This publication contains a sample of the 44 indicators in "The Condition of Education 2003." 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. 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) 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. The indicators in the 2003 edition are in six sections: (1) Participation in Education; (2) Learner Outcomes; (3) Student Effort and Educational Progress; (4) Contexts of Elementary and Secondary Education; (5) Contexts of Postsecondary Education; and (6) Societal Support for Learning. The indicators in "The Condition of Education" use data from government and private sources. The complete publication (see ED479294) includes a special analysis on children's reading achievement and classroom experiences in kindergarten and 1st grade. It also contains additional tables and notes related to each indicator.