Appendix 1: Data sources used for PCEIP 2007

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This following alphabetical list provides a brief overview of each data source used for the 2007 (fifth) edition of Education Indicators in Canada: Report of the Pan-Canadian Education Indicators Program. Most data are from Statistics Canada surveys or other Statistics Canada databases, publications or products. More information on these data sources can be obtained by contacting:

Contact:
Client Services, Centre for Education Statistics, Statistics Canada

Telephone:
1-800-307-3382 (toll free)
(613) 951-7608

Fax:
(613) 951-4441

Email:
educationstats@statcan.gc.ca

Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) have also been used for the 2007 PCEIP report; the contact information is included with the descriptions.

Census of Population

Census Operations Division, Statistics Canada

Objective:
To provide, at a single point in time, a detailed portrait of the demographic, social, and economic conditions of the population, and on its housing units.

Target population:
The entire Canadian population, defined as Canadian citizens (by birth or by naturalization), landed immigrants and non-permanent residents, together with family members who live with them. Non-permanent residents are people living in Canada who have a Minister’s permit, a student or employment authorization, or who are claiming refugee status. The census does not count foreign residents (government representatives of another country attached to an embassy or other diplomatic body in Canada and their families, members of the Canadian Forces of another country stationed in Canada and their families, and persons temporarily visiting). The census also counts Canadian citizens and landed immigrants who are temporarily outside the country on Census Day. This includes federal and provincial government employees working outside Canada, Canadian embassy staff posted to other countries, members of the Canadian Forces stationed abroad, and all Canadian crew members of merchant vessels.

Frequency:
Every five years; the most recent census was conducted in 2006, and the next census will be held in 2011.

Notes:
1991, 1996 and 2001 Census data were used for Tables A.2.1 through A.2.5 and A.4.1 through A.4.4.

In both 1996 and 2001, for some Indian reserves and settlements, enumeration was not permitted, or was interrupted before it could be completed. This resulted in 77 incompletely enumerated reserves and settlements (with an estimated population of 44,000) in 1996, and 30 incompletely enumerated reserves and settlements (with an estimated population of 30,000 to 35,000) in 2001. These people, most of whom were registered Indians, are not included in the data. Consequently, the impact of incomplete enumeration is greatest on data for North American Indians and for persons registered under the Indian Act. The impact of the missing data tends to be small for national-level and most provincial-level statistics, but it can be significant for some smaller areas.

The census is distributed both on- and off-reserve. Form 2D, the Northern and Reserves Questionnaire, specifically gathers information on all households in northern areas and on most Indian reserves, Indian settlements, Indian government districts and terres réservées. A list of the reserves that did not participate or for which the quality of the data was deemed unacceptable is provided in each census product.

Community College Student Information System (CCSIS)

Centre for Education Statistics, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
This database, now inactive, provided enrolment and graduate statistics for postsecondary programs at community colleges. Various demographic and program-related characteristics of students and graduates were also available

Target population:
The Community College Student Information System (CCSIS) covered all students registered for programs eligible for academic credit in a postsecondary diploma, certificate, or university transfer/university level program in community colleges in the provinces and territories. A secondary school completion or equivalent was the normal prerequisite for entry into the postsecondary programs covered by this survey. The “général” program at Quebec institutions, the completion of which is a prerequisite for entry into universities, was included. Students registered in co-op programs who were on a work assignment at the time of the survey were included in the enrolment counts as were students registered for diplomas or certificates awarded by a professional body, if such programs formed part of the regular offerings of the institution.

Frequency:
Annual, 1969/1970 through 1999/2000; inactive.

Notes:
In 2000, the Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS), formerly the Enhanced Student Information System (ESIS), began to replace CCSIS and other postsecondary enrolment and graduate surveys, offering common variables for all levels of postsecondary education. Although most institutions are already reporting under PSIS, some are still in the process of implementing this new system. During this transition period, these institutions are reporting their data via the surveys that PSIS is replacing, such as CCSIS. This has limited the data that are currently available, particularly at the college level.

Education at a Glance, 2006 and earlier

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Education at a Glance – OECD Indicators is an annual OECD publication, first published in 1992. It contains data and analysis for over 30 indicators that provide insights into the functioning of education systems including the operation, evolution, and impact of education, and that reflect emerging issues on national policy agendas. The OECD indicators allow international comparisons that help countries see their systems in light of other countries’ performances. More information is available on the OECD Web site, at www.oecd.org.

