Photo of a man at his computer, a "pie-chart" on an easel nearby.Links updated, February 2016
A legacy resource from NICHCY

Looking for statistics for your own work, school paper, dissertation, proposal, or research? Let us connect you with organizations that do research and/or provide statistics on various topics, organized by the type of statistical information they provide. Use the links to jump to the area of your choice.

Statistical Information on:

 
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General Information about the People and Economy of the United States

Census Bureau.
Did you know that, according to the Census Bureau, the 2010 “resident population” of the United States was 308,745,538? More than 308 million people!  Wow.  And that’s not all the Census Bureau has to tell us. It’s the leading source of data about the nation’s people and economy. It conducts: the Population & Housing Census (every 10 years), an Economic Census (every 5 years), Census of Governments (every 5 years), the American Community Survey (annually),  and more.
http://www.census.gov/

White House.
The White House website provides information on the latest federal government statistics. It provides links to information produced by a number of Federal agencies.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/

National Center for Health Statistics | NCHS.
How is America’s health? NCHS can tell you. It’s the Federal Government’s principal vital and health statistics agency. NCHS data systems include data on vital events as well as information on health status, lifestyle and exposure to unhealthy influences, the onset and diagnosis of illness and disability, and the use of health care.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/

Urban Institute.
The Urban Institute gathers data, conducts nonpartisan economic and social policy research, evaluates programs, offers technical assistance , and shares its findings on social and economic issues in order to foster sound public policy and effective government.
https://www.urban.org/

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Information on Education in the United States

Education statistics at a glance.
Courtesy of the National Center for Education Statistics (listed next). Check out NCES’ Digest of Education Statistics for the quick facts, or its Condition of Education (an annual report) for the details.
http://nces.ed.gov/annuals/

NCES | National Center for Education Statistics.
NCES is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data that are related to education in the United States and other nations. The NCES collects and reports “statistics and information showing the condition and progress of education in the United States and other nations in order to promote and accelerate the improvement of American education.”–Section 402(b) of the National Education Statistics Act of 1994 (20 U.S.C. 9001).
http://nces.ed.gov/

ED Data Express.
This website will help you view some of the important data that the U.S. Department of Education collects from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. You can easily find information on your state (“State Snapshots”) and even build your own state table. The site includes options to download information into Excel or manipulate the data within the website. The site currently includes data from EDFacts, Consolidated State Performance Reports (CSPR), State Accountability Workbooks, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), the College Board, and the Department’s Budget Service office.  Sweet!
https://eddataexpress.ed.gov/

FastFacts.
Also courtesy of NCES, FastFacts give you data about American elementary, secondary and postsecondary schools, students, and the educational process.
http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/

NAEP | National Assessment of Educational Progress.
The NAEP is also known as “the Nation’s Report Card.” It is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America’s students know and can do in various subject areas.
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/

Institute of Education Sciences | IES.
The mission of IES is to provide rigorous evidence on which to ground education practice and policy. This is accomplished through the work of its four centers: Evaluation Center (NCEE), Research Center (NCER), Statistics Center (NCES), and Special Education Research Center (NCSER).
http://ies.ed.gov/

ERIC | Education Resources Information Center.
ERIC is a national information system designed to provide ready access to an extensive body of education-related literature. The database contains more than 1.3 million abstracts of education-related documents and journal articles.
https://eric.ed.gov/

Education Week.
Education Week is published by Editorial Projects in Education, a non-profit organization based in Washington D.C. Its website provides local, state, and national information from pre-school to 12th grade.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/index.html?intc=thed

CCSSO | Council of Chief State School Officers.
The Council of Chief State School Officers is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues.
http://www.ccsso.org/

SchoolMatch.
SchoolMatch is a research and database service company that collects, audits, integrates, processes, and manages information about public and private elementary and secondary schools.
http://www.schoolmatch.com/

Teachers.
The latest statistics on teachers, courtesy of the National Education Association. Rankings and Estimates is an annual report prepared by NEA Research that provides state-level data on an array of topics relevant to the complex world of public education, including teacher statistics.
http://www.nea.org/home/44479.htm

 
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Information on Special Education

OSEP’s Annual Report to Congress.
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) within the US Department of Education, has oversight for the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). OSEP prepares an annual report to Congress that includes substantial statistical data (number of children identified, etc.) on special education.
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/research.html

IDEA Data Center | IDC.
The IDC provides public access to the most recent State-reported data available collected by OSEP at the U.S. Department of Education, as required under Section 618 of IDEA.
https://ideadata.org/

NCEO | National Center on Educational Outcomes.
NCEO provides national leadership in the participation of students with disabilities in national and state assessments, standards-setting efforts, and graduation requirements. NCEO maintains an online accommodation bibliography that allows you to search a compilation of empirical research studies on the effects of various testing accommodations for students with disabilities. NCEO offers information on assessments, accountability policy and practices, national and state data collection programs, and standards-setting for all students, including those with disabilities.
http://www.cehd.umn.edu/nceo/

