A detailed statistical profile of education in the United States is based on information from the Center for Education Statistics' many studies and surveys as well as from other sources within and outside government. Along with the narrative, each topic entry consists of a table and a chart highlighting the data in the table. This 12th annual report presents some 45 measures of education grouped within the framework of "outcomes" of education, such as test score results; the "resources" available for education, like per pupil expenditures and teacher salaries; and the "context" in which education takes place, that is, environmental factors, including student characteristics, public opinion about the schools, and legislative action on school standards. Although the majority of indicators address aspects of elementary and secondary education, 10 indicators describe postsecondary education. The second section consists of the following issue papers: "Preschool Enrollment: Trends and Implications" (Audrey Pendleton); "Trends in Elementary and Secondary Public School Enrollment" (Phillip Kaufman); "School Dropouts in the United States" (Aaron M. Pallas); "Growth in Higher Education Enrollment: 1978-1985" (Phillip Kaufman); and "Private School Enrollment and Tuition Trends" (Mary Frase Williams). The third section consists of appendices with supplementary tables, sources of data, technical notes, standard error tables, and a glossary. (MLF)