A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

National Center for Education Statistics Longitudinal Studies and the School and Staffing Surveys.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

18-13-01

System name:
National Center for Education Statistics Longitudinal Studies and the School and Staffing Surveys.

Security classification:
None.

System location:

Categories of individuals covered by the system:
This system contains information on the following groups:

1. High school seniors who participated in the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972;
2. Approximately 26,820 high school seniors and sophomores from 1,015 U.S. high schools who participated in the High School and Beyond Survey in 1980;
3. Approximately 26,000 eighth grade students in 1,050 U.S. schools who participated in the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988;
4. Approximately 60,000 students enrolled in U.S. postsecondary institutions who participate in each cycle of the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, the Baccalaureate and Beyond Study, or the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study;
5. Approximately 21,000 kindergartners, their parents, and 6,000 teachers who are participating in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Cohort in 1998;
6. 14,000 children and their families as well as 4,500 childcare providers that will participate in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort 2000;
7. Approximately 78,000 teachers, administrators, and librarians who participate in each administration of the School and Staffing Surveys of NCES;
8. Approximately 11,000 faculty and administrators who participated in the 1987-88 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty;
9. Approximately 30,000 faculty, instructional staff, and administrators who participate in subsequent administrations of the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty;
10. Approximately 33,000 U.S. students who participated in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study and the 15,000 U.S. students who will participate in the subsequent administration of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study;
11. Approximately 5,000 U.S. students who will participate in an international Civics Education Study;
12. 9,000 U.S. students who will participate in the Program of International Student Assessment;
13. 8,000 U.S. adults who will participate in the International Life Skills Survey.

Categories OF RECORDS IN THIS SYSTEM:
This system consists of responses to survey instruments which contain background and demographic data, questions concerning educational experiences, employment experiences, finances, aspirations, plans and goals, family formation variables, and attitudes. Cognitive test scores, financial aid records, and high school and college transcripts are appended to the records as well.

The records for schools and local education agencies contain information on numbers and characteristics of teaching staff, administrators, financial and demographic data, and data related to student performance.The records related to teachers and administrators contain, in addition to the above, information on training and experience, salary history, and attitudes and opinions on educational and operational questions.

Authority for maintenance of the system:
20 U.S.C. 1221e-1.

Purpose(s):
This system is used to describe the critical influences, contexts, and transitions of students in elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education and into employment and adult experience.

Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories of users and the purposes of such uses:
The Department of Education (Department) may disclose information contained in a record in this system of records under the routine uses listed in this system of records without the consent of the individual if the disclosure is compatible with the purpose for which the record was collected. These disclosures may be made on a case-by-case basis or, if the Department has complied with the computer matching requirements of the Act, under a computer matching agreement.

1. Contract Disclosure. When the National Center for Education Statistics intends to contract with a private firm for the purpose of collating, analyzing, aggregating, maintaining, appending, or otherwise refining records in this system, the Commissioner of Education Statistics may release relevant records to the contractor. The contractor will be required to maintain safeguards under the Privacy Act of 1974 and under section 406(d)(4) of GEPA (20 U.S.C. 1221e-1(d)(4)) with respect to such records.
2. Research Disclosure. Where the Commissioner of Education Statistics determines that an individual or organization is qualified to carry out specific research, the Commissioner may disclose information from these systems of records to that researcher solely for the purpose of carrying out that research. The researcher shall be required to maintain under the Privacy Act of 1974 and 20 U.S.C. 1221-e1(d)(4) safeguards with respect to such records.

Disclosure to consumer reporting agencies:
Not applicable to this system of records.

Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining, and disposing of records in the system:

Storage:
The research files will be stored on computer tapes and diskettes. The location files will be kept on computer tapes.

Retrievability:
The records are retrievable by title of survey and name of person.

Safeguards:
The research files and location files are not directly mergeable in the form maintained and stored. The identification codes on each file are different. They can be related by use of an encryption algorithm known to only a few authorized staff. Copies of the computer tapes and discs containing the location files are stored with three levels of password protection. Hence, immediate access to the location files is possible only by authorized staff. When in active use for editing, tabulation and analysis, files of information and identifiers will not be kept together unless necessary for processing the data. The files will be accessed only through approved identification of the user and the use of passwords. Passwords will be changed at the conclusion of each period of use and returned to storage. Tapes, discs and questionnaires will be kept in locked files in locked rooms.

Retention and disposal:
The records will be kept for five years after the final survey administration, including the base year survey and any following surveys and then transferred to the Federal Records Center, where, after 15 years, they will be destroyed.

System manager(s) and address:

Notification procedure:
If you wish to determine whether a record exists regarding you in the system of records, contact the system manager at the address listed above. Your request must meet the requirements in the regulations at 34 CFR 5b.5, including proof of identity.

Record access procedure:
If you wish to gain access to a record regarding you, contact system manager. Your requests must meet the requirements in the regulations at 34 CFR 5b.5, including proof of identity.

Contesting record procedure:
If you wish to contest the content of a record regarding you, contact the system manager. Your request must meet the requirements in the regulations at 34 CFR 5b.7.

Record source categories:
Information in the records comes form responses to survey instruments.

System exempted from certain provisions of the act:
None.

Additional System Locations

U.S. Bureau of the Census

Federal Office Building 3, Washington, DC 20233.

WESTAT

1650 Research Boulevard, Rockville, Maryland 20850.

Research Triangle Institute

P.O. Box 12094, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709.

National Opinion Research Center

1155 E. 60th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637-2799.

Educational Testing Service

1825 Eye Street, NW, Suite 475, Washington, DC 20006.

The Gallup Organization

One Church Street, Suite 900, Rockville, MD 20850.

MPR Associates

1995 University Avenue, Suite 225, Berkeley, California 94704.

Abt Associates

55 Wheeler Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138.

Pelavin Research Institute

1,000 Thomas Jefferson Street, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20007.

Institute for Social Research

Survey Research Associates, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson, Ann Arbor, MI 48106.

School of Education

University of Michigan, 610 E. University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.