Introduction to NCES Data Sets

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Introduction to NCES Data Sets
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K-12 Data Sets

• CCD
• Local Education Agency Universe Survey
• Financial Survey of Local Governments
• Useful for merging demographic or district
  financial data with other data sets
• SASS TFS
• Administrator Survey
• Teacher Survey and Teacher Follow-up Survey
• Includes information on salaries, training,
  education and future career aspirations
• School Survey
• Includes information on programs and
  participation rates etc.
• TIMSS

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Longitudinal Data Sets

• NELS 88
• Includes just about everything youd want to know
  about students who entered 8th grade in 1988,
  were in 10th in 1990 and 12th in 1992 (includes
  subsequent follow ups)
• ECLS
• They just started, this one includes baseline
  data on a recent entering Kindergarten class,
  including data on their family backgrounds,
  curricular programs and teachers.
• BPS
• Includes data on the beginning post-secondary
  class of ?
• BB
• Includes data on the entering freshman college
  class of 1993 94, including transcripts and
  survey questions regarding career aspirations,
  choice of major, reasons for changing major etc.
  Over sampled teacher ed. students. Followed
  students into first job.

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Higher Education

• Students
• BPS
• BB
• Institutions
• IPEDS
• Like the CCD but for Higher Education Institutions

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Steps you take

• Order Public Use Data Set Online
• Download and Print Questionnaires Online
• Use these to figure out which questions you might
  like to ask
• Download and Print (or order) NCES publications
  using the data sets
• Conduct literature search on data set.
• Order Restricted Use if Necessary
• Contact Cynthia Barton
• File License
• File Affidavit of Non-disclosure (notarized)
• File Security Plan
• Notes
• Must have access to secure working environment
• Be broad in describing your research agenda so as
  to avoid having to request amendments

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What you need

• A relatively fast computer that can handle large
  data sets (1 gb RAM works okay)
• A statistical software package for data
  extraction from ECB
• SAS, SPSS or STATA (not available on all ECBs)
• Excel can be helpful for data manipulation or
  organization, but requires a pretty fast computer
  for datasets this large.

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How it works

• Data comes on a CD with a program to install
  called the Electronic Codebook (ECB)
• Use the ECB to find variables you wish to use in
  your analyses. Identify all possible because it
  can be difficult to go back and add variables to
  your data set.
• Have the ECB generate the statistical import code
  
• Open the code in your statistical software
  package and run the code. This will import your
  data. Once you have it in SAS, SPSS or STATA you
  can export it to Excel.

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Nitpicking Points of NCES Data Sets

• Many, like NELS are hierarchical in structure
  (students in schools in districts etc.) requiring
  more complex analyses.
• NCES uses complex sampling procedures and then
  assigns (sampling probability) weights to
  individuals sampled that must be used in
  statistical analyses so that findings are
  generalizable.