Elementary-Secondary Education Statistics Project (ESESP)

Centre for Education Statistics, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
The Elementary-Secondary Education Statistics Project (ESESP) is a national survey that enables Statistics Canada to provide information on enrolments (including minority and second language programs), graduates, educators and finance of Canadian elementary-secondary public educational institutions. This information is used mainly to meet policy and planning needs in the field of elementary-secondary education.

Target population:
Annually, the department or ministry of education in each jurisdiction sends data pertaining to enrolments, graduates, educators and finance of the public elementary-secondary schools under their jurisdictions to Statistics Canada. ESESP is a census of all provinces and territories. The frame used is the list of all provinces and territories.

Frequency:
Annual; reference period – September (or as close as possible thereafter) of the school year.

Notes:
Statistics Canada first introduced ESESP in 2003. The goal of this project is to collect elementary-secondary expenditure data. It has replaced the following surveys that were used for the collection of enrolment, graduate, and educator data:

• Elementary-Secondary School Enrolment Survey
• Minority and Second Language Education
• Secondary School Graduates Survey
• Elementary-Secondary Education Staff Survey.

Estimates of Canadian Research and Development Expenditures (GERD), Canada, 1995 to 2006, and by province 1995 to 2004

Statistics Canada Catalogue No. 88F0006XIE2006009

Science, Innovation and Electronic Information Division (SIEID), Statistics Canada

This publication presents the national gross domestic expenditures on research and development (GERD) from 1995 to 2006, as well as the provincial GERD from 1995 to 2004.

Financial Statistics of Community Colleges and Vocational Schools (FINCOL)

Centre for Education Statistics, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
This survey collects financial information (income and expenditures) from non-degree-granting community colleges and public vocational schools.

Target population:
All non-degree-granting community colleges and public vocational schools in the provinces and territories that offer educational programs at the postsecondary level and/or vocational level (private institutions that only offer courses at the vocational level however are not covered).

Frequency:
Annual, since 1982.

International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (IALSS)

Special Surveys Division, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
The 2003 International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (IALSS) is the Canadian component of the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALL). The main purpose of the survey was to find out how well adults use printed information to function in society.

Target population:
IALSS is a sample survey with a cross-sectional design, representing Canadian adults aged 16 and over not residing in institutions or on Indian reserves. In addition to provincial and territorial estimates, the survey was designed to provide reliable estimates for a variety of special target populations such as recent and established immigrants, francophones in New Brunswick, Manitoba and Ontario, anglophones in Quebec, urban Aboriginals in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, youth in Quebec and British Columbia, and Aboriginal residents in the three territories.

Frequency:
Occasional.

Notes:
In each of the seven participating countries, nationally representative samples of adults aged 16 to 65 were interviewed and tested at home, using the same psychometric test to measure prose and document literacy, as well as numeracy and problem-solving skills.

Labour Force Survey (LFS)

Labour Statistics Division, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
To collect labour force information from the civilian, working-age population of Canada in order to provide estimates of the number and characteristics of the employed, unemployed, and persons not in the labour force. The data are used to publish monthly standard labour market indicators. Data are also collected on a wide range of variables concerning the respondents’ household and family, and individual characteristics such as educational attainment and school attendance.

Target population:
The LFS covers the civilian, non-institutionalized population 15 years of age and over. Persons living on Indian reserves, full-time members of the Canadian Forces and inmates of institutions (e.g., hospitals, prisons, and long-term care facilities) are excluded. Basic demographic information is also collected for all members of the selected household, regardless of age.

Frequency:
Monthly; data are available from 1966.

Notes:
The LFS was redesigned in 1976 and in 1997; however, most data are historically consistent. The 1997 redesign resulted primarily in the addition of new questions relating to labour conditions and a restructured question flow in order to take advantage of computer-assisted interviewing software. In addition, the 1990 LFS questionnaire introduced revised questions on the educational attainment variable and therefore these data are not directly comparable with those collected prior to 1990. Beginning with the 1990 survey, data on primary and secondary education reflects the highest grade completed rather than attended. A question on high school graduation was also added because, before 1990, no attempt was made to determine if respondents whose highest level was Grade 11 to 13 had actually graduated. Also with the 1990 questionnaire, any education that could be counted towards a degree, certificate or diploma from an educational institution is taken as postsecondary education. Prior to this revision, postsecondary education was limited to education that normally requires high school graduation (thereby failing to pick-up on much trade-vocational education as this does not always require high school education). Finally, the changes introduced with the 1990 questionnaire allow more information to be collected on the type of postsecondary education.

