and combined schools. 

Likewise, the student/teacher ratio for regular public elementary schools declined during this period. In 

contrast, student/teacher ratios for all regular public secondary schools increased between 1990 and 1995 

and then declined in 2003. In every year from 1990 to 2003, the student/teacher ratios tended to be higher 

in public schools with larger enrollments than in public schools with smaller enrollments. For example, 

in 2003, regular elementary schools with over 1,500 students enrolled 6.9 more students per teacher, on 

average, than regular elementary schools with enrollments under 300.

Student/teacher ratios tend to be higher in public schools with larger enrollments than in public 

schools with smaller enrollments. 

STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO: Student/teacher ratios in regular public elementary and secondary schools, by level and 

enrollment of school: Fall 1990–2003 

1

 Student/teacher ratios do not provide a direct measure of 

class size because they are based on the amount of time 

in full-time equivalents that all teachers in a school spend 

instructing students. These teachers include classroom teachers; prekindergarten teachers in some elementary schools; art, 

music, and physical education teachers; and teachers who do 

not teach regular classes every period of the day.

2

 Regular schools include all schools except special education 

schools, vocational schools, and alternative schools.

NOTE: The student/teacher ratio is determined by dividing the 

total number of full-time-equivalent teachers into the total 

enrollment. This analysis excludes schools that did not report 

both enrollment and teacher data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, The NCES Common Core of Data (CCD), “Public 

Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey,” 1990–91 

through 2003–04, previously unpublished tabulations (July 

and August 2005).

0

5

10

15

20

25

1990 1994 1998 2003

Students

per teacher

Enrollment

Elementary Secondary

Year

1990 1994 1998 2003

1,500 or more

1,000–1,499

500–999

300–499

Under 300
Page 16 | The Condition of Education 2006 in Brief

Indicator 15

Parental Choice 

of Schools

The percentage of students in grades 1–12 attending a “chosen” public school1 increased from 11 to 15 

percent between 1993 and 2003, while the percentage attending assigned public schools decreased from 80 

to 74 percent. During this period, the percentages of students attending private schools also increased (0.9 

percentage points for private church-related schools and 0.8 percentage points for private not church-related 

schools). When asked whether they could send their child to a chosen public school, the parents of 51 percent 

of students reported having such a choice in 2003.2

 The parents of 24 percent of students reported that they 

moved to their current neighborhood so that their children could attend their current school. 

The percentage of children whose parents enrolled them in chosen public schools increased 

between 1993 and 2003. 

Contexts of Elementary and Secondary Education

DIFFERENCES IN PARENTAL CHOICE: Percentage distribution of students in grades 1–12, by type of school: 1993 and 

2003

 Percentage

 point Percent 

Type of school 1993 2003 difference change

Public, assigned 79.9 73.9 -6.0 -7.5

Public, chosen 11.0 15.4 4.4 40.0

Private, church-related 7.5 8.4 0.9 12.0

Private, not church-related 1.6 2.4 0.8 50.0

0 20 40 60 80 100

Public, assigned Public, chosen Private, church-related Private, not church-related

Percent

2003

1993

73.9 15.4 8.4 2.4

79.9 11.0 7.5 1.6 1

 A public school other than their assigned public school.

2 In some school districts, the child is assigned to a specifi c 

school; in others, the parents can choose the school their child 

will attend. Parents may also be able to choose a school from 

outside the home district. Estimates in this indicator are based 

on parents’ responses and parents may or may not know 

whether such choice is available.

