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The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a system of international assessments administered by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that measures 15-year-olds' performance in reading literacy, mathematics literacy, and science literacy every 3 years. This report focuses on the performance of U.S. students in the major subject area of science literacy as assessed in PISA 2006. Achievement in the minor subject area of mathematics literacy in 2006 is also presented. The United States had greater percentages of students at or below the lowest level of achievement, level 1, than the OECD average percentages on the combined science literacy scale. The United States also had lower percentages of students at levels 3 and 4 than the OECD average percentages. The percentages of U.S. students performing at levels 2, 5, and 6 were not measurably different from the OECD averages. In 2006, the average U.S. score in mathematics literacy was 474 on a scale from 0 to 1,000, lower than the OECD average score of 498. U.S. scores are compared to those achieved in other OECD jurisdictions and analyzed by percentile, sex, and race/ethnicity. The following are appended: (1) Sample Science Items from PISA 2006; (2) Technical Notes; (3) Reference Tables; and (4) PISA 2006 Expert Panelists. (Contains 15 tables, 7 figures, 6 exhibits, and 13 footnotes.)

This "First Look" presents findings from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) fall 2005 collection, which included two survey components: Institutional Characteristics for the 2005-06 academic year, and Completions covering the period July 1, 2004, through June 30, 2005. These data were collected through the IPEDS web-based data collection system. The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System is designed to collect institution level data from postsecondary institutions in the United States (the 50 states and the District of Columbia) and other jurisdictions, such as Puerto Rico. For IPEDS, a postsecondary institution is defined as an organization that is open to the public and has as its primary mission the provision of postsecondary education. IPEDS defines postsecondary education as formal instructional programs with a curriculum designed primarily for students who are beyond the compulsory age for high school. This includes academic, vocational, and continuing professional education programs and excludes institutions that offer only avocational (leisure) and adult basic education programs. Tabulations in this report present selected data items collected in fall 2005 from the 6,463 Title IV institutions in the United States. One table also includes the 159 Title IV institutions in the other jurisdictions. Additional detailed information is available through the various IPEDS web tools. In the fall collection, institutions provided data on institutional characteristics, tuition and fees, and price of attendance for the 2005-06 academic year and completions data (degrees, certificates, and other formal awards conferred) for the 2004-05 academic year. Appended to this report are: (1) Survey Methodology; and (2) Glossary of IPEDS Terms. (Contains 12 tables and 8 footnotes.)

This report uses transcript data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002) to provide nationally representative information about the level of academic preparation the high school graduating class of 2003-04 had when leaving high school. ELS:2002 is the most recent secondary school longitudinal study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Transcripts provide enrollment histories, graduation dates, and coursetaking records--key pieces of information for researchers and policymakers interested in the current state of the American high school curriculum. This report uses information from the transcripts to identify students who graduated with a diploma between September 1, 2003, and August 31, 2004 (i.e., the high school graduating class of 2003-04). The analysis profiles their coursetaking histories from the 9th through the 12th grades and explores the relationships between their coursework, their proficiency in math, their grade point average, and their expectations for their future education. This report focuses on two general areas. First, it presents the curricular landscape for contemporary American high school students. Second, it describes the linkage between academic pathways, particularly in mathematics coursework, and high school performance and preparation for postsecondary life. The report also shows educational expectations. These gauge how American youth on the cusp of high school graduation envision their future educational attainment. Appended are: (1) Technical Notes and Glossary; and (2) Standard Error Tables. (Contains 22 tables.)

