The indicators in this section of The Condition of Education examine student achievement and other outcomes of education among students in elementary and secondary education, and among adults in the broader society. There are 26 indicators in this section: 6, prepared for this year's volume, appear on the following pages, and all 26, including indicators from previous years, appear on the Web (see the List of Indicators on The Condition of Education website in the Contents section for a full list of the indicators). The indicators on student achievement illustrate how students are performing on assessments in reading, mathematics, science, and other academic subject areas. They highlight trends over time in student achievement as well as gaps in achievement between groups. The indicators in this section are organized into five subsections.

The indicators in the first subsection (found on the website) trace the gains in achievement and specific reading and mathematics skills of children through the early years of elementary education. Children enter school with varying levels of knowledge and skill. Measures of these early childhood competencies represent important indicators of students' future prospects both inside and outside of the classroom. These indicators highlight changes in student achievement for a cohort of kindergarten children as they progressed through the early years of schooling.

The indicators in the second subsection report trends in student performance, either by age or grade, in elementary and secondary school. As students progress through school, it is important to know the extent to which they are acquiring necessary skills and gaining proficiency in challenging subject matter. Academic outcomes are basically measured in three ways: as the change in students' average performance over time, as the change in the percentage of students achieving specified levels of achievement, and through international comparisons of national averages. Indicators in this volume show the reading and mathematics achievement of students in grades 4, 8, and 12. Five other indicators that appear on the Web highlight achievement in writing, economics, science, U.S. history, and geography. Also, several indicators in this subsection examine the reading, mathematics, and science skills of students at the international level. Together, indicators in the first two subsections help to create a composite picture of academic achievement for U.S. students.

In addition to academic achievement at the elementary and secondary levels, adult literacy measures are highlighted in the third subsection, while the fourth subsection focuses on social outcomes of education. Knowledge of these outcomes, which are measured here through levels of adult literacy, adult reading habits, and the health status of individuals, help contribute to an educated, capable, and engaged citizenry.

The fifth subsection looks specifically at the economic outcomes of education. Economic outcomes include the likelihood of being employed, shown in an indicator on the Web, and the salaries paid to individuals with varying levels of educational attainment, shown in an indicator in this volume.

The indicators on learner outcomes from previous editions of The Condition of Education, which are not included in this volume, are available at http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe.