Since 1870, the federal government has gathered data about students, teachers, schools, and education funding. As mandated by Congress, the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the Institute of Education Sciences annually publishes a statistical report on the status and progress of education in the United States. "The Condition of Education" includes data and analysis on a wide variety of issues. These data are taken from government and private sources. The 2008 edition of "The Condition" contains indicators that are divided into five sections: (1) Participation in Education; (2) Learner Outcomes; (3) Student Effort and Educational Progress; (4) Contexts of Elementary and Secondary Education; and (5) Contexts of Postsecondary Education. It contains a sample of the 43 indicators in "The Condition of Education, 2008." The indicators in this publication are numbered sequentially, rather than according to their numbers in the complete edition. The Contents page offers a cross-reference between the two publications. Also included are additional tables and notes related to each indicator. [For the full report, see ED501487.]