This report describes the methods and procedures used for the 2004 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04). NPSAS:04 is a comprehensive study of financial aid among postsecondary education students in the United States and Puerto Rico that provides information on trends in financial aid and on the ways in which families pay for postsecondary education. NPSAS:04 included important changes from previous NPSAS surveys (conducted in 1987, 1990, 1993, 1996, and 2000) in its sample design and collection of data. For example, the current study is the first in the NPSAS series to utilize a web-based instrument for both self- and telephone-administration. Another important change is that NPSAS:04 was designed to provide state-level representative estimates for undergraduate students within three institutional strata--public 2-year institutions; public 4-year institutions; and private not-for-profit 4-year institutions for 12 states that were categorized into three groups based on population size--four large, four medium, and four small: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Nebraska, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, and Texas. These states were chosen for this "demonstration" study from a set of volunteering states that expressed interest and a willingness to support and encourage participation by their institutions. However, sufficient comparability in survey design and instrumentation was maintained to ensure that important comparisons with past NPSAS studies could be made. The following are appended: (1) Technical Review Panel; (2) Sampling Details; (3) Data Collection Notification Materials; (4) Endorsements; (5) Facsimiles; (6) Training Materials; (7) Data-CADE Specifications; (8) Imputations; (9) Analysis Variables; (10) GEM Adjustment Procedure; (11) Nonresponse Bias Analysis; (12) Details of the Bootstrap Variance Estimation; (13) Weighted Analysis Considerations; and (14) Design Effects. (Contains 57 tables and 16 figures.)

The 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:04), conducted by RTI International (RTI) and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), is a nationally representative study that collects data regarding the characteristics, workload, and career paths of full-and part-time postsecondary faculty and instructional staff at public and private not-for-profit 2-and 4-year institutions in the United States. Conducted previously in 1988, 1993, and 1999, it serves a continuing need for data on faculty and instructional staff. For the first time, NSOPF:04 is being conducted as a component study of the 2004 National Study of Faculty and Students (NSoFaS:04). The student component--the 2004 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04)--is a nationally representative study of students enrolled in all levels of postsecondary education. Historically, there has been considerable overlap in the institutions selected for participation in NSOPF and NPSAS; therefore, institution sampling and contacting activities for both studies were coordinated to help minimize response burden on institutions and to improve data collection efficiency. This report describes the methodology and findings of NSOPF:04, which took place during the 2003-04 academic year. A field test, conducted in the 2002-03 academic year, was used to plan, implement, and evaluate methodological procedures, instruments, and systems proposed for use in the full-scale study. The 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty Field Test Methodology Report (Heuer et al. 2004) is available from NCES. This methodology report is designed to report solely for NSOPF:04. NPSAS:04 procedures and results--provided in a separate report--are discussed here only as they impact or overlap with those outlined for NSOPF:04. Appended are: (1) Sampling Details; (2) Technical Review Panel; (3) Facsimile Instruments; (4) Item Crosswalks; (5) Endorsements; (6) Contacting Materials; (7) Training Materials; (8) Quality of Lists; (9) Nonresponse Bias Analysis; (10) CIP Code Mapping; (11) Analysis Variables; (12) GEM Adjustment Procedure; and (13) Design Effects. (Contains 44 tables and 6 figures.)

The 2004/06 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:04/06), conducted for the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), collected information about the education and employment experiences of students in the two years following their first enrollment in postsecondary education. The primary objective of BPS:04/06 is to follow a cohort of students from the start of their postsecondary education and collect further data from them in 2006 and 2009. This report describes the methodology and findings of the BPS:04/06 field test, which took place during the 2004-05 school year. The BPS:04/06 field test was used to plan, implement, and evaluate methodological procedures, instruments, and systems proposed for use in the full-scale study scheduled for the 2005-06 school year. Appended are: (1) Technical Review Panel Contact List; (2) Data Elements for the BPS:04/06 Student Interview; (3) Advance Contacting and Mailout Materials; (4) Training Materials; (5) Facsimile of Field Test Instrument; and (6) Facsimile of Reinterview Data Collection Instrument. (Contains 6 endnotes, 33 tables, and 7 figures.)

This E.D. TAB presents findings from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Spring 2005 data collection, which included four components: Student Financial Aid for full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students for the 2003-04 academic year, Enrollment for fall 2004 and 12-month counts for 2003-04. Graduation rates for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students beginning college in 1998 at 4-year institutions or in 2001 at less-than-4-year institutions, and Finance for fiscal year 2004. These data were collected through the IPEDS web-based data collection system. The data on which this report is based are available to researchers and the public through the IPEDS Peer Analysis System and College Opportunities On-Line. This report continues a series of E.D. TABs based on the collection of data from over 6,500 postsecondary education institutions that participate in Title IV federal student financial aid programs. Appended are: (1) Survey Methodology; and (2) Glossary of IPEDS Terms. (Contains 11 tables and 5 footnotes.)

