Statistical Methods for Protecting Personally Identifiable Information in the Disclosure of Graduation Rates of First-Time, Full-Time Degree- or Certificate-Seeking Undergraduate Students by 2-Year Degree-Granting Institutions of Higher Education

The NCES technical brief, Statistical Methods for Protecting Personally Identifiable Information in the Disclosure of Graduation Rates of First-Time, Full-Time Degree- or Certificate-Seeking Undergraduate Students by 2-Year Degree-Granting Institutions of Higher Education (NCES 2012-151), includes definitions, background information, disclosure practices, and practices for balancing disclosure and confidentiality to assist institutions in meeting the graduation rate disclosure requirements in Section 485 of the Higher Education Act, as amended. Beginning in 2011-12, two-year institutions are required to annually disclose graduation rates disaggregated by various categories. When small numbers of individuals are involved, it is possible for an institution to inadvertently disclose personally identifiable information, which violates privacy laws. This brief details three practices to help prevent unintentional disclosure: not publishing counts, suppressing small groups, and recoding small groups into ranges. These practices maximize the amount of information disclosed to ensure compliance with HEOA while protecting student privacy.

NCES to Host Delta Cost Data, The First in New Series of IPEDS-Based Panel Datasets

A series of panel datasets will be developed and released by the National Center for Education Statistics, making it easier for analysts to study trends in postsecondary institutions and education. IPEDS is a large data collection with many years of data, and changes in variables and the universe of institutions make trend analysis difficult. The creation of a panel data will make the data substantially more user-friendly. The first in a series of IPEDS Analytics Databases will be the Delta Cost Project’s database, which used IPEDS data to build the original database as part of a an effort to bring greater attention to college spending through better data, cost metrics, and communication. NCES has agreed to host and update the database on its website. Both the raw variables, and the derived variables developed currently in the database, will be updated and maintained by NCES. The transition of the database from the Delta Cost Project to NCES is planned for early 2012. The publications and online tool of the Delta Cost Project will be transitioned to the American Institutes for Research. For more information, visit the website.

NCES Releases New Data on Postsecondary Employees and Salaries

While adjusted 9-month average salaries for professors at degree-granting public 4-year institutions have increased from 2004-05 to 2010-11 (adjusted for inflation) for both men and women, the adjusted 9-month average salaries (adjusted for inflation) for their counterparts at degree-granting 2-year public institutions have decreased for both men and women from 2004-05 to 2010-11 according to new data released by the National Center for Education Statistics. Employees in Postsecondary Institutions, Fall 2010, and Salaries of Full-Time Instructional Staff, 2010-11 presents data from the Winter 2010-11 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, including data on the number of staff employed in Title IV postsecondary institutions in fall 2010 by occupation, length of contract/teaching period, employment status, salary class, faculty and tenure status, academic rank, and gender. To view the full report, visit the NCES website.

NCES Releases New Report on Who Receives Education Tax Benefits and the Effect They Have on the Price of College Attendance

Nearly one-half (47 percent) of all 2007–08 undergraduates received an education tax benefit (Hope tax credit, lifetime learning tax credit, or the tuition and fees deduction). These benefits reduced recipients’ average college expenses for the academic year by about $700.

In addition to providing estimates on education tax benefits for all 2007–08 undergraduates, this Statistics in Brief investigates the ways in which receipt of these benefits, and these benefits’ effect on the price of college attendance, varies by family income. Since student-level data on tax benefits are not available from other sources, Internal Revenue Service rules for 2007 education tax benefits were applied to a nationally representative sample of 2007–08 undergraduate and graduate students to determine the potential distributions and amounts of the tax benefits.
To view the full report, visit the NCES website.

National Postsecondary Education Cooperative (NPEC)

The National Postsecondary Education Cooperative released the following reports related to IPEDS: The History and Origins of Survey Items for the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System

This project was conducted to determine the origin of items in the 2011-12 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) survey components. The report was developed to document the sources of current IPEDS data items as background information for interested parties and to provide guidance when NCES, technical review panels, and others are considering potential changes to the IPEDS data collection.

Suggestions for Improvements to the Collection and Dissemination of Federal Financial Aid Data

Several offices within the U.S. Department of Education collect and disseminate data about student financial aid. However, limitations of these data sources may make it difficult for consumers, policymakers, and researchers to gain a complete picture of the sources, types, and amounts of aid going to students at institutions of higher education and the relationship between aid and policy goals such as access and success. This report presents the findings and recommendations of the NPEC Working Group on Financial Aid Data, which sought to identify potential improvements to the collection and dissemination of federal financial aid data. The recommendations in this report do not affect IPEDS Student Financial Aid reporting at the present time, but suggest directions for future improvement over time.