Starting in late 2003 in Alberta, and then in April 2004 for the rest of Western Canada, the LFS added questions to identify Aboriginal respondents living off-reserve. The Aboriginal identify questions were also asked in the territories in 2004. The question on Aboriginal identity was extended to all provinces in January 2007.

Indian reserves have historically been excluded from the LFS due to the serious challenges in contacting and interviewing potential respondents, with many of them living in remote locations not easily accessible to LFS interviewers given the short data collection period each month, and the large effort and cost associated with traveling to these locations.

Main Science and Technology Indicators

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2006/1, Table 2

OECD Main Science and Technology Indicators:  This biannual publication provides a set of indicators that reflect the level and structure of the efforts undertaken by OECD member countries and nine non-member economies (Argentina, China, Israel, Romania, Russian Federation [a member country as of 2007], Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Chinese-Taipei) in the field of science and technology. The indicators cover the resources devoted to R&D, patent families, technology balance of payments and international trade in highly R&D-intensive industries. Also presented are the underlying economic series used to calculate these indicators. Series are presented for a reference year and for the last six years for which data are available. More information is available on the OECD Web site, www.oecd.org.

National Graduates Survey (NGS)

Centre for Education Statistics, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
The National Graduates Survey (NGS) was designed to measure the labour market outcomes of graduates from Canadian public university, community college, and trade-vocational programs, two and five years after graduation.

Target population:
Graduates from Canadian postsecondary education institutions (universities, colleges, trade schools) who graduated or completed the requirements for degrees, diplomas or certificates during the reference calendar year. Excluded are: graduates from private postsecondary education institutions; completers of continuing education programs (unless these led to a degree, diploma or certificate); part-time trade course completers; persons who completed vocational programs lasting less than three months; persons who completed vocational programs other than in the skilled trades (e.g., basic training and skill development); completers of provincial apprenticeship programs and those living outside of Canada or the United States at the time of the survey.

Frequency:
Occasional.

Notes:
Each graduating class is interviewed twice: two years after graduation (NGS) and five years after graduation (Follow-up of Graduates Survey, or FOG). To date, five graduating classes (1982, 1986, 1990, 1995 and 2000) have been surveyed two and five years after graduation:

National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY)

Special Surveys Division, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
The National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) was designed to follow the same group of children over several years to study their development and well-being from birth to early adulthood. The survey was developed to collect information about factors influencing a child’s social, emotional and behavioural development and to monitor the impact of these factors on the child’s development over time. The NLSCY covers a comprehensive range of topics including the health of children, information on their physical development, learning and behaviour, as well as data on their social environment (family, friends, schools and communities).

Target population:
The non-institutionalized, civilian child population in Canada’s 10 provinces. The children sampled by the NLSCY do not include people living on Indian reserves or Crown lands, residents of institutions, full-time members of the Canadian Forces, and residents of some remote regions.

Frequency:
Biennial, starting in 1994/1995.

Notes:
The NLSCY sample permits results to be reported for the general population of children aged 0 to 5 years in addition to the longitudinal results.

Population and demography

Demography Division, Statistics Canada

Estimates of Population, by Age Group and Sex, Canada, Provinces and Territories.This estimates program is used in the calculation of demographic, social and economic indicators (fertility rates, mortality rates, nuptiality rates, divorce rates, unemployment rates, school enrolment rates, etc.) in which the population, or a part thereof, serves as the denominator. These data are used in calculation of weights for use in Statistics Canada’s Surveys (Labour Force Survey, General Social Survey, Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics, etc.). They are also used in the determination of the annual level of immigration by the Government of Canada. In addition, the data are used as base population for Statistics Canada’s population projections. Estimated population counts play a vital role under the “Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements and Federal Post-Secondary Education and Health Contributions Act” and the “Canada Student Loans Act” in determining the amounts of federal-provincial/territorial transfers.