In response to a request from the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) conducted a study to examine the feasibility of developing functional status measures for planning and implementing services to consumers in the State-Federal Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Program. To investigate this issue, RTI used the 1994-95 National Health Interview Survey-Disability Followback (NHIS-D) and data available from the ongoing Longitudinal Study of the VR Services Program to develop composite measures of functional status in three areas: (1) gross motor function; (2) personal care function; and (3) cognitive function. They then conducted analyses to address the study's questions regarding the robustness of these measures in comparison with traditional definitions of "significance of disability" for describing VR consumers' status and predicting outcomes of VR services. Theoretical Background and Scale Development is appended. (Contains 2 figures and 31 tables.)

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) asks respondents aged 12 or older questions related to their use of inhalants during their lifetime and in the past year. This report focuses on youths aged 12 to 17 who initiated the use of inhalants in the 12 months prior to the survey. All findings presented in this report are annual averages based on combined 2002, 2003, and 2004 NSDUH data. The report indicates that in 2002 to 2004, an average of 598,000 youths aged 12 to 17 per year reported that they initiated inhalant use in the 12 months prior to being surveyed. The types of inhalants most frequently mentioned as having been used by recent initiates included glue, shoe polish, or toluene (30.3 percent); gasoline or lighter fluid (24.9 percent); nitrous oxide or "whippets" (24.9 percent); and spray paints (23.4 percent). Among recent inhalant initiates, 19.4 percent used inhalants on 13 or more days in the past year. In 2002 to 2004, 59.7 percent of recent inhalant initiates aged 12 to 17 had used cigarettes prior to using inhalants, 67.6 percent had previously used alcohol, and 42.4 percent had previously used marijuana; 35.9 percent had used all three substances--cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana--before they used inhalants. (Contains 6 endnotes, 2 figures, and 2 tables.)

This E.D. TAB is the second publication based on the 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:04). NSOPF:04 includes faculty and instructional staff who were employed in 2- and 4-year degree-granting institutions in the United States in the fall of 2003. The first E.D. TAB (Cataldi, Fahimi, and Bradburn 2005) covered the entire population of faculty and instructional staff in NSOPF:04, including faculty with no instructional responsibilities for credit in fall 2003. This E.D. TAB, however, includes only faculty and staff who had instructional responsibilities in fall 2003, and details their demographic characteristics, faculty status, instructional activities, and compensation by employment status, institution type, and program area. Appended are: (1) Glossary; and (2) Technical Notes and Methodology. (Contains 37 tables.) [For the first E.D. TAB using NSOPF:04, see ED485364.]

This report describes the procedures and results of the full-scale implementation of the B&B:93/03 study. Students who earned a bachelor's degree in 1992-93 were first interviewed in 1993 and then subsequently in 1994 and 1997. This is the final follow-up interview of the B&B:93 cohort, 10 years following completion of the bachelor's degree. The results of this study offer an opportunity to assess the value of a baccalaureate degree at a time when sample members are becoming established in their careers. Specific topics of interest include length of time to complete a baccalaureate degree, the pursuit of additional postsecondary education beyond a bachelor's degree, and employment outcomes. The following are appended: (1) Data Collection Mailout Materials; (2) Technical Review Panel Members; (3) Final Set of Data Elements Used in B&B:93/03 Survey; (4) Facsimiles of B&B:93/03 Interview and Previous Interviews; (5) Self-Administered, Telephone, and Field Interviewer Training Manuals; (6) Listing of Analysis Variables Derived for B&B:93/03; (7) Design Effect Tables; and (8) Item Nonresponse Bias Tables. (Contains 43 tables and 9 figures.)

