PUB TYPE Numerical/Quantitative Data (110) Reports Evaluative

This report summarizes tasks undertaken to assess the feasibility of a longitudinal analysis of elementary and secondary schools. The initial objective was to see if it was technically possible to analyze overlap samples of schools from the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) to produce substantive findings. Over the course of the project various other objectives were added, including an appraisal of longitudinal designs for a general study of schools and recommendations about the use of the SASS. This report contains a discussion and set of recommendations about the use of longitudinal designs for National Center of Education Statistics (NCES) data collections and reporting on schools. It is recommended that the NCES not invest in a more elaborate panel design for the study of schools because the payoff would not be great enough. The second section of the report is a description of the initial feasibility study of the use of the SASS overlap study. The study finds that it is feasible to use these data to enhance th