This publication contains a sample of the 50 indicators in "The Condition of Education 2006." Since 1870, the federal government has gathered data about students, teachers, schools, and education funding. As mandated by Congress, the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the Institute of Education Sciences annually publishes a statistical report on the status and progress of education in the United States. "The Condition of Education" includes data and analysis on a wide variety of issues. The 2006 edition contains a special analysis and "The Condition" indicators are divided into five sections: (1) Participation in Education; (2) Learner Outcomes; (3) Student Effort and Educational Progress; (4) Contexts of Elementary and Secondary Education; and (5) Contexts of Postsecondary Education. [For "The Condition of Education 2006," see ED491909.]