Notes:
Used for the 1991 to 2005 estimates of population in Table A.1.1, “Estimates and projections, population aged 0 to 29, Canada and jurisdictions, 1991 to 2031.”

Population Projections for Canada, Provinces and Territories, 2005 to 2031 (Statistics Canada Catalogue No. 91-520-XWE, December 2005) by Alain Bélanger, Laurent Martel and Éric Caron-Malenfant. This report presents population projections for Canada, the provinces and territories for the period 2005 to 2056. Results are available for provinces and territories by age and sex to the year 2031 and for Canada as a whole to the year 2056. The components method was used. For each component of population growth, one or more assumptions were made regarding how that component would evolve in the future. These assumptions, when combined, form a number of projection scenarios. In all, there are three assumptions each on fertility, mortality and immigration and four assumptions on interprovincial migration; in combination, these assumptions generate 108 scenarios on the future course of population change. To keep the document a reasonable size, the results of only six scenarios are presented in detail. These six scenarios provide a range of high, medium and low population growth projections for the various provinces and territories.

Notes:
Used for the 2006 to 2031 population projections in Table A.1.1,.”Estimates and projections, population aged 0 to 29, Canada and jurisdictions, 1991 to 2031.”

Projections of the Aboriginal Populations, Canada, Provinces and Territories: Detailed Statistical Tables, 2001 to 2017 (Statistics Canada Catalogue No. 91-547-SCB) These statistical tables present annual data from 2001 to 2017 for the following Aboriginal groups: North American Indians, Métis, and Inuit, covering place of residence (reserve, census metropolitan area, urban non-census, metropolitan area, rural) and age groups and sex.

Notes:
Used for the population projections of the Aboriginal populations in Table A.1.2, “Estimates and projections, population aged 0 to 29 with Aboriginal identity, Canada and jurisdictions, 2001 to 2016.”

Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS)

Centre for Education Statistics, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
The Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS), formerly the Enhanced Student Information System (ESIS), is a national survey that enables Statistics Canada to provide detailed information on enrolments in and graduates of Canadian public postsecondary education institutions in order to meet policy and planning needs in the field of postsecondary education.

PSIS collects information pertaining to the programs and courses offered at an institution, as well as information regarding the students and the program(s) and courses in which they are registered, or from which they have graduated. PSIS was also designed to collect data on continuing education; this information is available from the cross-sectional files.

PSIS creates a unique longitudinal record for each postsecondary student in Canada that will, in turn, provide a history of flows taken by a student as he/she progresses through the education system. Upon commitment from all postsecondary education institutions, PSIS will become a means of following students throughout their academic careers in order to build a comprehensive picture of student flows; that is, their mobility and pathways within Canadian postsecondary education institutions. Mobility refers to geographic movement. Pathways refer to movement between fields of study, levels of education, and registration status (full-time and part-time).

Target population:
The frame used is the list of Canadian public postsecondary institutions (universities, community colleges and trade and vocational training centres) compiled by the Centre for Education Statistics of Statistics Canada. Information is collected from Canadian postsecondary institutions (the collection units). Each institution sends data pertaining to their programs and their students. PSIS is a census of all students and graduates of all Canadian public postsecondary institutions.

Frequency:
Annual.

Notes:

In 2000, PSIS began to replace the University Student Information System, the Community College Student Information System, and the Trade/Vocational Enrolment Survey with a single survey offering common variables for all levels of postsecondary education. Historical enrolment and graduate data from the previous surveys have been converted using PSIS variable definitions and codesets to maintain the historical continuity of the statistical series. Although most institutions are already reporting under PSIS, some are still in the process of implementing this new system. During this transition period, these institutions are reporting their data via the surveys that PSIS is replacing. This has limited the data that are currently available, particularly at the college level.

Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Objectives:
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a collaborative effort among OECD member countries that assesses youth outcomes in three domains—reading literacy, mathematical literacy, and scientific literacy—through common international tests. The PISA assessment is intended to go beyond the testing of school-based curriculum in order to assess to what degree students approaching the end of their compulsory education have mastered the knowledge and skills in each of the literacy domains that are essential for full participation in society. More specifically, PISA aims to answer the following questions:

• How well are young adults prepared to meet the challenges of the future?
• Are they able to analyze, reason and communicate their ideas effectively?
• Do they have the capacity to continue learning throughout life?
• Are some kinds of teaching and school organization more effective than others?