This Statistics in Brief examines the status of high school athletes 8 years after their senior year in high school. Using a representative sample of 10th-graders in 1990, who were seniors in 1992, from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), this Brief provides information on the 1990-1992 high school athletes' educational, labor market, and health status in the year 2000, eight years after scheduled high school graduation. Outcomes for persons who reported participation in high school athletics (persons who indicated involvement in any school sports, at any level, in 1990 or 1992) are compared to outcomes for persons who did not report any high school athletic participation. In addition, outcomes for different types of high school athletes--persons who participated as elite athletes (team captains or most valuable players [MVPs] in 1990 or 1992), varsity athletes, and junior varsity (JV)/intramural athletes--are compared. Consistent with previous research, this report generally found positive relationships between high school athletic participation and educational, labor market, and health outcomes in 2000, eight years after scheduled high school graduation. High school athletes at the elite and varsity levels of participation experienced greater educational and labor market success than non-athletes. The health outcomes for high school athletes included lesser rates of smoking at the elite and varsity levels of participation and greater rates of participation in fitness activities and in group sports/recreation activities at all three levels of participation, compared to non-athletes. High school athletes at the elite and varsity level, however, were more likely to be binge drinkers. Future work in this area should include more extensive controls for possible selection effects of high school athletic participation. (Contains 10 endnotes.)

This E.D. TAB presents findings from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) fall 2004 data collection, which included two survey components: Institutional Characteristics for the 2004-05 academic year, and Completions covering the period July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2004. These data were collected through the IPEDS web-based data collection system. This E.D. TAB report continues a series of E.D. TABs based on the collection of data from over 6,500 postsecondary education institutions that participate in Title IV federal student financial aid programs. It aims to encourage researchers and others to make full use of the IPEDS data for analysis, peer comparisons, or to help answer questions about postsecondary education institutions. Appended are: (1) Survey Methodology; and (2) Glossary of IPEDS Terms. (Contains 11 tables.)

This E.D. TAB presents findings from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Spring 2004 data collection, which included four survey components: Student Financial Aid for full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students for the 2002-03 academic year, Enrollment for fall 2003, Graduation Rates for full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students beginning college in 1997 at 4-year institutions or in 2000 at less-than-4-year institutions, and Finance for fiscal year 2003. These data were collected through the IPEDS web-based data collection system. The data on which this report is based are available to researchers and the public through the IPEDS Peer Analysis System and College Opportunities On-Line. Both of these sources can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds. This report continues a series of E.D. TABs based on the collection of data from over 6,500 postsecondary education institutions that participate in Title IV federal student financial aid programs. Appended are: (1) Survey Methodology; and (2) Glossary of IPEDS Terms. (Contains 19 tables.)

This E.D. TAB is the second publication based on the 2003-04 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04) conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the U.S. Department of Education. NPSAS is a comprehensive survey that examines how students and their families pay for postsecondary education. The first E.D. TAB (Berkner et al. 2005) included national estimates of financial aid for both undergraduate and graduate or first-professional students and provided details on the federal student aid programs in Title IV of the Higher Education Act. This E.D. TAB focuses only on undergraduates, including separate tables for those who attended public 4-year, private not-for-profit 4-year, public 2-year, or private for-profit postsecondary institutions during the 2003-04 academic year. It describes average tuition and fees, average total price of attendance, and the percentages of undergraduates receiving various types and combinations of financial aid and average amounts received, with a particular focus on grants and loans. Appended are: (1) Supplemental Tables; (2) Glossary; and (3) Technical Notes and Methodology. (Contains 30 tables.)

This document describes the faculty and instructional staff in public and private not-for-profit postsecondary institutions offering an associate's or higher degree in fall 2003. The employment status, race/ethnicity, gender, tenure status, and compensation of faculty and instructional staff are presented by institution type and program area. Results include, but are not limited to: (1) Among faculty and instructional staff in all institution types, 56 percent were employed full time and 44 percent were employed part time in fall 2003 (table 1); (2) About two-thirds (67 percent) of faculty employed in public associate's institutions reported working part time, compared with 22 to 55 percent of faculty at other types of institutions (table 1); and (3) The largest proportion of full-time faculty and instructional staff were White (80 percent), compared with Asian/Pacific Islander (9 percent), Black (5 percent), Hispanic (3 percent), and other racial/ethnic groups (2 percent; table 2). The following are appended: (1) Glossary; and (2) Technical Notes and Methodology. (Contains 18 tables.)

