Yale University Library Research Guides: US Government Information: Education

Government information and education research

U.S. Department of Education
The Department of Education (known informally as "ED") is responsible for the following: establishing policies on federal financial aid for education, and distributing as well as monitoring those funds; collecting data on America's schools and disseminating research; focusing national attention on key educational issues; and prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal access to education.
Institute of Education Sciences
IES is the research arm of the Department of Education. On the Institute's website, you'll find research, assessment, and policy publications, as well as a variety of data and statistical resources.
ERIC - Education Resources Information Center
ERIC, sponsored by the Department of Education, began in 1964 to index education-related literature including academic journal articles, reports, dissertations, government documents, and other materials. With the ERIC database, researchers have access to the full-text of these documents (when available), as well as a powerful thesaurus to aid in searching.
ERIC (ProQuest interface)
The National Library of Education
The NLE site links out to ERIC and other ED resources; it's also useful for its catalog, which researchers can explore to identify primary and secondary materials in education and related disciplines. (If you find a book that's not available at Yale, make an Interlibrary Loan request.)
Bureau of Indian Education
Formerly the Office of Indian Education Programs, the BIE funds or operates elementary and secondary schools on 64 reservations as well as off-reservation boarding schools. The BIE also provides higher education scholarships, funds tribal colleges and universities, and operates two post-secondary institutions.
National School Lunch Program
The National School Lunch Program is administered by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Statistics and data

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
"The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education." The website includes survey and program data, publications, and basic data on schools (elementary, secondary, post-secondary).
Digest of Education Statistics (1990-present)
The Digest of Education Statistics, compiled by NCES, is often a good starting point for statistics on education in the U.S. The Digest includes data from government and private sources on a variety of topics: enrollments, educational attainment, teachers, libraries, international education, and more. Earlier editions of the Digest are available in print.
The Condition of Education (1989-present)
"This website has the key indicators of the condition of education in the United States. These indicators summarize important developments and trends using the latest statistics and are updated as data become available. A Congressionally mandated annual report on these indicators is provided to the White House and Congress each year." Earlier editions are available in print.
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
Also called The Nation's Report Card, the NAEP is "the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas."
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
IPEDS is "the primary source for data on colleges, universities, and technical and vocational postsecondary institutions in the United States." Search by institution, compare institutions, or create group reports; or explore topics like graduation rates, financial aid, etc.
Projections of Education Statistics (from NCES)
"Projections for key education statistics, including enrollment, graduates, teachers, and expenditures in elementary and secondary public and private schools, as well as enrollment and degrees conferred at postsecondary degree-granting institutions. Included are national data on enrollment and graduates for the past 15 years and projections to the year 2021. Also included are state-level data on enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools and public high schools from 2003, with projections to 2021."
International Activities Program (from NCES)
Portal to international surveys and comparisons.
ED Data Inventory
"The goal of the ED Data Inventory is to describe all data reported to the Department of Education, with the exception of personnel and administrative data. It includes data collected as part of grant activities, along with statistical data collected to allow publication of valuable statistics about the state of education in this country. The ED Data Inventory includes descriptive information about each data collection, along with information on the specific data elements in individual collections."
Census Bureau - education data

Federal legislation related to education

ED - Laws and Guidance
Legislation, regulations, and other policy documents related to No Child Left Behind, civil rights, and more.
Congress.gov - browse bills by subject area
Browse bills by selecting bills by subject - policy area -> education.
Guide to legislative information
If you don't find what you need using the links above, consult the library's guide to Congressional information sources.

Historical research

For historical government documents research on education in the United States, keep in mind that the Department of Education was established by federal law (PL 96-88) in 1980. Before the Department of Education Organization Act, the following offices and departments were concerned with education:

Department of Education (1867-1868)
Office of Education, a bureau of the Department of the Interior (1868-1939)
Office of Education, part of the Federal Security Agency (1939-1953)
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (1953-1980; split by PL 96-88 into the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services)

When searching for pre-1980 documents in Orbis, WorldCat, the Monthly Catalog, etc., you will want to use these earlier agency names in your search terms. These names will also assist you if your research involves the U.S. National Archives (NARA).

Beyond the federal government

Education in the United States is very decentralized, with considerable oversight at the state and local levels. To find state-specific information, consult this list of state education agencies' websites.

To find state-level bills and legislative activty related to education, search by keyword or state in Open States. Create a free account to set up saved searches and email notifications.

Librarian for US Government Information

Gwyneth Crowley

She/her/hers

Email Me

Contact:

Marx Science and Social Science Library
Kline Tower/Concourse
Office - # C43

203-432-3213

Subjects: Government and IGO Information

General resources for U.S. government information

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Govinfo (U.S. Federal Digital System) FDsys, the Federal Digital System from the Government Printing Office (GPO), provides online access to official publications from all three branches of the U.S. federal government, including the federal budget, congressional documents, the U.S. Code, and more. Coverage will vary by collection, but many publications are available in full text back to the 1990s.
ProQuest Congressional Full-text access to Congressional documents including bills, hearings, the Congressional Record, the Serial Set, and more.
Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (1976-present) The CGP is a finding tool for electronic and print publications from all branches of the federal government. It's a good way to find citations to documents that aren't in Yale's government documents collection, but could be requested through interlibrary loan.
Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, 1895-1976 The Monthly Catalog is the predecessor of the CGP. This database acts as an index to historical government documents; while it doesn't include full text, it can help you find citations to documents that you can then search for in Orbis or other library catalogs.

US Government Information: Education