Target population:
Individuals 15 years of age who were attending school in one of Canada’s 10 provinces. Students of schools located on Indian reserves were excluded, as were students of schools for those with severe learning disabilities, schools for blind and deaf students, and students who were being home schooled. To date, the territories have chosen not to participate in PISA.

Frequency:
Every three years with major testing domains as follows:

• 2000: reading
• 2003: mathematics
• 2006: science

Contact:
Coordinator, Assessment
Council of Ministers of Education,Canada (CMEC)
Tel.: (416) 962-8100
See www.cmec.ca for more information

Provincial Expenditures on Education in Reform and Correctional Institutions

Centre for Education Statistics, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
The survey is used to supplement data collected from the Provincial Public Accounts on provincial/territorial expenditures on education, which are used in the determination of total consolidated expenditures on education in Canada and published in various Statistics Canada publications.

Target population:
Reform and correctional institutions in the provinces and territories.

Frequency:
Annual, since 1970/1971.

Public Institutions Division

Statistics Canada

Public Institutions Division’s statistical program is designed to measure and analyze the economic dimensions of the public sector of Canada, including its profile.

The economic dimensions consist of revenues and expenditures, assets and liabilities, debt and employment-related statistics of public sector entities. In order to measure properly the public sector, the Division must maintain an up-to-date profile of the public sector universe. The public sector includes all entities such as government departments, establishments or funds, which political authorities at all levels use to implement their social and economic policies. Government business enterprises are also part of the public sector universe.

The public sector does not include supra-national bodies such as agencies of the United Nations or other international organizations that may exist and operate within Canada.

Registered Apprenticeship Information System (RAIS)

Centre for Education Statistics, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
This survey gathers information on individuals who receive training and those who obtain certification within a trade where apprenticeship is being offered. RAIS compiles data on the number of registered apprentices taking in-class and on-the-job training in trades that are either Red Seal or non-Red Seal and where apprenticeship is either compulsory or voluntary. It also compiles data on the number of provincial and interprovincial certificates granted to apprentices or tradespersons.

Target population:
The survey covers registered apprentices taking in-class and on-the-job training in trades that are either Red Seal or non-Red Seal and where apprenticeship training is either compulsory or voluntary. It also covers apprentices or tradespersons who are granted provincial and interprovincial certificates. In RAIS, a tradesperson is an individual who received training within a trade where apprenticeship training is voluntary and did not register for the apprenticeship training but succeeded in obtaining their certificate within that trade.

Frequency:
Annual. Since 1991, individual record data have been collected; from 1980 to 1990, aggregate data by trades was collected.

School Achievement Indicators Program (SAIP)

Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC)

Objectives:
The provinces and territories, through CMEC, developed the School Achievement Indicators Program (SAIP) to assess the performance of 13- and 16-year-old students in mathematics content and mathematics problem solving, reading and writing, and science. SAIP presented achievement results for Canada as a whole and for each participating province and territory. SAIP also provided results for the English and French school systems within a jurisdiction. Beginning with the 1999 science assessment, SAIP began to collect contextual information on student performance to help interpret and explain the achievement results.

Target population:
Students in the 10 provinces and 3 territories aged 13 and 16 (i.e., those students who reached their 13^th or 16^th birthdays between September 1 and August 31 of the previous year).

Frequency:
SAIP was a cyclical program of student assessment with the following schedule:

Table 1 School achievement indicators program schedule

Mathematics	Reading and Writing	Science
1993	1994	1996
1997	1998	1999
2001	2002 (writing)	2004

Notes:
The SAIP science assessment of 2004 was the last SAIP test administered. Starting in 2007, the new Pan-Canadian Assessment Program (PCAP) is being introduced.

Contact:
Coordinator, Pan-Canadian Assessment Program
Council of Ministers of Education,
Canada (CMEC)
Tel.: (416) 962-8100
See www.cmec.ca for more information.

