The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) is the third in a series of longitudinal studies sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics. This report profiles the mathematics and science instruction received by eighth graders (11,414 surveyed in mathematics and 10,686 in science) in public and private schools in 1988 and proposes to trace the participants into the 10th and 12th grades. A preface lists highlighted findings, tables, and figures included in the document. The body of the report consists of five chapters. Chapter I discusses the purpose and format of the report and limitations of the study. Chapters II and III examine the relationship of various aspects of mathematics and science instruction to students' socioeconomic status and race-ethnicity and type of school attended. Among the aspects examined were the major topics taught, average class size, hours per week attended, allocation of class time, assigned homework, availability of instructional materials, student attitudes toward mathematics and science, and teacher characteristics and qualifications. Chapter IV examines mathematics and science achievement test scores in relation to the various components of instruction measured in the study. Chapter V provides a descriptive profile of the mathematics curriculum, the science curriculum, teacher characteristics and qualifications, classroom characteristics, school type differences, and students' opportunity to learn based on the findings. Appendices that describe the methodology employed and standard errors of estimates reported in tables and figures in the text are provided. (MDH)

Provides data from the NELS:88 base-year, first follow-up, and second follow-up surveys of eighth grade students in public and private schools--a longitudinal effort to provide trend data about critical transitions experienced by students as they leave elementary school and progress through high school and into college or their careers. The study is intended to reveal information about educational processes and outcomes, early and later predictors of dropping out, and students' access to programs and equal opportunity. Parents, school administrators, teachers, and students were surveyed.