This report is the second in a series of four final reports that present the findings of the Longitudinal Study of the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Program. Initiated in fall 1992, the study has tracked VR participation and post-VR experiences of applicants to and consumers of VR services (n=8,500) for up to 3 years following exit from the program. Findings indicate: (1) overall, consumers who received VR services averaged 12 services during their participation in VR, with medical/physical function evaluation the most frequent service provided; (2) VR counselors spent about 14% of their time on eligibility determination activities and an additional 14% on individualized plans for employment development; (3) 81% of consumers believed they had sufficient choice in selection of vocational goals; (4) the most important factor that affected the specific services individuals received from VR was their primary disability, with individuals with mental illness receiving the most different services; (5) a substantial majority of consumers' vocational goals were in professional, managerial, or technical occupations, service occupations, and clerical or sales occupations; and (6) VR consumers who achieved a competitive employment outcome fared better on all measures of economic outcomes. Appended are: (1) Overview of the VR Program; (2) Tables on Relationships between VR Services and Disability Type; (3) Tables on Relationships between VR Services and Vocational Goal; and (4) Tables of Odds Ratios. (Contains 86 tables, and 7 exhibits, and 5 references.) (CR)

Estimates of first-time drug use, referred to as incidence or initiation, provide an important measure of the Nation's drug use problem. They suggest emerging patterns of use and identify periods of heightened risk for an immediate focus on the prevention of substance use, particularly among children and youths. This report contains an analysis of the initiation of marijuana use. The analysis is based on data from the 1999 and 2000 National Household Surveys on Drug Abuse (NHSDAs). Overall estimates of the prevalence and rate of marijuana initiation based on combined 1999 and 2000 data were released in September 2001. Those results showed that, although there was a decrease in incidence from 2.6 million new users in 1996 to 2.0 million in 1999, these levels were still significantly higher than the levels in 1990 (1.4 million). The purpose of this report is to present more in-depth analyses of incidence rates among population subgroups, demographic characteristics and predictors of recent initiates, and consequences of early marijuana initiation. Specifically, this report has four objectives: estimate incidence rates and trends of marijuana use, provide State-specific incidence estimates, identify characteristics and predictors of recent marijuana initiates, and examine the relationship between early marijuana use and later drug use patterns. Three appendixes present the statistical methods and limitations of the data, provide selected standard error tables, and include selected questionnaire pages from the 1999 and 2000 NHSDAs. (Contains 58 references and 52 tables.) (GCP)

This report describes the methods and procedures used for the 2000 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:2000). NPSAS:2000 included notable changes from previous NPSAS surveys (conducted in 1987, 1990, 1993, and 1996) in its sample design and collection of data. For example, this study is the first to restrict institutional sampling to Title IV participating institutions. It is also the first in the NPSAS series to use Web-based instrumentation for institutional records collection. However, sufficient comparability in survey design and instrumentation was maintained to ensure that important comparisons with past NPSAS studied can be made. The discussion of methods and procedures contains these chapters: (1) Introduction, Background, and Purpose; (2) Design and Method of NPSAS: 2000; (3) Outcomes of Data Collection; (4) Evaluation of Operations and Data; (5) Variable Construction and File Development; and (6) Weighting and Variance Estimation. Eleven appendixes contain supplemental information about aspects of the survey. (Contains 133 tables and 11 figures.) (SLD)