Science, Innovation and Electronic Information Division (SIEID), Science and Innovation Surveys Section

Statistics Canada

With support from government and industry partners, the Science, Innovation and Electronic Information Division (SIEID) focuses on the development of statistical measures and indicators that facilitate the analysis of the economic and social impacts of the following activities:

• science and technology activities
• industrial research and development
• human resources and intellectual property
• advanced technologies
• innovation
• biotechnology
• e-commerce
• telecommunications
• broadcasting
• information society, research and analysis

Secondary School Graduates Survey

Centre for Education Statistics, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
This survey collected data on secondary school graduates, by age and sex, for youths in regular high school programs.

Target population:
This survey collected data on all graduates of regular high school programs. Graduates from upgrading programs for out-of-school adults, sometimes leading to “equivalency” certification but in other cases leading to regular high school graduation certification, were not included. Youths younger than 20 years of age were defined as “regular high school” students.

Frequency:
Annual; now inactive.

Notes:
The survey was discontinued after the 2002/2003 reference year, when the Elementary-Secondary Education Statistics Project (ESESP) began collecting these data.

Survey of Colleges and Institutes

Centre for Education Statistics, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
This program collects full-time aggregate public college and institute enrolment and graduate data.

Target population:
The survey covers enrolment in publicly funded colleges and institutes only. Universities are excluded. Colleges and institutes are institutions created under the authority of either a province’s Colleges Act or equivalent, or under a Societies Act or equivalent, with education as a primary purpose. These institutions offer certificate, diploma, and transfer or continuing education programs, as well as professional development programs.

Frequency:
Annual (on a provisional basis). To date, data for the 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 reference years have been collected.

Notes:
A longer time series of data on enrolment in public colleges and institutes is dependent on the possibility of producing historical revisions to the college data that have been traditionally collected by Statistics Canada from individual student records using PSIS and its precursors.

Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF)

Income Statistics Division, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
The Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) was conducted annually, through the 1997 reference year, to obtain work experience and income information from Canadian households. The SCF provided up-to-date information on the distribution and sources of income, before and after taxes, for families and individuals. It was the source for estimates of income and low income in the population.

Target population:
All individuals aged 15 and over residing in households in the 10 provinces with income (i.e., earnings, investment income, government transfer payments, retirement income, or other income) during the reference year, excluding residents of the territories, Indian reserves and institutions (e.g., prisons, hospitals, and long-term care facilities), and full-time members of the Canadian Forces.

Frequency:
Annual; inactive (ended with the 1997 reference year).

Notes:
The SCF was replaced by the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) beginning with the 1998 reference year. Results from the two surveys have been compared in detail to assess the differences and the impact on time-series consistency. Essentially, the two surveys tell the same story with respect to low income and income distribution.

Survey of Federal Government Expenditures in Support of Education (FEDEX)

Centre for Education Statistics, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
This survey collects data on direct federal government financial support for education at all levels by department and by province/territory. The result is a dataset on actual and estimated federal spending on education. These data are also used to reconcile financial data from other sources. For example, these data provide a basis for verification of grant data as reported by institutions and for the consolidation of education expenditures.

Target population:
Federal government departments, agencies, commissions, boards and crown corporations that are part of the Public Service Staff Relations Act and the Financial Administration Act.

Frequency:
Annual, beginning in 1982/1983.

Survey of Financial Information of Universities and Colleges (FIUC)

Centre for Education Statistics, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
Detailed data are collected on the revenue and expenditures of universities and degree-granting institutions in Canada. This survey is similar to the Survey of Financial Statistics of Community Colleges and Vocational Schools, but the university survey includes information on research and development expenditures; in fact, it is the principal source of R&D expenditures estimates in the university sector as they are reported in Canada and reported internationally for Canada.

Target population:
All degree-granting universities and university-colleges in Canada.

Frequency:
Annual, since 1972/1973.

Survey of Financial Statistics of Private Elementary and Secondary Schools (FinPESS)

Centre for Education Statistics, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
This survey collects financial data from private elementary and secondary schools in Canada; these data form part of total elementary and secondary revenues and expenditures. The data are also used to estimate private school expenditures for years when no survey is conducted.

Target population:
Private elementary and secondary schools in the provinces and territories.

Frequency:
Every three years including 2003/2004. Annual estimates are produced for the non-survey years.

Survey of Household Spending (SHS)

Income Statistics Division, Statistics Canada

Objective:
Collects detailed information on spending in Canadian households, including expenditures, income, and changes in assets and debts between January 1 and December 31 of the reference year. Also gathers information about dwelling characteristics and the household equipment owned as of December 31 of the reference year. The Survey of Household Spending (SHS) is used as a data source for a number of Statistics Canada products, and to determine low-income cutoffs.

