Three goals must be met in order for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to improve the quality and utility of its data collection: (1) the choice of what to collect must be driven by the questions of interest to decisionmakers and the public; (2) procedures must insure validity and reliability of the data; and (3) the data must be reported in ways that facilitate use by the intended audience. The reliability of the data reported is the biggest challenge facing NCES. Careful choices about what to collect and clear reporting cannot compensate for inaccuracy. Reporting data should include the following points: (1) description of similarities and discrepancies from different sources; (2) indication of how various sources were used, when applicable; (3) precise descriptions of what the numbers represent and interpretations of how their known weakness influence the results; (4) knowledgeable interpretation of data; (5) methods of reporting which minimize inappropriate comparisons; (6) full and accurate citation of data sources; and (7) inclusion of a glossary to help readers. NCES should investigate the use of minicomputers for different kinds of assessment instruments and should begin to design a computerized data collection system utilizing telecommunications capability. Comments on "Indicators of Education Status and Trends" are listed with page references. (JAZ)