NCES Releases Private School Universe (PSS) 2017-18, 2019-20, and 2021-22 Methodological Public-Use Data Files

These methodological public-use data files include select data from the 2017-18, 2019-20, and 2021-22 Private School Universe Survey (PSS). Researchers have increasingly expressed interest in tracking whether private schools are open or closed when a school is a non-respondent in a particular data collection. To minimize disclosure risk, these data files allow comparison of NCES IDs (PPINs) across survey years. Toward this end the data files include the NCES ID (PPIN), Interview Status Recode (ISR), Out-of-Scope Code (OOS), and School Inactive Prior to Data Collection (INACTIVE) variables. The PPIN variable represents the permanent identification number for a school or entity. The ISR variable classifies PSS responders, non-responders, and entities determined ineligible for the PSS. The OOS variable identifies the reason why schools or entities were coded out-of-scope.