Target population:
The SHS is carried out in private households of all sizes, for individuals or families. The following groups are excluded: individuals living on Indian reserves or Crown lands; official representatives of foreign countries living in Canada and their families; members of religious and other communal colonies; people living in residences for senior citizens; persons living full-time in institutions (e.g., inmates of penal institutions or chronic care patients living in hospitals and nursing homes); and members of the Canadian Forces living in military camps.

The population of the territories is included in the 1997, 1998, and 1999 reference years and every second year thereafter starting with 2001. In the territories, individuals living in very small communities (generally consisting of fewer than 100 households) or in unorganized areas are excluded from the target population.

Frequency:
Annual, beginning with the 1997 reference year.

Notes:
The SHS integrates most of the content found in the Family Expenditure Survey (FAMEX) and the Household Facilities and Equipment Survey. Many data from these two surveys are comparable with data from the SHS; however, some differences related to methodology, data quality and definitions must be considered before making comparisons. The last FAMEX survey covered the 1996 reference year.

Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID)

Income Statistics Division, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
The Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) is a longitudinal survey that follows the same individuals and households for six years, tracking their educational and labour market experiences, and changes in income and family dynamics. As changes in labour and income situations can be closely related to family and personal characteristics, SLID is designed to collect extensive information on areas such as socio-demographic background, education, family composition, activity limitation, and geographic mobility, and changes in these factors. Although SLID is first and foremost a longitudinal survey, it also generates cross-sectional data, including estimates of the number of people with a job or experiencing a period of unemployment at some time during the year, and annual wage distributions.

Target population:   Individuals in the 10 provinces, excluding residents of institutions and persons living on Indian reserves. The labour and income questions are intended for people aged 16 to 69; for the longitudinal component, basic demographic information is also collected for people 15 years of age and under and those 69 and older.

Frequency:
Annual, since 1993.

Notes:
Starting with the 1998 reference year, SLID took over from the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) in producing the annual, or cross-sectional, income statistics, in addition to continuing the production of longitudinal data, which began with the first SLID survey in 1993.

Every few years, estimates produced by the combined program of SLID and the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) are revised. The 2003 revision is the result of three modifications: (1) all estimates, back to 1990, were adjusted to population projections based on the 2001 Census population counts; (2) starting with 1990 estimates, wages and salaries were benchmarked to the distribution of wages and salaries derived from the T4 statement of remuneration remittance file; and (3) the 1992-base low income cut-offs (LICOs) themselves have been revised, resulting from a revision of the 1992 Family Expenditure Survey. SLID and SCF estimates were revised from 1980. These changes have an impact on levels of low-income statistics.

Survey of Uniform Financial System–School Boards

Centre for Education Statistics, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
This survey looks at the revenues and expenditures of school boards, aggregated at the jurisdictional level. Board revenues can be examined by sources of funds (e.g., local taxation), whereas expenditures can be examined by function (e.g., administration, instruction), and detailed classification (e.g., salaries and compensations, supplies and services).

Target population:
All school boards in the provinces and territories.

Frequency:
Annual.

Trade-Vocational Enrolment Survey (TVOC)

Objectives:
This database gathered information on enrolments in trade/vocational training programs offered by community colleges and related institutions in Canada.

Target population:
The survey captured information on all full-time students of trade-vocational and preparatory programs offered by community colleges and public trade-vocational schools in the provinces and territories.

Frequency:
Annual through 1999/2000; now inactive.

Notes:
Aggregate trade/vocational information are available from 1983/1984; individual micro-data were requested beginning in 1992/1993. The survey was discontinued after the 1999/2000 reference period (the academic year), when the Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS) began collecting these data.

Tuition and Living Accommodation Costs for Full-time Students at Canadian Degree-granting Institutions, Survey of (TLAC)

Centre for Education Statistics, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
The survey collects information on tuition fees and living accommodation costs at all universities and degree-granting colleges in Canada. The data are used to analyze and assess the cost students can incur while attending full-time, for future planning and setting of new rates, as well as assessing the effects of an increase in rates.

Target population:
All degree-granting postsecondary institutions, i.e., universities and university-colleges in Canada.