NOTE: Includes homeschooled students enrolled in public or 

private schools for 9 or more hours per week. Detail may not 

sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, School Readiness Survey of the 1993 National 

Household Education Surveys (NHES) Program, School Safety 

and Discipline Survey of the 1993 NHES, and Parent and Family 

Involvement in Education Survey of the 2003 NHES, previously 

unpublished tabulations (May 2004).
The Condition of Education 2006 in Brief | Page 17

Contexts of Elementary and Secondary Education Indicator 16

School Violence 

and Safety

From 1992 through 2003, the rate of nonfatal crime against students at school1 declined by 53 percent 

for theft (from 95 to 45 crimes per 1,000 students) and by 42 percent for all violent crime (from 48 to 28 

crimes per 1,000 students). During this period, the rates for these crimes also decreased when students were 

away from school. In each year observed, the rates for serious violent crime were lower when students were 

at school than away from school. In 2003, a greater percentage of high school-age students (ages 15–18) 

than middle school-age students (ages 12–14) were victims of crime away from school, but no measurable 

difference was found between these two groups in their rates of crime at school. 

There was a general decline in the rate at which students ages 12–18 were victims of theft and 

violent crime at school from 1992 through 2003. 

TRENDS IN VICTIMIZATION: Rate of nonfatal crime against students ages 12–18 at school or on the way to or from school 

per 1,000 students, by type of crime: 1992–2003

1

 “At school” includes inside the school building, on school 

property, or on the way to and from school.

NOTE: Nonfatal crime includes theft and all violent crime; all violent crime includes serious violent crimes (rape, sexual assault, 

robbery, and aggravated assault) and simple assault.

SOURCE: DeVoe, J.F., Peter, K., Noonan, M., Snyder, T.D., and Baum, 

K. (2005). Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2005 (NCES 

2006-001/NCJ 210697), table 2.1. Data from U.S. Department 

of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), 

1992–2003.

Rate (per 1,000 students)

40

80

20

0

60

100

Year

Theft

All violent crime

Serious violent crime

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Page 18 | The Condition of Education 2006 in Brief

Indicator 17

Expenditures in Public 

Elementary and 

Secondary Schools by 

Expenditure Category

Between 1989–90 and 2002–03, total expenditures per student in fall enrollment in public elementary and 

secondary schools rose 25 percent in constant dollars, from $7,692 to $9,644. This rate of increase was 

not evenly distributed among the fi ve major categories of expenditures. Spending on capital outlay and 

interest increased the most between these years (64 percent), while instructional expenditures increased 

23 percent and spending on administration and on operation and maintenance each increased 7 percent. 

In 2002–03, more than half of the $9,644 spent on students in public schools went toward instructional 

expenditures such as teacher salaries and benefi ts, followed by other items,1

 capital expenditures, operation 

and maintenance, and administration. 

Expenditures per student rose 25 percent in constant dollars from 1989–90 to 2002–03, with 

capital expenditures increasing the fastest. 

Contexts of Elementary and Secondary Education

EXPENDITURES BY CATEGORY: Percentage distribution of total expenditures in public elementary and secondary schools, 

by expenditure category: 1989–90 and 2002–03 

1

 Other expenditures include funds for student support, instructional staff, student transportation, other support services, food 

services, and enterprise operations, all of which are components 

of current expenditures. Also included in other expenditures are 

funds for adult education, community colleges, private school 

programs funded by local and state education agencies, and 

community services.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. 

Expenditures have been adjusted for the effects of infl ation 

using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and are in constant 

2003–04 dollars.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for 

Education Statistics, The NCES Common Core of Data (CCD), 

“National Public Education Financial Survey,” 1989–90 to 

2002–03, previously unpublished tabulation (July 2005).

0

20

40

60

80

100

Percent

1989–90 2002–03

Other Capital outlay 1

and interest

Operation and

maintenance

Expenditure category

Instruction Administration

53 52

8 7 10 8 10 13

19 20
The Condition of Education 2006 in Brief | Page 19

Contexts of Postsecondary Education Indicator 18

Degrees and Fields 

of Study

The number of bachelor’s degrees awarded from academic years 1989–90 through 2003–04 increased from 

1.05 million to 1.40 million (33 percent). Growth in the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded was greater 

during the second half of this period than during the fi rst half. Each year, more bachelor’s degrees were 

awarded in business than in any other fi eld. Although there was a 24 percent increase in the number of 

bachelor’s degrees awarded in business, the rate of increase was slower than the rate for bachelor’s degrees 

overall. Three of the next fi ve largest fi elds in 2003–04 also experienced increases in the number of bachelor’s 

degrees awarded, with visual and performing arts experiencing the greatest increase (93 percent). 