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Information on Disability

Census Bureau…on disability.
The United States Bureau of the Census provides data on disability based on four primary sources: the American Community Survey (ACS), the Decennial Census of Population and Housing, the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), and the Current Population Survey (CPS).
https://www.census.gov/people/disability/

Disability Statistics.
Disability Statistics is an online resource for U.S. disability statistics, providing summaries of the most recent demographic and economic statistics on the non-institutionalized population with disabilities. It also provides information on the population size and disability prevalence for various demographic subpopulations, as well as statistics related to employment, earnings, and household income. Comparisons are made to people without disabilities and across disability types.
https://www.disabilitystatistics.org/

Disability Statistics Center Rehabilitation Research and Training Center.
Similar name to the one above, yes, but this DSC is primarily funded by NIDRR to produce and disseminate statistical information on disability and the status of people with disabilities in American society and to establish and monitor indicators about how conditions are changing over time to meet their health, housing, economic and social needs.
https://www.employerpracticesrrtc.org/

NOD | National Organization on Disability.
The National Organization on Disability researches, develops, and demonstrates creative approaches to disability employment issues. This work includes piloting innovative projects, providing consultation and technical assistance, designing programs, and performing research and surveys to better understand the issues underlying the employment gap for people with disabilities. NOD then shares the lessons from its work with key audiences, including employers, corporations, policymakers, employment service providers, and the general public.
http://www.nod.org

NIDRR | National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.
NIDRR is one of three branches within OSERS (Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services) at the U.S. Department of Education.  As such, it provides leadership and support for a comprehensive program of research related to the rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities. The link below takes you to NIDRR’s Research and Statistics page.
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/directory/national-institute-disability-and-rehabilitation-research-office-special-education-and

CDC.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a fount of statistical information about disabilities and health conditions.  This index page gives you quick access to info on such disability concerns as AD/HD, birth defects, diabetes, and much more.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/default.htm

Chances of disability.
The Council for Disability Awareness engages in communications, research, and education about disability. The link below takes you to its discussion of “what are the chances of being disabled?”—which includes an entire section of statistics.
http://www.disabilitycanhappen.org/chances_disability/disability_stats.asp

Disability stats, by state.
Yes, believe it or not, here’s a state-by-state look at disability, courtesy of the Center for Personal Assistance Services.
https://disabilitycompendium.org/compendium/2020-annual-disability-statistics-compendium?page=6

World facts on disabilities and disability issues.
http://www.disabled-world.com/disability/statistics/

 
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Statistics on the Children Receiving Services under IDEA

Who are the children receiving early intervention services or special education in public schools—literally, millions of individuals. For a closer look at who they are, you might find these current research studies of interest.

The children in early intervention.
SRI conducted the NEILS study, which followed more than 3,338 children with disabilities or at risk for disabilities and their families through their experiences in early intervention and into early elementary school. Read the final report, which distills key findings.
http://www.sri.com/work/publications/national-early-intervention-longitudinal-study-neils-final-report

The children in preschool.
And then there’s the PEELS study, which has followed a group of children who receive preschool special education services as they progress through the early elementary years.
http://ies.ed.gov/ncser/pubs/20063003/

The children in special education.
Read about the SEELS study, a 5-year investigation of the children receiving special education services, ages 6 to 12.
www.seels.net/

And then there’s transition!
SRI follows up their previous transition studies with this new one–the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2)!  NLTS2 is documenting the experiences of a national sample of students as they move into adult roles. Visit the main site to find out more–including what’s been found out to date!
http://www.nlts2.org

Summing it all up.
Every year, Congress receives an annual report on the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), our nation’s special education law. Wanna know who’s being served, for what disability, by whom, where, and to what outcome? Visit the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), which oversees implementation of the law and reports the state of affairs to Congress. You’ll find the latest annual reports to Congress online as well as the annual data tables.
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/research.html

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Information on Other Disability-Related Topics

Childstats.gov.
Childstats is the website of the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, or the Forum. It offers easy access to federal and state statistics and reports on children and their families, including: population and family characteristics, economic security, health, behavior and social environment, and education.
http://www.childstats.gov/

Employment of those with disabilities.
Statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor.
http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/disability/statistics.htm

FastStats at CDC.
We mentioned The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) above with respect to the statistics it makes available on disabilities.  Its FastStats site also gives you quick access to statistics on topics of public health importance, such as: child health, adolescent health, and home health care.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/default.htm

Juvenile justice.
The National Center on Education, Disability, and Juvenile Justice (EDJJ) examines the overrepresentation of youth with disabilities at-risk for contact with the courts or already involved in the juvenile delinquency system.
http://www.edjj.org

Perinatal care.
The National Perinatal Information Center/Quality Analytic Services is a non-profit hospital membership organization and research center. NPIC/QAS performs analysis on the cost, management. and outcome of perinatal services, evaluates health services programs, analyzes major policy issues in reproductive and family health care, and provides comparative reports to member hospitals.
http://www.npic.org

 

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