Frequency:
Annual.

University and College Academic Staff System (UCASS)

Centre for Education Statistics, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
This database presents a national picture of the socio-economic characteristics of full-time teaching staff in degree-granting institutions.

Target population:
Full-time teaching staff in degree-granting institutions who have a teaching assignment and are under contract for 12 months or more are covered. Administrative and support staff and librarians are excluded, as are staff solely engaged in research. Teaching and research assistants are also excluded.

Frequency:
Annual.

University Student Information System (USIS)

Centre for Education Statistics, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
This database, now inactive, was replaced by the Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS) in 2000. It provided Canada-wide enrolment and graduate statistics from degree-granting universities and colleges. The data collected revealed a general profile of students and their programs, including sex, age, citizenship, geographic source of student, the level and field of study, type of attendance (full-time, part-time), and year of graduation.

Target population:
The target population for the enrolment statistics was all students enrolled in degree-granting institutions in Canada in programs leading to a degree, diploma or certificate. This included students enrolled in courses as well as students who had completed their course requirements and who were engaged in thesis writing or research. Those students who were taking courses eligible for credit but who were not seeking a degree, diploma or certificate (e.g., auditors) were also included. The target population for the graduate statistics was all students who had received a degree, diploma, or certificate during the calendar year ending in December.

Frequency:
Annual; inactive. Enrolment data are available from the 1972/1973 academic year to the 1999/2000 academic year. Graduate data are available from 1970 to 1999.

Notes:
In 2000 the Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS), formerly the Enhanced Student Information System (ESIS), began to replace USIS and other postsecondary enrolment and graduate surveys, offering common variables for all levels of postsecondary education. Although most institutions are already reporting under PSIS, some are still in the process of implementing this new system. During this transition period, these institutions are reporting their data via the surveys that PSIS is replacing, such as USIS. This has limited the data that are currently available, particularly at the university level.

Youth in Transition Survey (YITS)

Centre for Education Statistics, Statistics Canada

Objectives:
To better understand the major transitions in the lives of youth, particularly their pathways from high school to postsecondary education and training, and the initial transition from schooling to the labour market. The Youth in Transition Survey (YITS) has several broad objectives:

• to examine key transitions in the lives of youth, such as the transition from high school to postsecondary schooling and the initial transition from schooling to the labour market;
• to better understand educational and labour market pathways and the factors influencing these pathways;
• to identify educational and occupational pathways that provide a smoother transition to the labour market;
• to examine the incidence, characteristics, factors and effects of leaving school;
• to understand the impact of school effects on educational and occupational outcomes;
• to examine the contribution of work experience programs, part-time jobs, and volunteer activities to skill development and transition to the labour market;
• to study the attitudes, behaviours, and skills of young people entering the labour market;
• to gain a better understanding of the determinants of postsecondary entry and postsecondary retention, including educational financing,
• to better understand the role of educational and labour market aspirations and expectations in investment in further education and career choice; and
• to explore the educational and occupational pathways of various sub-groups, particularly youth “at risk.”

Target population:
Based on its longitudinal design, YITS surveys two cohorts of youth every two years. The target population for cohort B comprises residents of the 10 provinces of Canada who were born between 1979 and 1981. These individuals were 18- to 20-years-old during 1999, the reference year for cycle 1, and were 22 to 24 during 2003, the reference year for cycle 3.

The target population for cohort A comprises persons who were born in 1984 and in the 1999/2000 school year were attending any form of schooling in the provinces of Canada. These individuals were 15-years-old in 1999 (in cycle 1) and 19 years of age during 2003, the reference year for cycle 3. The sample for cohort A was school-based, with schools selected in the first stage of sampling, and students selected from these schools in the second stage of sampling. Schools in the northern territories and on Indian reserves were excluded. Some school- and student-level exclusions were made in the sampling. However, exclusions of all types represented in total, less than 5 % of the national desired target population.

Frequency:
Every two years.

Notes:
The sample design for cohort B was determined to a large degree by the sample design of the Labour Force Survey (LFS). As is the case with the LFS, cohort B, excludes residents of Yukon, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories, persons living on Indian Reserves, full-time members of the Canadian Forces and inmates of institutions. These groups together represent an exclusion of approximately 2% of the population aged 15 or over.