The number of bachelor’s degrees awarded increased by 33 percent between 1989–90 and 

2003–04.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for 

Education Statistics (NCES). (forthcoming). Digest of Education 

Statistics, 2005 (NCES 2006-030), table 250, and previously unpublished tabulation (July 2005). Data from U.S. Department 

of Education, NCES, 1989–90 through 2003–04 Integrated 

Postsecondary Education Data System, “Completions Survey” 

(IPEDS-C:89–99) and Fall 2000 through Fall 2004.

BACHELOR’S DEGREES: Number of bachelor’s degrees, by fi eld of study: 1989–90 through 2003–04 

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

Visual and

performing arts

Engineering

and engineering

technologies

Psychology

Education

Social sciences

and history

Business

1989–90 1991–92 1993–94 1995–96 1997–98 1999–2000 2001–02 2003–04

Number of degrees

Year
Page 20 | The Condition of Education 2006 in Brief

Indicator 19

Federal Grants and Loans 

to Undergraduate Students

The percentage of full-time, full-year undergraduates who had federal loans increased from 31 to 44 percent 

from 1992–93 to 1999–2000, while the percentage receiving federal grants, available to those who qualify 

by income, remained at about 30 percent. By 2003–04, both the percentages with loans (48 percent) and 

with grants (34 percent) had increased. In 2003–04, some 63 percent of federal aid was received as loans, 

up from 1992–93 but not measurably different from 1999–2000. The percentage of low-income dependent 

undergraduates who took out federal loans was between 47 and 48 percent from 1992–93 to 2003–04, 

while the percentage receiving federal grants increased from 68 to 72 percent during this period.

From 1992–93 to 1999–2000, the percentage of full-time, full-year undergraduates with federal 

loans increased, while the percentage with federal grants did not. By 2003–04, both had increased.

Contexts of Postsecondary Education

NOTE: Federal loans include Perkins, subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford, and Supplemental Loans to Students (SLS); 

federal grants are primarily Pell Grants and Supplemental 

Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG) but also include Byrd 

scholarships. Total federal aid includes federal work-study aid 

as well as grants and loans. Parent Loans for Undergraduate 

Students (PLUS) loans to parents, veterans’ benefi ts, and tax 

credits are not included in any of the totals. Loans as a percentage of federal aid is determined by dividing the amount of 

federal loans received (including zero loan amounts) by the 

amount of total federal aid received for each case. Income for 

dependent students is based on parents’ annual income in the 

prior year. Low-income students were defi ned as those with 

family incomes below the 25th percentile. Data adjusted by 

the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) to 

constant 2003–04 dollars.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for 

Education Statistics, 1992–93, 1999–2000, and 2003–04 

National Postsecondary Student Aid Studies (NPSAS:93, 

NPSAS:2000, and NPSAS:04), previously unpublished tabulation (September 2005).

FEDERAL AID: Percentage of full-time, full-year undergraduates who received federal loans and grants, and the average percentage of federal aid received as loans, for all undergraduates and low-income dependent undergraduates: 

1992–93, 1999–2000, and 2003–04

0

20

40

60

80

100

Percent

0

20

40

60

80

100

Percent All undergraduates

31

44 48

30 31 34

54

64 63

48 47 47

72 72

38 37 34

68

Low-income

dependent undergraduates

1992–93 1999–2000 2003–04

Loans as

percent of

federal aid

Percent with

federal grants

Percent with

federal loans

Loans as

percent of

federal aid

Percent with

federal grants

Percent with

federal loans