This publication contains 17 education "indicators," each telling a different and compelling story about American education. Most of the material comes from the Department of Education's 1986 and 1987 editions of "The Condition of Education." Listed under "outcomes," are the following indicators: (1) reading performance of 9-, 13-, and 17-year-olds; (2) writing performance of 4th, 8th, and 11th graders; (3) college entrance examination scores; (4) high school completion, by race and ethnicity; (5) literacy skills of young adults; and (6) participation of high school graduates in postsecondary education. Listed under "resources" are the following indicators: (7) current expenditures per pupil; (8) pupil/teacher ratios; and (9) average annual salary of public school teachers. Listed under "context" are the following indicators: (10) school enrollment; (11) school enrollment rates for selected age groups; (12) aspects of the home environment and reading performance; (13) student drug and alcohol abuse; (14) teacher job satisfaction; (15) school problems as seen by teachers and the public; (16) public opinion ratings of schools and other institutions; and (17) state high school graduation requirements. A page of text summarizing the data and citing the source and a page of illustrations are provided for each indicator. Appended are 23 tables. (MLF)