This report describes the methods and procedures used for the field test of the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study First Followup 1996-98 (BPS:96/98). Students in this survey were first interviewed during 1995 as part of the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study 1996 field test. The BPS:96/98 full-scale student sample includes students who started their postsecondary education during the 1995-96 academic year. Evaluation of procedures used in the field test has led to refinements that benefit the full-scale study. The introductory chapter describes the study and the unique purposes of the field test. Chapter 2 reviews the study design and methodology for the field test. Chapter 3 presents overall outcomes of data collection and the special procedures implemented during the field test. Chapter 4 examines issues related to the quality of the data collected. The major recommendations for changes in the design of the full-scale study are included by topic in chapters 3 and 4, and summarized at the end of chapter 4. Materials used in the field test, including 5 facsimile interviews are provided as five appendixes to the report. (Contains 2 figures and 17 tables.) (SLD)

Principals play a primary role in the school-reform process, acting as both the agents of change and targets of change. This National Center for Education Statistic's (NCES) Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) provides descriptive information about the changing nature of the individuals who serve as principals in public and private schools, including their perceptions and the challenges they face. The report uses data from the 1987-88, 1990-91, and 1993-94 administrations of SASS to examine the principalship in the reform environment of the late 1980s and early 1990s. For each of those years, approximately 80,000 principals served in the nation's public schools and approximately 25,000 served in private schools. The report provides information on job demographics; principals' salaries and benefits; their education and their experience; their perceptions of serious problems; and their goals, influence, and career plans. An index, 13 figures, and 5 tables are included. Appendices contain tables of estimates and standard errors, technical notes, and SASS data products. (Contains 36 references.) (LMI)

This publication presents statistics that estimate higher education student financial aid for 1992-93 in 12 tables using data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS). NPSAS is a comprehensive study that is examining how students and their families pay for postsecondary education. It includes nationally representative samples of undergraduates, graduates, and first-professional students, students attending less-than-two-year, two-year, four-year, and doctoral granting institutions. Tables include information that shows aid for undergraduates by source and student characteristic, by type of aid, average amounts of federal and non-federal aid, graduate and professional students receiving aid and the average amounts of aid they receive. Highlights of the report include: (1) about 40 percent of undergraduates (about 7.7 million) received financial aid from some source; (2) about 1 out of every 3 undergraduates received some type of federal aid and about 2 out of every 10 received federal grants; (3) among the 2.2 million aided undergraduates enrolled at public two-year institutions, the average amount of aid received was about $2,200; (4) among graduate and first-professional students about 4 of every 10 received some financial aid from any source averaging $8,500; and (5) about 75 percent of first-professional program students received aid averaging over $14,500. Appendixes contain 11 tables, including eight standard error tables, and description of variables used in this tabulation. (JB)

This report is a descriptive summary of data from the first follow-up of the 1990/92 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:90/92), a comprehensive examination of information on enrollment, persistence, and attainment in postsecondary education for students who began postsecondary education in 1989-90 regardless of when they completed high school. The BPS data also include detailed information about financial aid, employment, family formation, and civic and political participation of students. The BPS sample of 6,500 students was drawn from first-time students who participated in the 1990 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS). Among these first findings are: (1) about half of the students originally enrolled in 2- to 3-year institutions, 42 percent enrolled in 4-year institutions and 9 percent enrolled in less-than-2-year institutions; (2) 47 percent of those who aspired to 2 or more years of college (but less than a bachelor's degree) when they first enrolled in postsecondary education, did not re-enroll in 1990-91; (3) during the first year of enrollment, 45 percent received some kind of financial aid; (4) of beginning students who worked while enrolled (87 percent of all students), 76 percent considered their primary role that of student; and (5) as of February 1992, 18 percent of the sample were married and an additional 5 percent had been previously married. Detailed data are presented in 41 tables and 17 figures. Appendixes contain technical notes, methodology, and a glossary. (JB)

Research has shown that persons who engage in binge alcohol use as teenagers are at increased risk for binge drinking as young adults. Binge Alcohol Use among Persons Aged 12 to 20: 2002 and 2003 Update asks respondents aged 12 or older to report their frequency and quantity of alcohol use during the month before the survey. NSDUH defines binge alcohol use as drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion (i.e., at the same time or within a couple of hours of each other) on at least 1 day in the past 30 days. All findings presented in this report are annual averages based on combined 2002 and 2003 NSDUH data. Contains 5 figures illustrating statistical information.